Star Wars

September 14, 2020
Benson, a University of Wisconsin–Parkside associate professor of English, offers a readable but insubstantial review of George Lucas’s work as the creator of the Star Wars series and his place in “nerd culture.” At pains to define Lucas as a “nerd,” in the sense of being attuned to technology and to science fiction and fantasy at the expense of his ability to interact with other people (and particularly women), Benson traces Lucas’s transformation from the nerdy director of avant-garde films like 1971’s THX-1138 into the consummate studio mogul who, in 2012, sold his series to Disney for more than $4 billion. In this context, Lucas’s protracted battle with Star Wars fans over control of his films’ legacy emerges as both a repudiation of his nerdy roots and an all-too-nerdy appeal for attention and affirmation. The accompanying psychologizing of Lucas, unfortunately, is a bit ham-handed, with Benson suggesting that Lucas is essentially asexual, as reflected in the failure of his first marriage, the “genitalia-inspired” design of many of the monsters featured in his films, and even Lucas’s use of in-vitro fertilization during his second marriage. Benson’s fast-paced look at Lucas’s career will have some value for Star Wars fans, but those looking for a nuanced take on his contributions to pop culture will be disappointed.

October 15, 2020
A well-researched history of the complicated relationships between the architect of Star Wars, George Lucas, and his contemporaries, his creations, and the fans. Benson starts with an outline of the studio system, which Lucas and other contemporary filmmakers would undermine, then documents how Lucas created a powerful studio of his own (Lucasfilm), which he then sold to Disney. Lucas and Steven Spielberg both notably created blockbuster film series (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, et al.) that were the ultimate triumph of the B-movie despite suffering critical disdain and being blamed for the demise of the more serious films of other New Hollywood directors. A brief overview of science fiction fandom, from publisher Hugo Gernsback to fan fiction, slash fiction, and the concept of canon is helpful, as is the exploration of the way Lucas' success licensing merchandise changed the landscape. Benson also draws connections between Lucas' films and his insecurity as an outsider and his conflict between commerce and artistic integrity. Most compelling is the exploration of the complicated relationship between producers and fans, and readers from any fandom will find much of interest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

November 1, 2020

The "triumph" of this work's title refers to the ousting of Star Wars creator George Lucas from his own empire for betraying fans' trust. Benson (English, Univ. of Wisconsin-Parkside) provides Lucas's biography, tracking his entrepreneurial spirit through film school to relationships with like-minded directors Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola, and his early films THX 1138 and American Graffiti. Lucas believed his films succeeded because of him, so when fans turned against him--specifically with the Star Wars prequels and revisions to the original trilogy--he took it as a personal disavowal, leading to the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012. Benson examines the wide breadth of Star Wars fan fiction and draws parallels between Lucas and Darth Vader, who, according to him, both betrayed their initial paths to achieve power. He also discusses the "loveless and sexless relationships" in Lucas's films, aligning that trait with Lucas's personal life so often that the text feels like slander. Finally, if this book truly represents nerd culture, Benson should not have said the Millennium Falcon made the Kessel run in six parsecs; it was "less than 12." VERDICT A slight, unnecessary look at cultural divisions between a creator and his creations.--Peter Thornell, Hingham P.L., MA

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