On the Bookshelf: The Life & Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Making Of The Force Unleashed

[lazypadawan]

I have a little ways to go with Order 66 and Millennium Falcon is next after that.

In the meantime, I can definitely recommend Ryder Windham's The Life & Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi. It's similar to the kids' book they put out last year on Darth Vader/Anakin, only from Obi-Wan's perspective. The conceit is Luke finds Obi-Wan's journal while trying to construct a lightsaber pre-ROTJ and it has all of this stuff from the storied past, incomplete of course. There's not much from the Jedi Apprentice era or anything about Obi-Wan's childhood at the Temple, but there are a lot of "new" scenes from his lifetime both during and after the PT era. When Anakin dies, Obi-Wan is there to help usher him into blue ghostie immortality. Yayz. But then the epilogue is the now-unfortunate scene from Heir To The Empire where blue ghostie Obi-Wan permanently bids adieu to Luke so that nobody is around to advise him in the post-ROTJ continuity. Overall though it's a pretty enjoyable read.

The Making of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is actually more interesting than the novel. Covering the three-year process to bring the game to your console, it describes the different concepts game designers toyed with and their setbacks. Some of the concepts were kind of fascinating but were dropped for one reason or another. For instance, one of the ideas was to have Vader on a quest to bring Padmé back to life. Another idea was to introduce a much younger Leia and give her a bigger role in the game. You can also read about the casting process, the technical mumbo-jumbo and the gaming problems that pushed its release back a year. But the best thing about the book is the beautiful concept art that's on par with anything I've seen created for the actual movies. Whatever you might think of the game, it's an interesting look at what goes into creating a title.

Comments

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I'm definitely picking up the Obi-Wan book in the near future. I'm surprised there's not more from the JA era but I've heard some pretty cool thing about what is in there. They really should have avoived that Heir to the Empire scene. As you said, the reason for that scene was LFL and it took place years before we learned that Force ghosts don't disappear. Also, I've never bought Obi-Wan not visiting Luke in the years after ROTJ.

I've heard some things about The Force Unleashed plot. I think one of the ideas was The Starkiller was supposed to kill any witnessess (ie Leia) but couldn't bring himself to do that. Bring Padme back to life...that would have been interesting. Probably creepy too. ;)

My thoughts on The Starkiller aside, the actor who plays him is really good. Sam Witwer played Crashdown on BSG and is now playing Davis Bloome, the future Doomsday, on Smallville. He's really brought a lot to the show and has helped fill the void left by Michael Rosenbaum's departure.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

Is his relationship with Clark as covertly-slashy as Lex Luthor's ;)?

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

Heheh.

No, he has the hots for Chloe. Like "Anakin Skywalker for Padme" hots. But like Lex, he's doomed to lose his battle against the evil within him.

[vanimy.livejournal.com]

Oh, I just knew Obi-Wan had helped Anakin post death... :)

Like those concepts of Young!Leia and Creepy!Vader bringing Padmé back to life. *tries to get plot bunnies out of mind*

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

I've read a few fan fics where Vader tries to have Padmé cloned as a way of bringing her back, but never the zombie treatment.

[elthegeneral.livejournal.com]

Anakin dies, Obi-Wan is there to help usher him into blue ghostie immortality. Yayz.

ROFL!

[nic]

When Anakin dies, Obi-Wan is there to help usher him into blue ghostie immortality.

I'm confused - this isn't in the journal, is it? Or is it an epilogue?

As an Obi-Wan fan I think I'll have to hunt this down!

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

It's actually in The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader book. It's only a few paragraphs. In the early drafts of ROTS, Obi-Wan notes that him and Yoda pulled Anakin with them after his death. Actually, in the early drafts of the script, Obi-Wan and I believe Anakin appear in the flesh.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

The book abandons the journal conceit when Luke leaves Obi-Wan's old hut to rescue Han. It then follows Luke's story arc in ROTJ, including when Anakin turns back to the light and dies.

If you're an Obi-Wan fan, I think you'll really like the book.

[jawajames.livejournal.com]

hey.. don't forget that James Luceno is signing Millenium Falcon today at Mysterious Galaxy at 4pm.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

I know. I may or may not make it.

[may-child.livejournal.com]

But then the epilogue is the now-unfortunate scene from Heir To The Empire where blue ghostie Obi-Wan permanently bids adieu to Luke so that nobody is around to advise him in the post-ROTJ continuity. Overall though it's a pretty enjoyable read.

Blah! Why do they have to sully the ending of ROTJ by including EU crapola? And that scene in HTTE isn't even the first time Ghost!Obi Wan, having improbably hung around post-ROTJ instead of becoming one with the Force, pops in to chat with Luke. He warns Luke of the alien invasion in "Truce at Bakura" as well. Some wit described it thusly: "Ghost!Obi Wan, while ascending with Anakin and Yoda to the praexeum in the sky, says, 'Wait a sec, guys! I have to go back and warn Luke about some body-snatching baddies. Back in a jiff!"

Oh, but the EU doesn't stop there. Ghost!Anakin makes the ill-advised decision to pop in on Leia during "Truce at Bakura," and offers a clumsy apology for all the horrible things he did to her. It was so lame, I couldn't even laugh.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

The ghost Anakin scene is odd because it was anyone's guess what his personality was like, so it just came off as weird. I sorta liked the rest of the book though ;).

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the characterization was very general because there simply wasn't much to go on. I would love to see how that played out now. It was my thought that it would take Anakin several months to be able to approach her. He'd want to apologize but shame over his actions and the pain involved for both of them would make it difficult.