Take an academic approach to the ongoing saga with exciting, intellectual looks at Star Wars.
Our friends at Mythgard want you to know about some exciting Star Wars programs happening at over there.
The first is today, and it completely FREE.
Saturday, Aug. 15 at 3:00 pm ET.
Amy H. Sturgis: The Jedi, the Cowboy, and… Thomas Edison?: Pulp Science Fiction and Star Wars
What images come to mind when you think of Star Wars? Luke Skywalker watching the twin suns set on Tatooine? Princess Leia with a blaster in her hand and buns on her head? The glow of a lightsaber in the darkness? These visuals convey volumes, and they spring in part from a common origin.
One of the keys to the worldwide success of Star Wars is that the saga draws from a variety of global sources, both classical and contemporary. Join Dr. Amy H. Sturgis as she discusses one particular tradition that has left its indelible imprint on the Star Wars franchise. How did pulp science fiction evolve? What is the relationship between this genre and the Western? And how can tracing the pulp ancestry of Star Wars give us new insights on key moments and messages across the Star Wars canon — and quite possibly shed light on the forthcoming film The Force Awakens? Star Wars fans and newbies alike are welcome!
The second is a full course starting this fall semester, conveniently leading up to Star Wars: The Force Awakens!
The Force of Star Wars: Examining the Epic
Taught by Dr. Amy H. Sturgis
As anyone who has ever staged a mock lightsaber duel or made an imaginary jump to lightspeed knows, Star Wars is a shared language that unites multiple generations across the planet. What traditions and ideas inspired that galaxy a long time ago and far, far away? How has the Star Wars universe expanded and evolved since its debut in 1977? What can we expect from its future incarnations? Join award-winning scholar Dr. Amy H. Sturgis as she examines the fabric of the Star Wars story and its participatory fan culture to discover the lasting meaning behind the epic and appreciate its unprecedented impact on film, fiction, and popular culture. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a Star Wars newbie, you are welcome here. Don’t move along. This is the class you’re looking for.
SPECIAL NOTE
As part of this course, a live guest appearance and Q&A is scheduled with Star Wars veteran John Jackson Miller, the author of the very first novel in the new Star Wars canon, Star Wars: A New Dawn (2014), as well as the New York Times bestseller Star Wars: Kenobi (2013) and the popular Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2006-2010, 2012) and Star Wars: Knight Errant (2010-2012) comic series, among other Star Wars and science fiction titles.
For more information, head to Mythgard.org.
JT
Joseph Tavano is the owner and editor in chief of RetroZap. Born just months before Luke found out who his father was, he has been fortunate to have had Star Wars in his life as long as he can remember. Growing up just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, he can remember substituting sticks for lightsabers and BMX bikes for speeders. He loves comics, retro games, vintage sci-fi paperbacks, and maps. Though an accomplished drummer, he doesn’t crave adventure (as much) any more, and prefers his old haunts north of Boston, Massachusetts, where he resides with his family. Buy him a glass of whiskey and he’ll return it in kind.