JIM   Hall

Book Tour

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This entry was posted on 8/21/2008 10:51 PM and is filed under uncategorized.

Hi everyone. First off, a quick heads up. Tobias Buckell, Karl Schroeder, and John Scalzi are doing a joint book tour. All three will be in Ann Arbor this Sunday, August 24th. It will be fun and you should try to attend. For more info, visit the author's respective websites on my links page on borlag.com. In movie news, the new Star Wars cartoon is out. Any thoughts on it? Any thoughts on George Lucas in general?

 

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    • 8/25/2008 9:21 PM Will Emero II wrote:
      Posted over at sfsignal.com, whom asked much the same in a far more snarky manner. Reposted here as too good to pass up.

      '>yawn<


      Wake me when the disappointed bloggers are finished mewling about their beloved trilogy.

      My goodness, what a disappointed bunch we are.

      But we lined up for the originals as kids, then again as young adults, and now, well on our way to middle age we complain that current creative Star Wars endeavors don't live up to our overwhelming sense of nostalgia. Even SFS' own John Denardo piles on much like a priest on a sleeping young boy. Sorry, everybody, the only 50 year olds who complain about childrens literature - like The Clone Wars - are pedophiles and the perpetually immature.

      The Clone Wars was the best SW film since Jedi, and I only went because I don't have cable, so I'll never see the thing on 'broadcast' TV. The 'failed opening' the fellas persist in talking about doesn't take into account facts. The film will be broadcast free on Cartoon Network and TBS. Fact. The economy is bone awful, and money is tight. Fact. The flick was released in the midst of a 'nerd summer' - Iron Man, Hulk, Dark Knight, Hellboy II, Indiana Jones, etc. - so people had other choices that wouldn't be available again until DVD release (predicated on the notion that viewers don't have a second run theater) much later in the year. Fact. Plus, y'know, its summer - beaches and intercourse (with other consenting adults, naturally) are free, if you know where to look.

      Clone Wars is a cartoon aimed at kids and young teens - the kind who only go to the movies when dragged by their parents unless Zac Efron is starring in something. But in that case, there's all the creepy priests and bloggers moaning away in the dark, scaring away any potential youth audience. Perverts.


      The SW franchise as a whole is a thriving one, fans new and old line up to give away their money, to check out new stuff, no overhaul needed. That's why store shelves are filled with all manner of related product - toy and otherwise - across all product lines. That's why it gets blogged about, ad nauseaum. That's why the 'holy trilogy' gets rereleased every few years. Money. Spending it is just like voting. Success gets more of it. The beast gets fed.


      And everyone lines up for it. The franchise doesn't need an overhaul - set aside your prejudices and pick the Dark Horse released 'Force Unleashed' graphic novel - it's one of the richest and best written books to be released in years - firmly set in the SW era.'

      Rant continued below
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    • 8/25/2008 9:22 PM Will Emero II wrote:
      rant on:

      'And I appreciate the Lucas hate - I'm all for free expression and exchange of ideas - it's become terribly fashionable to hate on Ol' George. Shockingly, the venom only gets spewed on the internet, where geeks meet to grieve and whine endlessly. The new SW trilogy set up the geek disappointment, and their collective derisive judgment of Indy and the Crystal Skull made it fashionable to complain about the the Wizard Of Skywalker Ranch, the man whom many of us owe a great deal to for endless hours of entertainment and fun in our childhoods.



      Still, we continue to line up, cash in hand, or snicker behind our keyboards, pecking away in derision, bitterly complaining to our friends or audience how disappointed we are, and how dare Lucas piss on our childhoods. And Star Wars will survive, despite the disappointed manchildren. Why? Because it's entertainment for kids, a new generation of fans grows while we - the old and tired - complain bitterly. nIgnore it and it'll go away. Promise. Take it for what it is, and it's enjoyable. Pinkie swear. But the worst thing haters do is draw attention it, and by extension themselves, wagging a finger at a pop cult icon, drawing attention to themselves so they can show the world how smart they really are. And that's really the point behind the impassioned opinions, right JF and John?



      Here's hoping the franchise never goes away or gets one of those oh-so-fashionable reboots that are crafted strictly to keep the bitter vocal nerds happy. It's not broken, so don't fix it. Feel free to grow up, though. That's a wonderful thing.'

      rant over.
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    • 9/14/2008 12:18 AM Jim Hall wrote:
      A friend of mine stumbled upon your blog while searching for mine. I certainly enjoyed reading yours, you might find mine entertaining as well.

      Perhaps we should add to the confusion and link to each other.

      Jim
      Reply to this
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