From the pages of Blue Harvest Episode Seven...
Autumn 1995

What is it with Luke?
by Scott Corrales
One of the most common complaints being voiced these days among Star Wars enthusiasts is that Luke Skywalker, ostensibly the main character of the entire Star Wars universe (after all, wasn't it supposed to be based on "The Adventures of Luke Skywalker?") appears to have vanquished altogether or at best, taken a cheap seat far from the action.

I would like to submit the idea to fellow enthusiasts that Luke's sinking into the backdrop in all the subsequent Star Wars novels (and even as early as in Return of the Jedi) follows a pattern that is clearly evident in the stories of the pivotal characters of other "universes" -- namely King Arthur, and Paul Muad'Dib of the Dune novels by Frank Herbert.

Shocking though it may seem at first, the farmboy-turned-Jedi was already fading into the back rows in Episode VI.  We see him do his heroics on Tatooine, rescue Han Solo, defeat Jabba's minions, and...his further exploits have no witnesses whatsoever.  As far as the Rebel Alliance is concerned, Luke was captured by the Empire soon after arriving on Endor and somehow managed to escape at the very end, after their fierce battle was over--they only have his word that he indeed fought Vader and witnessed the Emperor's demise.  As far as the Rebels know, Commander Skywalker went AWOL after the Battle of Hoth and has been a loose cannon ever since.

Return of the Jedi sets the tone for the Han and Leia story--which is what all the subsequent novels (with the exception of Splinter of the Mind's Eye, of course)(actually, Splinter came out five years before ROTJ--MJ) have largely turned out to be.

We are led to understand that with his Jedi training, Skywalker is one of the most powerful humans in his universe, yet his natural humility keeps him from staking a larger share in the Rebellion's victory after Yavin, and in its decisive victory after Endor.  As Alan Dean Foster reminds us at the beginning of Splinter, Luke "had not experience with titles, and wanted none."  According to James Kahn's novelization of Jedi, "a cheer went up for the last of the Jedi" when Luke walks in on Mon Mothma's strategy session.  The movie gives us no such warm reception, true in keeping with the protagonist's nature.

The authors who have given us the enjoyable novels of the past four years have apparently kept this thought in their respective subconciousness, and have given us a Luke that can be taken prisoner by a mad Jedi clone (Heir to the Empire); a Luke that is bested by the wraith of a Sith Lord (The Jedi Academy Trilogy); and most recently, a Luke that allows himself to be lectured by a politician and escorts playboys to find spouses (Ambush at Corellia).  There is no trace of the Luke who uttered, in the powerful confrontation at Jabba the Hutt's palace, "I warn you not to underestimate my powers."

This is not a gripe against the new crop of novels--their respective authors have crafted excellent stories worthy of the Star Wars tradition.  What is interesting is that they have perhaps unwittingly cast Luke into the same powerlessness that besets many figures in legend and literature.

In the King Arthur legends, the young Arthur who frees the sword from the stone and goes on to fight a string of seemingly endless battles to win his kingdom disappears after being defeated, incognito, by Lancelot at a bridge crossing.  He is once again defeated on the Tarn Watling and taken prisoner; his sister Morgan Le Fay steals Excalibur and replaces it with a sword of base metal when he has to fight for his life in a duel; he is powerless to defend Guenevere when charges of infidelity are hurled at her; and finally, he is powerless to save his kingdom from the madness of Mordred.  The original story, as told in La Morte d'Arthur, has been rewritten and embellished by many authors, most notably John Steinbeck.

Luke Skywalker's impotence after he stops being the rash young bush pilot, and then X-Wing commander, could be a retelling of Arthurian tragedy (if we didn't know better, of course!).  Mark Hamill managed to portray the older, wiser Luke of Jedi in a way that should have defined the character indelibly for posterity, yet it was not to be.



Dune's Paul Atreides experiences the death of a father, the loss of a principality, and the pursuit of enemies before undergoing a process that is, in its own way, "Jedi training" and emerging as the visionary Muad'Dib who defeats the Emperor's vassals in hand-to-hand combat, and claims both the Emperor's daughter and his crown as his reward.  Frank Herbert's immortal novel ends on the same note of elation as A New Hope, for when we see the condecorated Luke standing next to the smuggler, princess, droids, and Wookiee, there is no question that it is his story.

Yet the sequel to Dune gives us a Paul who is beset by foes, intrigue, an Empire in turmoil, and a situation which leads to the loss of his eyesight (curiously enough, Luke's hand is amputated in the sequel to his own saga) and his self-imposed exile in the desert.  He reappears in a third book under an assumed identity, and is later killed.  Perhaps Luke was luckier in that respect.

The writings of Joseph Campbell (Hero of a Thousand Faces, et. al.) teach us that the hero "saves the tribe, but cannot hope to form part of it."  Jedi Luke's greatest moments occur when he's utterly alone, such as the battle in the Emperor's throne room, or the poignant funeral pyre he lights for Darth Vader.  In the end, during the Ewok celebration, we see him standing alone, away from his comrades, visited by ghosts that can only he can see (and if that's not lonely, I don't know what is!).  The "tribe," meaning the Alliance in a strictly figurative sense and the Ewoks in a literal one, cannot imagine just how evil the enemy they have defeated really was.  They prevailed against its outward, visible trappings, namely scout walkers, TIE fighters, and Star Destroyers, but could any of them take on Darth Vader, much less the Emperor himself?  Luke's torment under Palpatine's Force-generated lightning defies description.  The hero must perforce keep his deeds to himself, since he runs the risk of disbelief by his peers.

Many chess sets depict the King piece with a hole through the middle of the shaft, indicating its lack of genitals--despite its preeminence as the only figure (besides the queen herself) that can move in every single direction on the board, it has to be defended by other pieces constantly.  While this may be stretching it a bit, it is true that Luke is in constant need of rescuing, from A New Hope to the latest novel.  For all his skill, command of the Force, and other talents, he remains singuarly helpless.  It can readily be argued that we do not want our favorite characters turned into supermen (even Superman has his allergy to Kryptonite) who predictably make the world safe once again at the end of the book/film/comic/game, but the excess vulnerability that has been built into Luke Skywalker has turned out to be detrimental, in my opinion.  Look at the cover art to many of the novels--Luke's face is rarely the main one portrayed.  He is often to the side, holding a lightsaber, or in the shadow, or too small to be seen clearly.

But all is not lost.  Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy, the talented duo behind Dark Empire, have been faithful to the concept of a very sober, intimidating Luke--survivor of his personal struggle with the flip side of the Force.  In fact, it can safely be said that theirs is a Luke to be feared on account of his knowledge and power.

Perhaps we will see the older, wiser, more powerful Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, accurately depicted in the sequels to Jedi if they are ever filmed in the first years of the next century.

©1994 Blue Harvest
Assault at Selonia
and  Showdown At Centerpoint
get the "Siskel and Ebert treatment"
by Dan Wallace and James Addams

assault at selonia...
Dan:  After the fantastic first book in this series (one of my all-time favorites since Zahn) I thought the second one was a bit of a letdown.  It’s a mixed bag containing many great scenes, but I was disappointed that this trilogy seems to be slipping into the realm of clichés.  For instance:  I was very relieved that in the first book, MacBride Allen wasn’t falling back onthe ubiquitous Superweapon-As-Plot-Device.  In this book, though, we finally got one.  “The Planetary Repulsor, with enough power to smash a starfleet!”  Mr. Repulsor, please shake hands with Mr. Sun Crusher, Mr. Galaxy Gun, Mr. World Devastator, and the entire Death Star Family.

James:  Is this a surprise, coming from the man who named his primary villain after the lead singer in a forgotten techno pop band, and said villain’s organization after an even worse techno pop band?  A third early ‘80’s musical reference pops up in this book: one of Sal Solo’s lackeys goes by the name Falco!  (Sal Solo was the name of the lead singer of Classix Nouveaux.  Remember their "New Romantic" hit Guilty?  -- ed.)

Dan: I was very relieved that, for once, an author was concentrating on a LOCAL menace, rather than a galactic one.  Not every enemy has to threaten the entire foundation of the universe!  Some bozo with a rusty knife can be just as threatening to your characters, if it’s written right!  That’s why I loved the local, “tempest in a teapot” threat of the Human League in “Ambush.”  Here, we’re once again up against some Mysterious Power that can destroy stars in the blink of an eye.  Whoopee.

Also, the idea of fantastic, mind-boggling secrets that have lain hidden from hundreds of billions of people for tens of thousands of years and then just HAPPEN to be discovered by Our Heroes reminds me a little too much of that first Lando Calrissian book.  And that’s not a good thing.  On the other hand, I LOVED the re-introduction of Gaeriel Captison.  Wonderful, wonderful idea... MacBride Allen gets my highest praise for this move.  Here it is, fourteen years later... she’s married a man (Thanas!) and buried him... she’s got a kid... Luke & Gaeri still have feelings for each other, but because of all their years apart those feelings have changed, and they’ve grown in different directions.  Well done!  If only more SW authors would rediscover the potential of old characters, I’d be a happy man.

James:  Gotta admit, that was a welcome addition, and yes, it was very well done.  Luke is such a dork about the whole thing though!  Chill out, bro’!  When will this so-called hero stop being such a geek?

Dan:  Some minor annoyances:
  - Why is everyone amazed that this unseen foe can destroy stars?  After all, the Sun Crusher threat was just seven years ago.
  - Mara used telepathy to communicate with Leia in The Last Command.  Now, nine years later, why wouldn’t the two of them do the same?  I’m sure their Jedi skills have improved— why rely on whispering and pantomime during their escape?
  - Centerpoint Station is larger than the Death Star.  Yet when Han (a Corellian, mind you) sees the DS, he says it’s “too big to be a space station.”
 But MacBride Allen is a very, very talented writer.  He has a great handle on the characters and a vivid sense of description.


& <>

James:  I’ll say he does!  It takes Leia and Mara an entire chapter to climbdown a wall with a rope!  It took Han almost the entire book to crawl through a tunnel with Dracmus!  Allen seems to have had to restrain himself from going into detail about each agonizing meter of dirt!

Dan:  I suppose if you HAD to have a book about a Galaxy-Menacing Superweapon Hidden for Thousands of Years, this would be about as well-written a version as you could get.  I admit I’m looking forward to the conclusion.

James:  I need to cite my opinion of the first book: nothing happens.  The whole book sees Han and Dracmus crawling around in a tunnel.  Leia and Mara escape and fly away.  The kids and Chewie fly to Drall and find a secret chamber (gee, I wonder what it could be?), Lando and Luke go to Bakura and get help.  Lando’s woman spends all her time playing with a radio, and Kalenda’s existance is no more vital than before. Artoo and Threepio make a cameo, and Wedge shows up in the last half of the last chapter.  This book could have been half the length it is, and nothing would be lost.  As part of a trilogy, it doesn’t work.  The main characters never meet up until the end, and the Assault mentioned in the title is pretty anti-climactic.  The conflict between the Selonian factions is as foggy as Kalenda’s whole reason for existing in the first book.  Something that does interest me is the fact that Thrackan and his Human League don’t seem to be the real threat.  So who is?  The answer to that question is why I’m even bothering to read the third book in the series...

showdown at centerpoint
Dan:  In a chat on Compuserve a few months ago, Allen said how, in previous books, Jacen and Jaina had been treated less as characters and more as “trophies to be captured and recaptured.”  I loved this observation at the time, but after finishing Showdown  I wished he had taken a little of his own advice.  The Solo children kidnapped by Thrackan?  Aaaaugh!!!  Just because they’re kids  doesn’t mean the only possible action centers around kidnapping  them!  This concept got old about five or six books ago— someone please give it a rest! Allen is a very methodical writer— he describes a problem and then shows you, step by (sometimes excruciating) step, how the characters get out of it. In this sense I think he writes a lot like Zahn.  Now that I can see all three Corellian books together, it’s interesting how Allen creates scenes that are incidental to the plot, yet he’ll spend an entire chapter describing them.  Kalenda crashing her ship in Ambush, say, or Han landing the coneship at the beginning of Showdown.  The difference, I think, is that Zahn’s scenes all serve to advance the larger plot, but some of Allen’s don’t.  (That coneship, for instance— what was up with that?)

James:  What indeed, Dan?  At the end of Ambush, Han is rescued by/reunited with Mara and Leia.  They dock with the coneship and Han gives Leia a big hug.  How sweet.  So then, Showdown opens with Han flying/crash landing the coneship, even though all involved parties knew the thing wouldn’t fly!  Why couldn’t the Jade’s Fire  drop the Selonians off where they needed to be?  How stupid.

Dan: But some of his methodical scenes work really well.  My favorite bit was Lando & Co. trying to escape through the fire and ash into the Hollowtown airlock.  Well-described, with lots of neat details like the flaming oxygen mask.

James:  I liked that scene too.  Lando actually gets a lot of the best scenes in Showdown.  The part where he decided not to pursue Jenica, causing Kalenda and Gaeriel to have to call off their bet was funny, and somehow every time there was a big question mark in the plot, Lando was the one who thought up some improbable but true explanation.  Kind of like Agent Mulder!

Dan: Allen also seems to be a real “hard science” guy, which is an interesting switch for a SW book.  His descriptions of Centerpoint and Hollowtown (centrifugal gravity, air thickness, etc.) and space travel seemed to be much more “techy” than is normal for SW (again, similar to Zahn).   I liked  the fact that Gaeriel died.  I’ve reconciled myself to the fact that NONE of the main SW characters will ever die, be crippled, have a bitter, permanent falling-out with each other, etc.  I mean, in the Young Adult books (19 years post-ROTJ) the whole gang is still around (even Lobot, fer chrissakes!) and they’re all happy as clams.  So if a writer can do something, ANYTHING, surprising with another character like Gaeriel, I say more power to ‘em.  I wasn’t expecting her to die, so hats off to Allen for originality and surprise.

James:  Right, but since she was crippled, I want to know how she got over to Ossilege’s control panel to hit the self-destruct button.  And for that matter, why is there a single button, placed right on the bridge of a huge warship, capable self-destructing the whole ship?  I always liked Nostromo -style self-destructs, personally.  More realistic.  Anyway, it was cool that Allen had the guts to kill her off, although I would have done Prince Isolder in instead.  He’s a much more annoying character.  Do we have bets that Malinza ends up at the Jedi Academy?  Malinza... sounds like a disease!

Oh, and while I’m ranting, this really annoyed me:  The Kids squeeze out of their force-feild prison, run over to the Falcon, fix it, and prepare to take off.  Much ado is made of the kids trying to fly the ship.  Then, at the last minute, Jaina decides to blast the force feild holding Chewbacca and the Drall.  She does, and what does Chewie do?  Does he board the Falcon and fly them out of there?  No, he runs and hides!  What?  Why didn’t they blast Chewbacca free in the first place, have him fix the ship and get the heck away days sooner?  Did I miss something?

Dan: I was relieved that we didn’t meet the builders of the Corellian system, who I feared would be revealed as the “mysterious force” behind the starbuster. In the previous book, I was upset that Our Heroes had uncovered this millennia-old technology, and I was afraid that Allen would succumb to the Star Trek-like cliché of “meeting God.”  But the repulsors are just as much a mystery as they ever were.  Whew.

Overall, I liked the series.  While I think it was a little less FUN than some of the other books, I respect the level of detail and quality of writing.

James:  Overall, I thought the series was sub-standard, although not nearly as bad as The Crystal Star  or some of the other clunkers out there.  The level of detail was overdone and often gratuitous, bogging down the already thin plot.  Unnecessary confusion was added with seemingly random plot twists, and by having many of the characters follow questionable or confusing motives.  I will revise my grading of Ambush, however, and give the series overall a C-.

©1995 Blue Harvest

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