Dr. Chelli Lona Aphra: rogue archaeologist; erstwhile supplier of goods and intelligence to Sith Lord Darth Vader and current acquirer/purveyor of rare (and horrifying) weapons; partners with (re: indebted to) notorious Wookiee former gladiator, Black Krrsantan; possessor of violence-happy droids Triple-Zero and BeeTee; and, according to Beetee, ‘a genuinely horrible person.’ Oh, and even her […]
In the Star Wars universe, hands are pretty important. There’s rarely a movie where a hand isn’t cut off, replaced, or repaired. Besides this fixation on the physicality of ‘having’ hands, they are often conduits of the Force. Both Jedi and Sith use hand gestures to control this mystical energy. Cameras focus on hands, gestures […]
(*contains multiple spoilers for The Last Jedi) For a certain sort of fan, no return to the Star Wars cinematic universe could satisfy expectations. Their perfect text would have to be a recognizable cog in the larger Lucas-founded universe, narratively indebted to its predecessors and moving smoothly within it. And yet, it would also need […]
On Thursday, a few weeks ago, I watched a film that ended with a dedication that read “In Loving Memory of our Princess, Carrie Fisher.” The Last Jedi was her final film, her last piece of art in a world where many only knew her by her 70’s hairstyle. It’s fascinating that a woman who […]
Hello and welcome to the new year, Extraordinary Authoress Leaguers and beloved civilian readers! I, Lady Morse Code, thought we might kickoff 2017 with something, or well someone, out of our normal box. Most of the members of the League of Extraordinary Authoresses are fiction writers but there have been a few nonfiction gals to […]
Ohai! So, today I’m continuing my delving into new Star Wars narratives surrounding the release of The Force Awakens with a review of Lost Stars by Claudia Gray. Ya’ll, it was freaking fantastic. I am not kidding you. A novel in the Journey to Star Wars series, Lost Stars is billed as sci-fi and as […]
Recently, I interviewed Dr. Sabrina Starnaman, Clinical Assistant Professor of Literary Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas, who teaches science fiction and fantasy as literature courses. Some of the classes she has taught include “The Hero’s Journey,” “LeGuin and Butler,” and “Cyborgs and Robots.” Her research focuses include American literature written by and about […]
Happy birthday, Elizabeth Hand! Here is an author accomplished across genre and literary fiction. An author who has won World Fantasy Awards (four), Nebula Awards (two), Shirley Jackson Awards (two), International Horror Guild Awards (three), the Mythopoeic Award, and the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and others. She has written everything from historical fiction, to riot […]
I’m officially the nerd librarian where I work. The director is a nerd. But most of the time he has to keep his administrative hat on, and can’t let his freak flag fly. I’m in charge of a lot of the programming, so I have the opportunity to bend those programs to my strong suits. […]
I wasn’t paying much attention to Star Wars: The Force Awakens because, at the risk of my nerd card, I’m not such a Star Wars fan. I like episode 5 well enough, but not much else. But I saw The Force Awakens, twice and Rey (Daisy Ridley) has made my list of favorite female characters. […]
