I, Jedi

So, the lack of posts to this blog are an indication of how strongly Star Wars Galaxies has me in its clutches. So strongly, in fact, that I started wanting to know more about this universe; initially enough to be able to remain in-character when speaking in the game. What do they eat, drink, where do they go to relax? That kind of thing. If it were Star Trek I’d know they drank Rigellian Ale and went to Reisa for vacation, right?

So that’s why I first picked up a Star Wars novel. A friend had recommended I, Jedi, by Michael Stackpole, as a decent stand-alone novel to try, just to see if I could get into the whole Star Wars mythos.

And it turns out I probably can. Jedi was a fun book. Great literature? No. It had that series patina, you know? The same one you find in Dragonlance books, or RobotTech books, or any of those other selections from the sci-fi/fantasy series shelf of your local bookseller. Its like, rather than handcraft the story, the authors have a big bag of story modules, and they pull them out and snap them together, then fill in the cracks and gaps, slap a coat paint over them and send ’em off to be published. Some of these authors, including Mr. Stackpole, do a really fine job of picking good modules and spiffing them up, but there are still big chunks of the novels that give a keen sense of deja vu.

But none of this means they aren’t fun and enjoyable, because they are. This is the story of Corran Horn, one time CorSec operative (cop, I guess), one time Rogue Squadron pilot, and now jedi-in-training. Like another young jedi we once knew, Corran doesn’t really agree with the training he is getting, and ends up risking the dark side by striking off on his own. He does it to save his wife, rather than his friends.

What surprised me was the prevalance of the characters from the movies. Luke Skywalker is the Jedi Master trying to train Horn. He also crosses paths with Wedge Antilles, Leai Organa and Han Solo. I found it a bit jarring to have these characters that I “know” so well taking on lives of their own and acting differently than I’d expected them to.

The other problem with I, Jedi, for me, is that I had no idea what was going on outside of this one tightly focused story. There’re a bunch of these Star Wars books and they tend to link tightly together. Stackpole assumes you’ve read others, and the tale is peppered with references to events I know nothing about.

Which in addition to being a problem, is a draw. Because now I want to read more of these books; ones that take place during or just after the movies, so I can find out all that I’ve missed.

A month ago, I was not a Star War fan, at all. But between Star Wars Galaxies, these novels, and the XBox title Knights of the Old Republic I suddenly find myself eating, drinking and breathing Star Wars. And I’m amazed at hos much I’m enjoying it.

I wouldn’t suggest starting your foray into Star Wars novels with I, Jedi though. Find something that takes place a bit earlier in the history and start there. I’ll post any wisdom I come upon in regards to specifics.

Oryx and Crake

Well, I’ve been kicked back yammering in other places making a fool of myself for too long; time to go back to making a fool of myself and yammering here. 🙂

My most recent audio book was Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. You may remember Atwood from her popular The Handmaid’s Tale, and once again she’s peering into the not-too-distant future.

This time, things have gone much more awry than in Handmaid. In fact, civilization has collapsed. We don’t know exactly why for quite some time, so I won’t tell you. But the protagonist was there for it all, and the story jumps back and forth between him trying to survive in a world gone wrong, and him recalling the story of his life and his relationship with the people who’ve caused the mess he is in.

What’s most troubling about Oryx and Crake is how incredibly believable it is. It doesn’t take much imagination to see our world following the path laid out by Ms. Atwood. Worth a read. I’m off Audible.com now (see below) but have to say the narrator does a decent job. So technically it gets a thumbs up, too.

Still SWG

Star Wars Galaxies still has its hooks in me; I spent most of the weekend playing. Plus, I’ve started reading Star Wars novels (I, Jedi which has thus far been surprisingly entertaining) to get some cultural reference to the worlds I’m traveling. And Knights of the Old Republic comes out for the XBox this week. I’ve turned into a Star Wars Fan!

But there is still hope. I’m also have a ball playing with Animal Crossing and in the odd moments, watching the anime series Dai-Guard (Office Workers saving the world!) which is quirky and amusing…

Star Wars Galaxies

Where’ve I been? On Naboo, mostly.

Sony release the ultra-hyped Star Wars Galaxies and I bought it, of course. My intent was to heap pile upon pile of derision on it.

But I hit a snag. The game absolutely rocks. It’s the most Role-Playing MMRPG since UO. Might even surpass UO in terms of role-playing. In fact, in a way its hardly a game…it’s more like a virtual galaxy for you to work and play in. I’m totally hooked.

Audible.com

I’ve been an Audible.com listener for a while now…I’ve had fairly good luck with the service, but any good will they’ve build over the months just went down the toilet.

The membership gives you 2 books/month on a ‘use them or lose them’ plan. I was falling behind so I decided to cancel my account, figuring I’d pick it up again in a month or two.

That’s when I discovered that, while you can sign up over the web, you have to call them to cancel. And when you do, you’ll find yourself in voice mail hell. 25 minutes I waited on hold, finally got someone on the line, said I wanted to cancel. Woman rattled off something I didn’t understand and transferred me back into the hold queue. Another 15 minutes of waiting and I finally got someone who could take care of cancelling my account.

Crap customer server = Two Thumbs Down for Audible.com. I urge you to avoid them.