​Star Wars is a Tragedy
 
I don’t rant that often but I have a bone to pick with the Star Wars universe. As much as I love interplanetary travel, the variety of alien life, and laser swords there is a profoundly tragic trend in the Disney canon. All the romantic couples are tragic. At least all the couples I know about. I’m a lifelong SW fan but I don’t consume all the media and there are tons of books and comics I have not read.
 

• Han & Leia - estranged, living separate lives
• Anakin & Padme - he is responsible for her death
• Jyn Erso & Cassian Andor - both killed on Scarif
• Han & Qi’ra - he was ditched by her, who knows if they ever meet again
• Obi-wan & Satine - both chose duty over love, she dies in his arms
• Kanan & Hera - he’s dead, leaving her alone
• Beckett & Val - she sacrificed herself for the team, he was later killed
• Ben & Rey - he’s dead, leaving her alone
• Poe & Zorri - we aren't sure the nature of their relationship, but since she was ready to kill him it makes this list.

 
I suppose if Cassian and Jyn had lived they might have been okay, but given Disney’s track record so far, I doubt it.
 
Of course this is all current canon. In the Legends books, the old canon that Disney scrapped, Han & Leia are married with three kids and they are as feisty as they ever were in the movies. Luke is married to Mara Jade. SInce there are several comics set after the original trilogy full of Skywalkers I can only conclude that Luke and Mara have kids (I’m sure a quick check on Wookiepedia would confirm this.)
 
Not so in the Disneyfied version Star Wars, which is weird considering Disney is known for it’s happy endings. To “disneyfy” something is a word in the dictionary.
 
verb. cause (something) to become reminiscent of a film or theme park created by the Walt Disney Company, especially in being sanitized or romanticized. (bold text, my emphasis)
 
Thus the crux of my complaint with Disney. Disney’s MO for most of their history has been to take out all the sad parts of fairy tales and give us a happy ending. Guess that only applies to European folktales. Walking out of The Rise of Skywalker, I was thoroughly depressed. They try to play it off as a happy ending, but the First Order is still out there, the big space fight in the movie was against only the Emperor's ships (the FInal Order) so presumably the legions First Order people are still around to contend with. There is no central government and our heroes are camping out on some jungle planet.
 
By contrast one of the absolute best things about Parks & Recreation is that all the couples portrayed are in happy, healthy relationships.
 

• Jerry & Gayle
• Leslie & Ben
• Ann & Chris
• Andy & April
• Ron & Diane
• Tom & Wendy

 
Even the player, Tom, learns how to have a good relationship by the end of the show. Parks & Rec is almost a celebration of good relationships. Most of the peer to peer connections are exemplary. The whole conflict of the final season, Ron & Leslie’s rivalry, ends with them as better friends than before their fall out.
 
Moving on…
 
If you want to get super picky Mr. & Mrs. Frog in the Mandalorian seem to be thriving and happy. So there, way to go Disney, we have one happy couple, tertiary characters, but sure, we’ll count it. Mando on the other hand avoids relationships like Anakin avoids sand. Presumably out of duty, but we don’t actually know why since we know he can care deeply about something, i.e. Baby Yoda.
 
Tragedy runs throughout many parts of the Star Wars universe, it is about a never ending war after all. If you Google “Star Wars” and “Tragedy” you’ll get plenty of hits examining all aspects of this idea. I wanted to highlight the central relationships since characters are what makes me, and most people, care about the story in the first place. It’s really sad to me that in such a vast and interesting universe no one seems to get a happily ever after ending.
 
This week’s chatter is about them bringing in Mara Jade into the current cannon so we’ll see how that turns out. Considering Luke is alone on an island during the events of The Last Jedi, it doesn’t look good for them. If you know of any happy couples in the Star Wars universe, please let me know, I need something to hope for.

​Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom comes out this week. I am looking forward to it. I have seen some of the headline reviews for it. Not good. But I don’t care because – dinosaurs. Someone said to me, you mean Chris Pratt. Don’t get me wrong, I love Chris Pratt but for me it’s about all the dinosaurs. The trailers are absolutely bonkers. I am not expecting an Oscar nomination kind of movie. I am expecting loads of dinosaurs.
 
When you were a kid you saw a movie you loved it or you didn’t and you moved on. Can we get back to that place of simplicity and purity?
 
I am all for deep, philosophical thought about story. I spent four years in university doing that. I have loved Transformers since they first appeared on American television in 1984. I just bought some recent IDW comics because they know what they are doing so I give them money. I hate the Michael Bay movies and while I have some strong opinions about how he has handled the franchise, I am not going to freak out on him over Twitter. I have better things to do with my emotional energy than get upset over one person’s interpretation of a fictional universe.
 
I’m not saying don’t be passionate about these other realities. Passionate fans are awesome and amazing. I feel very deeply about my Autobots and Decepticons. I have a vested interest in the Skywalker legacy. The fate of Doctor Who & Co mean lot to me. Be the best fanatic you can be. But if being a fan makes you jerk you need to take a step back.
 
If you say Michael Bay, Rian Johnson, Paul Feig, or whoever ruined your childhood, then you are giving them way too much power. Michael Bay may be a terrible director but I still get to enjoy my favorite thing all the more because of his stupid version of it. So I begrudgingly thank him, but I will not spend any more money to see his movies. I will not waste my breath or any more head space on the matter. I don’t want to live my life in a whirlpool of negative emotions over a fictional universe. It isn’t worth it.
 
There is nothing wrong with thoughtful, articulate criticism. And you have the right to your opinion, so by all means state your opinion. But the right to your opinion does not give you the right to be an asshole. Sorry, it doesn’t. If you are so angry or upset about these fictional universes I say it again, take a step back and a deep breath. These things are there for entertainment and if they no longer give you joy, regardless of the reason, check yourself first. There are too many people in your life and real world issues at hand to give yourself away to a fictional universe that causes you such anger or anxiety.
 
Will Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdon be a good movie? I don’t know. Will it have dinosaurs? Yes. I think I will be terrified and satisfied with the latest installment of a franchise that should have stopped at the first movie. And if I’m not, that’s okay too. I still got my t-rex so I’m fine here. Find what makes you happy and follow that, let go of the rest, you’ve got better things to do with your time and energy.

It's been a couple of weeks now and I think I can safely say I was wrong on all accounts except #2 and I give myself half a point for #4.

As I said I would be happy to be wrong and happy I am. It took sometime for this one to sink in. Part of that is on me, I let me expectations get away from me so when this movie went places I did not think possible it took time to absorb. Same was true for Force Awakens. Now that the dust has settled and I've read way too many articles breaking down every tiny nuance I can say I like this one. The best parts have to do with Kylo and Rey. I absolutely hated the whole side mission with Finn and Rose which is a bummer because I really want more for Finn.

The biggest revelation for me is that The Force Awakens and  The Last Jedi run together and the events take place over about a week. That is a lot of change for these characters to go through, all of them, good guys and bad guys. Not sure I will ever buy space Liea but otherwise I like her role and am sad to know her story will be left unfinished in a way. Finally a question that has been bugging the crap out of me, why can't a droid pilot the ships that are set on a collision course? I think Admiral Holdo would have been an awesome addition and we lost her for no reason. 

But in any case, I would say The Last Jedi is worth your money at least once and is taking the franchise in new directions that will ultimately be good for the long game. If you have heard about all the outcry and hubbub around the movie I would strongly suggest you ignore it. The the film is cultural politics. You can dive into the fray if you want to but in the end you have to decide for yourself what you think. As with any creative work, you should decide for yourself if you like it or not.

Recommended Reviews:
https://www.starwarsnewsnet.com/2017/12/spoiler-review-the-last-jedi-a-surprise-to-be-sure-but-a-welcome-one.html

https://nerdist.com/star-wars-the-last-jedi-spoiler-review/

https://nerdist.com/the-last-jedi-star-wars-toxic-relationship/

All my favorite characters are male. I am female. The trend in society at the moment is to exalt the minority. Which I agree with is a much needed trend. It has been said many times recently that representation matters. I feel like as a female I should be gravitating toward all these new strong female characters that are gaining popularity. But I don't.
​
Am I the victim of societal bias? Maybe. I am already aware that I have a propensity toward messiah figures (Optimus Prime, Ender Wiggin, Master Chief, Aragon, Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane,) but I'm not interested in fictional female characters. I think the idea of representation is at work here.

I actually know strong women that I admire and look up to. I don't need a fictitious example. I was raised by a single mother, who was a cop. Needless to say she had many female colleagues that were officers as well and they all have memorable personalities and dispositions. My mom is a good friend and has lifelong friends, something I've managed to pick up, and each of them are like her- independent, strong willed, tough as nails, grounded, smart, compassionate, thoughtful. I have been surrounded my whole life by excellent women.

Not so much for men. My life has always lacked strong male role models. That is exactly what drew me to Transformers. I always wanted a brother and those characters felt like brothers to me and most people will agree that Optimus Prime is a father figure. When I became a Christian I inherited a bunch of brothers and some father role models as well. But, I didn't become a Christian until the middle of high school and most of your formative experiences are set before then.

As a result, all my favorite fictional people are male. Self-sacrificing, defenders of justice and the powerless, courageous in the face of danger and undaunted by obstacles. I am just now realizing that most of them are military too. Don't get me wrong. I know good men. The kind of men that are noble of heart and make sacrifices for their families and communities but unlike fiction I am not privy to those hardships. And that is the beauty and value of fiction. I know the struggles of my favorite characters and it inspires me to be a better person. They are male and I am female but the traits that I admire most are not restricted by gender or any other label for that matter.

It’s important to examine why we revere the people and characters that we do. The admiration we place on them can be a reflection of who we would like to be.  I am glad that women and people of color are getting more of the spotlight but integrity, courage, compassion, loyalty, et al, these are universal qualities that make up the best of humanity.

Just as I was about to post this article I realized there is one fictional female character that I have always looked up to and that is Wonder Woman. But Wonder Woman was just an extension of who my mom was because both are awesome women. 

Just finished reading another article about the the importance having a "platform" for new and established authors. I get having a presence, but this whole thing about authors HAVE TO have followers, and traffic stats to their website is a bunch of BS if you were to ask me.

First of all. I don't read blogs, so why would I write one? I know other people read blogs but I'm not one of them. I don't like spending my time on the internet, reading or writing. It takes up my time and creative energy trying to think of stuff to say so why would I use that energy on a blog and not my story. At least with a novel I can get a sense of accomplishment. Not so with this thing.

Second of all. The HAVE TO part really pisses me off. As far as I can tell there is no one way going about this whole writing thing. On one level I envy Phillip K. Dick and Issac Asimov, they didn't have to put up with this nonsense. I do recognize that I would not have the freedom to publish either my if I had been a part of that era, but they did things their way. Why can't I? There is more than one way to succeed and I doubt it will have anything to do with this blog. If the universe wants to prove me wrong, then go ahead.

Thirdly. Stephanie Meyers hasn't blogged anything since October. J.K Rowling doesn't have a blog of any kind, just updates on various HP things. Stephen King just posts stuff about his books. It's one giant advertisement. Neil Gaiman and George R.R. Martin admittedly have more interesting sites but nothing I'm gonna bookmark and check every week.

If those people don't have blogs, why should I HAVE TO? What those aforementioned writers do do is interact. On social media, in bookstores, on other people's blogs. THAT I am down for. Interaction. A conversation. Not this exercise in ego. Say something interesting so the agents will look at you. I don't want to trick people with click bait to going to my website just to get my numbers up. So dumb.

Having a website, yes. It makes sense to have a place where people can go and learn more about the writer and have the opportunity to interact with them but this list of do's and don't's is asinine. The only thing I've seen across all arenas of life, especially in art is persistence, perseverance, and long-suffering. And none of that has to do with a having a regular blog. I'm in this for the long game, it's a marathon, not a sprint. I've set my pace and I have my eyes on the target.

So having said that, I am abandoning this notion of HAVE TO. If I have something interesting to say I will will write something up. Usually if I have something interesting to say it will be on FB or Twitter but otherwise this page will now just be a digital archive of stuff I said once. 

Sayonara people.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised but of all the new shows on TV this fall, eight of them are based of off movies and at least two others are based off of shows from other countries. People have been saying it for years, Hollywood is out of original ideas. 

As an independent author trying to get my voice heard, I know a lot of amazing writers in the same boat but no one is listening to us, because we don't have a fan base all ready to go. I realize it's an idealist's dream to wish Hollywood was more open to new ideas, they are in this for the money not the art. So their choices match their goals, but I still need to vent about this. 

It's sad to me that producers of movies or TV shows, and large publishing houses for that matter, are unwilling to take risks of any kind. As a writer looking for an agent you have to have a Twitter following and provide website traffic info as part of your submission package. I know it's a new era in the publishing industry but I have read more than one blog to break the news, just because it's good doesn't mean it will get noticed.

ASIDE: For the record, having a fan base doesn't mean it's good. Popularity is not a guarantee of quality. 

But what about Buffy, Bates Motel, or even Highlander? There are a lot, I mean A LOT of shows based off of movies (and yes, movies based off of books) and many of them are awesome, but when I know so many creative people with really awesome ideas, it's a tragedy and a travesty that the powers the be are too cowardly to explore these new worlds and ideas.

Okay, rant over. I write for me, not them, so let's move on shall we.


In case you were wondering which shows, here is the Wiki list.
See Fall TV list from EW.com here.

My first obsession was (and still is) Transformers G1. I love Optimus and his Autobots. I'm also a sucker for classic good versus evil showdowns that were so prevalent in cartoons of the 80s: Justice League vs. Legion of Doom, Thudercats vs Mumra, G.I. Joe vs. Cobra, X-Men vs. Brotherhood of Mutants, He-man/She-Ra vs. the Horde, et al. 

But what good are Prime and his noble Auotobts without Megatron and the Decepticons? You can't have one without the other. I'm not an advocate of wars or violence but there is always a fight to be won. It could be in your own head, a co-worker you don't get along with, whatever the obstacle(s), life is a series of battles. And the thing about those battles is the people that see you through, that fight along side you in those things, you never forget. Sometimes they are the people you fight and you realize you've picked the wrong battle and now you're best friends. 

Which brings us to my newest obsession. Red vs. Blue. A certain streaming service that shall remain nameless, had been recommending it to me for a while now and I finally decided to give it a try. That was two months ago and a day hasn't gone by that I haven't spent sometime watching the show. In two short months I have probably watched every episode five or six times. 

I had this vague notion that it was based off of the Halo universe. I'm not a gamer but I have played Halo 3 at a friends house so I had a little background on things. But then when I ran out of RVB episodes I needed more. So to the Halo universe I turned. Suffice it to say You Tube has been scoured for in game videos and I am almost done with the 3rd book of the series. And several of the comics from my local library have been read and returned. (Master Chief is the Optimus Prime of the Halo universe. But this is a great topic for another time.)

Now when I get hooked on something like this I like to stop and ask my self, why? What is it about this thing that has gotten a hold of me? It didn't take long to realize it was the Transformer affect all over again. What that means for me, is characters, it always come down to character for me. But it's the chemistry of all of them together. The interplay between the factions and even within the factions. The relationships. I don't know if the writers of the original TF had that in mind and I don't know if the writers of RVB do either, but it's there. 

The best part about RVB is that it started out so organically and the creators have really upped their game as their fan base has grown and they've taken all of intertwining relationships as seriously as the fans do. Season 13 is currently underway and it's still great character building with the humor and heart that it started with. RVB has really nailed that camaraderie that comes with fighting along side and often against other people but coming out of the fray all the more wiser for it. 

That is the other thing about the sim soldiers in red and blue. Everyone is exactly who they are and are totally accepting of who they are within themselves. The integrity of the characters never waivers and I personally really appreciate that. To be honest, do not judge the series on the the first four seasons. You may like the humor, but I recognize it is not for everyone. My favorite season so far is 10, but the stories and animation start getting really sophisticated in season 6.

I recommend you watch season one as a foundation, then jump to five and watch everything after it in order. If you are in love with the knuckleheads by the end of season ten, go back to two, three, and four so you can see how far they've come. My deepest appreciation to Rooster Teeth for giving me my newest obsession and the other fans who have just as much fun with and love for it.

It started as a convenience. I needed a name and back story for a one off character. As a place holder, I borrowed from one of my favorite movies, The Money Pit. I watched this movie hundreds of times when I was kid and the minute I found it on DVD I bought it. It still makes me laugh. In the end I did not change the text as a tribute to this beloved film.

I find that as I write, words and images from my favorite movies, books, and TV shows will pop up out of nowhere. So for fun I build them into the fabric of my world. It has become a sort of game to see what I can get in there and still make it work.

So for your amusement, below are a few of the Easter eggs from Trespassing.

-Chapter 1, section 3 we get a quick background on Walter Fielding, a newly retained host. As mentioned above, The Money Pit is the source for Walter’s name, wife’s name, location and vocation.

-Top of Chapter 2. “How not to be seen” is a reference to a Monty Python sketch.

-In Chapter 3 the IT room they are in is “room 101”. (I actually use this in Linchpin too, but it’s a conference room.) Room 101 is from George Orwell’s book, 1984 and is a place of personal nightmares. By using this reference I am attempting a subconscious connection to how the characters think about this space.

-Chapter 6, section 5 I had Korben Dallas from The Fifth Element in mind when it came down to making one person question if the safety on the gun is on or off.

-End of Chapter 10 my villain borrows a line from Darth Vader in Empire Strikes Back. When Vader and Boba Fett are discussing the condition of carbon freezing Han Solo. You’ll know when you read it.

 -Chapter 12, Lysandra is trapped inside a mini-theater. This setting was inspired by a recent visit to Castro Theater here in San Francisco.

The amazing thing about this, is that the theater is in her own head. Not two days after I wrote the scene I was reading a book about human consciousness and was introduced to the concept of the Cartesian Theater. Check it out, it’s a trip.

-At the end of Chapter 16 I let Lysanda quote Princess Leia from Return of Jedi.


I have a few others, mostly names of people I know. There may be others moments and dialogue too, but if you read something that seems familiar it just might be for a reason.

In the same vein, there are five names on the DPA website that I used to pay homage to some of my favorite things. If you figure them all out, let me know and no Googling them! All the answers must come from your amazing brain alone.

Contains spoilers, read at your own risk.

Transformers: Age of Extinction is not the worst one so far. That title still belongs to Revenge of the Fallen.

Look, let’s just decide right now that Transformers movies can only be judged against other Transformer movies. At most you can only compare Transformer movies against other Michael Bay movies. Feel better now?

Having said that, this is my biggest beef with TF4. It feels the same as all the other ones. Lots of explosions, drawn out fight sequences, car chases, and stupid humor.  Now if that is what you are looking for great, Michael Bay is the director of your dreams. Time for a change Mr. Bay. Me? I want giant robots interacting with other giant robots, and not strictly with return fire and laser swords. One review I read said, just watch one of the others and I think that is true. As I sat through the movie I was mostly bored.

Other issues. What the heck with the Lockdown’s ship being an Autobot vessel with a Latin name no one is quite sure what it’s called? Lockdown mentions that Optimus makes #9. 9 of what? Primes? What’s with Sword in the Stone imagery? Optimus tells the Dinobots they’re free and they wander off into the Chinese countryside. Does anyone else have a problem with that? And then there is the overabundance of humans. No one goes to a movie about giant robots to see humans, period.

The only redeeming value of TF4 is the promises it makes about the next one. The last image is of Optimus leaving earth to literally go meet his makers. Will this be The Quintessons, Primus, or Unicron? Such action also leads me to believe, hope and pray that the next one will not be on earth. Optimus has the seed, which we all know is the Key to Vector Sigma (from the episode of the same name), so there is hope of a new world for them. And then there is the mystery of Lockdown blowing up Autobots and taking their Spark chambers. As long as the Spark is intact then those robots just need new bodies. So what's he saving them for, the makers? Are those on the ship, who has the ship, the Autobots or the humans?

If I had to pick a favorite I will stick with TF3: Dark Side of the Moon because it is the one most based on the original cartoon series. The core of the plot was derived from “The Ultimate Doom” in which Megatron successfully transports Cybertron into Earth’s orbit to harness the energy that is created from all the natural disasters that happen as a result of such a crazy act. Dark Side also has a nod to “Atlantis Arise” where the Decpticons take over Washington DC. TF4 was based off of The Key to Vector Sigma which Megatron uses the key to convert Earth into new Cybertron, but is of course thwarted.

I liked what they did with Galvatron and I loved Bingbing Li's character. Otherwise my overall feeling about Age of Extinctions is: Meh.