Mixed Messages – Time Travel, Dramatis Personae, and Mercenaries

In assessing the messages of a product or brand, I find myself observing the nuances through the lens of a professional roadway and signalization engineer. The crux of my job boils down to making sure that clear signals are given to drivers and pedestrians to avoid confusion. As someone who manages the message of my professional business, as well, last month I noticed a curious series of events related to the Star Wars Expanded Universe that highlighted how, at times, the messages being sent to the fans are at cross-purposes.

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Who Should Write Strong Female Heroines? Women Don’t Always Get It Right

Most definitely I hope to see more women in creative roles not just at DC, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, but everywhere. At the same time, I want women capable of effectively creating characters and storylines that women can relate to, or this Spaceship to Gender Equality in Scifi and Fantasy will take us nowhere fast.

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REVIEW: Fate of the Jedi: Conviction by Aaron Allston

My overall reaction to Conviction is similar to what I felt about Vortex, and it echoes what others have said about this book, as well. On the one hand, standing purely on its own terms, Conviction has solid writing, good characterization, and some classic Allston hilarity. On the other hand, Conviction is seriously dragged down by the weakness and defects in the story design of the Fate of the Jedi series as a whole.

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One Fangirl’s EU Wishlist

I always believe in balancing critical discussion with positive input. I’ve been talking a lot lately about where the EU is lacking, so I wanted to balance that with some ideas on the most appealing element of the Star Wars universe – how much room there is for everyone.

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