Shane Press (The Draconic Author) is a writer hoping to publish his first novel. Here you may find a glimpse of what he's working on, including conceptual artwork and chapter previews. There will likely end up being some form of Video Game reviews and such as well. If you like high fantasy novels, dragons, tales of heroics, and perhaps some amateur video game reviewing, you may find this to your liking.
Last Saturday I saw Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in theaters and loved it. Possibly one of the best movies in the series. Everyone who's seen A New Hope knows how this story ends but this movie is very much about the journey and not the destination, which is literally moments before the beginning of Episode 4. Here is a quick list of things I liked about the movie. Oh, and...
Just in case
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The cast of characters! For a movie that would work as the prologue of a George R.R. Martin novel but where you never see most of these characters again, the cast is great.
Donnie Yen as Chirrut Imwe is great as a supporting character and was probably my favorite of the bunch.
.Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso is a wonderful, strong character and I was rooting for her to win at several stages of the journey.
Alan Tudyk of Firefly fame was perfect as K2SO, the sarcastic reprogrammed Imperial Intelligence Droid, and many of the movies best beats of humor came from him.
Jiang Wen redeemed his Star Wars Celebration gaff by being a lovable jerk most of the movie as Baze Malbus, Imwe's 'guardian' with a big blaster repeater cannon (I love men with big guns).
Diego Luna plays the anti-hero Cassian Andor, who comes across cold at first and makes a Solo style turn to true good guy (and gets the girl... for like five minutes).
Ben Mendelsohn plays a great villain as Director Orsen Krennic, the man behind the Death Star's completion. You learn how much of a bad apple he is right away.
Mads Mikkelsen plays a likable character for once as Jyn's dad, Galen Erso, the brains behind the Death Star and the reason Star Wars fans can finally stop arguing about why the Death Star was designed with such a huge and obvious flaw! REVENGE!
Darth Vader. He's in the movie for all of five minutes and almost steals the show. Also, One Sith Lord vs any number of rebel soldiers is not a fair fight, just saying. It's good to see Papa Skywalker actually being the badass we know he is for once.
Set course for Nostalgia, Warp Factor 10 (I know, wrong sci-fi universe. Moving on) So many little gems! R2-D2 and C-3PO make cameos at Yavin Base. There are several Clone Wars nods including Saw Gerrera (played by Forrest Whitaker). Carrie Fisher (May the Force be with her and her mother) even gets an appearance as Young Leia. So good. I don't care if they're cheap ways to win over fans, I love nostalgia.
This was a War Movie. Saving Private Ryan and Star Wars: A New Hope had a baby named Rogue One. And there are no Jedi to save the day, no Force Users making lucky shots when time expires, and no cocky freighter captains to shot down pursuing TIE fighters. Just normal soldiers fighting and dying.
The Death Star is a nuke. Yes, it can blow up planets at full power, but dialed down to 1 and it's a tactical nuclear weapon, to be brief. Need a city wasted, not a whole planet? Boom! We saw in Return of the Jedi that it can be dialed back to take out capital ships, but seeing that unleashed on a planet? Damn.
And some things I wasn't sold on.
Watching the trailers again after seeing the movie, and it's clear someone made a different movie somewhere between April and December. Several moments that seemed important or exciting from trailers were either cut or changed. I'd love to see the original final cut of this movie before someone decided to reshoot most of it. It was probably darker and grittier, and if it involved more Vader, I want it more. Maybe the Blu-Ray special features?
The beginning is choppy and jumpy. They're trying to set up who Jyn is and get her to the Rebels, but it was not smooth. Movie gets better past the 15 minute mark.
One and Done. All the main cast are not coming back. Why? Well, firstly SPOILERS!
SPOILERS!
SPOILERS!
Okay, you've been warned. They all die. Yup. No Rogue Two. No popping up in other Anthology movies. They died heroes. The Force is with them, and they are with the Force. So bummer, but hey, it was fun.
If you haven't seen it yet and got this far, well, sorry to spoil it for you, but go see it anyway! It was very good and I loved watching it. Definitely worthy of the Star Wars sage. A- in my book.
A Short Story from my D&D Bachelor Party, in Parts
Daggers and Stew Tavern
It was a normal day at Daggers and Stew, a quirky tavern on the outskirts of Feyguard. As a cold wind blew down from the north, the customers within were kept warm while enjoying food and drink. A gold-scaled Dragonborn sat at one table eating the lion share of a steaming meat pie, flanked by two halfling lasses, one a cleric dressed in a sailor's coat, the other a wizard in a cozy green robe. Elsewhere a tiefling bearing the habit of an Oghman lore-hunter sat enjoying a warm cup of tea, her tail gently leafing through the pages of a new book. Across the room, a dwarven battle mistress sat alongside a shady fellow, leaning back in his chair while gently relieving a neighboring patron of a few coppers. Meanwhile, a half-elf ascetic begged for coin outside the door dressed in a robe and loincloth. It was a normal day until Cheldic walked in.
The Ascetic saw him first, wandering down the path toward the tavern with a large sack on his back, though he thought little of Cheldic. Rolen was more concerned with his ritual begging, despite being quite capable of paying for the bowl of rice he was longing for. After all, self-deprivation was the path to enlightenment. He simply watched Cheldic waddle past, struggling under his load.
The door of Daggers and Stew opened with a creak, drawing the attention of everyone within. Shiff the Dragonborn Avenger, Daisy the Green (Wizard), Anagik the Storm Herald, Temerity the teifling lore-hunter, Vara the Strong, and Jondar the Swift all turned to see the human take a deep breath, stand up straight, reveal the numerous wounds and blood stains, open his mouth, and fall flat on his face, spilling the contents of his sack across the the tavern's floor.
Like buzzards descending upon a discarded carcass, everyone in the tavern rushed to scattered items on the floor. The Dragonborn dragged the body to the side, taking with it a shabby looking sword. The hobbit-wizard grabbed a bizarre pair of goggles and a scroll. The teifling made off with a wand and another sword.
Everyone grabbed something before the Daggers, the barkeep, sent for a guard. "That's enough," Daggers said, pulling people off the pile (as well as a handful of coins). "Back to your seats until the guards arrive!" He turned to return to the bar, when he looked and stooped down, coming up with a book. "Hmm, what's this. A book?" He started flipping through it, before shrugging and holding it up. "Any of you adventurers interested? Otherwise, I'm giving it to the guards."
Temerity spoke up. "A book? I'll take a look." Her tail swooshing behind her, the teifling dove into the book with zeal.
"What's it say?" Daisy said, tugging gently on Temerity's robe. "Any spells?"
Outside, the monk Rolen was listening to the commotion happening inside, while Shiff was gingerly holding the sword he found, wondering who travels the world with a weapon so flimsy and uncomfortable to wield.
Temerity and Daisy sat quietly for several minutes, Daisy looking like she cast enlarge on her eyes from wearing the strange goggles she looted. "I can see everything!" she announced, goofily looking at the book and trying to turn pages before Temerity was done reading them. "Oh, sorry!" she'd say, then impatiently wait. Daisy eventually took the goggles off, rubbing her temples. "Wow, those give me a headache."
"Me too," Temerity said, but then she smiled at Daisy, and the two continued studying the tome.
"Anything interesting?" Anagik came over to ask, stepping around two patrons wrestling over a gold ring, each winking in and out of sight as they tried to put it on.
"It's a journal of a-," Temerity squinted at the book, then showed it to Daisy who held up one lens of the goggles shouted, "Cheldric!" "Yes, Cheldric. Seems he heard of some town overflowing with treasure and went to investigate. I think he was waiting for someone when he decided to go alone."
"Overflowing with treasure, you say?" The human Jondar was all ears.
"He doesn't go into it much further," Temerity said, "but instead starts talking about the town itself. It seems to be the home of some sort of apocalypse cult."
This caught the Dragonborn's interest. His life as a sworn warrior of Tempus made him wary of groups devoted to potential destruction, and he would bring divine wrath to any endangering the innocent. "What is this cult up to?"
"Well, the apocalypse," Temerity repeated, tail twitching in Shiff's direction. "But there isn't much more about what they do, though he does say something about people just showing up there. This man seemed more interested in treasure. Though seeing how he's dead-" Temerity left the rest unsaid.
Outside, the monk Rolen began gathering up his few things.
"Looks like poison!" Anagik said, stooping beside the body, poking at the corpse's wounds. "Arrows, most likely, and one dagger wound."
"Well, that settles it!" Shiff said, thrusting the loose blade of the shabby sword into the floor with a mild yelp. Composing himself, and looking at the small cut now on his hand, he continued. "Regardless of this man's motivation, he must be avenged. Poison is the weapon of cowards and cutthroats."
"You want to go there?" Daisy looked up at her large, draconian companion.
"Do we even know where it is?" The dwarven lass Vara stepped forward.
Temerity and Daisy glanced at each other. With a sigh, the little wizard put the goggles over her eyes and joined the teifling in examing the book once again to glean their destination from whatever clues the journal contained.
By now the rest of the bar's patrons had returned to their pre-looting activities, albeit slightly richer.
"Not far!" blurted Daisy, turning her bug-eyed visage from the journal.
"Seems to be about a days travel north," Temerity clarified.
"Interesting," Shiff said, nodding. "We should leave at once and camp once within a few hours of this place. Would prevent us from attracting too much attention before we have had a chance to rest."
"Good plan," Vara said. "Would also allow us a chance to scout the area."
"Treasure! Adventure! Excitement!" Jondar clapped Vara on the shoulder, joining the group gathering around the table. "Where do I sign?"
Rolen also approached, much to everyone's amazement. As Jondar gave the nearly naked man a concerned look, the monk spoke. "I feel as if I must go with you. These occurrences intrigue me."
"You coming, sis?" Daisy asked Anagik. She still had the goggles on, and started staring at her sister's prayer wheel. "Oh.... pretty..."
"Sure, why not?" she said, smiling. "The Storm never lingers in one place too long anyway, and this tavern has gotten boring."
Temerity snapped the book closed, snapping Daisy out of her daze. "Better get going then. Can't miss a chance to make a record on the rituals of a cult."
With that, the group paid their tabs and prepared to go, but first, they had to deal with what waited for them outside the tavern.
The Northern Wilds of Elifor
Tune in next time for the continuation of this story that I haven't had enough time to write as one post!
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So it's been two weeks since our friends hosted a bachelor/bachelorette party for my then fiance and I, and in the meantime we've gotten married! Meant to get this out with a week of the party but alas, such was not to be. So here is part one! The action will start next time! Looking forward to writing it! Hope you enjoy reading it!
Benedict Cumberbatch is perfect as the cocky, self-important master surgeon turned world saving sorcerer. But he's perfect as anything so that's no surprise.
Mads Mikkelsen has been busy lately. As the disillusioned former apprentice of the Sorcerer Supreme, Kaecilius, he gives a good performance considering the minor role the character played in the comics.
Tilda Swinton works as the Ancient One! In the comics, the Sorcerer Supreme is your generic, cliche Chinese/Asian Mystic with the fu-manchu mustache. While one might consider it a white-wash using an English woman to play the role of a mystic in Tibet/Nepal, the fact they address her origin in the movie placates me. Besides, her performance is great. You will leave the theatre wanting more.
The movie's central theme of Time is so well done it did not become obvious to me until after I thought about it for a while (and watched this Youtube video). Honestly, it was so obvious in retrospect that I was embarrassed it took me that long to figure out. Especially considering what the Eye of Agamotto does and contains.
Baron Mordo in the house! The adaptation of one of Strange's chief villains into an ally is great considering we saw his turn coming. But how and why works so well that you are ready for Strange to square off with him in the inevitable sequels, especially once Strange becomes Sorcerer Supreme.
The movie surprised me with its climax. I expected some magical slugfest with Kaecilius (which you get) but instead its a test of sheer will between a mortal and a cosmic deity trapped in a time loop. All I have to say is, "How does Strange remember what happens after the loop resets each time?" Props to the Doctor for diagnosing Dormammu's ills.
By the way, the movie has a strong 'time heals all wounds' theme beside the much stronger theme of time itself. Pay attention to Strange's watch. If you don't get it by the end, watch that video I linked.
Overall a good movie, clearly linked to the others. Thor makes a guest appearance to set up Thor: Ragnarok during the credits. Also, the Infinity Stone name drop at the end connects it squarely to the Avengers: Infinity War movie(s) as well. Expect to see Cumberbatch slinging spells alongside Chris Evans slinging shield at some point.
Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them Review
More Harry Potter related movies? Shut up and take my money! (Wish I had the Eye of Agamotto so I could watch it a few times...)
Before I looked up their names, I enjoyed all the performances despite not knowing any of the cast besides Colin Farrell (I didn't realize Ezra Miller was in the movie until the credits). Johnny Depp, too, though he's part of the plot twist at the end.
Eddie Redmayne is adorable as Newt Scamander. I loved the conservationist trying desperately to preserve creatures that early 20th Century wizards disregarded and wanted to destroy.
The backdrop of pre-Depression era US alongside the spectre of Grindelwald spreading terror in Europe is the real meat of the movie. While the beasts stole the show for the second act, the third act connected Newt's story to the larger conflict presented by Grindelwald which will undoubtedly be the focus of the series, since Fantastic Beasts is reportedly getting five sequels. How and if Newt will remain a part of the story is up in the air, but this all excites me. Though I can't help but feel like Rowling is stretching out a prequel for Harry Potter much like Peter Jackson/Warner Brothers stretched out The Hobbit movies. We shall see if Rowling and Co. are better at pacing and storytelling than whoever thought turning one short novel into three epic movies was the way to go.
Speaking of the Depression, I wonder if we'll see a Wizard World War II? I mean it's coming. They're both coming! While we never saw 9/11 get woven into the books (having taken place in England and having the only US reference be during the Quidditch World Cup at the beginning of Goblet of Fire), if Fantastic Beasts remains historically grounded in our timeline, these two events/eras could provide interesting flavor to the Wizard World. Guess I'll be waiting on a lot from this series.
I think Rowling may have bent her own world's rules somewhere in this movie. Not sure if it has to do with the Obscurial/Obscurus business of killing young wizards or how almost none of the adult wizards need to utter 'the magic words' for most of their spells but, hey, who am I to judge? I never got my letter to.... uh... What's the American Magic Academy called?
Great movie. Welcome addition to the Wizard World on the silver screen. Novels would be stellar but I'd rather Rowling enjoy making the movies instead of having to fast track novelizations. Would see again.
Blog Update
Hey, everyone! I'm still alive, still trying to blog, and mostly failing! My list of unpublished drafts grows as I get new ideas I have no time to do anything with! But not this time. Got a spark of 'get stuff done' and not wasting it!
A lot is going on for me right now. I am getting married on the 17th of this month and my fiance and I recently had a co-bachelor/bachelorette party with our wedding party playing D&D, but apart from that, my two jobs have me pinned to a cycle of work-eat-sleep-eat-work-sleep every day. Barely have an hour to myself or to get anything done, which makes blogging impossible when you have other more pressing matters to attend to. That won't stop me, though, as you can see.
That said, NaNoWriMo was a failure last month. I believe I eked out less that 100 words all month, though I wrote novels on my Facebook page about the American Presidential Election. Won't drag that here, though, so don't worry. But since it wasn't novel related, all those word counts went to waste. That said, this recent spark has me adding to my book, even if only in drips. I shall not be deterred! I will be a novelist! Someday (TM).
My plans for the new year of blogging is going to be posting at least once a month, and try to work a decent amount into that one post. I'll prefer to keep posts about related topics, instead of a bunch of disparate ones. For December, I'm anticipating posts about football and Star Wars: Rogue One. January will probably be more football if the Dallas Cowboys have a playoff run. And maybe someday I'll actually finish the backlogged posts I have lurking around.
Keep an eye out for a story I am going to post, based on the D&D adventure we played as our bachelor/ette party. Til then, take care and best wishes!
In the tenth inning of what some are calling the best Game 7 in World Series history, the long-maligned Chicago Cubs brought their amazing season to an end. Billy Goat Curse be damned, the Cubbies are World Series Champions for the first time since. . .
Wait for it . . . (The Cubs Fans sure did)
1908.
This has been the narrative of the entire playoffs, and World Series: Will the Cubs break the curse? "But Shane, curses aren't real, and sports aren't [supposed to be] scripted." (Looking at you, Black Sox). Tell that to Joe Buck! Because a huge trend in sports is, and has been, the narrative.
Anyone who watches professional sports has seen how narratives are worked into sporting events. When my 6-1 Dallas Cowboys played the Philadelphia Eagles this past weekend, the narrative was about the battle between two rookie stars, Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz. When Payton Manning, former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback, played his replacement on the Colts, people made up a narrative about revenge or redemption. When the Red Sox beat the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series to decide who would go to the World Series, another story about curses and overcoming them was what everyone talked about, and the Sox eventual Championship that same year reminded us all of how the Curse of Babe Ruth was finally lifted from Boston's baseball team.
So why do we attribute plot to events determined by skill and luck, not scripts and plots? Because humans love stories! In the same way that we like to attribute heroism to people who save lives because it's their job, or because they just made a split second choice that made a difference, fans like to have reasons to root for their teams. I'm a much bigger football fan than I am a baseball fan, and this current season started off like a horror flick for my Cowboys: MRI Reveals Fractured Bone in Romo’s Back. 2015 was a nightmare with Dallas's Star QB under center, going 4-12. Every fan was wondering what would happen with their team. Could the rookie Dak Prescott handle the spotlight, where so many veterans failed last year? It was worthy of a movie the likes of Remember the Titans (minus the Civil Rights Movement setting and the racial undertones). Six wins and an opening day loss to the Giants later, the story is now, Will Dak remain the starter, or will Jerry Jones (the owner of the team) insist on his favored son (Tony) returning to the throne?
These are the stories we tell ourselves with sports. They make the game more interesting and draws even the those with no emotional investment to partake of the event. Otherwise, I would have had no interest in the Series unless the Mets were involved like last year. Because let's be honest. These games have no effect on our lives beside the rush of endorphins we receive during the excitement of the game. Sorry, but that's just a reality. That said, LET'S GO COWBOYS!
So a little over a year ago, I started writing in this blog. It began as a flood of content and quickly became a slow drip, but it's here and I'm glad I started this.
Lately, my two jobs have left me unmotivated to write much, as it has turned into a chore. I have stared at my screen wanting to review movies and felt very uninspired. I've tried to work on my novel and just felt unable to think of anything I'd want to read. I know that drafts aren't meant to be readable but I can't even get myself to write out a scene that I literally blocked out in bullet points.
That said, I haven't been completely unproductive, you guys just haven't been able to see any of it. I'm trying to get myself set up to record myself playing video games (the one activity I am motivated to do these days) so I can review them or show off fun things and so on. I have this idea to play XCOM 2 with all my soldiers being made in the likeness of friends, or by recreating notable SPARTANs from the Halo universe as XCOM soldiers, because fighting a superior force of aliens is what they do (and because mods make anything possible). The problem with this is that my desktop does not have the power supply to run the game and render the video at the same time, and so the PC just crashes less than a minute into the recording. So for the moment this project is on the shelf until I can shell out the dough for the parts I need. I'm also going to get another hard drive to store the videos on and at the same time get some parts to repair my laptop (it needs a new hard drive as well). Once that is settled, I'll be recording and posting here and on Youtube.
So ta-ta for now. NaNoWriMo is coming up and I do want to get some writing done. It got me going last year so hopefully I can write more this time around. I may not be writing a brand new book in a month, but it's a great time to find motivation to write. See ya next time.
The Pledge manager for Unity is up! For a limited time, you can pledge for the Core Rule Book and select bonuses like the World Map and GM Screen. Follow this link! Don't miss your chance to be one of the first to play this exciting new system from Zensara Studios.
A look at an In-Development Tabletop RPG that focuses on story
Back at the beginning of August, I found an intriguing link on Facebook about a tabletop role-playing game in development that was raising funds on Kickstarter. Curious, as I am about any new RPG, I clicked to see what it was about. Going by the title Unity, the game is an interesting blend of the fantasy, Steampunk, and post-apocalypse genres. Set in the titular world, Unity is a realm devastated by the very deity who so lovingly created it. Once a paradise among the stars for the Children of the Skyfather and Ivory Queen, the deities who created it, it is now a shattered world where the material world and the spiritual world are open to one another in devastating ways. Now four factions must find a way to unite once again to save their world.
The game sets you in this world to do as you will. As either Human, Afflicted, Furian, or Valla, you must chase destiny and make your way in the world. But what will you do in a world of murky morals where surviving outweighs compassion? Do you seek to make the world whole again and heal the wounds of the past? Do you seek to amass your own small empire to live in luxury as the world burns? Unity leaves these choices up to the Game Master and his players, and with a focus on story more than strict rules, the game is designed to reward players for being actively engaged in the storytelling, and not just rolling the dice, and where even failure can mean moving both combat and the story forward.
The themes of Unity are part of what makes me want to delve into it. The first is Murky Morales, which I mentioned above. Unity throws you into the world where the worst has and is happening, and being 'good' isn't always as important or even as desired as simply surviving. Then there is the Culture Clash of four (or more) different cultures that are forced to work together even when they'd rather kill each other. Another is finding the surviving Technological Wonders of Unity's Golden Age, when the world was indeed united in common purpose and rose to challenge their creators. And of course Discovery and Exploration plays an important part of this game world, as many mysterious, treasures, and safe places await those daring enough to search for them.
The Kickstarter
As the Kickstarter progressed, and more money was raised, I become more and more interested in what the final product would be. The team at Zensara Studios provided a preview of their core rule book, and after reading through it, I was sold. Their philosophy of design looks to resolve many of the issues I've always had with the typical D&D style games that reward shrewd character creation over inventiveness and experimentation. While I have yet to get the playtest for Unity (which should be available in November) the system offers a surprising amount of options for each of the game's nine original classes. Some of these design choices are similar to what D&D 4th Edition tried to do by offering different tiers of powers that had different effects as well as catch names to make using them feel more empowering than just, "I swing my +2 Sword of Shocking." Some, though, were different than what I've experienced, such as these same powers having synergy with certain others. Have a power that stuns enemies, and your friend has one that does extra damage to stunned enemies? What about a charge power with limited range, but your friend can throw you farther so you can reach your target AND have added momentum (damage) when you land? You can do things like that.
From Left to Right: Driftwalker, Berserker, Phantom, Sentinel, Primalist, Priest, Fell Hunter, Mystic, Judge
My favorite aspect of their system is how instead of a strict and either limited or far too comprehensive list of skills that your character can use (for instance, just how many things count as Acrobatics?) your character instead gets Core Paths. As an example, you may have three core paths, one worth 3 points and two worth 1 point each. These paths each cover some aspect of your character. Continuing the example, if your 3 point Path is called A Warrior's Heart, it might cover any skill a warrior might have, from running long distances to climbing to breaking down a door. So, if your character wants to do any of those things and get the full 3 point bonus, the player would tell an anecdote about how that aspect of their life resulted in them being able to bust down that door, or climb that wall, etc. The DM would then decide how well it applies, and also if the story telling deserves the bonus. For a better idea of the total character creation process, as well as the team's more succinct explanation of Core Paths, check out their video at the break.
Unity's Character Creation Demo Video
Since this system focuses on the story a good deal, one of the other interesting aspects of this system is how the Game Master (GM), or the person managing the game for the group of players, can do so without having to rely on the constant rolling of dice to determine outcomes. While most of the specifics of the rules have not been released yet, the idea is that the system will have structures in place to allow the GM to make decisions on the fly so as to keep the narrative going and not interrupting it with mechanics. One such structure was the Core Paths mentioned before, which allows players to relate their characters experiences to things they are attempting to achieve in order to gain a bonus. Another will be Honor Points. These points are rewarded for describing what your character is doing in an interesting or highly detailed way. The idea is to encourage people to say more than, "I hit the goblin with my sword," and instead embellish their role-playing with, "I draw my katana, waiting for the monster to raise his club. Then, in one swift stroke, I slice the beast across its abdomen." Combined with the descriptions given to the Powers available to characters, players will have springboards from which to give great descriptions of their actions. These points can then be used to receive bonuses to actions to create those epic moments players of such games play for. And to prevent this system from unfairly punishing the less imaginative or creative, the points can be used by any player in the group, promoting cooperation.
I wish I had the foresight to get a blog post out there before their campaign ended on August 14. That said, the managed to raise $70,736 CAD which not only funded their base product but unlocked this list of extras which will be developed after the original goal of releasing their core rulebook is met.
So close to getting the Monk!
One of the stretch goals, Unity Extended: Allies, introduces a new playable race, the Sarathi. When I realized they were lizard people, I was sold. While originally one of the antagonistic NPC races originally designed for the base game, this stretch goal (which unlocked after I had already pledged) made this project so much more meaningful to me, considering my own goal of publishing.
For those interested in the game, please check out Unity-RPG.com or their Kickstarter Page for more previews of classes and creatures. As of this posting, their post-campaign pledge manager is not finished yet. Anyone interested in picking up either the book and/or any other extras they make available should sign up for their mailing list here.
WIP Shot of the cover of the Core Rule Book
I will be writing further on this game, so check back here in the future for more news about the Unity RPG. I encourage anyone looking for a more story focused version of some of the classic table top RPG games to try Unity!
9/21 UPDATE! The Pledge manager for Unity is up! For a limited time, you can pledge for the Core Rule Book and select bonuses like the World Map and GM Screen. Follow this link!
Suicide Squad was about a C+/B- Movie that had potential left on the cutting room floor
Needed more Joker, or no Joker. You don't make the Joker a plot device that's only relevant for like 20 mintes of a 2 hour movie. He's the most famous DC villain there is.
Also, jokes? I didn't expect nor desire a Mark Hamill style performance, but he's the JOKER! Joke is in his damn moniker. Sarcastic isn't the same as funny...
That said, I did like Jared Leto's take, but again, not enough.
Harley was great. Appreciated the nods to her origins with the harlequin costume and the "Batman: Harley Quinn" cover reference.
Deadshot teased us with the worst decision a movie studio trying to compete with Marvel could make. Thank God he missed.
Yay Set-up for Justice League! But why? I mean we knew it was coming... No where near as 'cool' as it was seeing Nick Fury in Stark's house at the end of Iron Man when we didn't even know what we would get yet.
El Diablo is my new favorite villain, if only because of like 5 minutes of movie.
Will Smith as Deadshot was good. I'd see another movie. Kinda want a Katana movie though...
The woman who sets up the Team-X? Cold.... Like, William Lord Kelvin would have found her too cold for him... Absolute ZERO!
I am starting to just want a Batfleck movie. And he better be as cool as he was in BvS...
Short story: I don't write without deadlines. And on top of that, I need a damn list of goals for myself. I just skimmed my blog and realized I said I would do reviews of movies that aren't even in theaters anymore, of games that may have had sequels announced already, and have not continued either of the 'series' of posts I wanted to do regularly: Questions Authors Ask and World Building...
On top of that, the only 'writing' I've done lately is rewriting, and before you say, "But Shane, all writing is rewriting," this had been the worst slate of rewriting I've had to do. I'm frustrated with a scene I feel I need but hate how I've written it and I can't bring myself to move on. So I'm basically erasing the last two chapters I wrote (more like saved and put in an archive folder) and trying to change things to get me beyond it. And of course now I'm just not motivated so it's taking a long time.
So blegh. Any ideas? Suggestions? This really hurts to admit but I have to get it off my shoulders and chest and brain...
There is nothing quite like the experience of a convention. This year I got to go to ConnectiCon 2016 in Hartford, CT, the first convention I've ever been to. I had a lot of fun, and though I was so overwhelmed that I did not get to see many panels (only 1), I had a great time.
The Con (for short) began July 7th, mainly for pre-registration, and ran thru the 10th, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. I had to work so I missed pre-registration and the first half of the day on the 8th, but my fiancee(which I only just learned how to spell) and I arrived around 4 pm. After waiting in line and getting my badge, I ascended the escalator to the Con floor, and I was immediately in awe. While not nearly as extravagant as San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) or New York Comic Con (NYCC), CTCon was a sight to see for a Con newb like me. Since CTCon focused on all pop culture, as opposed to a focus on comics, like SDCC and NYCC, or electronic entertainment, like E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), I saw people cosplaying from Pokemon to Game of Thrones to HALO and more. Many anime characters that I did not recognize. I did not dress up for the first day of Con, as I wanted to just see what was up.
The first part of Con that I got to see was a gaming floor, where people had space to play test various board, card, and video games. I wandered around the mostly empty (at the time) game floor, where the majority of people were playing League of Legends, Gears of War, HALO: Reach, and Overwatch on both consoles and computers. There was also some fighting games I did not recognize, though I think one was a newer Tekken.
Then there was the Tokyo Attack area. This area is a section of the gaming floor that featured arcade-style games from Japan. There were Dance Dance Revolution games, on-rail shooters, all different kinds of musical rhythm games, and this one little game that reminded me of a mobile game I have on my phone.
Puzzles and Dragons Arcade Game?!
It was a Puzzles and Dragons arcade game! If you are unfamiliar with the mobile App, it is a matching game, like Candy Crush, where you move colored orbs together to make groups of three or more in order to attack monsters with a team of your own. One of the unique gameplay aspects is that you can move one piece anywhere on the map, instead of just along the horizontal or vertical axes. That said, I greatly enjoyed the brief time I had to play it. My fiancee wanted to see the rest of the convention, so we moved on after I played one game.
We then moved to the vendor floor, where all of the booths are located. It was also where the celebrity guests had booths set up to meet fans and sign autographs. I was instantly was distracted and overwhelmed by the fact that four actors who had played some of my favorite characters on tv and the silver screen where in the same room as me. John Rhys Davies (who played such characters as Sallah in Indiana Jones and Gimli in The Lord of the Rings), Sean Astin (who played Samwise in The Lord of the Rings), Michael Dorn (who played Worf in several Star Trek tv series and movies), and Nana Visitor (who played Kira Nerys in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), and Walter Koenig (the original Chekov from the original Star Trek), were all at there, as were some others I was not familiar with (although whoever does the voice of Spongebob Squarepants was there). I immediately wanted to say hello and ask them questions, but my fiancee urged me to try and finish seeing the things on the show floor. So after some standing around like an awkward con-goer fanboying over celebrities, we checked out the vendors.
Yay Photo Op! She made the Laser Rifle and it's well done! She also has the Collector's Edition Pip-Boy 3000 that you can put your phone inside and use the Pip Boy App to interact with Fallout 4.
The next day (the 9th), after failing to get up early to be at Con when it opened for the day, my fiancee and I went in costume. I went dressed as Jaehaerys Targaryen, or as everyone else knows him, Jon Snow. "But Shane, who named him-" His mother! I know the books haven't confirmed things, but the show more or less did, so there. Anyway, my fiancee tried her own Daenerys cosplay, wearing a red dress and braiding her hair and doing her best with what we had (dragon earrings!), but I think she ended up looking more like Melisandre, the Red Woman of Volantis. Regardless, we went, and we had a good time. As soon as we got there, we went right up to one of the panels where Nana Visitor and Michael Dorn were going to be fielding questions about Deep Space Nine.
Nana (left) and Michael (right) answering questions at ConnectiCon 2016
They had roughly an hour with a large group of fans. I found Nana very gracious about answering questions and sharing her memories and stories about her time on Star Trek, and Michael was witty and teased the fans as they looked for questions to answer. I wondered if Michael, having been portraying Worf for 15 years, plus the near 15 years since, gets tired of talking about the same thing for so long, where as it's only been about 17 years since DS9 ended for Nana. Regardless, I got to ask them both about the relationships their characters had on the show. Nana's character, Kira, has a relationship with an alien shapeshifter called a Changeling named Odo on DS9, and I had heard from reading about the show that she had not liked how the writers developed that relationship in the late seasons of the show, while Michael's character Worf marries a character near the end of the penultimate season, only to ***SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*** have her killed at the end of said season. ***To be fair you've had 16 years to catch up...*** Nana replied that she felt that it would have been better to leave the two characters as close friends, but due to the culture on TV of the 90s, she said any characters that have friction 'have to becomes involved.' She compared it to her rea life relationship with co-star Alexander Siddig (whom she has a son with and is even pregnant with on the show). Her and Siddig were married for a few years, but discovered how different they are and seperated amiably. She would have liked the on screen relationship to have simply left as a friendship. Michael Dorn expressed a sort of regret that they were unable to keep Worf's wife Jadzia Dax's actress, Terry Farrell, on the show for the final year and season, and even said that 'they should have done everything to keep her."
Later that day I got to talk to both of them at their booths on the Con floor, and I got to ask Michael about the airplanes he owns. He was very polite, and when I said I did not want to talk his ear off, he quipped, "But you will." So during the Q&A panel (and from my own research before Con), I learned he liked to fly planes, specifically ex-military jets. So I asked him, what was his favorite, and he said he liked an F-104 Starfighter. That I thought was interesting, considering what he's best known for, but I did not want to mention that. I felt that gushing about Star Trek was the obvious reaction to meeting him, so I thanked him for his time and got to talk to Nana, next. She greeted me with a big smile and a voice I could not imagine was addressing me. You see, compared to Michael, who purposely used a deeper voice when playing Worf than his talking voice, Nana sounded exactly the same. She's also a sweetheart, where Kira was often gruff. That said, she was happy to talk with me, and I asked her about her time on DS9 (because that's why she was there, right?) I asked her about the notion of actors who are very kind in their behavior often playing villains, and how they seem to be able to turn on something and act in ways that make us hate them, using the young man who plays Joffrey in Game of Thrones as an example.
I then got to let my geek flag fly a little higher, as I got to meet John Rhys Davies and get his autograph. He's been in many shows and movies and games that I've enjoyed growing up, so I was thrilled to get to talk to him. Of the three celebrities I got to speak to, I got to speak to him the shortest, but I learned that he would love to work with Mark Hamill, whom he costarred with several times in the Wing Commander series and again recently for Squadron 42, again and again. On a side note, I heard that he personally visited the show floor at the end of the first day of the Con and wished every vendor a good Con. He is quite the guy.
The remainder of my Con experience involved revisiting vendors we wanted to buy something from, submitting a few commissions, and taking pictures with a bunch of other cosplayers. At different points during Con there were semi-organized events for people cosplaying characters from specific genres or intellectual properties (IPs) to come together and take photos. So, dressed as my GoT character, I joined in happily. There was over a dozen Daenerys cosplayers (not including my fiancee who changed out of her costume before the photoshoot), a few Robb Starks, a few Jon Snows, and a pair of Oberyn Martells. When asked who I was, I just said I was a Targaryen soldier, since explaining my head-canon behind why I was dressed as I was took too long. Here are a few of the photos:
That's me with the red surcoat.
All in all, I had a great time at Con. "But Shane, what about the 10th?" Yeah, I didn't go back on Sunday. I was tired and still a bit overwhelmed by the Con, and having spent all of my free time the previous two days there, I took Sunday for myself. Next year I'm planning to do a much more in depth cover of the convention by attending more panels and either recording them for review or taking detailed notes so I can do more than just vaguely mention what I did two weeks later. I'd also want to publish the posts while the Con is still going, and maybe even try to get some viewers by mentioning it to people at the convention. But going to have to wait until next year! For now, I rest. Thanks for reading!
How TV and Film both add to and remove from the source material
Anyone with a pair of eyes over the last twenty years has seen a large number of adaptations come to both TV and the Silver Screen. The Fault in Our Stars, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Chronicles of Shannara have all been tweaked to fit the confines of a medium not intended for the vast stories within. When this happens the fans inevitably divide into the purists, who think the book was better, the casual fans, who think the movie was better, and the accepters, who accept the movie as an interpretation and keep the book in perspective.
Or that's my take on things, at least.
Most recently, I've been catching up on the Sixth Season of Game of Thrones on HBO. As a reader of the books, it is quiet clear to me that the show has taken several liberties with the source material, cutting out entire characters and subplots and merging others together. People die who are still alive in the books, and some people live that are dead. Some things happen out of order, and with the show now having overcome where the books left off, no one knows what will happen. Is this good or bad?
Personally, I find the entire thing intriguing. When I was first introduced to the books, right before the show aired for the first time, I tore through them as fast as I could. I read 'A Game of Thrones', 'A Clash of Kings', 'A Storm of Swords', 'A Feast for Crows', and (most) of 'A Dance with Dragons' and have been anxiously awaiting 'The Winds of Winter'. Once I began watching the show, several seasons behind, the stories were parallel. And then somewhere around Seasons 3 and 4, things started to deviate, and the show became more interesting.
"But why? You knew what was going to happen." For a while, yes, I did know but as things changed, roles swapped, events played out differently, I found myself wanting to watch more. I started to wonder what was happening, who would make the next move. And now as Episode 9 of Game of Thrones approaches, I'm more anxious than ever. And when the final books are finished, I look forward to reading them and seeing Martin's vision be completed, with all the subplots and characters were he intended them.
For a TV show, that's how things have to work. The Walking Dead is doing the same thing. Now I do not pretend to know anything about the original comics, but just from the reactions online I know the show has taken its liberties as well, though with far more source material to catch up to than Martin left for his show. The medium of TV require the deviations from the expected because they are meant to unfold over time, and the producers of these shows cannot afford to become predictable, or the fans will just binge on the source material and ignore the show.
With film, the deviations have to be more subtle. Fans of books like The Fault in Our Stars and The Lord of the Rings expect certain things in their films. And while some things are trimmed, usually the main plot and subplots are left intact. In some film adaptations, too much is removed, and what is left is unsatisfying for almost all fans, and the project is a failure. Sometimes though, such as in The Hobbit films by Peter Jackson, the director decides to expand upon the source material. In The Hobbit, Jackson took information given in The Lord of the Rings (written after The Hobbit) to expand upon the story. In this case, it was a matter of adding too much. I personally enjoy the movies, though the three movies could have better served the source material as two.
I look at each adaptation according to how well it serves the material it is based on. With so many things being adapted into movies and TV shows these days, it's hard to tell what is original and what isn't. (A hint: Nothing is original anymore.) Japanese Anime is being adapted into movies. Video games are being adapted into movies. Older TV shows, comic book heroes, old movies, all being adapted, either again or for the first time. Ultimately, these adaptions can lead us to the source material. I might never have read The Lord of the Rings if my mother had not heard about the movie and given me the books. I only read The Fault in Our Stars for that same reason.
Not sure I had a point in writing this, today, besides wanting to share some thoughts after binging 3 seasons of Game of Thrones. I'm very excited to see where the adaptation of the books leads, and equally excited to read the books when they're finished. So enjoy your favorite originals, and your favorite adaptations. And maybe, some day, I'll write to you about my own original, and its adaptation. Until then, Best wishes.
Look for more of my thoughts on writing, films, and more soon. I'm not giving up on this blog. :)
Authors who served in times of war, in the US and abroad.
Today, here in the United States, it is Memorial Day! Originally called Decoration Day to memorialize the Civil War, Memorial Day came about after competing Union and Confederate memorial celebrations were unified with the current holiday, which now celebrates and memorializes everyone who fought for the United States.
On this Memorial Day, I want to take the time to recognize some authors who fought in some of the biggest conflicts of the last century. Some are not from the United States, but it's my blog and I don't care.
First, some Americans:
J.D. Salinger
Served in the US Army during World War II. He was in one of the first waves of the D-Day landing and saw combat in many major engagements, including the Battle of the Bulge. He even participated in the liberation of concentration camps. Salinger is best know for The Catcher in the Rye.
Kurt Vonnegut
Another American Veteran of the Second World War, Vonnegut was at the Battle of the Bulge where he was taken as a Prison of War. While imprisoned in Dresden, he was an eye witness of the firebombing of that city. He survived the destruction by hiding in an underground meatlock called "Schlachthof Fünf", or "Slaughterhouse Five" in German. It should be no wonder why his most recognized book, Slaughterhouse Five which takes place during the War, seems autobiographical.
Ernest Hemmingway
The last American on our list, Hemingway, served in the Army in World War I. As an ambulance driver in Italy during the last part of the war, he saw little combat, but earned Italian Silver Star for saving the life of an Italian soldier, despite having received shrapnel wounds himself. His novella, "A Farewell to Arms" was inspired by his experiences.
Bonus Round:
It is interesting to note that another famous American author, F. Scott Fitzgerald almost saw service in that war along with Hemingway, but the war ended before he saw European soil, something he would lament about in his crowning work, The Great Gatsby.
C.S. Lewis
Author of the Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis saw some of the worst of the trench warfare that took place in Northern France during the First World War. In early 1918, he was severely wounded by an artillery shell, and was sent home. He would later become a friend of the next author on this list.
J.R.R. Tolkien
No list of authors (on my blog, anyway) would be complete without the Professor. A lieutenant in the British Army, Tolkien was one of the last members of the British Mounted Cavalry to actually use horses during the First World War. His job, to break in the horses for other officers, left him with a deep respect for the animals, clearly represented in the culture of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings. Also, his time at the Battle of the Somme heavily influenced his understanding of war. This battle saw the first deployment of the war machines we call tanks, and its impact on him is clearly felt in the tales of The Silmarillion. Tolkien's work is often called allegorical, comparing the One Ring to the Atomic Bomb, but Tolkien's foreword to the book puts that to rest quite harshly as such:
“I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history – true or feigned– with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.”
How Joseph Campbell influenced modern storytelling
Happy Star Wars Day, everyone! May the Fourth (and the Force) be with you on this fine day! Did you know that George Lucas, Almighty Father of Star Wars, was inspired by a particular book when he was working on drafts of the original episodes of his epic, Star Wars? That book was Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Building upon the works of Adolph Bastian, who first theorized that stories all share common elements, and Carl Jung, who defined and named those elements archetypes, Campbell took Jung's archetypes and after studying myths from various cultures throughout history found the story pattern that unites them. He called this pattern 'The Hero's Journey,' and Star Wars follows this pattern to a 'T'. To better understand how Star Wars works within the scope of Campbell's work, let's take a closer look at the Hero's Journey, which is composed of three sections and seventeen parts. The sections are called The Departure, The Initiation, and The Return. Each of these sections has five or six parts. Just to be clear, these parts do not necessarily have to take place in chronological order, and some sections have events occur before and inbetween preceding parts. To begin, let's dissect The Departure. For reference to younger readers, we're discussing the original movie, Star Wars: A New Hope as well as the sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
The Departure is called such for its reference to the Hero leaving what's comfortable for the world of the Super-Natural, according to Campbell. This begins with 'The Call to Adventure.' In stories, this relates to whatever quest the Hero must undergo, and how it begins to pull the Hero along. Star Wars has Luke being asked by Obi-Wan Kenobi to help him save Princess Leia and bring R2-D2, a little droid holding the secret to defeating the Empire's Super Weapon, to the Rebels. That call is what would bring Luke away from his life as a humble moisture farmer and into the greater, mystical world that awaits him in that galaxy far, far away. That same call introduces one of the archetypes Campbell borrowed from Jung, the Mentor. That Mentor is Obi-Wan, and is often the one who guides the Hero along the beginning of the quest, as well as giving some sort of item or advice that will help him later on. Here it's the light saber that belonged to his father. In the movie, the Call to Adventure is followed immediately by the next part of the Departure section: the Refusal of the Call. Here the hero decides against leaving the life he knows, usually using some other obligation or fear as the reason. Luke, knowing his Uncle Owen needs him despite years of promises to be allowed to leave, tells Obi-Wan just that. Even though Luke has been wanting to fight against the Empire for years, this sudden option to do just that causes him to second guess, and he tries to remain. But fate intervenes and forces Luke to go with Obi-Wan when his Aunt and Uncle are murdered by Imperial soldiers.
"I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father."
Supernatural Aid is the next part of the Departure section, and in Star Wars it is intermingled with the last two. Obi-Wan, the mentor to Luke, arrives in time to aide Luke when he is attacked by Tusken Raiders (Sand People). This is also the part of the story when the mentor would pass on his token or piece of wisdom to the hero, which he does upon giving Luke the lightsaber. The next part puts us back in order after the Refusal, with Crossing the Threshold. With all that tied Luke to Tatooine now gone, Luke goes to Mos Eisley, and after a bit of trouble from some of the "scum and villainy" Obi-Wan warned about, meets Han Solo, Captain of the Millennium Falcon. This leads to a classic mythical element, following the lone animal into the enchanted forest. Not one of the parts of the journey, many myths and stories include the hero pursuing something that leads him into the unknown, and possibly danger. This occurs in Star Wars when the Millennium Falcon chases a lone TIE Fighter right into the clutches of the Death Star, after arriving to at the obliterated remains of Alderaan. This chase leads us into the next part of the Departure, the Belly of the Whale. It is here, trapped inside the Death Star, that Luke fully accepts the Call by choosing to rescue Leia, despite Obi-Wan and Han telling him to do nothing, and waiting for Obi-Wan to return. Attacking the detention center and making it to Leia's cell, the Hero and his companions are forced into a Trash Compactor to escape a group of Stormtroopers, landing Luke quite literally in the 'belly' of the Death Star. Whether he likes it or not, Luke's no longer the farm boy who raced Skyhoppers through Beggar's Canyon. He has departed from his old life, and has answered the Call.
"Great, Kid. Don't get cocky."
The next section of the Journey, The Initiation, takes us back to just before the Belly of the Whale with The Road of Trials. In this part, Luke is practicing some of the skills he would later master by trying to block stinging blasts from a dummy droid. This part also continues after Luke & Co. escape from the Death Star, as Luke gets his first taste of space combat at the controls of one of the Falcom's two quad-cannon turrets. This section is sometimes shown in movies with the 'training montage,' made famous in such films as Rocky (All of them). Usually, though, the training is somewhat more involved than what is shown in Star Wars. In literature, the training can span several chapters, often address most if not all of the skills the hero will be using.
This usually leads to the Meeting of the Goddess, which can have multiple meanings. If Star Wars was a complete story and did not have sequels that further expanded the story, Luke meeting Leia and seeing her for the first time would be the aforementioned Meeting, as this part has the connotation of the Hero meeting a love interest. Now any veteran fan knows Leia and Luke are siblings (40 year old spoiler alert?), however in the film (as a stand alone story) Luke clearly has feelings for her. However, Leia also represents a powerful figure in the Rebellion, and as one of its leaders, she also represents someone capable of bestowing a boon. This Goddess can also represent the goal of the quest. Campbell's exact language on the matter is unclear of how important the love-interest aspect is to the overarching theme, but Leia represents a lot to Luke, given she is the reason for his Departure in the first place.
What's next can be confusing, given what precedes it, and it is actually not clearly portrayed in Star Wars but in The Empire Strikes Back. It's called can be referred to as Woman as Temptress, or Temptation away from the true path. Given we were just talking about a woman being the goal of the Hero's Journey, this temptress can also be a woman. Literature and myth are full of stories of the seductive demon or sorcerer who seeks to kill, enslave, or otherwise cause the hero to fail his quest by accepting her as a reward. The Iliad and the Aeneid both have their hero's encounter one (if not dozens) of women just begging the hero to stay with them forever, despite it meaning all sorts of bad things for the hero's friends and family. In Star Wars, however, it is the Dark Side of the Fourth- I mean Force. Now these temptations most obviously occur in the sequels, in Star Wars itself, Luke's temptation is short but intense. Having to watch his mentor, Obi-wan, battle the ultimate evil of the movie, Darth Vader, as well as watching him be slain by said evil, Luke finds himself wanting to avenge Obi-Wan with an intense rage. While brief, Luke's rage leads him to kill several stormtroopers who happened to be between him and Vader, despite the villain marching straight for the heros. It is only Obi-Wan, now "more powerful than [Vader] could possibly imagine," that can push Luke back to the path, urging him to run instead of staying, fighting in vain against a villain that can not yet be conquered.
The next part is also not directly in Star Wars, Atonement with the Father.
Before I go on, I'm going to tell you that if by some stroke of fate you don't know what I'm about to talk about already. Please stop reading. I'm about to ruin one of the best moments for first time viewers of the Star Wars Sage. You have been warned. But seriously, unless you're a toddler, why haven't you seen these movies? They just released a new one! It's great! Go watch them! #ReySkywalker2016
One of Luke's original motivations for going with Obi-Wan is learning more about his father. Obi-Wan tells Luke that he knew him, and even gave him his Father's lightsaber. He also told Luke that Darth Vader 'destroyed' Anakin Skywalker. (Here comes the spoiler) So it isn't until
Last warning
Darth Vader says, "No, I am your father," as Luke hangs by one arm in The Empire Strikes Back, and then after Luke nearly kills Vader in Return of the Jedi, does any sort Atonement occur. Only when Luke defiantly announces to the Emperor, "I am a Jedi, like my father before me," does Luke find atonement with his father, and then again as Vader admits to Luke, "You were right about me," in regards to Luke believing that his father still has good in him. According to Campbell, the atonement does not have to be literally a father and son reconciling. The idea has more to do with whatever holds the most influence over the Hero. For instance, Odysseus reconciling with his wife after being gone for so long. It does often involve beings, however, and does end up commonly being represented by the Hero and someone close to him or her. Here are some of Campbell's exact words on the concept:
"Atonement consists in no more than the abandonment of that self-generated double monster—the dragon thought to be God (superego) and the dragon thought to be Sin (repressed id). But this requires an abandonment of the attachment to ego itself, and that is what is difficult. One must have a faith that the father is merciful, and then a reliance on that mercy. Therewith, the center of belief is transferred outside of the bedeviling god's tight scaly ring, and the dreadful ogres dissolve. It is in this ordeal that the hero may derive hope and assurance from the helpful female figure, by whose magic (pollen charms or power of intercession) he is protected through all the frightening experiences of the father's ego-shattering initiation. For if it is impossible to trust the terrifying father-face, then one's faith must be centered elsewhere (Spider Woman, Blessed Mother); and with that reliance for support, one endures the crisis—only to find, in the end, that the father and mother reflect each other, and are in essence the same. The problem of the hero going to meet the father is to open his soul beyond terror to such a degree that he will be ripe to understand how the sickening and insane tragedies of this vast and ruthless cosmos are completely validated in the majesty of Being. The hero transcends life with its peculiar blind spot and for a moment rises to a glimpse of the source. He beholds the face of the father, understands—and the two are atoned."
After the Atonement comes the Apotheosis, which again occurs in Jedi, and it involves Luke finally going all in on the Jedi business. We see him arrive at the palace of Jabba the Hutt, using the Force to gain an audience with the mighty gangster. We see him calm, focused, and knowing full well what must be done. He has moved on to being a master of his super natural world, in this case the Force, and is ready to return to the physical one, in this case coming to rescue his friend. In some works, this involves either a physical or spiritual death, from which the Hero is then reborn anew with the knowledge or power to complete his goal. Another way one might look at the Apotheosis, then, could be that the deaths of Aunt and Uncle on Tatooine was Luke's Apotheosis, as he decided to become a Jedi from that moment onward.
What follows the Apotheosis is the Ultimate Boon, which is usually the goal of the quest. In the Argonaut legends, one of these is the Golden Fleece which would grant Jason, their leader, a kingship. For Luke, it is the defeat of the Empire, which is represented by the destruction of the Death Star. Twice. Three times if you count Star Killer Base. But I digress. It could also be said that the death of the Emperor is another Ultimate Boon, especially since that was part of the goal of Luke's quest. In some stories, like those of King Arthur, the Boon is something transcendental, like the Holy Grail of Christ. In The Lord of the Rings, that boon is literally peace for the world, achieved by (SPOILER ALERT) destroying the Ring. (Seriously guys that book is almost as old as Star Wars.) Regardless which story you read, the Boon is always the goal of the quest, whether it's slaying the dragon, saving the princess, finding the McGuffin, or saving the world.
The final section of the Journey is The Return, where the Hero goes 'home' with the boon to share it with his world. Now since movies generally End with the Boon, or shortly thereafter, the final section of the Star Wars Hero's Journey gets a shuffled around at the end of the movies. For instance, the first part of The Return is the Refusal of the Return. Mirroring the Refusal of the Call the Hero is now master of his domain, and may not wish to return to the realm of mortals. In Star Wars, that refusal is a bit more emotionally involved. Unwilling to abandon his dying father after finally making nice with the once very evil man that was Darth Vader, Luke nearly refuses to leave the exploding Death Star in order to save his father. Another Refusal of the Return is actually more interesting to think about because it's quite the opposite of a Return. If Luke had stayed with Yoda and completed his training the first time, in Empire, it could be said the power and knowledge he would have attained in that Apotheosis would have done more for the people he is fighting for (everyone not wearing a gray scale uniform for the Empire) than going off to try and save Han and Leia did, and that his Refusal to Stay is his real Refusal of the Return. Essentially, the concept is that the Hero, now with the power/knowledge/item needed to complete his quest, now considers keeping it for himself. Essentially, it is a second temptation to abandon the Hero part of the Journey.
After the Refusal is the Magic Flight. Campbell describes it as necessary for the Hero to have this as part of the Journey if the Boon he sought was something guarded jealously by the powers that be, though it can also be a journey empowered by those he sought to get the boon from. In Star Wars, the Magical Flight is essentially any time a character goes from one world to another, usually care of hyperspace. In particular, the Millennium Falcon is the usual way these characters transport themselves, whether the trip be dangerous or not.
The next part, which is more common that the Flight, is the Rescue from Without. Essentially, the Hero requires assistance from either a supernatural or mundane source in order to recover from the ordeals of the quest. For instance, Lando and Leia saving Luke after his encounter with Vader in Empire, or Han intervening at the last second in Star Wars as Vader was about to fire upon Luke's X-Wing. The idea is that the Hero may be unable or unwilling to return to the natural world, and the world has to come and get him.
The next part of the Journey is Crossing the Return Threshold. Here a hero is meant to overcome the desire to remain in the supernatural world by accepting that the real world is, well, real and the place he belongs. He's meant to bring whatever boon the Gods (or whatever) gave him and share it with the world. But the hero is faced with having to figure out how to share said boon with a world totally wrapped up in it's own quests, which are implied to be self serving as opposed to the Hero's goal for mutual benefit. While a perfect example of this in the original Star Wars trilogy is hard to identify for Luke, one might be when Luke puts his father to rest, leaving behind the power offered by the Dark Side, and joining his friends. Another might be Luke taking the knowledge he gained from Yoda after his death and rejoin his friends in order to help destroy the second Death Star. More traditionally, it can be represented by a hero like Odysseus who must venture into the world of the after life and come back to the realm of the living in order to continue his journey home.
The penultimate part is the Master of Two Worlds. This is when we see Luke, surrounded by friends and comrades, make peace with the ghosts of his fellow Jedi, before leaving them to be present in the celebrations of the living. Essentially, here the Hero has found his place in both worlds, being competent in them as the Hero. Sometimes the Hero ends up in a position to use his boon to help people, either as a king or leader, or in Luke's case, a great teacher. Sadly, if you take into account the Force Awakens, that does not end well, but you can't blame the hero for the weakness of others.
Finally we finish with the Freedom to Live. This is implied to mean a freedom from the fear of death, allowing a person to "live in the moment," something that is pushed for by the Jedi in the prequels. That lack of fear allows a person to live by not having to worry about the future nor the past, and enjoy what's happening to them. This is representative by the heroic victory overall, and not by any particular action. It is an idealistic interpretation of what a successful Heroic Journey's completion is supposed to bring about. Again, referencing The Force Awakens, we know this does not last, and Campbell implies this is fated to happen, thus perpetuating the Journey.
Overall, Campbell's Journey is very prevalent in movies and literature, if you look for it. This has led to no end of criticism of the idea, from it being so vague it lacks meaning to being more interested in making everything seem the same instead of any interesting discussion on the differences. I could write an equally long blog about that, but for today, I wanted to present how Star Wars works with this framework, considering that Lucas actively studied Campbell's work in order to provide a structure for his story to stand on.
Thanks for reading! This is easily my longest post. If you read the whole thing you rock. I am going to be talking some more about Campbell's work, as well as Jung's, in an upcoming post about archetypes. I'll also be discussing what they have to do with my work, specifically. While I am not trying to make my story fit Campbell's model, it will no doubt share in all seventeen parts in some way by the very nature of Campbell's attempt at a universal story model. That said, I am not a slave to Campbell, and will have something interesting due to its own merits. Best wishes!
