The Bearded Trio

This month I had a great opportunity and an exciting time reading and reviewing Lego Star Wars: Chronicles of the Force written by Adam Bray, David Fentiman, and Cole Horton, published by DK Publishing. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little hesitant in reviewing this book and for good reason: How exactly do I review a Lego book? Are there going to be any words to read? I have never once bought, owned or was given any Legos as a gift. Well, that may change after reading this book. This book was pure unadulterated fun—an absolute joy. It doesn’t matter if you like Star Wars or not, or like Legos or not, one can enjoy this book as long as you’re a fan of one or the other. Upon first look, embedded inside the front cover is an Exclusive mini-figure, and with the turn of a few pages, just after the books table of contents, it reveals the figure to be Unkar’s Brute—one of the thugs that tried to steal BB-8 from Rey in The Force Awakens. The cover art is fantastic! There is a gre...

Dark Side of the Mind: Star Wars Psychology is a collection of essays, edited by Travis Langley, that seek to explore the motivations behind the iconic characters of the Star Wars Saga. It also looks at why we are drawn to those characters and what that could possibly say about us. The essays presented are written by those qualified to make such analyses, whether because of their professional credentials, or their deep connection to all things Star Wars . It’s very much ‘by the fans, for the fans.’ The book itself is divided into five major sections: Tales, Kinds, Journeys, Paths, and Awakenings. Each section is then broken down into examinations of the major theme. For example, the essays that fall under “Paths” include “Explaining the Empire: Why Good People Do Bad Things” and “Lando’s Choice: Anatomy of a Moral Dilemma.” They look at the paths chosen by certain characters (or entities, in the case of the Empire), and the consequences of those choices. I foun...

This review is for Star Wars FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Trilogy That Changed the Movies by Mark Clark If you are any sort of Star Wars fan, Star Wars FAQ  was written for you. Long-time fans (such as myself) will appreciate the history, trivia, and anecdotes presented — regardless if they feel familiar or not — and the newer generation of fans will find a treasure trove of all things related to that galaxy far, far away.  After an introduction explaining the purpose and design behind the book, Star Wars FAQ  offers a brief history of Hollywood and how Star Wars forever changed the landscape. It then movies into a biography of George Lucas and moves through highlights of his early film work. It is interesting to see how everything led up to Lucas creating Star Wars . His influences — from the movies he watched to the books he read — are essential. There is an entire chapter devoted to expounding upon those influences and the role they played ...

*This is a review of the trade paper edition of The Star Wars graphic novel. There will be minor spoilers.* "Before Star Wars , there was The Star Wars ...."  I’d been wanting to read The Star Wars since the day I first heard it was going to be published. So, when presented with the opportunity to read and review the book, I jumped at the chance. I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed. Reading Star Wars the way it could have been is an unusual experience. Everything is at once familiar, yet foreign. Not to say that it’s disconcerting in any way - Quite the opposite. It’s fascinating!  The Star Wars is based on the original rough-draft screenplay by George Lucas, as adapted by J.W. Rinzler. The story opens with a now-familiar crawl outlining the one-hundred thousand year history of the Jedi-Bendu, a group of warriors that served both as bodyguards for the Emperor and as architects of the Imperial Space Force. After the Great Rebellion, a n...