MarsDrive

It has been reported to MarsDrive today that J.Michael Straczynski of Babylon 5 fame will be participating in the “Religion and Space Exploration” program at the Mars Society Convention as well as giving a separate talk concerning the relationship between science fiction and science reality.The Mars Society is pleased to announce that J.Michael Straczynski will be speaking at the 11^th Annual International Mars Society Convention .Stracynski is an award-winning writer/producerwho maintains a prolific output of writing for television, novels, short stories and radio. He is also a playwright, journalist and author of The Complete Book of Scriptwriting.  He is perhaps best known for being the creator, executive producer and head writer for the science fiction TV series BABYLON 5.  In addition, he has written and produced innumerable other television series including Jeremiah, Murder She Wrote, and V: The Next Chapter. In 2008, Challenging, screenplay written by Straczynski and directed by Clint Eastwood, was one of the twenty films admitted into the Cannes Film festival (scheduled for general release in autumn, 2008).  Variety recently named Straczynski one of the top ten screenwriters to watch.

Straczynski has also been a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums.  He is believed to be the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet.
He is a graduate of San Diego State University, having earned Bachelor's degrees in psychology and sociology (with minors in philosophy and literature). Straczynski has won numerous awards including two Hugo Awards, the Ray Bradbury Award, a Saturn Award, the E Pluribus Unum Award and three technical Emmy Awards(for Babylon 5). He has also received an Eagle Award, and two awards from MarsDrive affiliate The Space Frontier Foundation.  In 1992, an asteroid was named after him and called 8379 Straczynski ”