Karen Miller Discusses Star Wars Fandom, Feminism, and Writing

June 19, 2012June 27, 2012 Fangirl Del Rey, EU, Fangirls, feminism, Karen Miller, Star Wars

This morning Liz Bourke of Tor.com posted a lengthy interview with author Karen Miller, who wrote three Star Wars novels published in 2008 and 2010 tying into the first two seasons of The Clone Wars animated series. Miller discusses her writing, feminism, and the state of genre publishing in Australia and the U.K. compared to the United States. The interview is insightful and is definitely worth a read in its entirety, but I found some of her comments about Star Wars and its fandom particularly compelling.

Fangirl SciFi Star Wars Storytelling and Writing Superheroes

Aaron Allston Discusses Tyria Sarkin Tainer

May 30, 2012May 30, 2012 Fangirl Aaron Allston, Del Rey, EU, Fate of the Jedi, GeekGirlCon, Seeking Strong Female Heroines, Star Wars, strong female character, Suvudu, Tyria Sarkin Tainer, Wraith Squadron, X-wing Series

When I was working on my Tyria Sarkin Tainer post for Suvudu, Aaron Allston generously offered his experience and author perspective on creating her character. Over at Suvudu you can find my thoughts on why Tyria is a compelling strong female character as well as the kick-ass artwork of her fighting alongside Jaina Solo. Luckily for me, and I think the fans too, Aaron had a lot to say – a whole post’s worth. Below are his insightful responses to a couple of questions I posed to him.

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Seeking SFH: Tyria Sarkin Tainer Fights for the Jedi Team

May 30, 2012May 30, 2012 Fangirl Aaron Allston, Del Rey, EU, Fate of the Jedi, heroine, Jaina Solo, Seeking Strong Female Heroines, Star Wars, strong female character, Tyria Sarkin Tainer, Wraith Squadron, X-wing Series

As I interviewed Allston for the Insider, we had plenty to discuss about strong female characters. Our chat inspired a trip down memory lane, back to the original X-Wing books that had cemented my Expanded Universe fandom. As I reread the series, one of my all-time favorite characters, Tyria Sarkin Tainer, captured my attention once more. Now, though, I was also experiencing the stories with a critical eye toward examining how these female characters become memorable and what made them resonate still.

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Blood, Honor, and Matriarchs: The Hapan Women of Star Wars – Part One

May 26, 2012February 7, 2014 Fangirl Del Rey, EU, Fate of the Jedi, Geek Kay, Hapans, heroine, Racheal Ambrose, Star Wars

Tricia, Racheal, and Kay discuss the potential we see in using the Hapan culture in future Star Wars novels.

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FANgirl’s Star Tours Pop Quiz – Star Wars Expanded Universe Fans Take the Test

May 16, 2012May 16, 2012 Fangirl Cat Taber, Del Rey, Erich Schoeneweiss, EU, Fanboys, Fangirls, Jason Fry, Star Wars, Star Wars Weekends, The Clone Wars

In the spirit of adventure and fun that is Star Wars, Jason, Erich, and Cat agreed to take my Star Tours Pop Quiz. I’d love for everyone to take the test and share their answers in the comments section.

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Previewing Disney’s Star Wars Weekends 2012

May 16, 2012May 15, 2012 Fangirl Ashley Eckstein, Del Rey, Disney, Erich Schoeneweiss, EU, James Arnold Taylor, Jason Fry, Star Wars, Star Wars Weekends

Walt Disney World is famously known as the most magical place on Earth. Combine that with celebrating the greatest story of our generation, and you’ve topped every other perfect pairing. Peanut butter and jelly, strawberries and cream, milk and cookies – they all pale in comparison to Disney and Star Wars, at least in this fangirl’s estimation.

Fangirl Star Wars

Fangirls Around the Web

May 15, 2012May 28, 2012 Fangirl Aaron Allston, Ashley Eckstein, Cat Taber, Del Rey, EU, Fangirls, Fangirls Around the Web, Her Universe, Jaina Solo, Jennifer Heddle, Mercy Kill, Padme Amidala, Star Wars, Star Wars Weekends

Catching up on some Star Wars fangirl news from around the web.

Fangirl Star Wars Storytelling and Writing

Surviving Through Teamwork

May 14, 2012May 14, 2012 Fangirl Del Rey, EU, Fate of the Jedi, Hunger Games, Star Wars, Survivor, teamwork, television, The Avengers, The Legend of Korra, Wynde

I’ve been a fan of Survivor since the beginning. The locations are amazing, but the interpersonal dynamics that drive the show are what really draws me. People say and do the darnedest things when loneliness, extreme weather, and hunger set in. And then there’s the matter of that million dollars… Survivor, at least for me, is a fantastic way to observe the behavior of humans when they are trying to outwit, outplay, and outlast their opponents.

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Silver Linings and Moving Forward – Fangirls Find Their Voices

May 10, 2012August 17, 2013 Fangirl Del Rey, EU, Fanboys, Fangirl Speaks Up, Fangirls, feminism, GeekGirlCon, heroine, Jaina Solo, Mara Jade, Padme Amidala, Princess Leia Organa Solo, Star Wars

Over the last five days shock, anger, and disgust have been the predominant fandom emotions for many Expanded Universe fans, especially women. The silver lining is that airing the dirty laundry can become a positive point of change when it provides momentum for moving forward.

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Missing the Point of Star Wars and Its Fandom

May 7, 2012May 19, 2012 Fangirl Business, Del Rey, EU, Fanboys, Fangirls, feminism, Star Wars

When narrow-minded fans become selfish, and only want Star Wars to be their Star Wars no matter what other fans like differently, they end up not only missing the point of how great it is to be a part of this amazing fandom, but also missing the point of the Star Wars saga itself.