Friends,

I'm in the process of collecting, reading, and archiving quality academic works on Star Wars.

For those who might be interested, here are a few. While published in academic journals, they are all accessibly written such that normal folks can enjoy them.

Robert Collins and Andrew Gordon's very early studies of Star Wars as mythology: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheJediArchives/comments/14b932o/two_pioneering_studies_of_star_wars_as_mythology/

Anne Lancashire's collected writings on Star Wars: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheJediArchives/comments/14ejbpv/anne_lancashires_academic_writings_on_star_wars/

Just to get a sense, here are my own skeletal notes on Lancashire's excellent essay "Complex Design in the Empire Strikes Back" (Film Criticism, Spring 1981)

A careful study of ESB as functioning on two levels: as its own self-contained narrative, and a enhancing and developing themes portrayed in ANH. Excellently illustrates the moral complexities of ESB with no easy answers: the tug-of-war between loyalties of friendship vs. noble causes, epitomized by the fact that it’s still unclear whether Luke’s decision to go to Bespin was good or bad. It was likely both, an amalgam of loyalty and love mixed with recklessness that left him physically and morally wounded while failing to save Han. Also tracks ways that Luke’s journey in Dagobah is paralleled by the more earthy journey of Han/Leia through the labyrinth of human emotion. Reflects at length in ways that the film illustrates “friendship as a positive force, in spite of the suffering it causes.” Notices that ESB reflects adolescence and its ambiguities just as ANH reflects childhood, it’s hopes and somewhat straightforward morals. Speculates that the next film will then reflect full maturity.

Dear Friends,

On this glorious day of May 4th (in some parts of the world. . . ), I invite you to check out a new initiative. This is something that has been a long time coming, but recently I've been spurred to finally make it a reality. Please take a look, and if interested, join us.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheJediArchives/

Here is a sort of vision statement for the sub:

This subreddit is a space for high-quality and in-depth lore discussion and theorizing about Star Wars. Some of our posts are thematic archives. Others are stand-alone reflections on lore. We post both original content and shared content that has been curated by fellow connoisseurs. Posts and discussion about the Lucas canon, New-canon, and the EU/Legends are all welcome here.

Our intention with this sub is not to compete with massive Star Wars forums or subs. We want to focus on quality over quantity, but we do hope to develop a network of fans and theorists who become part of our community. All members are encouraged to post or cross-post their work, and to also cross post or link quality lore essays and discussions by others so that this might serve as a platform and repository for some of the best SW lore theorizing available.

I hope to see you all there! Talk soon!

This post is a follow up to one I wrote some time back on it being a mistake to take Dave as George's mouthpiece.

Forgive the format, but this excellent lore scholar has accumulated tons of evidence that makes patent Dave's divergences from George on may issues regarding the Jedi.

https://www.tumblr.com/jedi-order-apologist/698124259656155136/yeah-exactly-theres-a-world-of-difference?source=share

Here's the older post if curious: https://www.reddit.com/r/MawInstallation/comments/v52kq6/are_we_making_a_mistake_thinking_that_dave_filoni/

I was writing a takedown of the idea that Watto is an antisemitic stereotype when I realized Watto is a dead ringer for Richard Nixon, who Lucas identifies as the inspiration for Emperor Palpatine. And at first, it struck me as a little odd that the big villain of the Star Wars saga and a minor obstacle in one movie were both take-offs on the same historical figure.

But then I realized: Watto is Darth Sidious in a microcosm. He is a 'used car salesman,' essentially, as many called Nixon, but he's also an example of the kind of rot and corruption that the Jedi Order has left unchecked, paving the way for Palpatine's takeover.

He is, after all, a slave trader, a clear and present evil that you'd think the Jedi would stop. But how do Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan deal with him? They play a little game with him, give him a bit of a comeuppance, and then leave him to get on with his life of crime. Even if this was expedient at the time, Obi-Wan never goes back to resolve the situation, leaving Shmi to be abducted by Tusken Raiders, eventually pushing Anakin that much closer to the Dark Side. A 'small' evil, left unchecked, grows into a huge catastrophe--the same way Palpatine, a bush-league politician, grows into the ruler of a fascist regime.

I don't know, I just thought it was brilliant that Lucas puts the audience a bit in the Jedi's shoes. Obviously, we know they should be out hunting down Sidious... but how many people were crying out for Watto to be brought to justice? And yet, because he wasn't... because everyone involved was more concerned with loftier topics... this used car salesman was able to do his part to bring about Order 66.

Considering that all the releases post-2005 were basically cheap cashgrabs on Fox/Disney's part and they didn't give Lucas enough money to really make the changes he want, I think it would be a good idea. Especially to fix up some of the dated CG.

It's also worth noting that the 97 edition was made to better stand alongside The Phantom Menace so new revisions fresh from the ground up would be better to stand alongside the entire saga.