Western Reaches #20

Posted on by

western reaches header

 Download

This episode we talk Star Wars novels, robots, Titanfall 2 and mobile games, with our main topic discussing Rogue One and whether or not it’s the Halo: Reach of Star Wars.
 
Games: 
  • Titanfall 2
  • Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise
  • Indefinite
  • Mini Metro
Books: 
  • Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places – Colin Dickey
  • The Three-Body Problem – Liu Cixin
  • Singer from the Sea – Sheri S. Tepper
  • Rogue One – Alex Freed
  • Catalyst – James Luceno
  • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep – Philip K. Dick
  • Barren Cove – Ariel Winter
You can find Megan on Twitter with the handle @blogfullofwords and you can find Saf with @Wanderlustin. Be sure to subscribe to Western Reaches on iTunes/Google Play and subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Mega Feed for more great shows, discussion, and commentary. This podcast has been brought to you in part by Her Universe and your support on Patreon!

Review: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (audiobook novelization)

Posted on by

Film novelizations are, in their own way, just as tricky a needle to thread as film adaptations of novels. You’re taking someone else’s words and ideas, meant for one medium, and transposing them to another, hopefully doing them justice while at the same time adjusting and adapting them to fit the new medium. At their best, film novelizations can open up the world of the movie considerably, adding more scenes and characters and background information which couldn’t possibly be crammed into a two or even three-hour movie. At their worst, they’re a limp, lifeless transposition of the screenplay, lacking any of the energy or vitality which made the film entertaining. The Vonda N. McIntyre novelizations of Star Trek 2 – 4, or Peter David’s adaptation of The Rocketeer, are examples of the former; the Alan Dean Foster adaptation of The Force Awakens, the latter.

So where does Rogue One’s novelization fall? Somewhere in between. It doesn’t wildly expand the scope of the film, but it fills in just enough gaps in characterization and plot to make it, I’m shocked to report, the first novelization I’ve ever read that I enjoyed more than the film it was based on. Continue reading →

Review: Rogue One (Novelization)

Posted on by

There’s no way anyone can prove that I sat on my couch, clutching my ‘This is Fine’ Dog to me as I read the last few chapters of Rogue One. That would be ridiculous if I’d done that. Absolutely… okay, fine. I did.

Novelizations can be so hit or miss that it’s often tempting to skip them all together. After all, you saw the movie, right? For the most part, they tend to be fine but nothing to write home about. Star Wars, however, has already been blessed with the absolute gem that is Matthew Stover’s Revenge of the Sith. It’s a very high bar to meet and while Rogue One doesn’t quite meet it, it comes pretty damn close.

Alexander Freed’s novelization works so harmoniously with Garth Edward’s film that they feel like two halves of a whole. Where as the movie can revel in the action and magnificent space battles, the book allows readers into the characters’ heads and to get to know them far more intimately than before. I have no doubt that the film will have even more of an emotional impact the next time I see it. Continue reading →

Review: Doctor Aphra #2

Posted on by

You just knew when Aphra’s dad showed up that it wasn’t going to be for fun and games.  They hardly seem to be a warm and fuzzy family, Boop or no Boop.  It turns out that questionable ethics run in the family as Aphra’s Dad has decided to leak to the archaeology board that she cheated on her doctorate entirely because he wants her to help him find the Ordu Aspectu.  What happened to them?  Well… let’s just say that everyone has their own theory and it’s going to take them to a very unexpected moon.

Doctor Aphra #2 follows up on the fun and adventure of the first issue but this time with more family problems!  (Honestly, who doesn’t have family drama in the galaxy far, far away?)  This book is definitely a tonal shift from Darth Vader which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  It’s just taking a little getting used to especially since we’re finally seeing Aphra deal with her own problems as opposed to Vader’s.  Seeing a female character be the star of her own story entirely on her own merits (and not because of who she’s related to) is incredibly refreshing as is seeing a smaller scale story that doesn’t have galactic ramifications.

This is hardly news but Kieron Gillen definitely knows how to end a comic on a cliffhanger that’s going to leave you incredibly anxious for the next issue.  Can we have Issue #3 yet?  No?  On the art front, I’m getting more and more used to seeing our cast drawn by Kev Walker instead of Salvador Larroca.  His style is incredibly expressive which works quite well for the arguments between father and daughter.

So how is Doctor Aphra holding up?  Pretty darn good so far.  You should definitely be reading it!

Doctor Aphra #2: Kieron Gillen/Writer, Kev Walker/Artist, Antonio Fabela/Colors, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Jordan D. White/Editor, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor

Knights of the Old Replay: Demon and War

Posted on by

How to make yourself finally commit to going through all the omnibuses of a comic you’ve really wanted to read: do a project! I’m glad that I finally went through these because it was definitely a treat! But hey… there are two more story arcs to talk about!

Demon
Script by John Jackson Miller, Art by Brian Ching, Colors by Michael Atiyeh, Lettering by Michael Heisler

A lot happens in this arc. Like… A LOT. Or rather… maybe it would be more appropriate to say that we learn about a hell of a lot in this arc. Demon, despite not being the actual last arc in these omnibuses, was the last arc in the original KOTOR comic run which lasted 50 issues. If you know comics, you know that’s a solidly respectable run especially for something that’s not creator owned.

All of this, however, is beside the point. It turns out that Rohlan has actually been Demagol since Flashpoint and Demagol is actually Antos Wyrick (aka one of the teachers at the school Jarael attended before she was captured) and the REAL Rohlan has been in a coma in the custody of the Republic who believe that he’s Demagol. Everyone still with me? Good because there were a few minutes while reading where even I got lost. I knew there wasn’t something quite right about Rohlan though! I just knew it. He was too creepy even amongst the other creepy men in Jarael’s life. (I’M LOOKING AT YOU, DARTH SQUIGGLYPANTS.) Continue reading →

The Jedi Pledge

Posted on by

At Tosche Station, we’ve never supported people telling fans how to be “good fans” or gatekeeping of any sort.  It’s rude, discriminatory, and frankly, quite stupid.  It doesn’t matter if you saw A New Hope on opening night in 1977 or if you just discovered the franchise last year.  Anyone can be a fan of Star Wars and there’s no right way to be one.

Friend of the blog Bryan Young brought the Jedi Pledge to my attention.  Started by Andrew Slack of the Harry Potter Alliance, the Jedi Pledge asks fans to promise to make all new fans feel welcome in this galaxy far, far away; to call out the bad behavior exhibited by other fans; and to make the Star Wars fandom a safe place for everyone.  To quote the pledge’s final line:

Rebellions are built on hope, and it is our hope that Star Wars fandom can become the most welcoming and inclusive fandom in the galaxy…

You can check out the entirety of the Jedi Pledge and sign it over at jedipledge.org.

Tosche Station Radio: Rogue One Roundtable

Posted on by

Logo

 Download

Nanci and Brian are joined by Saf, Jay, and Brian Novicki on this special Rogue One Roundtable Review!

Tosche Station Radio is the official podcast of Tosche-Station.net. If you like what you hear, please leave a review on the iTunes Music Store and Google Play. 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 your support on Patreon!

Review: Star Wars: Rogue One

Posted on by

There’s a hell of a lot riding on Rogue One just like there was for The Force Awakens. The good news? Rogue One soars and sets a high (but not perfect) standard for any following Star Wars Stories.

The story is fairly straightforward especially if you’re even vaguely familiar with A New Hope. Galen Erso has been forced to work on the Death Star by his old friend Orson Krennic. Whispers of this weapon convince the Rebel Alliance to pull his unwilling daughter Jyn Erso into their fight. She finds herself on a mission to rescue the father she hasn’t seen in over a decade and suddenly a part of something far bigger. Oh. And they’re going to have to steal the Death Star plans.  Continue reading →

Western Reaches #19

Posted on by

western reaches header

 Download

This episode we congratulate Megan on finishing her 100 book challenge, talk a little about books including The Obelisk Gate, Destiny and artsy indie games, and have a special guest, Justine Colla, on to speak about virtual reality, A Township Tale, and building safe spaces in VR.
 
Games: 
  • Destiny: The Dawning
  • Bound
  • t- e ni hтm-are of·`a c ty
  • A Township Tale
Books: 
  • Halo: Smoke & Shadow
  • On A Red Station, Drifting – Aliette de Bodard
  • Catalyst – James Luceno
  • The Obelisk Gate – N. K. Jemisin
You can find Megan on Twitter with the handle @blogfullofwords and you can find Saf with @Wanderlustin. Be sure to subscribe to Western Reaches on iTunes/Google Play and subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Mega Feed for more great shows, discussion, and commentary. This podcast has been brought to you in part by Her Universe and your support on Patreon!