Dana wrote I think it's an interesting commentary that one can watch all 52 episodes without being able to say for sure what they use for books --I think the typical fanfic solution is to refer to "book placques" and/or "datacubes." We know from canon that there are Walkman- like objects for playing music.

David In Project Avalon, in addition to Servalan's Walkman thingy, there are four hand-held devices with key input. The last two devices were used to calculate teleport co-ordinates. Travis used the second - a basic graphic of it is below - to punch in data while he looked at the screen at the lower right of the device, or at the screen on the wall. None of these could be considered an e-book.

Then there is the device, with dimensions of approx. 20 * 12 * 5 centimetres, which Avon gives to Blake in the following scene

from Project Avalon Gan: Blake, there are four...five interceptors orbiting the atmosphere now. They are all below the horizon at the moment. Blake: Track them. Gan: Right. Avon: And don't imagine they will maintain the same orbit. [holds up device] I have summarized the relevant data. ... We have come at the worst time, of course. The northern hemisphere is just entering its winter cycle. They call it the Long Cold, something of an understatement, it lasts the equivalent of eight and a half Earth years. Blake: Does it support any intelligent life? Avon: ... There are humanoid creatures called sub-terrons. They live in caves. Quite what that says for their intelligence, I really wouldn't know. Blake: Why are the Federation there? Avon: Minerals. [hands object to Blake] About thirty years ago it was discovered that deposits were seeping down into the ice [Blake reads, pushes button, click] and forming gem stones of outstanding purity [pushes button three times] and hardness. They are called 'Ice Crystals'. [pushes two buttons once each] The Federation uses them in heavy duty lasers. They are mined by the sub-terrons as a slave labour force. [two clicks] Blake: Ahh, that is why Avalon is here. Avon: Perhaps, but the ice crystals are unique and ... valuable. Blake: No, Avalon has started resistance movements on a dozen Federation planets. Avon: Another idealist, [push] poor but honest. I shall look forward to our meeting with eager [lowers device] anticipation. Blake: Is your anticipation eager enough to come down there with me?

David Blake pushes a button half a dozen times, which action I take to be scrolling down the written and graphic data, while he reads Avon's hyper-text summary.

Dana I assume that there's some equivalent of movie theaters because of the advantages of public entertainments (and, from the government viewpoint, the greater ease of censoring the prints of a movie in X number of theaters than self-selected video rentals or downloads).

David I know of only one mention of a circus-like spectacle:

from Death-Watch Del Tarrant: It will be a big occasion. Avon: A ritual war is bound to generate a great deal of excitement. Vila: Back on Earth they used to say it was the most excitement you can have with your clothes on anywhere in the galaxy. Dayna: How very witty of them. Avon: No, he is right. The Teal-Vandor Convention was famous on Earth. The ultimate excitement. Cally: The ultimate excitement: watching two men kill each other?

David The women, one from Auron, the other mainly from Sarran, do not show any interest in the Convention, but the men, who spent a fair amount of their lives on Earth, know about it.

from Voice from the Past Cally: We need rest soon. Vila: Absolutely right. What I wouldn't give for a week at one of the old Federation Rest Centres: Sensory ecstasy hours, pleasure machines [sighs]. Cally: You have to accept these findings. Blake: I accept them but where are we going to find a centre that will take us in for a month's rest and rehabilitation? Vila: Well, that shouldn't be a problem. I mean, what is the point of being famous if you can't get a last minute booking?

David Vila, officially a low-grade, takes for granted an official policy of near hedonism and assumes the others know of the Federation Rest Centres.

Dana Or is one reason to use suppressants to eliminate the need for popular entertainment --even bread and circuses?

David That sounds likely. Federation policy was unsuccessful in this area:

from Way Back Blake: Why should the Administration try to drug us? Ravella: To keep control. They've been stepping up the suppressants because the number of dissidents is growing.

from Warlord Avon: Finally, Zondor, latest victim of the Federation's pacification and control program. The drug is still Pylene-50. The concentration has been stepped up, however.

David Since the dosage of the suppressants did not remain constant, the original dosage was pretty mild (or the latter dosage overdone). The purpose of the suppressants is perhaps some combination of keeping control and eliminating over time the need for entertainment.

DC

The Calculator of Travis - Project Avalon ______________________________________________________ | | |______________________________________________________| | _ _ _ | | |_| |_| |_| | | _ _ _ | | ______ |_| |_| |_| | | | | _ _ _ ______________ | | |______| |_| |_| |_| | | | | _ _ _ | | | | |_| |_| |_| |______________| | |______________________________________________________|

Blake's e-Atlas - Project Avalon _____________________________________ / /| / / | / / | /____________________________________/ | | | | | _____ _____ _____ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_____| |_____| |_____| | | | | | | _____ _____ _____ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_____| |_____| |_____| | | | _______________________________ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | / | |_______________________________| | / | | / |___________________________________|/