LFL is looking to hire a new 'Senior Editor' to develop its book and comic book products going forward.
For this long-time fan of Star Wars--and its books and comic books through the NJO/Ep3 years--as well as afficianado of good literature and storytelling, what a bittersweet thing to learn. I do not have a college degree, nor will I ever seek one (just not part of my calling), so I am forever disualified from ever holding the post. Plus I have Grail Quest Books.
But if I ever did get the job here is what my fellow Star Wars readers in the fan community could expect...
- Keep The Old Republic (bi-monthly, 64 pages), Knight Errant (renamed to Republic: Dark Ages), and Dark Times...
- Reinstate Legacy (annual, 96 pages) , Rebellion (bi-monthly, 64 pages), and X-Wing...
- Adapt one popular series to comic book form with additional material/POVs a la Shadows of the Empire adaptation (e.g. Han Solo trilogy, the Jedi Academy trilogy) OR do a limited series.
Additional Details
- Each title has a 'starring character' (or small group), with a break from that for three to four issues a year (perhaps to focus on a special event or a major film or EU character). 'Starring characters' should be wrapped up within five years, unless sales dictate otherwise.
- Rebellion would be used to explore and develop 'the cause', and would re-establish the Empire as a formidable foe with might and intelligence. Because for every Ozzel, Needa, and Motti, there is a Pellaeon, Piett, and Fel.
The Empire has come to be represented by arrogant, bungling fools, who always happen to make the perfectly ignorant/arrogant decision when it matters all the time (or just about). This just isn't logical and it devalues the Rebel Alliance victoryl plus it makes no sense that such an entity would have lasted as long as it did. The British had Cornwallis during the Revolutionary War, Japan had Yamamoto, and the Germans had Rommel--and all sides had many other competatnt officers or they all would have been beated in a year.
- Dark Times would be a truly adult comic book in terms of the violent content. I'm not talking about cheap gimmicks or sensationalism. I'm talking about a galaxy under authoritarian rule by Sith and all that entails: rampant civil liberties and human rights trampled; oppressive taxation and conscription; witch hunts against anyone demonstrating Force-attunement or sympathies (or ties) to the Jedi Order; regular political and corporate sabotage and assassinations.
This is the environment that all characters should find themselves. The era where the Empire was rising to the height of its power, and atrocities getting to the point where we can understand how a small band of rebels were willing to risk everything to take this institution down; death was a forgone conclusion but was better than a 'living death' under the Empire.
- Legacy would be an opportunity to do stories completely revolved around the Skywalker legacy, or a 'Tales' theme revolving around main characters or big events from the films or books. The annual would cover any era.
BOOKS
Gone are the three-year book cycles. Star Wars works in trilogies, at most. I'd call it "the rule of three" and enforce it as such. New readers and casual readers need a jumping on/off point and this cannot be easily done with long cycles of manufactured plots. If a trilogy face-plants you can move on; if a nine-book cycle face-plants at book three, you're f'ed and will lose readers--short-term and long-term.
Often times the best plots rise organically out of a story initially released as a one-shot. This is most often seen in TV series that hit upon a concept (maybe in a season finale or a mid-season two-parter) that resonates with fans.
Then there is Ian Fleming's James Bond formula. Nearly every book in the series is self-contained on a single character (and allies) and a single, focused plot point. It still works as a series since each book subtlely carries over elements of previous stories. (The last three book essentially comprised a trilogy of one thread, but were still able to be sold/marketed as single story adventures with an easy-to-explain premise for someone who randomly picked up one of those last three books.) This provides nice contiuity for fans that want to read the series, but makes each story wholly accessible. Cornwell's Sharpe's... series, Clancy's works, and Rosenberg's "War of Ezekiel" cycle also executed this format nicely.
Books under this kind of focus would be affordable, softcover releases with a clear military atmosphere a la the X-Wing and Republic Commando series.
But of course, Star Wars is epic space opera. The first obstacle that Star Wars fiction found itself in post-Episode VI was its lack of an overarching conflict for its heroes. Building the New Republic from the ashes was a great environment for single-story adventures and the charm of seeing the Heroes of Yavin develop past their Galactic Civil War personas when facing larger problems in a genius Imperial Admiral or starting the Jedi Order from scratch.
But this is Star WARS, and our heroes never faced a true challenge to their mortality post-Empire. Thus the Yuuzhan Vong were created. A fine concept, save the eighteen to twenty-one book investment and the new precedent it set for nearly all stories following of multi-character, multi-plot focuses per book. And significant over-use and mis-use of the Jedi/Force element. Look at the overall responses from fans. This precedent has failed--not miserably, but enough to threaten the consumer base or any chance of real expansion of the community.
And lets not forget the burden you are putting on authors that have to write in such a vast universe when you continue to focus on the same old group of characters that are about as developed as a set of companions can be.
Also consider the millions of Star Wars fans that would just love to read stories set during the Classic era--a time period that can be written in successfully.
Problem #1 that would be negated if I were SE:
Little to no focus on the villain's side of the story. This is the product of one portion of a society telling another portion that all sides to an argument must be understood. Yes, in the political arena. But not in storytelling. Consider Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, Cooper's The Dark is Rising cycle, or Tolkien's The Lord of The Rings: were we given extensive scenes of The White Witch, the Riders, or Sauron? Didn't these storie work just fine? In fact, it is a benefit to a story not to fully know a villain's deepest motivations. It saves space for pacing and development of the heroes.
Problem #2 that would be negated if I were SE:
The 'Heroes of Yavin family would be placed off-limits to further development unless a clear opportunity presented itself to explore material not considered before. The clear fact of the matter is, no one believes these characters will ever (or possibly even should) die in action.
The future of Star Wars fiction needs to be on single-story adventures with original characters (in pre-established popular environments) that can be fully developed--even killed off--as necessary without any of the merchandising baggage. The plots and themes need to be accessible, and MOST of all entertaining and able to be a companion on a vacation.
An occasional 'big event' cycle is acceptable every few years, and must be properly developed from beginning to end with a clear goal to be inspirational, original, and epic.
What specifically would I do using a three-year cycle?
- 'Big Event A' Yoda/Dooku/Qui-Gon trilogy finally exploring the relationship of these characters with each other; 1 hardcover book release/year
- 'Big Event B' Rebellion trilogy focusing on the three primary resistances--Corellia, Alderaan, Chandrila--and the events leading up to Corellia Treaty/Declaration of Rebellion pre-The Force Unleashed; 1 hardcover book release/year
- 'Supporting Series A' Year #1 focusing on a single character in an era. Jarras Starfiire (if not used for comic book series), who we would follow from his Rogue Squadron days through post-Endor ops as a Rebel Intel operative. Primary story would revolve around his tracking down--while on assignments--his best friend from ImpAcademy days turned arch-nemesis due to his defection. Jarras is Force-sensitive but has not interest in the Jedi life; he's also got some severe anti-smuggler sensibilities (which is why he joined Empire); 2 softcover books/year
- 'Supporting Series A' Year #2 focusing on a Jedi/apprentice team from an era in the 'Jedi Age' and would be something of a political/psychological thriller; 2 softcover books/year
- 'Supporting Series A' Year #3 focusing on a single or dual smuggler team from an era in the first decade of the Empire. Would tackle the Corporate Sector a bit to start things off; 2 softcover books/year
NOTE: All three supporting series A titles could have overlapping threads or later be slowly revealed to be part of the same family line
- 'Supporting Series B' mini-series focusing on a military squadron--space or ground--from any era, but likely Clone Wars, Galactic Civil War, or Yuuzhan Vong Invasion. The first series would cover Bel Iblis and the Katana Fleet; 3-4 softcover books/year
Neat ideas, but I must insist on hardcover releases for novels. :)
Posted by: Christopher Walker | 09 June 2011 at 18:16
I'm sure the Science Fiction Book Club will oblige! ;-D
Posted by: J Radke | 09 June 2011 at 18:50