An Open Letter to Wookieepedia

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Dear Wookieepedia,

I generally try not to get involved in discussions of feminism in fandom–at least not here on the blog.  I don’t think any one really wants a not-so-short introduction to feminism here (and yes, I am qualified to teach Women’s Studies at the university level, in case you were wondering).

What started as a joke-and yes, I’m willing to say it probably started as a April Fool’s joke with no ill intentions-has just snowballed into a real problem.  And it all could have gone away if you’d apologized, admitted mea culpa, asked forgiveness and taken it down.

But I’m not going to lecture you.  I’m not going to pull out my Gloria Steinem quotes.  I’m not going to talk about marginalization.

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Star Wars Reads Day Returns

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1396529124000-RD3FINALUSA Today has the exclusive news that Star Wars Reads Day will be returning again this year on October 11th.

Today I can report that Star Wars Reads Day will return for its third year Oct. 11 — a fact that doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, since it keeps getting bigger.

Last year more than 2,000 events took place, so expect just as many this time around. Several publishing partners will come together for the festivities, including Disney Publishing Worldwide, Abrams, Chronicle, Dark Horse, Del Rey, DK, Klutz, Quirk Books, Random House Audio, Scholastic and Workman.

Keep an eye on starwars.com/reads and facebook.com/StarWarsReads for the latest info on signings, parties and special events in your town.

Numerous authors participate with the festivities, so stay tuned to see if an Expanded Universe author will be at a location near you.

Review: Serenity #3

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serenity 3I feel like I’m starting to become a broken record.  Great writing, beautiful cover….really, really crappy art.

Let me go back a second.  I think Georges Jeanty can produce nice art–and anyone who opens this comic and takes a look at the last page will see what I mean.  But I’m remembering what Christina Strain (who colored Spiderman loves Mary Jane) told me once–in comic books, you have to be at least two out of three: you have to be nice, you have to be good, and you have to be fast.  My guess is that Jeanty is a really nice person and he’s really fast–if you want him to be really good, he has to slow down.  Like I said, the last page is very well done, but the rest?  Not so much.

There are a couple of surprises in the writing here.  It’s less so with the plot–it’s a bit predictable.  Zoe’s been captured, and River’s been delving into her own brain for more Alliance secrets that might help them out.  The predictability isn’t what River finds, but where Mal turns for help.

One point in this comic really surprised me, though.  Readers of issue #2 know that Jubal Early had found his way back to the ship.  But Kaylee’s method of dealing with Early took me aback a bit.  We all know that Miranda changed everyone on the entire crew, but for some reason, I think, I always believed that Kaylee’s innocence remained essentially intact. To see Kaylee take a turn toward the cynical and bitter shows, better than anything else, just how serious matters are, and it’s enough to leave Firefly fans more than just a little apprehensive about where the story’s going to go next.

Review: Star Wars: Legacy #13

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Last month’s issue of Legacy ended with a crash… literally.  Ania Solo is still a wanted woman, separated from her only friends and allies in Legacy #13 by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman which hits stores today.  And—look, I just want to know who the heck Ania Solo is already!

Somehow, Ania manages to walk away from the crash landing mostly unharmed but that’s not much when there’s a bounty hunter still hot on her tail.  Sauk, Jao, and AG-37 are doing every thing they can to track Ania down and get their friend back.  Back on Coruscant, Ania Solo continues to be the topic of conversation.  True to Solo form though, Ania’s not going to wait around for a rescue or to be captured but can she evade the mysterious bounty hunter?

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Bake It So…Kinda

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warnogSo, this is awesome.  StarTrek.com just announced that Klingon Warnog – that is, Klingon BEER – is coming soon to the US and Canada.  With hints of banana, clove, and caramel, this should be a warrior’s drink.

Coming from Tin Man Brewery in Evansville, Indiana, you can also check out federationofbeer.com to learn about Vulcan Ale, brewed at Harvest Moon brewery in the United States, but sadly, available only in Canada.

As for the Warnog, I have only one thing to say:

shutup

This Is Madness: Vote For the Original Rogue Leader

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lukeskywalkerpilotListen up, folks. Wes Janson here. Our illustrious leader Wedge Antilles may have suffered defeat by a sassy astromech droid, but the competition isn’t over yet. Today Luke Skywalker, the co-founder of Rogue Squadron, and the first man to hold the title of Rogue Leader, is up against that lying old wizard hermit, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You know, the man who hid in a desert for 20 years while the galaxy went to pot, lied and kept important information to himself (like the Princess being Luke’s sister, which could have helped them avoid a lot of awkward situations), and then encouraged our pal Luke to commit patricide. All the while Luke, humble farmboy as he is, believed in the power of the Light Side and encouraged Darth Vader to throw off his shackles and destroy the Emperor on the Second Death Star.

Luke is the new hope that the galaxy both needed and wanted! What did Obi-Wan do? Completely botch Anakin Skywalker’s training.

So if you want a liar to win this tournament, go ahead and vote Kenobi. If you want an honest, hard-working pilot and Jedi, who always believes in the good in people, vote Skywalker!

A vote for Luke is a vote for hope.

Thank you, and May the Force Be With You.

Tosche Station Radio #82: Ended, The Clone Wars Have

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Kicking off the show, the hosts highlight what’s New on the Blog. In Memory of Aaron Allston: Nanci’s post, Brian’s post, and a podcast. Honor Among Thieves released: Go/No-go and Bria’s more in-depth review. Bria finished out the Hondo Caravan. Yes, she watched all of Season 5 in one week, and then forged ahead with the Bonus Content. Of note, she thought what happened to Barriss was crap. The Doctor is in! Congratulations to Emily on successfully defending her dissertation! Bria reviewed The Star Wars #6. Nanci discussed why The Sequel Trilogy needs a Skywalker. And finally, TeamWedge has come and gone. It was a valiant effort on the part of Wes Janson, but Wedge fell to that pesky astromech, R2-D2. Let’s throw our support to the original Rogue Leader, Luke Skywalker. He faces tough competition, but horrible pilot, Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first round.

In Fixer’s Flash, the hosts have found some time to geeky pursuits while putting together Ikea furniture. The Clone Wars was watched and consumed, but more on that later. Nanci’s been working on a new novel. Both the hosts are getting set for MegaCon.

Deak’s Dirt starts with news that Kevin Hearne’s Luke novel is set for release on January 13. Check out Leland Chee’s Twitter for information about The Clone Wars chronological order. There’s ACTUAL Episode VII news! Confirmed! It will take place 30 years post-RotJ; will feature some familiar faces and a trio of new leads. Artoo is still the only confirmed character. What is going on with EU characters marching in the Star Wars Weekend motorcade? Nanci’s post, Brian’s post. Finally, Mark Hamill is going to be at Star Wars Weekends!

This week in Bigg’s Bull#*$&, Lupita N’yongo is rumored to be close to signing on for Episode VII. Other actors are in consideration as well (surprise surprise).

It’s The Clone Wars bonus content on Camie’s Concerns this week. The hosts recap the final episodes and bid a final farewell to the show.

Tosche Station Radio is the official podcast of Tosche-Station.net and a part of Majestic Giraffe Productions. If you like what you hear, please leave a review on the iTunes Music Store. We can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Nanci and Brian are the co-founders and writers of Tosche-Station.net. You can find Nanci on Twitter with the handle @Nancipants and you can find Brian with @LaneWinree.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by Her Universe and Audible.com.

Her Universe - Flaunt Your World - www.heruniverseshop.com Listen to a bestseller for $7.49 at audible.com!