TO LFL - Stop abusing Han and Leia's Romance!

Sweetheart, I went back and read that excerpt. I think what they mean is that children always suffer whenever their parents have a high-profile. They mention that their child will have problems too because of this.

What I don't like about that passage is that I'm sure a lot of people will misinterpret it to mean that Leia was not a good mother.

 

Thanks Ginger, I may have misinterpreted it. I was so nauseated over the lovey doviness of Luke and Mara, you know It seemed to me like Luke was implying that Leia named Anakin that because, as a politician, she wanted to clear his name but she didn't think of how it would affect the child.

You're right, a lot of people will probably take it that she is a bad mother. It seems Leia is insulted the most of any of the books.

And what's with Mara? Her disease seems totally gone, and she is still not aging. Hmm...I detect a Mary Sue

 

We have to keep in mind that there may be some nice scenes between Han and Leia later in this book. I hope we can see them interacting as a couple who have been devoted to each other all of these years.

Now that Star War couples are allowed to demonstrate their love for each other, we may have some good material to look forward to.

EDIT: This message was written over just because I changed my mind.

 

What did your original message say, Ginger?

The thing is, a "Han/Leia scene" seems to mean a very different thing than what a Luke/Mara scene means to them. They put Han and Leia working together and exchanging some playful banter and thinks that's enough to satisfy the fans. While with Luke and Mara, they give them very explicit, romantic, loving scenes. Not scenes about saving the galaxy or business talk like it usually is with Han and Leia - love scenes. When they gave Luke and Mara the treatment they usually give Han and Leia - working together to save the galaxy - in Vector Prime all the fans were unhappy. I think it's kind of sad that they thnk we have much lower expectations than Luke and Mara fans that we'll be happy with those scenes. I would like to see some loving scenes between them. Everything we have to read with them is very subtle and understated and requires a lot of reading between the lines.

 

I am so starved for some good Han and Leia interaction in the NJO that I'm actually in a state of depression at the moment. I read the sample chapter from Rebirth last night and I wanted to cry. Why can't we have a scene like that for Han and Leia? I'm putting so much hope in Rebirth and I'm afraid I'm only going to be disappointed.

 

Yet-another-random-post-from-C_Minor:

I was reading some of tahe responses to my letter to Del Ray and sw the argument about the capitalistic nature of society dominating the course of the books. OKay, there's a point there. I know that one letter is not going to inspire every SW fan in the world to boycot the books. But saying that protesting therefore isn't worth the effort is a defeatest attitude. If we all sit back and say 'the problem's too big, we can't change it so why bother', then nothing WILL change and the LFL's won the battle. We've got to do something, and often letter writing does have a huge impact on things that happen in the world - just look at Amnesty International.

By writing letters we're opening the door and letting people know that we're not happy. This does two things; it lets other dissappointed fans know that there's a group they can join to make a difference instead of just quietly fuming. Second, it let's the publishers know we're not going to stand for it. Maybe they'll think we're not a huge fanbase and not big enough to be a concern, and that if we boycotted then it wouldn't make a big difference. But do they want to take that risk?

 

Sologal, you wanted to cry. I did cry. Of course I'm already in a state of depression. I recently learned that my father is dying of cancer and it doesn't take much to make me cry these days.

I'm sure we are still seeing the aftermath of some certain research that was conducted. Maybe next year we'll start seeing a change in their attitude toward Han and Leia. But I will probably have lost interest in it by then.

I joined a couple of mailing lists for the opposition (my own research), they had a big plea to their members to vote in the official poll back in February. Han and Leia must have gotten a lot of votes to outnumber these two fan clubs.

 

Ginger, I'm sorry to hear about your father. I know it must be a hard thing to deal with.

That's very interesting about the 'opposition' and the poll. Except for a mention in this thread, I wasn't aware of any similar campaign from Han and Leia fans. Just goes to show that the powers that be were putting all their eggs in the wrong basket. I just hope that they're taking all the letters from disgruntled fans seriously.

I know that Han and Leia fans are only a small fraction of the total number of SW fans, but when writing Han and Leia, shouldn't it be their fans DR and LFL want to please? After all, we're the ones that care so passionately for this couple and want to see good things happen for them. I am so tired of being depressed and discouraged every time I read a NJO book. Didn't DR and LFL stop to consider how all of this was going to affect those of us who love this couple the most? It sure doesn't seem like it.

 

Ginger, I'm sorry to hear about your father. My own father has had cancer for the last five years and I know it's an incredibly hard thing to go through.

I am not going to get my hopes up for Rebirth. I think I can infer that from Conquest and the two excerpts we were given, that Greg Keyes plans to concentrate much more on the Luke/Mara romance. It was him that decided not to put Han and Leia in Conquest at all and not mention how Leia was doing. I think either he doesn't care about Han and Leia or he doesn't think the fans are worth catering to. He said it an interview it was risky not putting Han or Leia in, but he went ahead with it anyway. He obviously thought that Luke and Mara were worth putting in. I think we will see Han and Leia in Rebirth, but they will most likely be interacting as working partners as usual, while Luke and Mara are lovey dovey. That's just the feeling I get from what I've read of it. I will see how Rebirth goes, but I think I am going to get my fix of Han/Leia through fanfic and fanzines which are much more satisfying.

 

Excellent letter, CMinor!

this bit-
<<Since before the release of Balance Point, we have been continually reassured in mass produced letters that Han and Leia's characters will be treated much better in the next book, that we will be 'pleasantly surprised' etc. etc. Well, we were surprised, all right, but not pleasantly. The solution to these complaints, in Conquest, was simply to NOT INCLUDE HAN AND LEIA IN THE BOOK AT ALL! >>

made me laugh out loud. SO true!

Look forward to hearing their reply.

 

Hey just dropping by for a moment. Just like to say that its not fair how Han and Leia are always apart and how whenever they get together all they ever talk about was buisness.

 

Well, in the middle of galactic war there is not really that much time for romance.

 

Ginger, I am so very sorry to hear about your father. My grandmother died of cancer a few years back and I know how hard it is. I'll be thinking of and praying for you and your family during this incredibly trying time.

Lott, if war is no place for romance, why do Luke and Mara get all those scenes?

I just read that excerpt. Yet again more L/M I do hope though that it is balanced of by some good H/L scenes though. But that line about Leia naming her son Anakin did annoy me. Even if it wasn't meant to imply she was a bad mother, many will interpret it as such.

 

Thank you everyone for your kinds words concerning my father. It means a lot to me.

Sologal, I promised you some addresses to clubs and groups in the Haven thread but I decided to post them here.

Yahoo Clubs

Club page where you can register and sign in
http://clubs.yahoo.com/

Carrie Fisher aka Leia
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/carriefisherclubakaleiafans

Han Solo's Smuggler's Cove
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/hansolossmugglerscove

Harrison's Harem - this is really good
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/harrisonsharem

Princess Leia Organao
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/princessleiaorganaofalderaan

The New Republic's Corellia
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/thenewrepublicscorellia

The Han Soloists
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/thehansoloists


Yahoo Groups

Group page where you can register and sign in
http://groups.yahoo.com/

Leia fans - a small group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Leia_Fans

Solo Command
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoloCommand

The Organa-Zation
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Organa-Zation

HarryFord
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/harryford



And here's a link to a nice Han and Leia fan site at www.starwars.com, they keep track how many hits a fan site gets. They may take some notice if this site gets a lot of hits.

http://fan.starwars.com/hanleia/favpic.html

 

Thanks for the club information Ginger. I'll be sure to look into them. Also, you asked a few days ago about the Favorite SW Characters poll done by SW Insider. I was finally able to track down that issue. This issue was published in June/July 1998 and it lists the top 20 favorite characters. And they are:

1) Han Solo
2) Boba Fett
3) Luke Skywalker
4) Darth Vader
5) Leia Organa
6) Chewbacca
7) Yoda
8) Wedge Antilles
9) R2-D2
10) Jabba the Hutt
11) Lando Calrissian
12) C-3PO
13) Obi-Wan kenobi
14) Emperor Palpatine
15) Wicket
16) Admiral Ackbar
17) Admiral Piett
18) Bossk
19) Dengar
20) Mara Jade

Very, very interesting. I'll post fan comments on Han and Leia later.

 

Ginger, I'm sorry to hear about your father. Thanks for the yahoo groups. I don't think I have time to join that many groups though!

I just read the Rebirth excerpt, which pretty much confirmed that Rebirth will pretty much be a Luke/Mara book. From the excerpt we got of Han and Leia, they'll be in but they'll probably be just interacting as business partners. I'm expecting this book to be another Balance Point. I guess it's expected since Luke's kid is being born, but it's not lik the H/L romance got a lot of spotlight in HTTE where the twins were born. Besides, Han and Leia are the ones who have been estranged and Leia is the one who was just severely injured. But I'm sure that's not how they see it.

Lott_Dod, if there is no time for romance in a galatic war, how did Han and Leia fall in love? In the middle of a galatic war. That logic doesn't work because Luke and Mara are given lovey-dovey scenes in almost every book. It's a double standard.

 

Sologal --

Those stats are so strange when you see how the books are being handled. I really wonder where Del Rey is getting their business numbers from. The official poll had Han and Leia landslide over Luke and Mara, and now this shows Mara is much less popular than Leia. It's not just Luke and Mara over Han and Leia, Mara is really favored over Leia. And Han is more popular than Luke. Interesting.

I think I'm going to write a letter to Ms. Shapiro and show these numbers to her. I just found out you can write her directly on the website. I'll post in here in a few minutes. You can actually write directly to her e-mail address, which probably goes much faster.

 

Sologal, thank you so much. That is very interesting. Boba Fett ranked higher than Luke, Leia and Vader.

reecespieces, thank you for the kind words and thoughts.

I would recommend the organization and Harrison's Harem as the two bests clubs/groups if your looking for only one or two to join.

I didn't know that we could write directly to Shelly Shapiro. That's interesting. I wrote using the Del Rey web site.

 

I suppose that's why they had Boba Fett come back from the dead, even though it was very obvious that he should have died in ROTJ.

Ginger, if you go http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/ and scroll down there's a link called "Editors and Staff" and Ms. Shapiro is listed with her e-mail address.

 

Okay here are the fan comments on the characters of Leia Organa and Han Solo from the SW Insider Favorite Characters poll. I just thought they were interesting.

Leia Organa

What Fans Said: "Her hair is really neat." "Unlike princesses in other movies she was independent and a fighter." "She killed Jabba by choking him, with the chain. That took a lot of strength." "Leia struggled to make it in a man-dominated society, and she did." "...if it weren't for Leia, Xena would be unemployed, Janeway would be fetching coffee for Captain Kirk in a micronmini skirt, and Scully's job would be waiting for Mulder to rescue her every week. Leia proved mainstream audiences cold accept a strong woman in a leading role."

Han Solo

What Fans Said: "...the best haircut." "...he always comes through." "Underneath his sarcasm and rough edge is a tender side we'd all like to get to know." "All brove men have a touch of courageous madness: patton, macArthur, Nimitz, napoleon, and, oh yes - Han Solo." "I have sworn absolute allegiance to Solo and all story-lines and products that bearing his likeness." "He has the right looks to make any woman wish they were Princess Leia." "He's a smart alec, like me, and he doesn't pay off his debts." "I have come to learn, through him, that in life's little games, it is best to remain relaxed and confident."

 

"Lott_Dod, if there is no time for romance in a galatic war, how did Han and Leia fall in love?"

The scope of the war is much different. The OT rebellion was a guerrilla like force not constantly engaging the enemy like the Republic with the Vong. I'm not in disagreement with the fact that the romance is being abused, only pointing out things to justify it.

 

That's a good point Lott Dod. But as I said before, if Luke and Mara, who are some of the best Jedi in the galaxy and should really be feeling the strains of war can find some romantic time alone, so should Han and Leia.

 

Ginger, thanks for the list of Yahoo clubs and I was sorry to hear about your father too.
-Leela

 

reecespieces, thanks. I should have thought of that.

Sologal, I love the comments. Thank you for sharing them with us. I agree with those thoughts. It's strange that they decided to shave Leia's hair when it was one of her features that was most commented on.

Leela, thank you for you kind words.

There's always a baby boom during war time. That's a fact Kathy Tyers even pointed out when asked about all the love scenes between Luke and Mara and the conception of the baby.

Of course, when she was asked why didn't Han and Leia have more time for a reconcilation, she said it's war, there's little time for romance.

 

Even though I'm not a big E. U. fan, I like the idea of Han and Leia's marrage. They ought to fix it in books!