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From The Holocron
An online petition campaign aimed at bringing about equity for female Star Wars fans has begun. Responses will be sent to George Lucas. Follow the link below to read the accompanying letter to Mr. Lucas, and to sign the petition.
I read a piece this morning over at The Force.Net about how the prices for various Star Wars collectibles and other merchandise are actually higher when ordered through the Official Fan
Club (otherwise known as the Star Wars Insider). Having noticed this myself on other occasions, and being in total agreement, and I urge you to check it out for yourself. You jump
directly to the article at Adam's Groovy Obscure
News Network, through this link:
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This is long overdue, so here's what's new and noteworthy. Steve Sansweet has published his Star Wars Encyclopedia, and even if you can only stand in Barnes and Noble and drool (as I did), it's worth a look. As a friend of mine put it, "There's so much in there, it makes my head hurt." Also, Bantam has updated its online Star Wars Forum, including an impressive Chronology. Although it takes some time to load, the Chronology is rather useful for the excerpts of the novels. Side note: this site uses Bantam's own summaries of the novels (in addition to the excerpts). Independent criticisms and reviews of the novels may be found at The Force.Net and JediNet.
I don't know how to ease into this, so I will cut to the chase. In the most recent issue of Star Wars Insider (#36), there is an interview with the man who started many of us on our love of Star Wars fiction, and has given us strong capable women characters to admire, Timothy Zahn. While I, like many others, pore over every word he writes about our beloved Star Wars, I have to strike a note of caution/alarm. I will let the pertinent passage from the article speak for itself. "There's a certain sense of poetic symmetry to the fact that Zahn is writing what Bantam has scheduled as the final two books set in the era of the New Republic. "It had been mentioned somewhat casually a couple of times that it would be nice if I could close off the series of books when this series came to an end because of the licensing (contract)," he says." Pretty clear that this fall's conclusion to the Thrawn series is the conclusion to the Star Wars novels, period. No more officially sanctioned stories about Princess Leia. No more Callista. No more Mara Jade. While I recognize that there comes a point where characters are re-hashed and re-hashed, and that none of us want to see that happen, I don't want to see the series end. I find it hard to believe that the well is dry on stories set in the era of the New Republic, and do not agree with the implication that New Republic era stories can't or shouldn't coincide with the era of the Old Republic we will see in the upcoming Prequels. Is it only a matter of the licensing contract coming to an end? What do you think? Let me know.
The Force was good to me: I received Star Wars: The Magic of Myth by Mary Henderson (Bantam Spectra Trade Paperback, 1997). This is a must have for any devotee of the Force, not only for its beautiful photographs, but more importantly for the deeply enriching accompanying text. The research into the socio-cultural and anthropological roots of Star Wars is painstaking thorough, and after reading this book, one can not help but understand and appreciate the timeless appeal of the stories George Lucas has brought to life on the screen. The chapter titles reveal the scope and depth of this volume. Chapter One- Star Wars and Classical Mythology: The Hero's Journey and the Conflict of Good versus Evil. Chapter Two- The Makings of Modern Myth: Cultural and Historical Influences. Chapter Three- Mythic Images: The Look of Star Wars. Furthermore, Ms. Henderson has obviously taken special care to demonstrate how images of the Princess Leia archetype are represented in mythology. Of special note is a (too brief) sub-section of Chapter Two entitled "The Feminine Hero." If you can not purchase this book, check your local library. Soon. Now. However, what makes this an extra special gift is an extra special story. A friend of mine works for an unnamed Federal Agency at a major US airport. One day, a woman passes through his line wearing a Star Wars pin, so he strikes up a conversation, telling her about his Jedi friend (me). The lovely lady was none other than Mary Henderson, who graciously offered to send my friend an autographed copy of the exhibit catalogue. Instead of accepting it for himself, my friend gave her my name. May the Force be with my dear friend, and with Ms. Henderson for her thoughtfulness.
The book buy of the month is the just released Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays by Laurent Bouzereau (Ballantine Books, 1997). I'm still reading it, but so far it is packed with fascinating tidbits for the die-hard Star Wars fan, such as the source of the long held (true) rumor that Princess Leia was originally scripted as male.
Yes, I know, the new Thrawn novel, Specter of the Past by Timothy Zahn is in the bookstores. However, with the holiday season approaching, the hard cover Specter will make a nice gift. Purchase the cheaper trade-paperback Screenplays now, and put the hard cover on your list for Santa.
This magazine is a must-read for any devoted Star Wars fan, but for female fans, this particular issue stands out. As Editor Bob Woods says in his "Rebel Report" column, "The moment you say "the women of Star Wars", eyebrows are raised." He correctly continues on to note that the women of Star Wars are "intriguing characters who happen to be women." It is this very notion that inspired and continues to philosophically drive this website; that as individuals, these are persons of merit, for who they are, and what they accomplish.
In her article, Rebecca Moesta delivers a treat for the fans. While the text and artwork are taken almost verbatim from "Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Characters" by Andy Mangels, it is a concise and well-written summary of the under-heralded women of Star Wars. It was a joy to see them all in one place!
As soon as possible, I will post a page for each of these characters, accessable from my new character list page.
Until then, please be patient.
May the Force be with you,
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