Fanwork Friday: “Holding Out Hope” by Valairy Scot

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I have a not-so-secret guilty pleasure ship (and I’m talking about the relationship kind here): Obi-Wan Kenobi and Asajj Ventress. While everyone else ships Obi-Wan with either Siri or Satine or another random character, I prefer him with Asajj. I don’t actually think anything romantic will ever happen between them, but I love the complicated relationship they have on The Clone Wars. It’s one of disdain, but also grudging respect. And they work very well together.

“Holding Out Hope” by Valairy Scot depicts a confrontation between Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Asajj. It’s a great study of my favorite character in The Clone Wars series, and a great exploration of Obi-Wan’s desire to redeem her. It’s hard not to hear his impassioned pleas to Anakin in Revenge of the Sith while reading this fic.

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If you’d like your fanwork to be featured on Tosche Station, please send an e-mail with the subject “Fanwork Friday” to staff.toschestation@gmail.com. Include a brief description and, of course, a link! 

It’s Way More Than Just a Movie: or Happy Birthday, Brian!

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I’ve been asked many times why Star Wars is so important to me. It’s not difficult to answer that question, although many people don’t understand. I fell in love with the story and characters first and foremost. I couldn’t get enough of it, and began collecting action figures, reading the books, and soaking up every piece of information I could find. Twenty years later, I’m still obsessed with the saga, so much that I write for this blog and co-host our podcast. Most other interests faded away over time. What’s different about Star Wars?

To me, Star Wars is much more than just a movie franchise, or even a tale of good versus evil. Through Star Wars, and avenues like Twitter and message boards, I’ve become friends with tons of other fans I would have never otherwise known. I’ve gotten the chance to meet many of them at conventions and other events. Some of them have even become really good friends who I talk to nearly every day. One such person is Brian, the reason that this blog and the podcast exist. We first met through the TFN fan fiction forums over two years ago. Over time we became podcast co-hosts, blog partners, and the best of friends.

Today, dear readers, is Brian’s birthday, and he’s up at the crack of dawn and stuck on a plane all day. I can’t think of a better way to cheer him up than to embarrass the hell out of him on the Internet. So happy birthday, Brian! I’m so grateful for that silly space movie that came out in 1977, and that it gave me the opportunity to know you. And remember, the Force (and I) will be with you…always.

Nanci does her best Wes Janson impersonation at Celebration VI. Brian, channeling Wedge, is not amused.

International Space Station Captures Dragon Capsule

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Early this morning, the crew of the International Space Station reached out with its robotic arm and captured SpaceX’s Dragon module. The capture and eventual docking marks the first privately driven cargo delivery to the space station, something that could change the landscape of manned spaceflight.

The ramifications are potentially huge. If SpaceX can make these deliveries reliably, it frees NASA’s budget and brainpower to focus on other projects. Perhaps a high-capacity launch vehicle to send something like the Orion capsule beyond Low Earth Orbit? Of course, SpaceX still has some hurdles to clear in order to become that reliable. First and foremost, it’s got to figure out why one of its Falcon 9 engines failed during Sunday’s launch.  Still, this is huge for SpaceX and for NASA. Further progress can get NASA out of the cargo and crew shuttling business and into more Final Frontier kind of exploration.

Trope Tuesday: Uniqueness Decay

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It’s Tuesday, which means you’ve survived the first day of the work week but still have another four days to get through. It also means that it’s time for our weekly soujourn into TVTropes.org. On the docket this time around: Uniqueness Decay.

In many series, something or someone is first introduced as special – new, awe-inspiring, mysterious, utterly unique, unparalleled, or some combination of those things. Sometimes, either later in the series or in related works in shared universes, that specialness seems to fade without much explanation or get outright retconned away. The unique example becomes just one of many, the mystery somehow gets thoroughly documented, the new arrival turns out to have a long history in the area, the unparalleled turns out to be a footnote, and the awe becomes…ehn.

This is a form of Continuity Drift, perhaps sometimes due to They Just Didn’t Care or careless research on Long Runners. It can be justified if enough time passes and the once unique aspect is spread due to analysis/teaching/reverse engineering.

Remember when super weapons were unique? When there was just one maniacal overlord menacing the Galaxy with a fully armed and operational battlestation capable of turning an entire planet into an asteroid field? It meant something to have a weapon of mass destruction capable of inflicting total xenocide in a matter of seconds.

Then the Expanded Universe happened and every Durron, Daala, and Durga had one. They weren’t even elegant! Some were just superlasers with engines strapped on the back. But really, someone ought to regulate these things. How can you inspire terror and fear when another big, honking super-weapon is being built between a couple black holes?

It used to mean something to have a Death Star, you know.

Cosplay Monday: Jaina Solo

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It’s time for another Cosplay Monday and this week we’re featuring an awesome Jaina Solo costume by Cavalyn!  Not only does her costume look great but she also makes a wonderful Jaina.  You can more pictures of Cavalyn’s costume on her tumblr including some awesome group shots with not only the other Solo children but also some really cool looking Legacy of the Force inspired shots.

Angry Birds: Star Wars Coming November 8

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Fans of Star Wars and cheap mobile gaming applications will be overjoyed to hear that Angry Birds will be moving to the Galaxy Far, Far Away.

In Angry Birds Star Wars, a totally new edition of the game out Nov. 8 for iOS, Android and computers, the birds and pigs alike will take on the personalities of characters from the Star Wars saga. “They are not Angry Birds dressed up as Star Wars characters,” says Paul Southern, vice president of licensing and consumer products marketing for Lucasfilm Ltd. “They are characters in their own right.”

For example, Red Bird will be transformed into Luke Skywalker as an X-Wing pilot in Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. “They’ve got personalities which are kind of similar,” he says.

Other birds provide takes on Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Han Solo and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the game, which will likely have free and paid versions. And, of course, Darth Vader and the dark side of the Force will be represented. “You will see a pig-esque Vader and pig-esque stormtroopers,” Southern says.

You’ll be able to download the Star Wars edition of Angry Birds on November 8th.

Book Review: ‘The Mark of Athena’ by Rick Riordan

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In case you hadn’t already noticed, we at Tosche Station are big fans of young adult literature even if we’re hardly the target age demographic.  Everyone should be able to enjoy those books.  Sticking an age label on a book shouldn’t stop older readers from enjoying them too.  Today, I’d like to extend that argument and say that the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan are absolutely not just for kids because wow can anyone enjoy that story.

The basic premise of the series is simple: what if one of your parents was actually a Greek God?  Our hero, Percy Jackson, is the son of Poseidon and wow did that cause some problems for him in the first series.  Of course, you can’t have ancient gods and mythology without some prophecy so you can absolutely bet that our heroes are always going to have to try and save the world because of one.  (Spoiler Alert: Percy Jackson never gets a break from this sort of thing.)

Tuesday saw the release of the third book in the second series about Percy Jackson and company: Mark of Athena.  The previous two books in the Heroes of Olympus series saw our group of heroes divided between Camp Half Blood (the Greek demigods) and Camp Jupiter (the Roman demigods) and both camps happily existing without acknowledging the other.  But now, because of a prophecy and meddling of Hera, young heroes from both camps have to team up to save not only one of their friends but also the world.  And they have to do it fast.

Mark of Athena not only reunites our heroes but tells an awesome story.   I was originally worried that the book would struggle with having such a comparatively large cast (the previous books had three main heroes, this one had seven) but my fears were unfounded.  Riordan manages the larger cast well, sending different pairs or trios off to face each new obstacle or task.  This allows not only for the two groups of heroes to get to know each other but also for Riordan to explore the different dynamics between the heroes.

Continue reading →

Upcoming Her Universe Releases

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The wonderful Ashley Eckstein was a guest on this week’s episode of Tosche Station Radio and shared with us some pretty great new products that you can look forward to from Her Universe in the near future.

Starting this Monday, Her Universe will be releasing a new Halloween bag for 2012.  This year’s design, once again by Katie Cook, will feature Darth Vader in a unicorn costume.  (Yes, you read that correctly!)  He will have all of the candy and will be saying “I find your lack of candy disturbing” to several costumed yet candyless stormtroopers.   Also available this Monday will be the Ahsoka Tano costume top in adult sizes (Small through 3X) and a brand new Spock costume top.

The next upcoming product doesn’t yet have a release date yet but will be a Hot Topic exclusive so keep an eye out for a TARDIS dress!

Finally, Ashley let us in on a new product for the holidays that will be released for Cyber Monday.  You will now be able to purchase Her Universe pajamas!  These are another Katie Cook design and will be a pair of flannel pants with little Darth Vaders on them and a top that will picture Darth Vader with bunny slippers and a coffee mug and saying “I woke up on the dark side of the bed.”  The holiday pin will also make its return and this year’s design will feature Chewbacca.