Visions and Revisions
A Blog by Author Pamela J. Dodd
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Tag Archives: Princess Leia
The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher— brief review and commentary
I've met a few people who have never seen Star Wars or any of its prequels and sequels. Weird, huh? For me, when it premiered in 1977, it was the best science fiction film I'd ever seen, and to this day, it ranks among my favorites. The characters leapt off the screen and into the pop culture of the United States. Even those unfortunate folk who mistakenly believe the film has nothing for them are probably familiar with some of its tag lines, such as, "May the Force be with you." Literary critics sometimes opine that writers can tap into themes that go far beyond what they, as writers, envisioned, and I do believe that George Lucas managed that with Star Wars. Much has been published about his source material, from Saturday morning serials to Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces. Yes, the film has some flaws, but it gets a lot of things right, including setting, plot, and especially character. Casting a young Harrison Ford as the scoundrel Han Solo was a great choice, as was Sir Alec Guinness as Obi-wan Kenobi, and Mark Hamill certainly looks the part of a young man on a heroic quest. Perhaps the most controversial choice would be casting the very young Carrie Fisher as a princess, but who else could have blended innocence, sass, and strength the way Fisher did?
For some forty years, Fisher was both herself and Princess Leia. Video of interviews and even stage performances document how much the role influenced her career and her life. But, Fisher was also an able writer; indeed, she wrote multiple books and was often called upon to assist screen writers as a "script doctor." Her last book, published shortly after her death, is a witty and poignant recollection of the filming of Star Wars, a three month interval that she documented via journaling.
The Princess Diarest includes both journal entries and some poetry, mostly about Fisher's affair with co-star Harrison Ford. The framework, that is her introduction and conclusion, are far more interesting to me, as they benefit from the wisdom and perspective of those forty years after the filming of Star Wars. While the diary entries can be interesting, mostly they reflect the infatuation of youth. The framework, however, was fascinating, just like the author.
Some people never saw her performance in Star Wars, but it's likely that they heard her voice, as she did quite a bit of voice work, or saw her in other roles. The world lost an icon when Fisher died in 2017. Her talents were many, but some roles can't be left behind, and Princess Leia Organa was such a role.
By Pamela/Pilar • Posted in author, book review, drama, fiction, film, Han Solo, Nook, publishing, readers, review, sci fi con, science fiction, space opera, Star Wars, writing	• Tagged affair, book, career, Carrie Fisher, character, diary, film, George Lucas, Guiness, interview, location, Mark Hamill, movie, Obi-wan Kenobi, prequel, princess, Princess Leia, role, script, script doctor, sequel, setting, stage, video, writer
Honor Among Thieves— a Star Wars novel
Thus far, my favorite Star Wars novel is Steve Perry's Shadows of the Empire, which takes place between the film The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. Familiar characters from the film are necessary, but Shadows also introduces the memorable Dash Rendar, and by fleshing out what happened between Han Solo's freezing in carbonite and Luke and Leia's rescue, Perry's novel seems quite organic.
There have been quite a few Star Wars based novels published since Shadows, but with the upcoming new Star Wars movie, it is natural that a new story, with the original characters, come to market, along with a zillion tee shirts. So, we have James S. A. Corey's Honor Among Thieves, which takes place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, as Han continues to try to raise money to pay Jabba the Hutt, and Leia is involved in leading the rebellion, which is not just a war, but a fund raiser. Someone has to pay for all those X-wings. Anyway, a valuable spy sent a message indicating that she needs to be recalled, and Han needs the money, so he's off to make contact, pick up Scarlet Hark, and pocket another reward. Nothing in their universe (a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away) is simple, however, and Han's little errand gets complicated really quickly.
(spoiler alert)
One of the best ways to create suspense is to raise the stakes, and they are quite high in this novel. No, there is not a Death Star (twice is one too many IMHO) but a device that kills hyperspace travel is high stakes indeed, and Han, Leia, and Luke end up converging in an effort to wrest control of the hyperspace dampener from the Empire.
To be honest, I didn't like Honor Among Thieves as much as I did Shadows of the Empire, but I did like it. Readers who want to revisit a young farm boy Luke, the pivotal Princess Leia, and the roguish Han Solo should pick up or download a copy of Honor Among Thieves. Before you know it, you'll be right back in the groove, wondering when Darth Vader will swoop back into the action. This is a great way to get in the mood for the new film.
By Pamela/Pilar • Posted in eBay, ebook, fiction, Trinity on Tylos, writing	• Tagged ebook, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, novel, Princess Leia, Shadows of the Empire, spy, Star Wars
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