I want to talk about my wife. Why? Considering she’s the only other adult in my house, we do have a lot in common. I mean, we did get married, so we must actually like each other. We both enjoy various pop culture franchises like Doctor Who, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the list could go on and on.
We both love reading and eating pizza, as well as sharing a hatred of housework. We’re also in agreement that something very strange is happening with our local corner shop, because the hours they’re open are truly bizarre.
There are many other similarities between us, but they are not as interesting as the differences concerning entertainment.
If you can break it all down, there are two major differences between us. The first is…it’s still difficult to acknowledge this publicly, but my wife enjoys Sour Cream and Chives. I know what you’re thinking; how did a Salt and Vinegar-loving and Sour Cream and Chives-hating guy like myself, end up being married to a Sour Cream and Chives-loving and Salt and Vinegar-hating woman? No one is perfect or infallible; except God, Chuck Norris, and Sir David Attenborough.
One day I’ll write about a pair of star-crossed lovers, meeting over a packet of Chicken chips, but today is not this day.
The second major difference is the consumption of entertainment; such as novels, movies, and tv shows. Let’s start with movies, shall we? I enjoy movies, either watching them at home or at the cinema; because everybody loves watching a movie in the dark with 100 other random people, while eating overpriced food.
The way I view movies can easily fall into two groups: movies I’ve seen before and movies I’ve never seen. There are a lot of movies that I would love to see again, whether they are one of my favourites, or if they are part of a series with a new addition coming out, so I want to familiarise myself with the plot and characters again. That sounds fair, right?
On the other hand that is not holding a lightsabre, there are new movies that I want to see; which to be honest is the majority of the two. Do I want to see every new movie that’s released? No, that’s insane, plus I would be broke. I just want to see some particular new movies, for whatever particular odd reason.
Ok, but what about my wife? She’s like me, that she can enjoy rewatching a favourite movie. This is something that she likes and is comfortable with. She knows the actors, the director, the plot, and the genre, so she knows what to expect. Again, that sounds fair, right?
With new movies, we do have a problem though. My wife does not like watching new movies; mainly ones she knows next to nothing about. She will happily watch a new movie at the cinema or at home, with pre-existing characters that she knows and loves. But ask her to watch a movie where she doesn’t know the characters or the plot? Hell, no. She will not watch it.
There is a loophole to this law: my wife will watch a new movie with characters she has never seen before, if…and only if, she has read the book that the movie is based on. That way, she is guaranteed to know various things about the plot and characters. You can’t expect her to watch a movie that she knows nothing about, can you?
So when it comes time for the two of us to sit and actually watch a movie together, there is a lot of discussion and negotiating involved.
Books are also treated the same way for both of us; to a point. I will reread my favourite books, but my main focus is reading new material. I have said this before, but my reading pile is reproducing asexually because it’s grown to five piles which are now sitting on my set of drawers. I have to apologise to them daily for not reading them fast enough; I have a Star Wars book that’s been sitting there for three years and counting.
Would you like to know where my wife’s reading pile lives? Those books are sitting next to the other books on the shelves, that she has already read! When my wife finishes reading a series, “What should I read next?” would be the next question. If you’re thinking, “You should read a book you’ve never read before”, then you don’t know my wife.
She will simply look through the shelves and select a book series that she has already read 100 times before, and start reading. Why you ask? It’s the same reason as the movies; she already knows the plot and characters; it’s familiar and that means the books are something that she is going to like, because…she has already liked and read them before!
I feel she’s my own personal mogwai, that comes with pop culture rules. There are exceptions to her book law: my wife does not like reading a stand-alone book, that is not part of any series. The biggest reason for this is that if she ever reads and likes the book, where does she go from there? There’s no sequel or prequel, it’s just the end. So would my wife commit her time and energy to a single book? It could go either way.
“Hang on, Scott. If your wife only ever reads books she has already read, then how does she read anything new?” That’s a great question. My wife will only read a new book if it’s based on a movie that she has already seen, or it’s a series of books that has been entirely published; like Twilight, Fifty Shades of Gray, or Harry Potter. This way, she can read the first book right through to the final book, without having to wait for the next book to be published. That’s torture for her, waiting for something to be published or released.
Also if it’s similar to something she already enjoys, like The Hunger Games, then reading the Divergent series is in the same wheelhouse, and it also fits in with her book reading criteria. I’ve known her for 10.5 years, so I understand her logic.
With television shows, you can pretty well guess where this is headed, and you are sort of right. TV shows are divided into four groups; shows that we both watch together, shows that I watch by myself, shows that she watches by herself, and shows neither of us watches.
We both tend to watch tv shows that are based on things that we have already seen, or at least read about; whether it’s a book or a comic. There are exceptions to this of course, like comedies or science-fiction.We’ve learned that if we want to watch a new tv show, we need to mention it to the other person. 90% of the time, the other spouse doesn’t want to watch it and that’s ok; however, with the other 10%, the answer is yes, which is strange, to say the least.
So what can we make of this? If anything, I like reading and watching new material, whereas my wife enjoys immersing herself in familiar content. We are both living with the opposite version of ourselves in terms of entertainment consumption, but nobody is perfect. Except God, Chuck Norris, and Sir David Attenborough.
That’s it for another rant and another week. Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Remember to walk your dog; read a banned book; remember the answer is 42; and I’ll see you next week.
It’s time to celebrate one of the most important days on the Geek calendar. Today is the 4th May; Star Wars Day! Now to say Star Wars Day isn’t a big deal to our family, is a massive understatement. The love for Star Wars in strong in my family. I have it, my wife has it, and our children have it.
From movies, books, comics, toys, board games, cosplay, and tv shows, we love Star Wars. I mean I did get married on Star Wars Day, as well as give UMC2, a Star Wars name. That is next level commitment.
Because of this special day, I’d like to share two of our favourite Star Wars books. First is UMC2’s pride and joy; Star Wars: The Secret Life of Droids. He loves this book, and quite often retells information about IG-88, Pit droids, Crab droids, Probe droids, and every other droid, to some unfortunate people at the supermarket.
The second book is Star Wars: Alien Archive. This was given to me as a birthday gift, which contains information and illustrations about the various alien species in the Star Wars universe. I’m not ashamed to admit it, but this book has been quite helpful with reading other Star Wars content. Nice.
And to end this short and zealous blog, I’d like to talk about Power droids, aka Gonk droids. All four of us love Power droids. I mean, who wouldn’t? Anyway, some very creative people, produced a fan film about everybody’s favourite walking battery; it’s awesome. If Disney actually made a real movie or tv show about Power droids, we would all watch it.
Do you celebrate Star Wars Day? Please let me know what you do. That’s it for this special blog, and I’ll see you on Saturday for the second special geek blog. May the Force be with you. Always.
I want to talk about books. Why? Today in New Zealand, we have been celebrating World Book Day; well at least some of us have. This is a global event to promote and encourage reading, publishing, and books in general.
It’s a great day for a bibliophile. We get to discuss our favourite books, as well as to emphasise the importance of reading.
Now I could do something predictable and list my favourite books through different genres; like the dictionary. I bet you can’t wait for that one!
I could also discuss what reading means to me and the importance of it, but that’s too easy. As tempting as it is to choose one of these amazing options; it would be like being involved in a movie marathon, where you have to choose between the original Star Wars trilogy and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. What is a geek supposed to do?
But before I could do any of that, I have to put my hand up and acknowledge something. I am a straight white male, living in a country that is 21st in the world for GDP per Capita, and 15th in the Human Developmental Index.
I understand that if I was born in a different country, or at a different time, it is entirely possible that books would be an unknown or rare commodity to me, or at least learning how to read would be an ability that would not be available to me.
So in fairness, and as much as I like World Book Day and believe in its importance and relevancy, I have to ask the question: Does everybody in the world celebrate World Book Day? Realistically, the answer is no.
Sometimes I feel people take reading for granted because they have access to books; whether through school or public libraries, and bookstores. You can purchase any book from anywhere in the world and have it delivered to you, though the cost of postage could be the same as the national debt of a small country.
The issue is that a lot of people in the world don’t have access to books, or they can’t read. Over the years, world literacy rates have been rising. To the best of my knowledge, which quite frankly isn’t that great, New Zealand sits at 99%, which is pretty good. There are even higher literacy rates in Western Europe and Central Asia, which hit 100%, which to me is phenomenal.
So just like with nearly everything, if you have Salt and Vinegar chips, the opposite will exist. I don’t really need to remind you about Sour Cream and Chives, do I?
There are at least 10 countries in the world, where the literacy rate for the population is under 44%. The bottom three are South Sudan 34.52%, Guinea 32% and Chad 22.31%.
There is a staggering 781 million people that cannot read or write in the world, with over 60% of them being female. Different factors that can contribute to this problem are poverty, religion, but also the geopolitical climate of the country.
So you’re probably thinking, “Ok Scott, do you even have a point?”
For me, the concept that somewhere in this world, a child will not have access to picture books in their native language, is difficult to understand and accept. But maybe that’s the point. Maybe we don’t have to accept it. I don’t know how to solve this problem, but you have to start somewhere, right?
I’ve been thinking about this, and I’ve come to two conclusions about what we can do about it.
To address literacy rates, whether at local, national, or international levels, I think it comes down to two things; which are essentially the same thing: we have to give. We have to give either books or money.
I know I’m not an expert, but I think everybody can help:
Cull some novels from your collection and donate to charities.
Cull some picture books from your collection, and donate them to some early childhood centres.
If you buy a book, donate a book.
Become a member of your local library and enrol your children.
If possible, volunteer in your local community with a organisation that promotes literacy.
Donate money to a group or organisation that promotes literacy.
There are many different international groups and organisations that specialse in promoting literacy. These can include:
There are also many more hardworking groups and organisations around the world, that are helping to promote literacy; whether with adults or children. Please help pass on your love of reading to someone else.
“What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years.
Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs.
Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.”
-Carl Sagan.
And with that, I’m done with another ridiculous blog. Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Remember to walk your dog; read a banned book; stay away from yellow snow; and I’ll see you next week.
I want to talk about 2023. Why? Um…let’s see. It’s nice to see the back of 2022 and usher in 2023, so Happy New Year! Because we have a brand new year, filled with fear and disappointment, I thought it might be optimistic of me for a change, to discuss what I’m looking forward to this year.
This is not a New Years Resolutions List, because you know, they don’t work. No, these are special events that are happening in 2023. It could be the release of a new movie, tv show, book, sporting event, of just about anything, as long as it is happening in 2023. They are five notes that go with the list.
1.) Just because an event is on the list, does not mean I will get to experience that event in 2023. A book might be released in May, a movie might come out in December, or a tv show will be released on a streaming platform that I don’t currently subscribe to, so I may not read and watch them until 2024. Also I can’t watch every single World Cup match or sports game either; I wish.
2.) Annual events like birthdays, anniversaries, Free Comic Book Day, or annual sporting competitions are special, but they don’t count, because they happen every year.
3.) Sour Cream and Chives being banned is very hopeful, but severely unlikely, so I can’t really put it on the list.
4.) Some dates could be confusing because of time zones differences, but they are subject to change,
5.) Against popular belief, I don’t know everything. There will be information about an event that hasn’t be released yet, that I could be interested in; but if I don’t know about it, I can’t add it to the list.
Right, I’m not here to shag spiders, so let’s do this.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: 11th February-27th February
New Zealand Tour of India: 18th January-1st February
England Tour of New Zealand: 16th February-28th February
Sri Lanka Tour of New Zealand: 9th March-8th April
New Zealand Tour of Pakistan: 13th April-7th May
New Zealand Tour of England: 25th August-15th September
ICC Men’s World Cup: 10th October-26th November
Football
FIFA Women’s World Cup: 20th July-20th August
CONCACAF Gold Cup: 24th June-16th July
Side note: The 2023 AFC Asian Cup and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, have been pushed back to late 2023 to early 2024, with no confirmed dates. Thanks COVID-19 and climate change.
Rugby Union
2023 Rugby World Cup: 8th September-28th October
I have no idea about international fixtures, other than the Six Nations and the World Cup.
Rugby League
I have no idea about international fixtures or tournaments.
I live in New Zealand, so these are my favourite sports. I’m very sorry.
Movies
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February)
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (March)
John Wick: Chapter 4 (March)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May)
The Flash (June)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June)
Oppenheimer (July)
The Marvels (July)
Blue Beetle (August)
Dune: Part Two (November)
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (November)
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December)
And for various reasons, I’m a little nervous for this one:
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (June)
I’m painfully aware that out of all of these movies I want to see, only one is not a some type of sequel. Damn you Hollywood!
Television
The Mandalorian (March)
Superman & Lois (March)
Loki (Unknown)
Secret Invasion (Unknown)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Unknown)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Unknown)
Invincible (Unknown)
Doctor Who (Unknown)
Star Trek: Discovery (Unknown)
House of the Dragon (Unknown)
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Unknown)
Wow, what a list of superheroes, fantasy and science fiction shows! I’m embarrassed now.
Music
I have no idea, I have to start listening to more music created after 2005.
Literature
Manga
Sadly, I read six different titles and they’re published sporadically; so I don’t know when they would be released in 2023.
Comics
Saga is back in January with #61.
Any Locke & Key or The Umbrella Academy mini-series.
Fiction
The Nature of Middle-earth (February-paperback)
Star Wars: The High Republic – The Battle of Jedha (February)
Star Wars: The High Republic – Quest for Planet X (April))
Star Wars: The High Republic – Cataclysm (April)
Star Wars: The High Republic – Path of Vengeance (May)
The Fall of Númenor (Unknown-paperback)
Non-Fiction
Starry Messenger : Cosmic Perspectives on Civilisation (June)
A Brief History of Black Holes : And why nearly everything you know about them is wrong (Present)
The Men Who Destroyed Africa (Unknown)
Let’s be honest, shall we? One day I will talk about Star Wars: The High Republic; I purchase too many books; but also, my to-read pile is not getting any smaller. It has grown to three piles now. Because of that, I could continue listing books, but you’re probably already bored with my ramblings anyway, so I won’t add any more.
Random
New Zealand General Election (Sometime in mid-late 2023)
More news of nuclear fusion discoveries.
Any new SpaceX , ESA or NASA launches.
New images from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Any new species discovered.
Any new Count Binface election campaigns.
New content from my favourite bloggers and YouTube channels.
UMC1 and UMC2 could be playing sport this year, so I’m looking forward to that.
The problem is that I’ll publish this blog and then realise I’ve missed something; as usual. Anyway, is there anything that you think that I’ve missed? What are you looking forward to in 2023? Please let me know.
That’s it for me. Read some banned books, walk your dog, and I’ll see you next week. Thanks for reading!
I want to talk about San Diego Comic-Con, in particular, the 2022 edition. Why? Well for starters I’ve never been. I live over 10,730 km away, so I’m practically next door, but I have yet to drag my broke arse there.
Another thing is that this year was the first one to be held in person, since the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled, because of everybody’s least favourite virus, COVID-19.
For those of you that already know about the San Diego Comic-Con, congratulations! For those of you that don’t know about it; I’m very sorry, but I’ll give you a quick summary. Don’t panic.
The San Diego Comic-Con is arguably, one of the the largest events; if not the largest, celebrating popular culture on the planet. The event is designed for creators and companies to advertise new products coming up like toys, anime, computer games, manga, books, comics, movies, tv shows and anything else; as well as being able to sell their existing products to the public.
Because of this, it attracts people from all over the world, to help celebrate everything that is pop culture. Oh, I forgot to mention the cosplayers. So many cosplayers!
I think San Diego Comic-Con is usually held over 3-4 days in July, and even though I’m thousands of kilometres away, I can still get excited. This is because of the important reveals, trailers, and announcements.
This year has been no exception, with an avalanche of information released to the public. But is any of it interesting? Being the writer of this blog; and the person to blame for anything that happens here, I’ve decided to breakdown the most interesting things I have discovered from the event.
Let’s establish a few things first:
1.) I have not read or seen, every article or trailer released from San Diego Comic-Con. There’s probably a ton of information I have missed, but I’m only one man against the odds. I can only discuss the things I have knowledge on, but also things I’m actually interested in. Any news about a Sour Cream and Chives themed computer game, will not be mentioned.
2.) Just because a product is on my list, does not mean I’ll actually get to see it or purchase it. There are so many different streaming services, I can’t subscribe to all of them; I would need a higher paying job for that. Simply, if something has landed on this list, it has my attention.
I know the High Republic is not for everybody and that some people don’t like it. Having said that, no one is perfect, and I fall in the other camp, because I enjoy this series!
I loved learning about the Phase II reveals, new characters and stories, listening to the creators, but also looking at the amazing novel and comic book covers for the series. I’m invested with this for the long haul, so I was pretty happy to learn new things about Phase II. One day soon, I’ll write a blog about the High Republic and explain it better. Anyway, we are off to a good start!
Batman/Spawn
There was news that DC and Image will be getting together for another Batman/Spawn crossover. I understand that Batman and Spawn alumni artist, Greg Capullo, will have the art duties, with Todd McFarlane as the writer.
Apparently it will be released this December, and I thought these characters would never met again, after their two 1994 meetings. I didn’t see this one coming at all. I’m not sure what to expect from this, apart from the stellar art. I’m quite interested, to be honest.
As for other comic news, um…..nope. I have to admit, nothing else that I’ve heard from Marvel, DC, Image or anybody else, released from Comic-Con actually has me interested in their upcoming comic book projects. It’s quite strange. Just Star Wars: The High Republic and Batman/Spawn. Maybe I’m getting too picky in my old age.
Movies
DCEU: Shazam! Fury of the Gods
The first film, Shazam! was cool. I mean I thought the film makers did a great job balancing Billy’s personal and superhero life. It was also refreshing to see the villain actually survive. What mischief will Doctor Sivana and Mister Mind get up to?!
It was fun, which is why I’ve been looking forward to the sequel. Bringing more mythology into the franchise with Hespera and Kalypso, will be entertaining. Will it be predictable and a bit corny with Billy’s family? Yes and yes, again, however it will be a lot of fun.
It just makes you want to stand up and shout, “SHAZAM!” Damn, I want to watch the first film again now. How good is bullet immunity?!
Black Adam
Speaking of Shazam!, how about we discuss the Big Red Cheese’s antithesis villain. I have always thought that Teth-Adam is similar to Magneto, Namor, or Ronan the Accuser; a leader or symbol to his people, which means he can and will fight alongside the heroes, as easily as against them. A classic anti-hero.
I’m nervous, but I have high hopes for this film. Having the Rock play Black Adam is a master stroke, and it will also be interesting how the Justice Society will connect with audiences. Doctor Fate was my first introduction to a superhero magician, so hopefully this film will not disappoint. How far will they push things? I have no idea.
We do need to see the Shazam!/Black Adam or Superman/Black Adam fight somewhere in the future. Pretty please? Teth-Adam is the last person on Earth that should have these powers, so let the smackdown begin!
MCU
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
I liked Black Panther, because at least to me, it brought a lot of political and social issues of living in a superhuman world into the light. Plus I thought Chadwick Boseman was phenomenal as T’Challa. He’s one of the greatest characters Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, ever created together. I’ve always liked T’Challa.
So because of that, I’m nervous about the sequel for three reasons. Firstly, since the original film was such a massive success, there could be a lot pressure to catch lightning in a bottle for a second time. An example of this is Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984. The sequel did not quite hit the mark.
Secondly, I feel it was a mistake not to recast T’Challa. I know they did it to honour Boseman’s memory, but I feel allowing T’Challa to exist in the MCU, would have been a better tribute. Allowing another excellent actor to step into T’Challa’s sneakers, is not something uncommon in superhero films.
And lastly, Namor. I’m always concerned when great villains are not adapted in the best way. Doctor Doom is the best example, with three films behind him, the film makers got it wrong, three times over.
Namor just like Black Adam, he is an anti-hero. His arrogance is only equal to Batman’s, so it will be interesting to see how the film makers translate this; but also for his culture. Obviously there will be some tension/conflict between Wakanda and Atlantis, just like T’Challa and Namor in the comics.
I want this film to work, which is precisely the reason why I’m interested in it. And the Dora Milaje kicking arse helps.
Phase 5 and Phase 6: The Multiverse Saga
This covers Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, Blade, Captain America: New World Order, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and Avengers: Secret Wars (February 2023-November 2025).
I’m interested in all of these films, but I’ll wait to receive more information about them as the wheel turns, as the world moves on.1 I also do realise there are some MCU tv shows as well, but I’ll talk about them below.
Television shows (streaming)
Disney +
I don’t have Disney +, but if I did, I think my family wouldn’t see me for a few weeks. Without discussing the shows already on the platform, the reveals and trailers from Comic-Con include Andor, She-Hulk, Secret Invasion, Echo, Loki Season 2, Ironheart, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, and I am Groot, sound quite fantastic.
These announcements are awesome and I’m interested in watching all of them…one day I guess. However, there was one reveal that was jaw dropping: Daredevil: Born Again.
I’ve seen Netflix’s Daredevil Season 1 and 2 on DVD, and that show was astounding. I loved it, but I haven’t seen the third season. I’m very impressed that Charlie Cox and the rest of the crew (I think) will be coming back.
Whether the show will be based on the famous Born Again storyline, or a play on words like Spider-Man: Homecoming, I don’t know…but Daredevil is back! I’ve always thought Daredevil was a very underrated character, so I’m stoked that he’s getting more camera time.
The Sandman
If you’re a follower of my blog, you will understand how special this show is to me. I’m actually not going to discuss it too much, other than stating that The Sandman trailer was mind blowing; but also this was the most interesting reveal/trailer/announcement to come out of San Diego Comic-Con.
Meeting the Endless will bring me a lot of happiness, but I also can’t wait for people to meet Desire, because they were woke, before woke was a concept.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
I understand the Rings of Power are getting some flak from Tolkien super fans over changes to characters, the timeline, and other things. As a Tolkien fan myself, not every fan has to agree on a product’s direction; however, I am ready for this show.
I’m not sure how much of the plot will be taken from The Silmarillion, The Fall of Númenor, The Nature of Middle-Earth or Unfinished Tales, but it looks great. I know it’s set during the Second Age of the Sun, and….I’m so excited for this.
Will we see the Silmarils? Will we see the rise of Sauron? Will we see Angband? Will we see the War of the Last Alliance? Or even better, will Morgoth have a cameo, even in a flashback or prologue? I have no idea!
There are many things that can go right or wrong with this show, but I’m choosing to be positive; I have to. I’m just stunned that the show exists at all. I love the genres of superheroes and science fiction, but throw fantasy in there also, and I’m going to be immersed in geekdom.
I’m not a subscriber to Amazon Prime, but this show is tempting me.
Can I also mention House of the Dragon? This show is one I can actually watch on my streaming platform, so I have to research the Targaryen family tree a lot more, before it starts in a few weeks. Things to do.
Ok that’s it. What reveals from San Diego Comic-Con were you interested in? Please let me know. My dog needs his belly rubbed, so look both ways before you cross the street and I’ll see you next week.
I want to talk about saying goodbye to a series. Why? Over the many times I have travelled around the Sun, this strange event has happened repeatedly. To understand this subject better, you won’t need Herb Powell to build a translator for you, I’ll just try to do a better job at explaining it.
You don’t have to be a geek or nerd to enjoy a series. This could be in the form of comics, novels, television shows, movies, video games, music, or just about anything that is created for people’s enjoyment and entertainment.1
Now for whatever reason, you love that series. Maybe you have grown up listening to a special artist or band, read all of the books in a saga, played all of the games in a franchise, watched every episode in a tv show, or seen every movie in a series.
Whatever it is, there is something you like watching, listening to, or reading, that…well, makes you happy; like lying in bed, listening to the rain fall on the roof, or eating some some Salt and Vinegar chips, while watching your favourite team win.
Whatever the case, you have a relationship with…and I’m doing to use the word, product, for the purposes of context. You have a relationship with that product; whether it is positive, negative and everything in between.
But here’s the problem: just like the relationships you have with other homo sapiens, every relationship has a beginning and an ending. Just the same as the relationship you have with your product.2
The way I see it, I can think of three different ways the relationship with the product will end.
1.) The product stops creating
The band could split up; the singer retires; the monthly comic book finishes; the tv show screens the final season; the final movie in a trilogy or series is released; the makers of the video game, have discontinued the line; or the last and final book in a saga, is finally released.
It doesn’t matter what the reason is, but the product that you enjoy, will no longer be creating any new content going forward, on a regular basis. Yes, it’s possible that tv shows and movies, could have spin offs; the monthly comic book could come back as a mini-series; the band members could join or create new bands; or the author may decide to explore prequel eras of the saga; but it’s not the same, is it?
Basically what I’m saying, is that the product broke up with you. It hurts, but it’s out of your hands. There will be no new book, album, movie, tv show, or comic book; whatever story the creators of that medium were telling, that story has been told and now, it’s finished.
You also know, if it was up to you, the product and yourself would still be together. All you can do now, is listen to the songs again, reread the saga, play the games again, or binge watch the tv shows and movies; compounded by the blessing and the curse, that you know what happens.
2.) The product is high maintenance
As the stale, old, bread winner of our one income family, this reason is a no-brainer: money. ABBBA and Pink Floyd warned us about this in the 70’s, to various degrees. The loss of a job, extra bills, crossovers, multi-media projects, dwindling savings, or just the slow and steady rise of the product’s cost, could result in you declaring that the product is now, high maintenance; therefore, you can’t afford it anymore.
It sucks, because you love the product, but the product is out of your league now. You could try to figure out a way to keep it: buy less food, give up the gym, or decrease on using electricity.
However when there are children or UMCs involved, you have to admit that you’re the adult, and you need to give up the product for their sake. Bread vs the new book? Electricity vs the new video game?
You’re a parent and you’re doing the best that you can for your kids, so you quit the product to help them. Or until you can afford it again!
3.) You and the product want different things
So we have finally arrived at the most strangest and personal reason, you and your product are no longer together: you’ve lost that loving feeling.
There are so many various situations about why this happens. It can cover the product receiving a new artist, new writer, new direction, new singer, death or return of major characters, new music video, new songs, games becoming easier/harder, storylines getting repeated, bad dialogue, or maybe just the fact that you have moved on from the product.
Whatever it is, the love and the passion you once had for the product, has slowly faded away. It could have been your family’s influence, or your friends, spouse, partner, work mates, or quite honestly, it was you realising that you and the product are travelling down different roads now, and you want something else.
There is no shame in this. I think about my own life and the products that I have quit for different reasons, is probably more than Chuck Norris has executed a roundhouse kick. Wait…that’s physically impossible. You can’t beat Chuck Norris at anything, except receiving roundhouse kicks to the face.
And you’re back in the room. This may sound quite odd, but hey, a geek’s going to do, what a geek’s going to. Every time I have quit a product; whether it involves movies, novels, comics, bands, or tv shows, I feel the need to explain myself.
By this I mean writing an email or letter to the director, author, or whomever it would be, to apologise for leaving the product, and explain why I have done it. I never have though, but the desire is there.
Sometimes it’s extremely easy for me to identify, the reason(s) why I’m not interested in a product anymore, but there are times when it’s the opposite. I’ll know that I’d like to quit the product, however I’m unable to explain why.
I may start second guessing myself over the decision, but if I start doing that, I know it’s over. Throughout my life, my love of music, books, comics, movies, and tv shows has not changed, but the genres have.
My tastes in popular culture have changed, just like me. I’m definitely a work in progress, but I’m still evolving, which means the products that I spend my hard earned money on, have to reflect what makes me happy. Though my taste for Sour Cream and Chives will never, ever change. Ever.
We have now arrived at the point of the conversation where I ask you the question: Are you a quitter? What products were you interested in, but have now left behind? What caused the break up? Please let me know.
Sorry, this was a long one. As usual I have a bad idea, then it spirals out of control. Alright, thanks for reading, walk your dog, and I’ll see you next Monday.
1 Alliteration much?
2 Am I the only one that has Closing Time, by Semisonic, as an earworm now?
I want to talk about Star Wars. Why? Hmmm….maybe because it’s Star Wars Day! The 4th of May aka May the 4th be with you, can mean different things to different people; but ultimately, it’s a day to celebrate all things Star Wars.
Slowly over time, UMC1 and UMC2 have been becoming more interested in Star Wars. They recently saw A New Hope, last week for the first time, and they now want to see all of the films. Patience, my clever padawan and youngling, patience.
Oddly enough, they like Star Wars for different reasons. UMC1 seems to be all about the different vehicles, whether they fly or drive. He wants know to about their engines, passengers, speeds, and other capabilities. UMC2 on the other hand, is all about the droids. He is nearly 4 years old, but he is hard core about droids.
Because of Star Wars Day, UMC1 and UMC2 decided to take after their artistic mother, and make some Star Wars art projects.
Utinni the Jawa by UMC2Utinni the Jawa by UMC2
UMC2 decided to make a Jawa, named Utinni. This is because he thinks they’re the worst aliens to purchase a droid from. He also believes that Jawas are extremely funny, but he doesn’t trust them. UMC2 constantly tells random people, to never buy droids from Jawas, because they’ll have bad motivators.
Gonky the power droid by UMC1
UMC1 chose to create a power droid, called Gonky. Apparently Gonky is some sort of super power droid, because he can run at extremely fast speeds, helping to fix broken spaceships, by supplying power to them. Oh, I forgot, he can also dance.
That’s it for today. From all of the staff at Some Geek Told Me, have a Happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you. Always.
Thanks for reading, wash your hands, and I’ll see you next week.
I want to talk about book banning. Why? I wear many different hats, with one of them being a geek. The problem is that I’m also a bibliophile as well. Because of this, the banning, censorship, or burning of books, does not sit well with me. It really doesn’t. Even though it happened thousands of years ago, before I was born, the loss of the Great Library of Alexandria, is something I still think about. Sorry Elsa, but I can’t let it go.
My Geek-Sense went off in January 2022, when I discovered Maus, by Art Spiegelman, was removed from various schools’ curriculum, by a board of trustees, for McMinn County Schools, Tennessee, United States of America. I was in utter disbelief.
I learnt later that V for Vendetta, and Y: The Last Man have also been banned in some Texan schools, along with many others. Now this is not me getting angry about graphic novels getting attacked, but also other mediums like novels; fiction and non-fiction.
Contemporary writers are having their books challenged and banned, for the craziest of reasons. Some of the reasons include nudity, anti-police themes, racism, violence, and LGBTQIA+ themes. This of course is not excluding the hundreds of other books, over hundreds of years, that have been challenged by idiots.
Far better writers, journalists, and reporters, have already written about the growing trend of book banning and book censorship. They can give you a far better understanding of the reasons, but also provide a far more comprehensive analysis of this problem.
As a geek, bibliophile, and a parent, how do I truly feel about this plague of nonsense? Well I’m glad you asked, because I’ve decided to put my feelings into a poem; which is a Some Geek Told Me first.
I could have written more, but I’m positive, I’d just end up swearing with every 4th word. Banning a book, for whatever reason, devalues the world and children’s education. Children need to read content, written by someone outside of their social and cultural bubble, but also read about concepts that are in the community and the world.
I’m like Schrödinger’s bibliophile friend, that’s in a box with a list of banned books. From the outside, you have no idea whether I’m angry or sad. You only know the answer, when you open the box and observe my emotion.
The trouble is, I’m stuck in a superposition as being angry and sad, at the same time; all of the time, over censorship and book banning. And the only thing I can really say is, go and read as many banned books as you can.
Seriously, read them; just read them. Visit the library or buy them for yourself; buy them for your spouse, parents, children, friends, siblings, or even the crazy guy with the billboard; but please just read them.
You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! Try them!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say. – Dr. Seuss
Do you have a favourite banned book? If you do, please tell me about it. Thanks for reading, wash your hands, and I’ll see you next week!
I want to talk about my wife’s favourite books. Why? Because my wife is an avid reader, and she loves rereading her favourite books. This is not hyperbole, I mean she really loves them. Being the social butterfly couple that we are, we read nearly every night.1 During this time, we often discuss what’s happening in our books; like explaining key events or “Guess what’s happened now?”
Over time I have noticed something with my wife; every so often, while I’m explaining what’s happening in my book, she will say something to the effect, “That book sounds awful, I’m never reading it”, or “Listening to you explain that book, has convinced me never to read it‘, or worse, “Why are you even reading that?”
After losing track of the number of times I have heard this, I’ve decided to do something about it. Hence, I will be reacting to my wife’s favourite books. Before I continue, I need to explain the book selection. Asking a reader to narrow down or choose their favourite books; regardless of genres, is like torture. How in the nine circles of Dante’s Hell do you choose?
My wife generally reads books that are part of a series, because it’s like an unofficial guarantee that the book is good. From her perspective, why would a company continue to publish books in a series, if they were crap? Also when she reads a stand alone book, she needs to know what happens after the last page, so why bother?
When life is going off the rails,2my wife finds comfort in rereading a favourite series. She enjoys revisiting old friends and familiar locations.
When I asked her to name three of her favourite books, she happily began discussing which series to choose. Being her husband, I then pulled the rug from underneath her and explained, that she could not select any book from a series; they must be stand alone books.
She was not exactly thrilled about this, so after five days of constant deliberation, my wife had created a list of her three favourite stand alone books. They are in no particular order, so let’s take a look at her selection. Ready?
WARNING, there are spoilers, so read at your own caution.
1.) The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion
I’ll be honest, I have not read this book; though I have read Simsion’s, The Rosie Trilogy, which is quite funny. I see a lot of Don Tillman in me, or maybe it’s me in Don Tillman?
I have a vague memory of my wife talking about this book, though I was probably eating pizza and watching rugby when it happened, so I probably wasn’t listening to the extent, I should have been. Sorry.
My wife wanted me to point out, that when she was at the library, looking for the second book in The Rosie Trilogy, she couldn’t find it. She needed something to read, so she grabbed The Best of Adam Sharp instead.
Anyway, I had to look this book up. The story goes like this: A guy named Adam is in a long-term relationship with Claire, but he often thinks about some ex-lover, named Angelina. Surprise, surprise, Angelina contacts him, and after some correspondence, she invites him to stay with her and her husband. What could possibly go wrong?
Upon asking my wife, why she likes this book, she explained that it’s for two reasons. The first reason is that, she thinks the characters are very complex and quite relatable. This is in spite of the notion of someone having a soulmate, that you can only ever love one person in your lifetime.3 She believes that a person can love different people, during their life time; so the concept of a soulmate is ridiculous to her.
The second reason is the apparent use of music within the book. Without reading it, I have to trust she knows what she’s talking about. Maybe. I’m getting side tracked here,…um…music.
She said music is woven throughout the book and it made her discover some new songs, that she could listen to as she read the book. It’s the opposite to me, I need total silence when reading; I’m quite simple.
So what do I think about this book?
I don’t know if I can be funny about this, but I think I’ll be giving this book a pass. Maybe it’s the thought about people talking through their feelings and relationships, or the concept of an ex-girlfriend, getting in touch with me,4 but this book does not seem to grab me; though I’m impressed and worried that my wife likes it.
2.) The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
This book is quite quirky. In a nutshell, there is a man named Henry, and he has a rare disorder called Chrono-Impairment. This allows him to travel backwards and forwards through time, but only to points within his own timeline. He can’t control the jumps, he just has to survive the experience.
Through time travelling, Henry’s timeline is crossed with Clare, a woman that he falls in love with and eventually marries, and other crazy stuff happens as well.
So, my wife rates this book, because it was very different. She liked the way time travel was portrayed, because it was somewhat opposite to time travel, being a plot device in movies and tv shows that she had seen.
She also could relate to the main characters’ fertility struggles, as well as the book reminding her about an episode of Doctor Who; just without the angry rubbish bins with plungers, or the psychotic potato heads.
So what do I think about this book?
The funny thing with this book, is that I have already read it, because I’m the one that recommended it to my wife! I enjoyed the book for it’s non-linear storytelling, thought that is not always a good thing. Anyway, full credit to me, for having already read the book; and liked it enough to suggest it to my wife.
3.) Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witchby Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman: one guy created Discworld, and the other guy wrote the Sandman5, so the expectations are quite high for this book. This is my wife’s summary of the book:
There are two unlikely friends, that are trying to stop Armageddon.
There is more to the book than that; witches, angels, demons, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, witchfinders, and of course, the son of Satan.
Once again, we turn to my wife’s opinion. She had never heard of the tv series, let alone the book, until she discovered that David Tennant would be starring in it. This convinced her to find the book, because she wanted to read it, before watching the tv show. She claimed she likes being superior in this way.
She found the book extremely hilarious, especially when you were expecting it to be serious, then something crazy happens. She also loves that Crowley’s car only plays Queen music. If you leave any album in the car, for an extended period of time, the car will covert it to Queen. As a Queen fan herself, she finds that quite entertaining.
So what do I think about this book?
Now, I have not had the honour of reading the book, but I have seen the tv mini-series. I enjoyed the show enough, to actually want to read the book. I have not moved the book to my to-read pile, but I promise you that I’m going to read it soon. Just don’t tell my wife.
Overall, her selection of books is not too terrible. At least there were no Mills & Boon, I would not have be able to handle that. Well that’s it. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week for some special blogs.
1 Even on Friday and Saturday nights, we usually read at some point. Yes, we are that cool.
2 I’m looking at you COVID-19, I’m so looking at you.
3I don’t know if I should be worried about this statement or not.
I want to talk about some Star Wars characters. Why? Because I find it fascinating that these characters no longer exist; if they ever really existed at all. Now you can raise your hand and confess to be a fan of Star Wars movies and that’s fine; so am I. However, what I’m going to be talking about are characters from the Star Wars Expanded Universe.1
Since Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi was released in 1983, there have been many stories continuing the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han and the rest of the gang. This has been through different media like novels, comic books, and video games; created and released by different companies, but all under the Lucasfilm licensing umbrella.
There have been decades of stories within the Star Wars universe, after the Return of the Jedi. Seriously, mountains of novels, comic books and video games; all expanding the mythos of Star Wars. Some highlights in the comics for me were Dark Empire, Dark Empire II, Empire’s End, Crimson Empire and Legacy.
There were also massive storylines within the novels of The New Jedi Order, Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi, as well as introducing readers to survivors of the Great Jedi Purge, Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Yuuzhan Vong.
This changed in 2012, when Disney purchased Lucasfilm; which meant Disney owned Star Wars; which meant Disney had the ability to create new content, as well as erase content; for good or for ill.
The Star Wars Expanded Universe was about to change in a major way, because the way I understand it, there are two Star Wars universes now: Star Wars Canon and Star Wars Legends. The Star Wars Canon universe relates to all of the Star Wars movies (Episodes I-VI), but also the original content that Disney was creating, in the media of novels, comic books, video games and movies (Episodes VII-IX, plus Rogue One, Solo: A Star Wars Story) and television shows.
Star Wars Legends relates to the original content of novels, comic books and video games, that were published or released before the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney. Basically, what I’m trying very badly to say is that when Disney purchased Star Wars, they decided to start with a clean slate after Episode IV, by ignoring or not recognising previous storylines and characters, thus giving birth to Star Wars Canon (Disney) and Star Wars Legends (Not Disney).
Hopefully that makes sense. The idea about this blog post in particular, is to draw attention to the fact that I love Star Wars far too much; but also to address the point that some important characters in Star Wars Legends, no longer exist in Star Wars Canon. Namely six of them, though to be fair, there are many, many more.
These six Star Wars Legends characters, at least to me; are extremely important and are greatly missed in Disney’s new version of Star Wars. So, let’s crack on and see who makes the list! The six characters can be divided into two families: The Solos and the Skywalkers, so three from each family. I’ll try and keep these summaries short and sweet, though there are no guarantees.
The Solos:
Jaina Solo Fel
Jaina is the daughter of Han and Leia Organa Solo, twin sister to Jacen and older sister to Anakin. Because of her family’s connection to the Force, she was revealed to be Force-sensitive. Jaina was eventually sent to the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV, to be trained by her uncle, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.
Over the years, Jaina became a formidable pilot and Jedi, taking the title of Sword of the Jedi, at her knighting ceremony, from her Uncle Luke. She fought in the Yuuzhan Vong War and also in the Second Galactic Civil War. It was during this time, that her twin brother Jacen, fell to the Dark Side and became Darth Caedus.
After committing some terrible crimes and trying to take over the galaxy, Darth Caedus was killed by Jaina in a lightsabre duel. Later on, Jaina married Jagged Fel, fought against a new Sith threat and Abeloth, fought against extremism within the New Republic and rose to the rank of Jedi Master.
So why is Jaina on this list? Jaina is what the epitome of what a good Jedi should be. She was tempted by the Dark Side, but she never fell to it; and she had the courage to stand up to her twin brother, when he fell to the Dark Side.
In a stretch, Rey from the sequel trilogy, could be described as Jaina; but like I said, it’s a stretch. For me, Jaina always strode to uphold the ideals of the Jedi, as well trying to put other people’s needs, before her own. Jaina also never wanted to split her allegiances between the Jedi Order and her love interest in Jagged Fel, though in time, she found a way to balance these emotions.
Jaina was an arse-kicker and a strong female character in the Star Wars mythos, so she remains greatly missed in the new Canon universe.
Jacen Solo
Jacen is the eldest son of Han and Leia Organa Solo, twin brother to Jaina and older brother to Anakin. Just like Jaina, he was Force-sensitive and sent to train with his Uncle Luke, at the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV.
Jacen became a Jedi knight and fought in the Yuuzhan Vong War, but was captured and tortured. During this time, he began to slip closer to the Dark Side, but returned to the Light Side. He escaped and helped bring about the fall of the Yuuzhan Vong Empire.
After this, Jacen spent some time traveling, but received a vision about a dark figure ruling the galaxy. Jacen took this threat seriously and after learning about his young daughter, Allana, he turned to the Dark Side to fulfil his destiny, as the apprentice to Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith. It was here had became Darth Caedus.
As Darth Caedus, he murdered his Aunt Mara, tortured his cousin and committed numerous other crimes. In the end, Jacen was killed by Jaina, in a lightsabre duel, in order to save the galaxy.
There are many similarities between Jacen and Kylo Ren, and also with Anakin Skywalker. Like Anakin, Jacen tried to prevent something from happening, but only made it worse; and like Kylo Ren, Jacen was a child of Leia and Han. It’s interesting to point out, that all three characters are fallen heroes, but they all redeemed themselves before dying.
Witnessing Jacen falling to the Dark Side and becoming Darth Caedus, was like watching a car crash in slow motion, it was painful and sorrowful to see him transform and commit acts of evil. Though, I think that was the quality of the character; you had read about his birth and his childhood, so you felt some connection to him, because of the amount of time, you had spent with him.
Then to read about him becoming Darth Caedus, was a kick in the stomach; but I think that was the point. To care about a fictional character enough, that you hoped he could redeem himself in the next story. Jacen was an amazing character, because he reminded us, even heroes can lose their way; though they always find their way back.
Anakin Solo
Because of the way you are brought up, you are taught principles by your family. Those principles can turn into action, which in turn can have consequences. There is no greater example of this, than Anakin Solo. As well as you have already unraveled, Anakin Solo is the youngest child of Han and Leia Organa Solo and younger brother to Jaina and Jacen.
Because he was named after his paternal grandfather2, Anakin had a lot to live up to. Just like his siblings, he was revealed to be Force-sensitive and sent to the Jedi Academy with Uncle Luke. Anakin often feared he would fall to the Dark Side, just like his name sake.
When the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy, Chewbacca sacrificed his life to save Anakin. This created tension between Anakin and his father, because Han blamed Anakin for Chewbacca’s death, which they later resolved; but it planted the seed of Anakin trying to live up to Chewbacca’s sacrifice.
Since Anakin was a fierce Jedi knight and a great leader, he was involved in several missions against the Yuuzhan Vong. Among other factors, the Yuuzhan Vong then started targeting Jedi for attacks.
During the war, the Yuuzhan Vong started using creatures called Voxyn, which could track Jedi down through the Force. Jedi were being assassinated across the galaxy, which led Anakin to lead a mission to Myrkr, kill the Voxyn Queen.
During the mission, Anakin was badly wounded and fought off a group of Yuuzhan Vong, while the rest of his team escaped. He killed several Yuuzhan Vong, but ultimately, he was killed.
I think Anakin’s death was always destined, but it still was hard to accept, because just like his siblings, you had watched him grow up. Not having Anakin in the new Canon universe, some what lessens it, because of the huge, but short role he played as a hero. This however is counter balanced by his legacy and inspiring others to follow in his footsteps.
Jaina, Jacen and Anakin can not exist in the new Canon Star Wars universe, because in that version, Leia and Han only had one child: Ben Solo; and not three.
The Skywalkers:
Mara Jade Skywalker
Ok, we are half way there! The next entry is the first Skywalker on the list. Her name is Mara Jade Skywalker and she was Luke Skywalker’s wife and also mother to Ben Skywalker. Mara is an interesting character, since she has not always aligned herself with the Light Side of the Force, since she was Force-sensitive.
During the First Galactic Civil War, Mara worked as the Emperor’s Hand, which was a special operative that basically worked off the books and answered directly to the Emperor. Just before his death, Palpatine ordered Mara to kill Luke Skywalker, but instead she left.
Mara became a smuggler and eventually, she crossed paths with Luke. Over time and working together on different missions; as well as training at the Jedi Academy, they fell in love and were married. Mara was heavily involved in the Yuuzhan Vong War, after immersing herself within the Jedi Order.
She later became a mother to Ben, achieved the rank of Jedi Master and took on Jaina Solo as her apprentice. After the Yuuzhan Vong War ended, Mara continued to serve the galaxy, facing new threats. Mara also served in the Second Galactic Civil War and then hunting down Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith.
When Mara discovered her nephew, Jacen had become Darth Caedus, she saw him not just as a threat to her family, but the entire galaxy. Because of this, she went and confronted him, where she was killed.
Mara was extremely loyal to her husband, son, the Jedi Order and the galaxy. She was such a bad arse, that because of her Imperial combat and weapons training, she had a set of skills other Jedi, simply did not have.
She was simply an outstanding character, especially for her redemption arc; which detailed her journey from the Dark Side to the Light. Her life was one of the highlights of the Legends universe and she is still greatly missed among fans.
Ben Skywalker
So we have looked at Luke’s wife, now let’s look at his son, Ben. He is obviously Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker’s son and cousin to Jaina, Jacen and Anakin. Also, if you haven’t figured it out yet, Ben is named after Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi, Luke’s first Jedi Master.
Growing up as a Skywalker, was not easy; especially when your father was the famous Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Ben was born during the Yuuzhan Vong War and because his parents were fighting them, he spent a large amount of time with his Aunty Leia and Uncle Han.
Because he was a Skywalker, he was Force-sensitive, but he closed himself off to the Force during the conflict. When he was studying under his cousin Jacen, he started to learn how to open himself up to the Force.
As time went by, Ben grew into a very capable Jedi knight and had to deal with Jacen’s transformation to Darth Caedus, as well as his mother’s murder. Year later, Luke was exiled from Coruscant, because he failed to prevent Darth Caedus from rising. Because of this, Luke and Ben started to investigate why Jacen turned to the Dark Side, in addition to fight against a backlash of public anger at the Jedi.
Along the way, Ben discovered a long lost tribe of the Sith, hidden away for centuries; fight a powerful Force-powered creature called Abeloth; and fell in love with Vestara Khai, a Sith apprentice
In the new Canon universe, we have Ben Solo; although he is more based on Jacen, than Ben Skywalker. I miss Ben, because it was fascinating to read about Ben’s journey and connection with the Force. To me, he was very observant, compassionate, loyal, intelligent and helped to build bridges with people and relationships. He even taught his parents things that were not Force related. He was a very relatable and positive character.
Cade Skywalker
Cade Skywalker is an unique entry on this list. To the best of my ability, I believe he is the only one whose first appearance was in a comic book, Star Wars: Legacy and not a novel. Star Wars: Legacy was set 137 years after the Battle of Yavin aka 137 ABY, so this allowed the creators a lot more room to build new worlds and characters.
Cade is Ben Skywalker’s grandson, though he would be visited/lectured by his great-grandfather, Luke Skywalker as a Force-spirit. Cade was raised in the Jedi Order, but one day, the order was attacked by the newly forged One Sith; which was a new Sith Order. Cade’s father, Kol was killed in the attack, so Cade turned his back on the Jedi. Eventually he became a bounty hunter and pirate with his crew, on his ship the Mynock.
The galaxy was ruled by the Sith Lord, Darth Krayt and because of various connected storylines, Cade is somewhat put on a collision course with him and the rest of the other Sith lords. There is a lot more to Cade’s story and his misadventures with Legacy, but I really want to focus on Cade himself.
Cade’s an unique character, because he can walk dangerous close to the Dark Side, but has no desire or intention to ever crave its power. He is an extremely power Force user, displaying abilities that are truly amazing and surreal.
Cade had left the Jedi and Sith behind in his old life and really didn’t want to be dragged into galactic politics; he just wanted the free and easy life. But, as some of the characters on this list discovered, that if you have the ability to fight for the powerless, to stand against evil, then it’s something you have to do, even it’s at the bottom of your list. That’s Cade.
I really enjoyed this era of Star Wars, because the Empire has began benevolent; the One Sith Order were the most dangerous and remarkable group of Sith, you had ever seen; Imperial knights had white lightsabres; and Cade, the heir to the Skywalker name, walked the path between the Light and Dark Sides of the Force.
Although one thing was certain, you would find it difficult to locate anybody that hated the Sith more than Cade Skywalker.
The reasons Mara Jade, Ben and Cade, no longer exist in the new Canon universe, is because Luke never married; so he never met Mara, so Ben was never born; thus Cade was never born.
Whether you are a fan of Legends or the new Canon universe; or maybe both of them, Jaina, Jacen, Anakin, Mara Jade, Ben and Cade are beloved characters that sadly, we will never get to read any new adventures about them.3
The great thing is, if you miss them enough, you can just visit the book shelf or comic book collection to see them again. They will be waiting for you like old friends, in a galaxy far, far away.
May the Force be with you and I’ll see you next week!
1 My youngest son is named after a Jedi, so I love the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
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