A&A The Official Abel G. Pena Discussion Thread

Hmm. Looks like someone . . . wait, it'll come to me.

Going back to the interview, you mention you preferred to see Jacen stay in the light and Jaina fall. Is that an "If one of them had to fall" preference, or a universal one? In either case, I'd love to hear your thoughts on why.

 

Right, if one of them had to turn to the dark side, and I'm somewhat in doubt whether we could have had both of them stay on the side of good. But I felt it especially shouldn't have been Jacen that went bad. Besides the fact that that kind of character trajectory seemed to have been preemptively negated by the themes of the novel Traitor, I think Jaina going dark would have offered more dramatic potential. Jacen's philosophy was already radical, so once he went dark, you basically knew he had to die, because evil can't win, everyone who goes dark can't be redeemed, and Luke certainly couldn't die; Jaina, however, might have gone dark and come back ... or maybe not.

This ties in with what I said in the interview about female villains. We don't really see female characters in Star Wars with Palpatine-grade ambitions. There's something interesting about a young woman who thinks she can rule the universe. It's not yet a cliche. Also, I'm not sure we've ever seen female villains actually conspiring with one another toward such an aim. I find the idea of a Lumiya-Jaina tag team pretty fascinating. There's also something at once inordinately disturbing and sympathetic about such a character, because as a society we aren't comfortable with the idea of women usurping the role of Caligula-scale evil. Jacen had to die, but we might've been more willing to forgive Jaina ... though should we?

Furthermore, given that Mara was Jaina's Jedi Master, I think a confrontation between those two women would have had more inherent drama and perhaps been more faithful to the idea that a Sith need sacrifice someone or something she loves to complete her journey toward the dark side. Of course, the final confrontation between Jacen and Jaina could also and probably would still happen ... but what role might Jaina's mother Leia have played in that final confrontation, then, instead? We might've at last had Leia's long-telegraphed-but-never-fulfilled Return of the Jedi moment, where she, like Luke, faces the decision of whether or not to kill a loved one. Not her father, but her own daughter.

These are dramatic conflicts -- suffused with the contradictory dynamics of rapidly evolving classifications of femininity -- of a sort we've never really seen play out in the epic framework of Star Wars.

 

Can't say I disagree with that analysis. Those are indeed some themes that deserve exploring; too bad we won't see them.

 

Abel, I joined Hyperspace some time ago just because I wanted to read your articles that were published on the Insider magazines, such as Droids and the Force, The Story Of General Grievous and Evil Never Dies, as well as to being able to read the magazine in general as I'm from Chile and they are not available here. But after joining I found out that the Insider online supplement is no longer available, so now I'm looking for an alternative way of reading these articles and trying to find out if the Insider online will return. Do you know anything related to this? If so, I would appreciate your help.

Thank you

 

Well, let's see what happens with Jaina in Fate of the Jedi.

Thanks for your interest in these stories, anakinskysolo. The only thing I can think of at the moment is that you can try contacting the StarWars.com administrators at this VIP thread about getting the links to those works fixed.

Take care,
Abel

 

Howdy folks!

Well, my website has finally gotten its long-overdue facelift ... courtesy of TFN Litizen Arthur Papadam, a.k.a. arf_maul. Check out the redesigned, t*ts-rocking site at the same good old place: www.abelgpena.com

... or at www.philodoxer.com.

Many thanks,
Abel

 

Gee, Abel, you've just gone and made me dislike LotF (as a whole) even more, now.

Excellent post.

Can I assume that you might've preferred a female Revan (whether light or dark), too? While I much preferred the Bastila romance over the Carth one (in that it seemed more 'classical') I've always felt like the canonisation of a male Revan cheated us out of a truly awesome female Sith Lord. Not that Traya isn't awesome but she's not an archetypal 'movie' Sith Lord the way Revan is.

 

Ulicus, thanks for the kind words, though my post was somewhat unfair. Hindsight is 20/20. Thematically, LOTF wasn't my favorite Star Wars series, but life goes on. I feel similarly about Revan's gender. Would I have preferred a female, ass-kicking Revan? I think so. Is it worth a second thought? Not really.

Okay. Sometimes.

My time as a continuity-oriented writer has taught me one thing, though. Surely, you can stop the suns from setting ... but to accomplish this feat perpetually (or near-perpetually), you must become incorporated into the physics of the system. From a certain point of view, that's not so bad. I guess you could even call yourself the son of the suns, if you think that's cool. You should just be sure that is your destiny, since "perpetually" is a long time, and sun crushing's not for the faint of heart.

And it goes without saying it's more than a tad on the dark side.

 

I can't disagree.

I am a little concerned you might start attacking canon younglings.

Thanks for your response.

I have another question, though, because I'm irritating.

In regards to Darth Sion (who I'm led to believe you did the entry for in the KotOR CG): Was the reference to his being a marauder for the Sith Empire in "the Great Sith War" meant to be the Jedi Civil War? I just ask because I never really got the impression he was that old and definitely never thought that he predated Revan and Malak as a Sith. I also half-remember reading you say somewhere that you tried not to refer to Kun's Sith as an "Empire" whenever possible, but I might just be a bit hazy on that issue. And, out of interest, when did you intend for him to have taken on the 'Darth' title? The entry mentions that Sion was possibly his given name, but were you envisioning him as being "Darth Sion" from the getgo, or was he just "Sion" until he became one of the leaders of the Triumvirate? (I'd prefer the latter, obviously, as I have a fixation on there being "only two" Darths at a time during the Revan/Malak era, especially given the later connections made between Revan and Bane.)

I'm also curious as to whether or not you were aware that he was said to have learnt "pain" from the Trayus Academy specifically:

That's from a loading screen, mind you, so I can hardly (in my role of KotOR 1/2 game obsessive) begrudge you missing it, assuming you even did. It's just that, as the the entry stands, it seems to imply that he manifested his ability somewhat instinctively. I mean, it's certainly possible for him to have studied at Trayus prior to his first 'death', though it'd be weird for him to have found the place before Revan, assuming the Great Sith War reference was intentional.

Anyway, yeah, I don't want to seem like I'm banging on at you -- because you're a great guy who I'm immensely grateful to have contributing to this Universe -- I'm just obsessed with getting this clarified for my own sanity.

Oh, also, if the decision to make Sion go all the way back to the GSW was intentional, I'm interested to know what made you decide to go with that instead of having him be a product of the Mandalorian and Jedi Civil Wars, as were Nihilus and Traya. Because, whether it's the right decision or not, from the outside it seems odd. At least to me.

Thanks for any time you spend answering in advance.

 

Howdy folks,

For those interested, the New Jedi Order Encyclopedia website just posted an interview with yours truly. Mature ideas and immature language ahoy: NJOE Interviews Abel G Peña?.

 

I'll make sure to yell that next time I spot a continuity error.

I say this without a hint of sarcasm: it's this kind of restraint which is why we love you.

 

That extended analogy on the plumbing was hysterical.


Excellent interview. I was a little surprised about some of the questions they threw at you; not the usual "So who's the character you most relate to and why?" sort of interview that's done the majority of the time. I'm a bit depressed (but not shocked) that Vader's Legacy's been canned. Although I'm now intrigued about this new project you mentioned... I'll be looking forward to it.

 

Maybe this will happen in a sense with Daala - she isn't a Jedi, but you don't need the Force to reach caligula scale levels of evil. If they play it out right and allow Daala to blossom into a full blown, diabolical villainess, that would be pretty kick. I hadn't really thought of it in terms of something Star Wars didn't do with females precisely. I was thinking more in terms of Mon Mothma and Leia being the good and kindly CoS servant of mankind types and how Daala might be portrayed more like some of the harsher CoS portrayals in the past, and yeah they were all men.

 

The lil canonistas? No, no, they are the future. Luke (via K-Mac) said it best:

?Do you see what a thin line separates Palpatine and Yoda? Palpatine sought power over others. Yoda sought power from within. Palpatine wanted to control everything, in the hopes of building what he thought would be a perfect universe, in the hopes of understanding it. I think that?s why it fell to me, Han. That?s why I had to be the one to face Vader. I still had the passion to reshape things, a passion Obi-Wan and Yoda had moved beyond. Surrender disarms you. But then understand that there?s a price. When a Jedi renounces that path, it becomes very hard to be a warrior, to lead a crusade. Obi-Wan and Yoda weren?t afraid to fight, or to die. They felt the suffering the Empire was causing just as acutely as any of us did--probably more so. I wasn?t stronger than them, or wiser. I was raw, headstrong, reckless. But I had to be the one to challenge the Emperor--because I still could.?

Regarding Darth Sion, while your diplomacy in broaching an issue you clearly care about is thoroughly appreciated Ulicus, let me reassure you we can talk civilly about the lore concerning Sion's past without worrying about someone getting offended.

Is it Sion's inferred age in KOTOR 2 that's bothersome? Just remember: 60 is the new 40 ... I mean, especially when you're already dead. Sion hasn't technically "aged" since he "died" in the Great Sith War.

Yes, I also remember, likely in the KOTOR CG discussion thread here on TFN, saying that I made a conscious effort to distinguish the "Sith Empire" of Revan and Malak from the "Sith Brotherhood" of Exar Kun and Ulic. But yes, I definitely did mean to say that Sion was a marauder in the Great Sith War, i.e. the war begun by Exar Kun. Sion's inclusion in "the Great Sith War" was to build a stronger bridge between the oft-times gaping and irrational gulf between the Tales of the Jedi series and the KOTOR series. Unfortunately, due to conflicts of creative interest, I had to leave some "plot holes" in Darth Sion's backstory. We'll get to that.

Concerning strictly, first, Darth Sion's perceived age in KOTOR 2, I can understand how the character might've affected an age not so old as the KOTOR CG text implies. In the videogame, visually and audibly speaking, his age is not readily apparent, and I think his own actions and wise-Kreia's disparaging attitude toward him help color Sion as rash or foolhardy, which we associate with youth. But of course, next to Kreia, aren't we all?

However, with pain as the fundamental theme of the Darth Sion character, it seemed a bit silly to assume he had only recently become the Lord of Pain (at least thematically, if not nominally). He had to, in my opinion, earn his name -- his Sith name. (For what it's worth, while it was cut in editing, the original aside concerning Sion's name was, "Sion--which, unremarkably, may be his given name...." "Unremarkably," I wrote, because, in his case, ironically, "Sion" is not the part that really counts in his story; it's the generic titles of evil he assumes). And, indeed, the quote you cited notwithstanding, it seemed counterproductive to run with this linear interpretation of Sion's background. If I had, where then, creatively-speaking, are the surprises? With room (by which I literally mean word count) to actually flesh out Sion's backgr

 

A bad retcon, technically.

It takes one to know one, surely.

I love Star Wars, but I do love writing first. That helps keep me in check. Whenever I feel like I'm crossing the line, I remember that Tales story where Boba Fett and Vader are fighting each other (again) and wind up having a lightsaber duel.

Ah... here it is. Complete with self-conscious dialogue: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:VaderFett.jpg

Happy to hear it. Lotta mileage in that metaphor.

Thanks for the kind words, Ms. Coffee. They truly were good and interesting questions, which made the interview very enjoyable.

As for Vader's Legacy, don't lament it too much. Good chunks of it had already made the jump to Aliens in the Empire (Hethrir, Kharys) and Echoes of the Jedi (Noghri Death Commandos). And regarding the new project ... I think it should be special.

They tend to be men, which is a precedent set by the movies, which are themselves nostalgic homages to older stories. Daala might well turn out to be a nice play in this direction.

One of my favorite portrayals of Mon Mothma is in the Dark Forces books by William C. Dietz. Therein, ol' Mon manages the Rebellion with a distinctly ruthless pragmatism. Or, at least, so she lets on.

Take care,
Abel

 

Abel -- just saw your response.

I'll respond more fully at the weekend (up to my eyeballs during the week nowadays), but - in short - I just want to quickly say that I totally understand the desire to link the TotJ and KotOR eras more fully.

Anyway, thanks man.

 

Thanks All-Powerful 2ndQuest!

Back by nepotistic demand, welcome to the grand reopening of the Abel G. Pena thread, fellow canonistas!

Want to know what I've been up to? Well, to quote Leia: "I can't tell you!" But as much hintage as I can muster is found in this thread:

(APRIL FOOLS JOKE) Abel G. Peña to write his first novel, General Grievous: Warlord!!!

Next order of business:

1) What Star Wars book am I reading right now? Il Pianeta del Male (a.k.a. Domain of Evil, in the original Klingon). Scherzo! Il libro racconta la leggenda del tragico Halagad Ventor in la lingua bella.

2) What non-Star Wars book am I reading? Many! Including Joseph Campbell's Hero With A Thousand Faces, a foundational text for all Star Wars fans. I'm up to my ears in archetypal significance.

3) Ulicus, I've been waiting for that response for a year and a half now, you cad.

For anyone porting over from the StarWars.com incarnation of this thread, thanks and welcome!

Take care,
Abel

 

It's not my fault! Uh. G.R.R.Martin is ghost writing it for me.

(Honestly, I just forgot all about it -- sorry about that)

 

This is why we love you.

 

Hey folks! I just wanted to add a general update here before the holidays.

First, it was a pretty busy year of Star Wars-related publishing. So please check out the stuff that I wrote (or translated) in 2013:

1. Spain MyComyc Droids comics (English translation)
2. Spain MyComyc Ewoks (English translation)
3. Ee Chee Wa Maa! Translating Spain's Long-Lost Ewoks and Droids Comics
4. The Droids Re-Animated (with Rich Handley): Part 1 and Part 2
5. Barely Tolerable: Alien Henchmen of the Empire (with Rich Handley): Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3
6. Hasbro Italy’s Mysterious Star Wars Comic, Il Potere della Forza
7. Il Potere della Forza comic (English translation)
8. Viva Space Vegas! The History of the Marvelous Wheel (with Rich Handley): Part 1 and Part 2
9. The Star Wars Spy Game: SPIN Declassified (with Greg Mitchell)
10. The Imperial Warlords: Despoilers of an Empire (with Daniel Wallace): Part 1 and Part 2 (Part 3 forthcoming)

Secondly, I also wanted to say here first that I've been invited to a Reddit AMA. Here is the nifty ad and the in-your-face bio I provided for that general audience:



Hi Reddit, I am Abel G. Peña, Star Wars writer. Ask me anything.

I’ve been called the Mark Grunewald of Star Wars and the God of Continuity. My Star Wars work is mostly like a fictionalized history genre. We call this source fiction (which is kinda like The Silmarillion, for you Tolkienites).

Notable things I’ve done in Star Wars: 1) Wrote the definitive history of the Sith in “Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties” and of the Mandalorians (i.e. Boba Fett’s people) in “History of the Mandalorians.” 2) Came up with the backstory for General Grievous, the cyborg villain from Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. 3) Introduced the first LGBT character into Star Wars with the bisexual Grand Admiral Miltin Takel (well, if you don’t count hermaphroditic Hutts). 4) Translated rare Star Wars comics from Spain and Italy into English. 5) Got turned into a Jedi Knight in my likeness, Halagad Ventor (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Halagad_Ventor); he’s Obi-Wan’s other apprentice. 6) Buncha other awesome stuff too long or weird to explain.

Finally, thank you everyone for your friendship and continued support over the years. I've always been very grateful for the community here, the way you've taken an interest in my work and the courteous and often funny exchanges. The camaraderie I experience here has been one of the constant sweetnesses of the last 13-odd years. It remains a privilege entertaining you and to be counted as one of you.

Bidding you Dark Christmas,

Abel

 

P.S. I love you too.

 

I want to join in on the love.

 

Can't decide whether to ask something on AMA or request a blog entry.