Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View (2017)
Just finished reading this collection of 40 stories to celebrate the 40 years since Star Wars: A New
Hope was released. Hoping for a bit of the "look and feel" of the old Tales From... series of books; a good crop of modern back story pieces. One neat thing is that the stories go in chronological order with the events in A New Hope: starting just before the movie opens and continuing through 'til the end.
Proceeds from the sale of this short story collection benefit the
non-profit group First Book. All
contributors have forgone any compensation for their work. So that's nice.
What's inside, you ask? Well, here are some short thoughts about these short stories. Of the 40 tales, I really like 18 of them and actively dislike 11. The other 11 are neither here nor there. I'm glad I bought the book, and I am pleased to have read it. Wide variation in quality and seriousness found herein.
1. Raymus (Gary Whitta)
A decent tale that might be trying too hard. Attempts to explain why Tantive IV rode to the Battle of Scarif aboard Profundity and why Vader's star destroyer Devastator was able to track the CR90 through hyperspace and follow it to Tatooine. Seemed a bit heavy-handed; but an OK story.
2. The Bucket (Christie Golden)
Another situation where a stormtrooper switches sides, or at least thinks about it? Eh.
3. The Sith of Datawork (Ken Liu)
The first of the joke stories (perhaps?). All about low-ranking officers aboard Devastator trying to fill out bureaucratic forms to protect themselves from their failures. No thanks.
4. Stories in the Sand (Griffin McElroy)
A jawa who wants to see the stars, somehow interacts with and saves R2-D2 aboard the sandcrawler, before the Lars family purchases the astromech. We don't need to wedge this sort of constant strife at every moment into the existing story, creating a legion of secret heroes to whom the actual heroes owe their success. It's not...heroic.
5. Reirin (Sabaa Tahir)
A tale of a Force-sensitive Tusken Raider who just wants a better life. And secretly boards the same sandcrawler with the droids. Too much, people. The sandcrawler is full. No more passengers, please.
6. The Red One (Rae Carson)
The 'bad motivator' astromech that Owen Lars purchases first interacts with, and saves, R2-D2. Behind the scenes. Again. On the sandcrawler. He malfunctions on purpose to help R2 complete his mission to save the galaxy. Again, people. Not required to make everything that occurs on the screen be the secret work of the Force; each person a knowing participant in the saga. Some droids (and others) are extras. They have stories, etc, but they are not the heroes.
7. Rites (John Jackson Miller)
A Force-sensitive Tusken Raider who encounters the old hermit living on the edge of the Jundland Wastes. This author did a very nice job detailing the Tusken society in the wonderful novel "Kenobi". I liked this story, too.
8. Master and Apprentice (Claudia Gray)
Another good story. Obi-Wan, alone in the desert, still learning from his dearly departed Master, Qui-Gon. I certainly like Claudia Gray's writing.
9. Beru Whitesun Lars (Meg Cabot)
Aunt Beru speaking to us from beyond the grave. Mentions blue milk about 6 too many times. Pass.
10. The Luckless Rodian (Renee Ahdieh)
Greedo tries to make a play for Solo and, thank the maker, Han Shoots First. Good story.
11. Not for Nothing (Mur Lafferty)
A mediocre portion of a fictitious memoir about Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes. Covers some of their adventures working for Jabba.
12. We Don't Serve Thier Kind Here (Chuck Wendig)
Not good. In his own terrible turn of phrase, this story was like "...a hawked-up globba spit on top of a poodoo sundae." Terrible writer. End of story.
One minor note: Wendig strikes again, in terms of LGBT inclusiveness. Never one to not mention in a ham-fisted way a gay or lesbian couple, he manages to work one in here, too. It's the best thing about this bad writer's writing; but I wish it were worked into the story with more skill. Seems like he's just checking off a box...need to add a gay couple before I'm done.
13. The Kloo Horn Cantina Caper (Kelly Sue DeConnock and Matt Fraction)
Too long. Perhaps most like the old "Tales From...", in a way. Aims to introduce us to a whole range of minor cantina characters who are all small time crooks and low level operators. They screw each other over constantly, and drink too much, and are always looking to make a score. OK, I guess.
14. Added Muscle (Paul Dini)
Poor. First person tale, supposedly told by Boba Fett. Fett, as portrayed here, sounds like a whiny loser. Not buying it.
15. You Owe Me a Ride (Zoraida Cordova)
The Tonnika sisters. I like this one.
16. The Secrets of Long Snoot (Delilah S. Dawson)
Backstory for the Kubaz Garindan. Another good story, I'd wager.
17. Born in the Storm (Daniel Jose Older)
More jokes about filling out forms. Not funny. This is about a stormtrooper completing an Imperial Incident Report form. Toss is a bit of hackneyed "bad stormtrooper turns good" for a rating of: meh.
18. Laina (Wil Wheaton)
A heartbreaking tale, well told by an icon of the other best SciFi series around. Very good.
19. Fully Operational (Beth Revis)
The careful and calculating General Cassio Tagge thinks there may be a danger to the Rebels having stolen the Death Star plans at Scarif. He is alone among his High Command peers, however. Spoiler alert: he was right! A good read.
20. An Incident Report (Mallory Ortberg)
You guessed it! Another person filling out a form. This time its Admiral Motti writing to the powers that be on Coruscant to protest his shoddy treatment (and Force choking) and the hands (fingers?) of Darth Vader. Enough with the forms.
21. Change of Heart (Elizabeth Wein)
Another Imperial decides the bad guy side isn't for him anymore. This time we have an assistant interrogator, involved with Vader in the questioning/torture of Leia on the Death Star. He decides to join the Rebellion. At this sad rate, we'll have 50% of the Imps seen on screen defecting to the Alliance by the time we're done reading these stories.
22. Eclipse (Madeleine Roux)
Another heartbreaking tale. Well written. Bail and Breha Organa, home on Alderaan, first learn of the apparent loss of Tantive IV in the Battle of Scarif, then, still grieving, live through the last moments of their home planet together.
23. Verge of Greatness (Pablo Hidalgo)
A decent story of Tarkin claiming control of the Death Star by thwarting (and ultimately killing) Krennic. Told as a disjointed series of flash backs and flash forwards, also includes a strange interlude of Admiral Motti all but pledging to serve Tarkin if the Grand Moff wished to use the Death Star to leave the Empire.
24. Far Too Remote (Jeffrey Brown)
A single panel cartoon. What?
25. The Trigger (Kieron Gillen)
Dr. Aphra's first appearance outside of her comics, I'd wager. OK, I guess. Don't quite like Dr. Aphra.
26. Of MSE-6 and Men (Glen Weldon)
If a movie were to be made of this story, you'd find it in the adult section of the video store. Not good. Keep it together, Star Wars.
27. Bump (Ben Acker and Ben Blacker)
Finally a stormtrooper who has decided to stick with the Empire.
28. End of Watch (Adam Christopher)
An interesting tale wherein we get to watch the events of Luke, Han, and Chewie's Death Star prison break from the other side. The people in the Station Control West control room don't quite know what to make of all this tomfoolery going on down there. Kinda fun.
29. The Baptist (Nnedi Okorafor)
A compelling concept, a well written story. Perhaps trying a bit too hard. This suggests that the dianoga that attacks Luke in the Death Star trash compactor is sentient, Force-sensitive, and in fact is working on behalf of the Force to "baptize" Luke: transitioning him from boy to man.
30. Time of Death (Cavan Scott)
Another tale from beyond the grave. No blue milk mentioned, so that's good. This one has a cool vibe; a bit otherworldly and mysterious, as Obi-Wan struggles to learn about being a Force ghost.
31. There is Another (Gary D. Schmidt)
Yoda wishes he could train a Skywalker...just not Luke. A good story of the pre-Luke visit time on Dagobah.
32. Palpatine (Ian Doescher)
Oh no. A Palpatine Shakespearean soliloquy. Or a rap? No thank you.
33. Sparks (Paul S. Kemp)
The first of a few very nice stories about the Rebel starfighter attack on the Death Star.
34. Duty Roster (Jason Fry)
Another great tale of behind-the-scenes action during the desperate space battle around the Death Star. Probably can serve as the definitive guide for who's who in the various squadrons, considering the author. I would suspect he wanted to use this story to straighten out the canon in this regard once and for all; and I approve wholeheartedly. This story: 1. claims that there were more pilots that starfighters available to fly, and 2. attempts to explain the "Fake Wedge" guy, long mis-identified in the briefing room before the Battle of Yavin (as I recall).
35. Desert Son (Pierce Brown)
A tale of Biggs...meeting Luke at Yavin, then going out in a blaze of glory on the trench run. Nice.
36. Grounded (Gary Rucka)
The starfighter attack on the Death Star as seen from the point of view of the ground techs and support crews listening to the action via radio, as the fighting went on high above. Strangely enough, this tale contradicts the details in "Duty Roster" by claiming that Yavin base had more starfighters than they had available pilots. Three spare, space-worthy X-wings, just sitting there, this tale says. Unlikely, I'd say. "Duty Roster" is all about the tough choices Garven Dreis had to make about which pilots would fly the precious few craft they had on hand. An odd consistency mistake to have happen.
37. Contingency Plan (Alexander Freed)
A strange, alternate universe though experiment wherein Mon Mothma daydreams about possible futures, including surrendering in person to Palpatine.
38. The Angle (Chales Soule)
Lando somehow watching a black-market holo recording of the Death Star trench run, soon after it occurs, in some backwater bar half-way across the galaxy. Already bad; but to make it worse, he sees (and can identify) the Falcon in said footage. And he knows it's Han piloting. Unlikely, my friends.
39. By Whatever Sun (E.K. Johnston and Ashley Eckstein)
Alderaan refugees, newly homeless, stick together during the medal ceremony at the end of A New Hope. They draw strength from seeing Leia's steely resolve up close and personal.
40. Whills (Tome Angleberger)
Bad. Another comedy piece, or something like that. Not good. Quit using important words and concepts (like the Whills) for dumb things like this.
