Over the past year, the Star Wars Fanboy Association website has been periodically publishing a series of Star Wars related essays I've written under the heading 7 Star Warsesque Essays. For those familiar with the fabulist/essayist Jorge Luis Borges, the reference to 9 Dantesque Essays should be apparent--my economical attempt to pay homage not only to my favorite author (Borges), but to my favorite work of literature (Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy). The most obvious indication that this is the case is my playful naming of one of the articles after Borges', "The False Problem of Count Ugolino."

Written on the fly between the years of 1998 and 2004, mostly in the form of e-mail correspondence with various fans and authors, the essays that make up this septet explore some of the Star Wars topics that especially sparked my interest over that stretch of time. The themes are as varied as my interests, ranging from forgotten literature, video games, continuity, etymology, philosophy, psychology, and interpretation. The essays are often informal, and would appear to begin without preamble given the manner in which they took shape, so I've added short introductions to each to help situate readers before they dive in.

I've included links for the individual subjects below. More are forthcoming and will be added as they are published. If you've enjoyed the writings on my blog, you should enjoy the articles listed below.

Knock yourself out! ~ Abel G. Peņa

I. Rejects of the Star Wars Universe 1.0

A retrospective on the first edition of the landmark reference book A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, and the significance of its author.

II. Video Games and Star Wars Continuity

A reflection on the role video games have played within the Star Wars mythology: their early marginalization and the turning point toward respectability.

III. The Anatomy of a Retcon: or, The False Problem of Clone Dooku

The explanation of what a "retcon" is, using as an example a problem faced in one of my own projects for Lucasfilm involving Dooku. (Two sequels to this essay are found here in the Behind the Scenes section of my Star Wars blog).

IV. Is Nothing Sacred in Star Wars?

One little word can cause a whole lot of trouble in a shared universe like Star Wars.

V. Balance and the Force

Unhappy with the analyses I'd seen thus far addressing the Jedi prophecy about bringing balance to the Force, I decided to throw in my own two cents.

VI. Star Wars Vs. The Lord of the Rings

A philosophical showdown between the two monolithic fantasy epics that went head to head in the cinema in the early 2000s.

[u[VII. "Blast it, Biggs! Where are you?"(Forthcoming)

The last in the series. In 1996, Star Wars fans all over the United States began giving into a mass delusion. I almost became one of them....

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