I’m
sitting here at the computer knowing that I need a post for Monday
(it’s Saturday right now). I don’t want to put up a toy review,
but there’s not a holiday or event in the near future that I can
write about. I made it through the incredibly busy month of October,
only derailed by a bout with Strep and a fairly significant mental
breakdown at the end of the month. The source of the former is
undoubtedly my job where I work in close proximity with a large
number of people with varying degrees of hygienic integrity. The
source of the latter is the same.
More
upsetting is the fact that I am also scheduled to work next year on
Christmas Day.
Those
were pretty strong factors in my post-October mental event. I’m
never happy with my job, but the longer I am here the more
opportunity I have to consider just how much of my life I am losing
to it. More importantly, how much of my family’s life I am missing.
But
this is the path I chose and in the end I have to recognize that with
the choices I have made in life I am very fortunate to have a job
that pays as well as this one does and that I can support my family
and hobbies. I don’t often like to use the word “fortunate”
because I am a big proponent of personal responsibility and ownership
of life decisions, but I can’t deny that somebody with my (lack
of) education and (lack of) marketable skills is lucky to be making
what I do. It’s just a shame that it has such a detrimental
emotional effect on me. But I look at it as that’s part of what I’m
getting paid for.
Sorry,
guys – I have to crank out a bitchy post like this from time to
time. Now let’s talk about nerd stuff!
I
don’t understand how The
Force Awakens
is bad. I mean, I know this is the internet and people are going to
complain about everything,
but that’s just not a bad title. The first major positive is that
it describes an action like The
Empire Strikes Back,
Return
of the Jedi,
Attack
of the Clones,
and Revenge
of the Sith.
Notice anything missing? The
Phantom Menace
is the only movie title that describes a thing rather than an action.
It’s always felt off, even disregarding the movie itself. I hadn’t
even put my finger on it until the other day when I was talking to
Ryan and Belligerent Monkey
about it. Then it just hit me.
So
I don’t think The
Force Awakens
is bad at all. It’s a little more vague than the other titles, but
I think that’s appropriate since we have no clue what the movie is
actually about. I’m sure there are some out there that have a
better idea than I do, but I’m doing my darnedest to avoid
information about it.
I
think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve gotten into the habit
of trying to avoid any kind of news about movies and TV shows I care
about. I don’t follow them on Facebook and I avoid clicking on any
news links. I like
being surprised. I loved the “holy shit!” feeling when I realized
that Wentworth Miller’s character on The
Flash
was Captain Cold. I hate how the media spoils everything
now. I want narratives to play out in the way that they are meant to.
I don’t want to know any more than what is the bare minimum
necessary to get me interested in something in the first place.
Typically that would be the names of the director, writer, and/or
actors.
I
suppose the problem is that so many people have so many different
criteria of what will motivate them to participate in entertainment.
Time and money are precious commodities, so Hollywood feels the need
to over-reassure people that their product is the one that we should
invest in. If that means giving the entire narrative of a movie away
in one trailer, then so be it.
Speaking
of entire narratives, I thought that I was finishing the Star Wars
Expanded Universe novels this weekend. Now collectively known as Star
Wars: Legends, the former Expanded Universe comprised all of the
novels, comic books, video games, role-playing games, and any other
kind of star Wars media that was not the six movies themselves. It
was never entirely clear what was canon and what wasn’t, though
there was an entity that oversaw it all to try and make sure there
wasn’t too
much
that was contradictory.
I
adore the Star Wars novels and Disney’s decision that they were not
canon didn’t affect that love one bit. I still love the stories and
to me they will always be part of the mythology. I’ve read most of
the post-Jedi books several times and no matter how good The
Force Awakens
might be, I experienced the book world first. It will always be
ingrained in my consciousness.
Also
– in case you didn’t click the above link – I totally agree
with Disney’s decision to separate the Expanded Universe. Go click
that link if you want more thoughts about that topic.
Today’s
topic – from a few paragraphs ago – is my completion of the
existing Expanded Universe novels. There are a few EU books I haven’t
read yet. Mostly pre-Clone Wars stuff and most notably Timothy Zahn’s
Scoundrels.
But as far as the primary narrative that started immediately after
the conclusion of Return
of the Jedi
and has detailed the lives of the Solos and Skywalkers for the
ensuing 35 years I have read ‘em all. I thought I was coming to the
conclusion of that massive narrative this weekend with Troy Dennings’
conclusion to the Fate
of the Jedi
series, Apocalypse.
Fate
of the Jedi
is a nine book series detailing Luke Skywalker’s struggles with
leading the new Jedi Order and dealing with the politics of the
Galactic Alliance in the midst of the resurgence of the Sith in the
galaxy. That’s about all I want to say, as I couldn’t even manage
a synopsis of the wide range of events covered without devoting a
whole post to it. That’s not what I’m here for today.
Due
to my usual lack of intensive research in the interest of spoiler
avoidance, the only thing I knew was that Apocalypse
was the final book of the series and that it came out in 2012, just a
few months before the news that Disney had bought Star Wars. It just
seemed logical to me that it would be the final book of the EU. After
all, “apocalypse” is a fairly good indicator of finality.
The
events of the book also suggesting a close to the EU narrative.
Numerous seemingly unrelated and never-explained elements of the EU –
going all the way back to the pre-Phantom
Menace
books – were brought together to create an epic and potentially
satisfying sendoff to a story that’s jumped all over the Star Wars
timeline for the past two decades. I have mixed feelings about the
result, but as I made my way through the book it became clear that
this would not be the final chapter I had been expecting. While many
loose threads would be tied up, it appeared that groundwork was being
laid for future stories. I had been reading under the assumption that
at the very least the creators behind the books had had time to alter
a few key points of Apocalypse
to provide some closure, but as the end of the book neared it looked
like that might not be the case.
Sure
enough, the past two decades were wrapped up, but in the last chapter
it was clear that the intent was to lead into a new arc with the new
generation of Jedi at the forefront. So I went and looked at the
massive EU timeline in the front of the book and saw that there was
one last title – Crucible,
also written by Troy Dennings. So it looks like I have just a bit
more reading to do before I can write my big farewell to the EU. I
don’t know if Crucible
will actually wrap everything up – I doubt it – but it would be
nice.
Oh,
and while I was poking around trying to figure out just how many more
books there were, I found this epilogue to Fate
of the Jedi
by Timothy Zahn:
I went back and read your post on Star Wars EU, so this is mostly a response to that. I'll tell you, I love to read, I keep a stack of books going at all times (I can't read a book straight through, I have to have a few going, it's like switching channels on the TV), but have never had an easy time reading Fantasy or Science Fiction. I have a hard time reading fiction in general, but science fiction or fantasy novels offer a particular struggle for me, as I just can not get into them.
ReplyDeleteHowever, after reading your on the EU post I am very tempted to run to the library to grab some of those books and give them a shot (post ROTJ, I don't give a crap about prequel stuff, or Old Republic). I loved Star Wars growing up, but have cared for it less and less as it became apparent that George Lucas cared for it less and less. I do appreciate you pointing out how Disney doing away with the EU doesn't really cheapen them. It doesn't take anything away, all Disney is going to do is now add to this universe. If you don't like what they end up doing with it, then you've still got years and years of EU novels, games, and comics to go through and enjoy.
That is similar to the discussions I have had over the Michael Bay Transformers movies. I love Transformers (not as much as you love Star Wars, but I'm pretty sure I don't like anything as much as you like SW) and I hate the Michael Bay movies. I don't hate them because they're ruining my childhood, like many people claim, because they're not. I hate them because they're bad movies, and as long as they're being made a better version won't come along. However, the fact that Michael Bay is making shit Transformers doesn't mean that I can't watch any of the better cartoon series, or read the comics, or enjoy the crazy amount of Transformers toys that I have. I also kind of hate the Star Wars prequels, so you know what I do? I don't watch them, I watch the original trilogy and still love them. Now I feel like I'm rambling, I'm going to stop typing now.
I hope the EU brings you some Star Wars joy. Some stories are better than others, but I never read a book or comic that was outright bad. No matter how good the new stuff is, the old EU will always be my Star Wars home.
DeleteI'm surprised they have your schedule worked out a year in advance!
ReplyDeleteThe nature of the job demands it. It does change occasionally, but for the most part they have to nail it down.
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