A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far, Far Away...
These words have thrilled fans for over 40 years, since the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope, was released in May 1977. It was the first movie I ever saw in a theater. When it opened, many theaters were reluctant to show it, preferring what they thought would be a more profitable film, The Other Side of Midnight. No, I've never heard of The Other Side of Midnight either, but we do own the Sidney Sheldon book it's based on.
If you want to relive the glory days of A New Hope, MCPL is there for you. We have the original movie of course, as well as DVD's of all the sequels and the Clone Wars television series. For the truly dedicated, there's even a Phineas and Ferb Star Wars movie. Alas, we do not own the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, but perhaps that is for the best.
But wait, there's more! There are so many Star Wars books. How many, you ask? Well, more books than you can imagine! MCPL's own collection of Star Wars books might not fill the hold of a Star Destroyer, but we've still got about 300 or so. There's the Shakespeare versions, starting with Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope and continuing on through The Force Doth Awaken. There's the LEGO Star Wars books. And lots of guide books to the art, characters, and spacecraft of the Star Wars universe. My kids and I wanted to use the Star Wars: Complete Vehicles to build an AT-AT in our backyard, but we figured the neighbors might complain.
The book I find most intriguing is A Certain Point of View. It's a collection of 40 short stories written by a surprising variety of authors that recount moments in the original Star Wars movie, but from the point of view of minor characters. Meg Cabot explores the perspective of Aunt Beru. Will Wheaton tells of the story of the rebels left behind on Yavin during the attack on the Death Star. And Nnedi Okorofor gives voice to the monster in the trash compactor.
This week, Star Wars fans are eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the Star Wars saga, The Last Jedi, which officially opens Friday, December 15. Why must the Jedi end? If Rey is trained in the use of the Force, but she's not a Jedi, what is she? And what happens to Luke? After all those decades of struggling for freedom in the galaxy, does he get to retire? I guess we'll have to wait until the movie comes out. As one wise Jedi Master once said, "Difficult to see, always in motion the future is."
Labels: Books, History, Movies and Television
