written and posted by members of Lancashire Dead Good Poets' Society

Saturday 5 May 2012

To Boldly Go

06:19:00 Posted by Ashley Lister 8 comments

by Ashley Lister

I have been a huge fan of Star Wars ever since I saw that first episode of the show where Captain James T Kirk piloted the Battlestar Gallactica back in Space 1999. They encountered an ET on DS9 and then let a woman drive the Voyager ship and she got it lost…

Some of those reading this with a solid understanding of science fiction might have noticed that I’m bluffing here. I have an absolute and total ignorance of Star Wars but I’ve gotten a huge thrill out of reading the fan-posts this week.

Personally my favourite foray into popular science fiction goes no further than Joss Whedon’s Firefly/Serenity. But I don’t want to write a post saying ‘I think this story is better than that story…’ because fiction shouldn’t work like that.

I think I’ve seen one and a half of the Star Wars movies. Yet I can easily identify Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Harrison Solo. These are cultural icons more widely known than many deities. I can even identify Yoda just by hearing his voice.

The Star Wars saga is particularly immersed in the artificiality of story because it begins with the words ‘A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…’ and then goes on to construct itself into dissembled chapters.

Like the world of Harry Potter, or the mythology of Bridget Jones, the Star Wars stories are fictions that have been created within my lifetime and have gone on to become part of our cultural literature. They are integral to understanding the end of the last century and the start of this one and impossible to avoid.

And yet, to my knowledge, there has only ever been one person brave enough to write lyrically about this subject:

8 comments:

Rachael Hirst said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rachael Hirst said...

Great blog Ashley, had to remove me last comment as I failed to spell your name correctly. In my defense, it is 8am and so far there has been zero brews.

Lindsay said...

I've heard good things about Joss Whedon's Firefly, is it any good?

As the daughter of a sci-fi buff who then went on to marry one I stood no chance, I know all of those programme, natch. They are still better than chick flicks though.

I'd never seen that Yankovic song before, haha!

Ashley Lister said...

Rachael - thank you. I hope you're all properly caffeinated now :-)

Lindsay - you simply have to watch Firefly. Joss Whedon is one of the best contemporary writers of drama and the wit in Firefly and Serenity is compelling.

Ash

Louise Barklam said...

Alas, I have to confess to being a fan of 90% of the programmes named above. I am a Sci-Fi geek. There I've said it.

Enjoyed reading this, love how you've tied them together Ashley. ;-)

I also have most of them on DVD. Lol. Working on collecting the rest.

Big thumbs up from me!

Ashley Lister said...

Louise,

If Firefly is missing from your DVD collection you have to rectify that immediately.

Ash :-)

Louise Barklam said...

Ash,

Have just checked and regret to say Firefly IS missing. I do have Serenity though!

I've started a wish list of DVD's, but my Birthday isn't until September, so it will be slow going trying to collect them myself, due to lack of funds. We'll get there though. ;-)

Most of the DVD's were my Hubby's, but as we shared the same interest in Sci-Fi, they were the ones that I held on to when he passed away. I'll always have happy memories of being snuggled up on the sofa with him watching them.

Lou. :-)

Ashley Lister said...

Every fiction we've mentioned on here is improved when it's been watched in the company of someone special.

:-)