Description
Book SynopsisStar Wars may have started out as a film about a Manichean battle between good and evil, but as countless filmmakers, novelists, animators, fan artists and even cosplayers have taken the opportunity to play in the fictional world George Lucas created, it has expanded into something far greater, resulting in a richly layered and diverse Star Wars multiverse.
Drawing from a full range of
Star Wars media, including comics, children’s books, fan films, and television shows like
Clone Wars and
The Mandalorian, Carmelo Esterrich explores how these stories set in a galaxy far far away reflect issues that hit closer to home. He examines what they have to say about political oppression, authoritarianism, colonialism, discrimination, xenophobia, and perpetual war. Yet he also investigates subtler ways in which the personal is political within the multiverse, including its articulations of gender and sexuality, its cultural hierarchies of language use, and its complex relationships between humans, droids and myriad species. This book demonstrates that the
Star Wars multiverse is not just a stage for thrilling interstellar battles, but also an exciting space for interpretation and discovery.
Trade ReviewE2K: Eager to Know podcast, "Seriously Star Wars" episode interview with Carmelo Esterrich— Eager to Know podcast (e2K)
"Things are never as simple as they seem. While the stories of Star Wars span multiple media forms, the universes of the franchise are vast and uncharted. In this insightful volume, Carmelo Esterrich mines the unique and multifaceted Star Wars multiverse in all its complexities, delving deeply into discussions of diversity, war, fandom, and gender across the galaxy. Whether discussing the Canon and the Legend, the Fan and the Creator, or the human and the alien (and the droid!), Esterrich proves that the force is strong with Star Wars. Don’t be a nerf herder – get this book now!"
— Paul Booth, author of Board Games as Media
"Alumnus authors book, a 'conversation starter,' about all things Star Wars"— Penn State News
"Associate Professor Carmelo Esterrich to publish Star Wars Multiverse in 2021"— Columbia College Chicago
Table of ContentsPreface: Seriously, Star Wars
1 Navigating a Multiverse: Watching, Reading, Wearing Star Wars
2 Humans and Creatures + Droids: Hierarchies of Life
3 Imperial Desires: War, Order, Colonialism
4 Beyond Princesses and Flyboys: Gender and Sexuality in Star Wars
Conclusion: Star Wars, Seriously
Acknowledgments
Further Reading
Works Cited
Filmography
Index
