Through much begging and pleading, I finally got my hands of "The Wildlife of Star Wars" by Terryl Whitlatch when I was in late middle/early high school, and remains today one of my very favorite books. I think it was this book that started me on a path of "mature fanship" of the SW universe. I wasn't into the violence or lasers, but instead the cultural and mythological influences, character development, the costumes, the different styles of art and architecture seen in the film, and the creatures. I wanted to be a Jedi for more than just a sparkly sword - I wanted to achieve their control, discipline, and emotional disconnect. I underwent many strong, negative emotions in high school, so the mantra, "What would Jedi do?" was often on my mind. I never was a Darth Vader fan.
During my college years, I didn't think very much of Star Wars. Maybe it was all that ballet. However, that has drastically changed in the past few months.
Duke, my beloved, was also a childhood Star Wars fan and introduced me back into the fandom through Star Wars literature. He heralded The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn and urged me to read it. Imagine my luck when I can across the entire set of books at Goodwill. In hardback nonetheless!
"Heir to the Empire" was the first book in the series and I started it soon after summer began. Oh my goodness. It felt like watching the films for the first time! Taking place after Return of the Jedi, Zahn's books continue the adventures of the New Republic seamlessly. They don't feel like misguided ramblings of a closeted fan, but instead feel as real as it gets. The writing is smooth, and the story is brilliant. The new characters are convincing, and delightful plot twists are woven in beautifully. The books feel more in touch with the spirit of the original films than Episodes I, II, and III.
I've never been a Darth Vader fan, and The Empire was never really that interesting to me as a child, but boy, are those guys COOL in Zahn's trilogy! The Imperials are much more fleshed out and you get to spend more time aboard Star Destroyers. ((Alas, there is still no real indication of what Imperials actually do aboard those giant things when they're not crewing, walking around menacingly, or listening to the sound of their own boot heels clicking against the polished floor...))
A girl can dream, can't she? |
*Now, it's worth saying that Pellaeon doesn't get a whole lot of visual description in the series, but he does have a definite canon appearance, which I have chosen to totally ignore. Ladies (and gentlemen), just ignore that profile pic on Wookiepedia and imagine away!
Thrawn is just so damn cool that no picture does him justice. |
Eat your heart out, Vader. |
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