Bookworm Speaks!- Star Wars: Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina
Bookworm Speaks!
Star Wars: Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina.
In 1977, a movie premiered that changed the world, Star Wars. Entire books have been written about the effect that Star Wars has had on popular culture and how it has inspired multiple generations of writers and artists.
One of the most iconic scenes in the film`is the Mos Eisley Cantina scene. The music, the weird alien creatures, and of course, where Han shot first. All of these characters made up a part
The Good: Even though Bookworm has not experienced this (yet) what is very appealing about writing for a preexisting universe is the opportunity to add you story, thus expanding the universe. Looking at that character standing in the corner writing out its story. Filling in a blank portion of the map. This is what we are treated to in this book. Even though Luke Skywalker was only in the Cantina for a relatively short amount of time and Han’s confrontation with Greedo was mostly a way to show how badass Han Solo was, the events leading to those events and what occurred before during and after are so interesting that it really lends credence to the proverb that a small stone can create ripples.
For everyone who has seen the Cantina it is obvious that the inhabitants of the Cantina mostly consist of ne’er-do-wells and malcontents and the writers of the stories do not shy away from that. Many of the characters have done bad things our had bad things happen to them, some like Dr Evazan are pretty diabolical. For the tale of Greedo and the Jawa Het’ Nkik it is the end of the story and pretty pointless ends at that. The writers are not afraid to get their hands dirty.
In spite of that, overall, this is a hopeful book. For many of the characters, the cantina represents a new beginning. Some move on to something better, some like the Stormtrooper find a worthier cause. Some like the Devaronian, are content where they are, and others find new friends. The cantina is a catalyst for all that emotion for it was where paths intermingle and paths diverge. The authors did a good job of making all of the scenes intermingle with each other and the cantina a focal point for all of the stories.
The Flaws: As with many anthologies books, there are always a mixed bag with some stories being fascinating and some stories just being boring or too dense for the reader. Some of the stories like Soup’s on by Jennifer Roberson is a very eclectic writing that uses a lot of thick language and metaphor. It is not necessarily bad writing just a little too thick for a Star Wars story which are pretty straightforward tales. Thankfully out of all of the stories, that one is really the only dud.
Also, since the fact that this is an older book in a forty-year old franchise, there may be some elements that have since been rendered non canon or do not match up with the films and television series. It is not detracting but it can cause some confusion, especially among more diehard fans. You know who you are.
Final Verdict: Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina may take place in a galaxy far, far, away, but it tells a story about life. We are constantly surrounded by people that we pass everyday. We may never know their names or never even see them again, but we are all connected. Everyone of us has a beginning, a middle, and eventually an end. Some are triumphant, some are dejected, some go on to glory and many toil away in anonymity. The point is all of us have a story and those stories are all connected. Everyone we meet is a part of our story and we are a part of theirs. Even if the stories themselves will never be known, every action has a reaction and even when one soul’s story ends, its reactions echo through time and become part of the force that shapes the will.
Four out of Five Stars.
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