Tag: Death Troopers

Doldrums

Final Thoughts on Star Wars

GuillermoLeave a comment

Part of the reason I’m having trouble enjoying the new Star Wars movies is the information they hold back. The Force Awakens tugs at the audiences’ curiosity by presenting the mystery of Rey’s past. I understand J.J. Abrams’s love for the mystery box, but the original films didn’t hold that much mystery.

Each question placed before the audience was answered within the same scene. These droids? Well, they obvious work for this woman. This woman? Well, we now know this is Princess Leia who, despite her protests, is part of the rebel alliance. Luke’s history, while mysterious for a moment, is revealed not too far into the movie. His father was a Jedi who fought alongside Obi-Wan in the Clone Wars. And if you argue that Darth Vader’s big reveal in Empire is proof of the mystery box, then you don’t know jack.*

Both in The Force Awakens and Rogue One we’re given minimal backstory about key elements in the movie. For instance, where the heck did the First Order get financing for the Starkiller? Also, what the heck is the First Order? And in Rogue One, we’re introduced to Galen Erso and Orson Krennic. These men are at odds, but we’re only given a glimpse to their past.

15781789_10100276356518147_1987712409066616206_nAnd it’s about this time where it hits me. Rogue One: Catalyst, a prequel novel to the film goes further into detail. Where as Bloodline, which I’m currently reading, focuses on what I’m assuming is Leia’s last days as a senator. It might even answer the question on why she and Han couldn’t make things work out. I haven’t read them yet, but I’m sure that the Aftermath trilogy written by Chuck Wendig will give me some inkling how the Empire slowly turned into the First Order.

While the original expanded universe was supplemental fodder for Star Wars geeks like me to jerk off to (I’ve only read the two books that dealt with zombies), these new novels are actually important to the films. You can go without reading them, sure, but don’t you want to know how Leia got to be general? Maybe, just maybe, learn why C-3PO’s arm is now red?† We need answers, man!

*read the original Empire script.
†ok we already know that answer, but still.
Books

Here’s to staying happy

Guillermo2 Comments

 

This alone made me want to buy the book

 

I finished reading Star Wars: Death Troopers. I know, finally, right? I moved on to read Body Double by Tess Gerristen, being the fourth book in the Rizzoli & Isles series (third, actually, as Maura Isles didn’t show up until The Apprentice). I decided against giving Moxyland a go because after reading Star Wars, I needed something other than a bleak future – a bleak present day works better for me, anyway.

Because I needed cat food, I walked to the Family Dollar today – reusable bag in hand. I don’t know about your local chains, but the one by my house is doing away with plastic bags soon. En route, I remembered how much I like walking to places. Walking, in general. It lifted my spirits. Nothing was going to ruin my day. I even spoke to the check out girl while she scanned the items – I also bought food for me. She was searching for my bag’s tag when I told her I brought it from home.

“You’re one of the few who actually bring them,” she said.

“I actually forgot it the last time I came in,” I said.

“Well, soon everyone’s gonna have to remember.”

“Yeah. Otherwise they’re gonna have to pay fifty cents extra every time they come in.”

Walking home, I caught myself smiling – something I rarely do these days, especially on my own. I started thinking about the job I haven’t heard from. Even if I don’t get it, I’m not gonna let it get me down. No matter how much it crushes my spirits, I won’t allow it. Because I don’t get many of these days. I deserve to keep it safe. I’ll look around for more work. I’ll do my best to look forward. I want this feeling to stay.

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Books

Medium Chocolate Milkshake & A Small Fry

GuillermoLeave a comment

 

I suggest calling 911

 

I don’t get it. How can a post about my job orientation and my deceased cat come up during a search for heart attack first aid? Sometimes spam doesn’t make sense to me. Then again, not a lot of things really make sense to me. For instance, why would my former supervisor friend request me on Facebook on the same day I decide to quit? Or why is Green Mountain Energy bugging me, asking to know my reasons for quitting? Isn’t quitting enough for them? How many reasons do people quit jobs for? I can only sum it up in one – being unhappy. No matter what you think your reason for leaving a job, it always sums up to unhappiness. Be it with the job itself or the pay, the reason we leave our jobs is because we’re unhappy. Get that, Green Mountain? I quit because I was unhappy. But if you must know, here is a short list.

I also don’t understand why it was necessary to shove Han Solo into Death Troopers. I understand he’s a major character in the Star Wars universe, but his presence wasn’t necessary in the novel – despite it only taking place a year before A New Hope. Han Solo duking out space zombies isn’t exactly what I expected to read. Luckily, the book isn’t boring and is fast paced. I’m only a hundred or so pages before I complete it. Then, I guess, I’ll either twiddle my thumbs until Joe Schreiber releases Star Wars: Red Harvest or move on to reading Moxyland by Lauren Beukes. Or I’ll jump over to Tess Gerritsen’s Body Double, depending on my mood, really. With my luck, I’ll probably read Alice in Wonderland.

I also thought of heading off to the bookstores to check out if any Batman novels were available. Not a film novelization or graphic novels, just simple, regular prose novels. I don’t know, really. Just a passing thought. Anyway, I’m off to finished reading Death Troopers.

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Books · Writing & Writers

Jervis Tetch

GuillermoLeave a comment

 

via: WeHeartIt

 

The writing bug bit me early Saturday morning. I just didn’t know what it wanted me to write about. So I spent the early part of the day reading Star Wars: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber because it mixes two of my favorite things – Star Wars and the undead (I’m a keeper!). Out of nowhere, I got the urge to read Batman, however. Because I only own one book of Batman – The Dark Knight Returns – I decided that I’d see what was available to me online.

The name Jervis Tetch kept coming back to me, over and over again. For those who don’t know much about the Batman universe, Jervis Tetch is better known as his villain moniker, the Mad Hatter. Based on the Lewis Carroll character, the Mad Hatter is one of those lesser focused on characters due to his goofy features. Like most characters in the Batman world, he’s grown darker with the years. Still, few people think awesome when his name comes up on the roster.

I looked up our friend Jervis Tetch on Wiki (both Wikipedia and DC’s Wikia) and jotted a few titles that might be of my interest. Then I went to the web to see what I could find. During which, I also noted to find a copy of Through The Looking Glass as I already have a copy of Alice in Wonderland sitting on my shelf. However, I couldn’t find a copy on Amazon that wasn’t attached to Alice in Wonderland so I decided to download the free Kindle e-book. Now it’s found a home on my Blackberry Curve.

I don’t know what my sudden fascination with Jervis Tetch means, or if it has any relation to my sudden writing urge – can we all say fanfic? – but at least I got myself a few comic books and an e-book off it (all free, I should add). But who really cares? I’m reading and happy again. I think that’s all that matters. And what will come out of my research? Who knows. I’m just going forward to write some of my thoughts down. And if they bloom into anything of interest, then I’ll be content. If not, then it’s not like I’m losing anything. With the exception, maybe, of my mind.

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