I updated clonecommandos.net today. The main addition is there's now an email mailing list that you can sign up for, and you'll be emailed whenever I update the site. Just so you don't have to remember to keep checking the site for updates!

But anyways, what I wanted to discuss today is the Star Wars Expanded Universe, aka 'EU'. I am very much an EU fan. Other people only like the movies, and couldn't care less about or hate all the Star Wars books, comics, games, etc. that are out there. I have no problems with people who choose not to be involved with the EU... not at all. Just like I have no problems with people who only like the Original Trilogy and hate the Prequels. If someone doesn't like something, I'm not going to believe that I myself can change their mind. However, these debates always come up... suddenly people are called "stupid" or made to feel inadequate for what they like. That isn't right. And lately I've read a few blog entries and forum posts from a few non-EU fans and they reminded me why I tend to avoid the general Star Wars community online and hang out only with other EU fans.

Because these people do not think as I do at ALL. Ok, one example: there's a small inconsistency with something in Star Wars. Something along the lines of "why did Leia remember her mother when Padme died when she was at most a few hours old?" or "how can it be that only Jedi Masters can be on the Council when Ki-Adi-Mundi was only a Knight in TPM?" ... something fairly trivial and not really important in the grand scheme of things... but humans like consistency (sometimes... other times we blissfully ignore the lack of it, and I have no idea why) so that's ok.

Now most EU fans I know - the ones I hang out with and discuss stuff with - will try to come up with an explanation. We're always trying to be creative. There's very little that can't be explained away with a bit of creativity. Now this may be because we're used to having things not quite fit, so we have more practice at retcon (retroactive continuity) and the like. But the point is - the vast majority of things can be fit into continuity in a good way without too much trouble.

However, a lot of other people will simply dismiss it as "George Lucas was a moron who can't even keep his own story straight" or if the problem is even slightly EU-related, they'll say "it's because it's the EU, so it's just some author's idea and has nothing to do with Lucas' Grand Vision and thus isn't canon and didn't happen". (Tail-covering here: This definitely does not represent ALL fans who don't like the EU. Some are perfectly respectful, and that's great. But I've run across the other kind so much that they tend to stick out in my mind.) Either way... both responses represent both an insult to the creator (either Lucas himself, or an EU author), an insult to any fans of said media (as if someone can't be a fan of something that doesn't make 100% sense on the surface), plus the expression of the view that it's not worth the time to try and make everything fit.

Why do people do this? How can they call themselves Star Wars fans, and yet throw around so many insults? This is entertainment, folks. It's fun. If you don't like it, watch/read/play/buy something else. A very smart person once said "a good story is any story you like". So what's so wrong about liking the EU? How is it hurting you if I think something is good and you don't? Why the insults? I must be missing something here, because I cannot for the life of me understand these 'fan's' motivations.

(BTW, EU fans can also be incredibly juvenile, bickering over the smallest little things... so this isn't a "we're better than you" argument. However, I can understand the motivations of other EU fans - even if some people take things way too seriously. But I can't understand the bashers at all.)

On a personal note, I cannot imagine Star Wars without the EU. It just isn't real enough with just the story told in the movies. Sure, it's a great story, but it's so limited. The EU makes Star Wars a true galaxy and that's the most amazing thing to me. Without it, it's just a series of movies - abnormally good movies, perhaps, but just movies. They're hardly a playground for exploring various aspects of life in an entertaining fashion. A fictional galaxy, on the other hand, is perfect for that. And I love it.

Of course, the best thing about the EU is it's not over! Movie-only fans have nothing more to look forward to. Yet in my personal opinion - the EU has never been better. It's consistent like never before, it's planned, it makes sense, it's exciting, and there are a huge number of incredibly talented authors involved. I've never been more excited about Star Wars as a whole.

Well, I guess that's all I have to say about that... for now.