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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Have Star Wars fans gotten spanked?

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Excellence, Feb 20, 2005.

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  1. Excellence

    Excellence Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Jul 28, 2002
    Based on some discussion from my recent Acts of War thread you may find Perry's prelude in The Last Command TPB quite fun. It's two pages long and a hell of a jump to type, but I thought it'd be interesting to show a slice of this icecake.

    As it happens, many of the folks who wrote the Star Wars novels live in the Pacific Northwest. Six of us are in Washington or Oregon, and a couple of us live in the same towns. A lot of the folks who play with the comics live around here too, but since Dark Horse is in Milwaukie, Oregon, maybe that's not a surprise.

    As a result, most of us know each other and respect each other. Some of us even work together now and then---in fact, the guy editing this collection collaborated with me on a screenplay! Those of us who wrote and draw and all like that know what it takes to do this stuff, we know how hard it is, and as a result we generally wish each other good luck when we get our turns on the firing line.

    And it sometimes does get to be a firing line: Star Wars fans hold strong (sometimes positively rabid) opinions about their favourite literature and movies, and they are quick to tell you what they like and don't like. This is as it should be, because the fans keep the series going and growing. But fans also like to compare: there are those who love Tim and hate Kevin---or vise versa; who think Vonda wrote the best book---or the worst. And there are those who think I ought to be taken out and shot for taking off Leia's clothes in Shadows of the Empire. I got my very first death threat as a writer from a demented Star Wars fan. I felt pretty good about that until I talked to K. W. Jeter, another Star Wars writer, who said he received death threats all the time.

    Aw, gee.

    My point here is that the writers and artists are pros, and they do what they do for love as well as money, and they by and large, do it well. we all want to please fans, but from where we sit, contrasting Zahn against Anderson against Stackpole, or Randell against Buikovic against Plunkett, is a lot like comparing vanilla to chocolate to strawberry. Different flavours please different folks . . . and one isn't better than the other, just . . . well, different.

    Steve Perry
    Beaverton, Oregon; Aug 98


    Stinking sith stars, I never knew I could type so fast! I'm a legend. Ayway . . . I've never seen this said so openly. Death threats indeed! I could empathise as I read that, but when I came across Jeter's name and the Bounty Hunter War trilogy I haven't read, somehow, I started smiling, just a little, and it got me thinking of the Mando fans here, and their sentiments for Fett and his ilk. I think we're all a bit nutty. :p

    And yet as a Zahn comic, The Last Command, it somehow sounded fitting to see this intro, as though Dark Horse was concerned from a sales point of view, that it needed to somehow explain to you why you shoud buy this, if you didn't like Zahn's work in general. And while Mara does indeed undress herself, as I found to my shock, and that is definitely a Padme picture frame, with all the Zahnism these weeks I thought it'd be interesting to see this from their viewpoint, that they're aware of this issue and might have tried to allay it some degree with the intro.
     
  2. Protege-of-Thrawn

    Protege-of-Thrawn Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2001
    Death threats...it still amazes me how truly sick some individuals can become.
     
  3. rogue_wookiee

    rogue_wookiee Jedi Youngling star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 24, 2004
    I think RA Salvatore set a new record for them after Vector Prime. Disgusting.

    I've never had the urge to send a threat to any writers. Just the testers at Obsidian... :p
     
  4. Sinrebirth

    Sinrebirth Mod-Emperor of the EUC, Lit, RPF and SWC star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    I always believed Star Wars fans were better than other fans...but R A Salvatore and Chewbacca, after his brother died! Sickened me.
     
  5. RogueWompRat

    RogueWompRat Jedi Youngling star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 15, 2003
    Every scifi franchise has it's share of loonie fans, like the "Danielites" or "shippers" of Stargate fandom. Corin Nemec recieved death threats after his character replaced Daniel on the show, as did the guy who plays Pete Ross (Sam's new boyfriend).
     
  6. -RebelScum-

    -RebelScum- Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 21, 2004
    The worst ive sent it what i call my "rant" mail, its generally harmless and ive only been Forced to send it once on a none Star Wars related book (ending of Crossing the Line) and it also had some serious questions about the book so it wasnt merely flame mail

    EDIT: wow, you know you are a SW fan when you subconciously capitilize the word Force
     
  7. -HD-YaebGinn

    -HD-YaebGinn Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 31, 2005
    I cant stand death threats. No offense to SW fans, but the majority of us are weak and nerdy. I am not, but I'm not writing threats either. I mean, RA Salavator looks liek a pretty fit guy, plus he has a sword. I'd laugh if one of those dorks tries to go thrugh with his threat, and gets cut some. Threatening crosses the line from kind of nerdy in a fun way to freakishly obsesses and mentally unbalanced.
     
  8. NeoStar9

    NeoStar9 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2002
    Remember that being fit, tough, and having a sword means nothing if the person you are facing has a gun and knows how to pull the trigger, which is something everyone, no matter how weak or nerdy can do.
     
  9. Silky

    Silky Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 25, 2002
    I think the people that make death threats should be taken out and shot :p

    In all seriousness It is something that has no place anywhere at all and most certainly not in the world of fiction writers. But then some people find it really hard distinguishing the line between fiction and reality anyway and us geeks seem to be disproportionately "gifted" in that way.
     
  10. Excellence

    Excellence Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Jul 28, 2002
    ossing the Line, that's the sequel to City of Pearl, isn't it? Why would anyone threaten a book like that? I always find it amusing when George Martin gives an update on his website, and quips about the mad fans out there, and quite blatantly! Besides, who's going to reply to a rant? If you're polite you'll always get a reply.

    I think Dark Horse had ulterior marketing aspects to that intro, based on divided fans sentiments to the scriptor . . .
     
  11. chiss_man

    chiss_man Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 1, 2002
    Have Star Wars fans gotten spanked?

    There was this one time in Germany...oh wait, never mind. ;)

    And I think it's truly sad that someone gets so wrapped up in fiction that they can threaten the life of another human being. It's sickening, really.
     
  12. Tiershon_Fett

    Tiershon_Fett Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 25, 2000
    I used to live n Beaverton. Four years. Nice place.
     
  13. Thrawn1786

    Thrawn1786 Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 8, 2004
    People who send out death threats over the way fictitious characters are written need serious help, or they just want attention and used a perverted way to try and get it.
     
  14. sidious618

    sidious618 Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2003
    Absolutely disgusting. How can anyone rationalize sending death threats?
     
  15. QuentinGeorge

    QuentinGeorge Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 12, 2003
    I'm currently submitting my "Han, Leia and Luke die by the hands of a Gungan-Ewok terrorist squad while also featuring Ken Palpatine and Waru" so all you hardcores better get those pens ready!
     
  16. JediTrilobite

    JediTrilobite Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Nov 17, 1999
    I've noticed that the SciFi fans are the most passionate and set in their ways about things. Death threats are kind of over the top, which is pretty sad that some people can't face reality...

     
  17. wild_karrde

    wild_karrde Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 8, 1999
    Remember when RAS used to post here all the time? Yeah, good times.
     
  18. Saberwielder315

    Saberwielder315 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 14, 2004
    I totally agree about people getting to worked up about fictional characters. Sure, you can have emotions, but when your a getting psychotic over an author putting a huge plot twist and seath in a book i.e. Chewie, then it's time to get your head checked.
     
  19. -RebelScum-

    -RebelScum- Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 21, 2004
    ossing the Line, that's the sequel to City of Pearl, isn't it? Why would anyone threaten a book like that? I always find it amusing when George Martin gives an update on his website, and quips about the mad fans out there, and quite blatantly! Besides, who's going to reply to a rant? If you're polite you'll always get a reply.




    The ending, when Shan dies, cummon, that was depressing... first author ever that made a character that could compare to Han Solo in coolness, that was awfull when she died, and i didnt threaten the author, i merely made a rant with a quesion at the end
     
  20. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    You know, I see Perry's point and certainly there's room for a lot of different styles in the SW EU.

    But I have to take issue with this crap about being just different and not better or worse. That's idiotic.

    Casablanca is a better movie than A Nightmare on Elm Street 2. I appreciate the appeal of both and I think they're both solid films. But, from a completely unbiased perspective, looking at technique, artistry, social impact, characterization, etc, Casablanca is better and all the yammering in the world about "diff'rent strokes" won't change that.

    While it is important to appreciate personal perspectives, there still are bad artworks and good ones. There are still books that are just actively bad and The Crystal Star is one of them. Yes, I'm sorry, but objectively speaking, The Crystal Star is worse than, not just different from, Cloak of Deception.

    I'm all for personal interpretations of artwork, but there should also be an attempt to make objective measurements of quality.

    So, yeah, sorry, but there are bad and good, not just different.
     
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