The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5

The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 is a fan-operated website offering in-depth episode guides, production notes, background materials, and references for the science fiction series Babylon 5. The name comes from the term "lurker," which series creator J. Michael Straczynski used to describe the station's lower-class residents.

The site is organized into five main sections. "The Babylon 5 Universe" introduces the show and provides background on historical events in the series' timeline that shaped its politics and society. Other sections cover resources, references, and detailed production information. The core of the guide is the individual episode listings. Each episode and telefilm includes a synopsis, a background page explaining the story arc up to that point, and full cast and crew credits. The main guide page for each episode features a "backplot" section showing how it fits into the overall arc, a list of unanswered questions, a detailed analysis, and miscellaneous notes. Each entry ends with a "JMS Speaks" section, compiling Straczynski's comments about the episode from various online forums.

The guide was created by Steven Grimm around early 1993, before the pilot aired, as a FAQ on Usenet. A website followed, but when the FAQ grew too large, the guide was developed. Grimm maintained it with contributions from several fans. During the show's run, the guide was regularly updated with new facts and insights. Though updates have slowed since the series ended, it remains a record of the fan experience around Babylon 5. Straczynski himself called it an "invaluable resource" and said he used it for quick reference.

The guide and its associated FTP archive were originally hosted at hyperion.com before Grimm lost the domain. In the first-season episode "A Voice in the Wilderness," Straczynski named the EAS Hyperion cruiser after the site. The Washington Post early on listed it as a "Star Trek" resource accessible via www.infi.net/cool.html. In 1997, TV Guide featured the guide in a sidebar for its Babylon 5 cover story. On the Season 5 DVD, Straczynski acknowledged the guide and Grimm for years of support, highlighting its central role in the show's fandom and development. In 1998, The Booklist wrote that the guide "deserves special attention as an example of an outstanding site devoted to an extraordinary show."