Archive for the ‘Star Wars Fun’ Category

In today’s episode, Wayne and I break down the Millennium Falcon by James Luceno.  We discuss how this is a very different Luceno novel in terms of tone and style.  We let you know if that is a good thing or not.  Then, we geek out where Wayne shares something from his heart that is quite moving, and I make fun and laugh at people I shouldn’t.  Finally, we dive into our revamped and happening facebook page that is now being run very well by Frank, and we dive into some discussion from our page itself.  We give you our Mount Rushmore of Star Wars Authors, how we would fit episode 7, 8, and 9 into the EU if we were in charge, and what we think the first line should be in episode 7…can you say wookkie howl?

Thanks for listening and do check out our new facebook page you can find it here. 

Exploring the galaxy one page at a time, Jesse

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In this exciting episode, Wayne and I discuss and break down book 7 of the X-Wing Series, Solo Command by Aaron Allston.  We discuss the wonderful character development of this book and the sometimes illogical plot.  Then, we dive into the sad news of the cancellation or “winding down” of the Clone Wars Animated Series.  Fnally, Wayne and I discuss some exciting news about our Facebook page and introduce our new parter Frank that will be mking sure that there is some great discussion and stuff happening there.  You can check that page out at www.facebook.com/swbookreport

Here is the link to the Dave Filoni youtube clip that Wayne references www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujhf5OkRT-g

Here is the link to the Wayne article for Big Shiny Robot that I reference  http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/reviews/archives/49739

Thanks for listening and exploring the galaxy with us one page at a time.

Jesse

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In this episode, Wayne and I discuss the first few episodes of the Star Wars: the Clone Wars animated series, and we give our thoughts on the return of Maul and Oppress, and the trilogy (so far) of training the patriots or terrorists depending on your view.

Then, Wayne shares his interviews from Fan Expo Canada in Toronto.  He has a good chat with artist Robert Bailey.  You will be very interesting in a painting commissioned by Lucas for his own personal collection.  Then, Wayne chat with artist Keven J. Anderson and his latest project which uses the word “steam punk” whatever that means.  Finally Wayne talks up some new Halo news.

So come along and explore the galaxy with us one page at a time.

Thanks for listening, Jesse

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Obi-Wan Kenobi, Plo Koon, Leonrdo, Peter Pan, Johnny Test, Fred Flinstone, and many more all stop by today for a chat…of course these characters all come from the even bigger characgter of James Arnold Taylor, who stops by to talk Clone Wars, voice acting, his one man show, and much much more.

Wayne also share about his journey through the Toronto Fan Expo where he ran down multiple interviews with a member of the 501st, a behind the scenes look at the Blu Ray release of Star Wars, a robot handler from Real Steel, and then Wayne does what Darth Vader could not do…Wayne finds the droid he is looking for and interviews Anthony Daniels.

Wayne also shares his experience from his prescreening of Episode 1 of Season 4 from the Clone Wars.  It is great stuff from our feild reporter Wayne today.

You can find more information on James Arnold Taylor at www.jamesarnoldtaylor.com

We hope you enjoy exploring the galaxy with us one page at a time.

Thanks for listening, Jesse

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For those of you that regularly check out the great book reviews and podcasts by  Jesse, Wayne and yours truly, you’ll know that each of us come to our love of  Star Wars from different paths.

For me,  it was probably the same as a lot of you reading this.  In 1977 I was 8 years old, unaware of the phenomenon that was to come, and how it would influence a large part of my life moving forward.  I watched the movies, played with the toys, acted out new adventures with my friends.  Little did I know that even at that early age I was entering into the exciting world of Star Wars roleplaying.

While  attending broadcasting college, I met up with my own motley crew of Star Wars  chums and the ongoing devotion to all things Star Wars continued.  So while some of my college classmates were  out at the local establishments and going to house parties, I was hold up in my friend one room bachelor apartment, playing Star Wars Roleplaying until all  hours, surviving on snacks from the local convenience store.

Now for those of you who are very active in the Star Wars universe, this is not an in-depth article on the character development tools, sourcebooks, campaigns or adventure supplements. Instead, consider this an introduction to the world of Star Wars Role Playing for someone who has heard about it, but has never tried it.

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Welcome to Episode 23 and in today’s episode Wayne and I discuss heroes.  We share what our favorite characteristics of a hero are, and we differ quite a bit.  We discuss our favorite types of heroes, and we share our favorite Star Wars heroes, where we discover one Star Wars novel we completely disagree on…Needless to say we almost launch into Episode 24 immediately, but do hold back, to share with you our favorite heroes from outside the Star Wars universe.  This is where we discover that Wayne words 40% harder than I do, but if you are looking for some good places to start reading or think your out of good books, this is the episode for you because we mentioned quite a few Star Wars novels and series to find great heroes, and we give you at least a dozen good places to find fun heroes outside of Star Wars.  If want a hero to save you, keep listening because we will help you find one.

Thank you for exploring the galaxy with us one page and one good guy at at time.

Thanks for listening, Jesse

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Review of The Mortis Trilogy
Balance is found in the one who faces his guilt.

This fortune cookie is the message that first ushers viewers into the three-part Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes known as The Mortis Trilogy. And what a trip it turns out to be.

The Clone Wars animated series has grown by leaps and bounds in its third season and while this website might be devoted to sci-fi, fantasy and Star Wars books, the fact is the Clone Wars scripts are adding as much if not more to the expanded universe as any other written material. And so, I think it’s justified to write about these episodes and look at them as you would other EU material. After all, if The Force Unleashed video game can get the novelized treatment and the original four-part Clone Wars episodes that were released theatrically and also showed up as a novel (by Karen Traviss), then it certainly doesn’t seem to make any sense not to give them the same kind of treatment here.

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Wayne is back!  And we dive into the force in today’s discussion.  The force, or at least our understanding of the force, seems to be being changed everywhere you look these days across the Star Wars timeline.  With Darth Bane, The Lost Tribe of the Sith, The Unifying Force, Episode I: The Phantom Mennance, The Dark Nest Trilogy, Fate of the Jedi, everywhere Qui-Gon pops up, and of course, the latest Mortis Trilogy in The Clone Wars: The Animated Series, it seems the force cannot be or is not the simple matra taught to us as children on Degabah along side Luke.  One of us are really happy about that and one of us…not so much.  Listen to find out who.

Wayne also takes revenge for me poking a little fun at the Canadian Jr National Hockey team blowing a 3 goal lead in the 3 period by commenting on my Alma Matar’s basketball game against Wisconsin.

As always we have fun, chase rabbits, but somewhere in between, we have some good discussion on the nature of the force and our thoughts on being in a time where the force is being defined or redefined depending on your view.

Thanks for listening, Jesse

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In today’s episode, Wayne and I discuss Clone Wars: The Animated Series and how the cartoon and the novels accent and help develop one another.  We discuss our thoughts on the cartoon dropping Ahsoka Tano into the timeline, and how certain novels and the cartoon follow similar models: from Anakin’s leadership style in the Clone War Novels to the twisted Rule of Two followed by the Emperor that allows for other Dark Side Jedi such as Mara Jade from the Novels and Asaj Ventress from the Animated Series, and more.

We then break down the amazing Night Sister Trilogy from the Animated Series that borrows heavily from earlier novels, our thoughts on Savage, whose name looks more manly in print than when spoken, and what are our thoughts on Darth Maul coming back if that was Maul in that orb.

Today’s show is full of fun Star Wars talk, but that does not stop us from chasing rabbits, as I ask Wayne his thoughts on the recent NHL All Star Game and we make a Super Bowl bet where the loser will pay up in the next episode.

Join us for our usual shenanigans and explore with us the galaxy one page and one episode at a time.

Thanks for listening, Jesse

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I have received e-mails and responses to my thoughts that I shared on Podcast Episode 13 “More Fun Than Sleeping in a Tauntaun” or “Chris Hothiceplanet Unleashed,” and being a man of the people I wanted to address them. 

First, I have been made aware of all the stories that have post purge Jedi in them letting me know that more than Yoda and Obi-wan survived the purge.  This I know.  My problem with The Force Unleashed was not the fact that seven Jedi survived the purge.  I know that there are dozens of Jedi that survived the purge.  My problem was there were four post purge Jedi in one novel!  No writer could cover four post purge Jedi to my satisfaction in a mere 300 pages.  They are too rare in the post order 66 days to gloss over in twelve pages, which is what The Force Unleashed had to do because of space concerns.  I wanted more.  What has Shaak Ti been doing for a decade?  Why is Paratus seemingly insane?  How did Starkiller’s parents end up on Kashyyyk?  There was just not enough space in one novel to cover this, so my issue was never the fact that there were this many Jedi survivors of the purge.  My issue was this was too many post-purge Jedi for one novel to handle to my satisfaction.  

Second, it had been brought to my attention several reasons why the Jedi were in hiding and not working together against the Empire, mainly Yoda’s message from the temple in Revenge of the Sith.  Also, other points such as the Emperor could have more easily found a group of Jedi among others.  I will say first that I could be wrong on this point.  I always thought, and The Force Unleashed proved incorrectly, that the reason that the Jedi never regrouped was the loss of communication.  The Jedi hid to escape order 66, and then on single planets across the galaxy, the surviving Jedi did not know where to look for other Jedi, the Empire controlled the Holonet, and they just could not connect through a loss of communication.  Well, The Force Unleashed shows us that at least some Jedi were in contact with one another, and with my preconceived notion blown away, I may have overreacted.  I was so shocked that the Jedi were in contact with one another that I may have been uncomfortable with this issue based solely on the fact that what I thought was the case was not.  The Empire, the Emperor, Vader, and the entire Empire army and navy would be difficult if not impossible for the dozens of Jedi to defeat.  I still think it is very odd that more Jedi did not connect to the Rebel Alliance and the pre-Rebel Alliance anti-Empire group led by Mon Monthma, Bail Organa and others, as Rahm Kota did.  There was a Jedi relationship with these senators.  Also, hiding was not working.  Vader, Starkiller, and the Empire were doing a great job of picking off Jedi, so gathering together and working together still makes some sense, so I may not be wrong on this after all.  I don’t know, but I hope the powers that be will give some more Rebel Alliance material to answer some of these huge questions that The Force Unleashed has left us with. 

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