Interpreting Star Wars

Upon its initial release in 1977, many critics regarded Star Wars as a childish retort to the mature American cinema of the seventies. Though full of sound and fury, some felt that it signified nothing. Four decades later, the significations are multiple as interpretations of the film's strange imagery and metaphoric potential continue to pile up. Interpreting Star Wars analyses and contextualises the dominant trends in Star Wars interpretation from the earliest reviews, through Lucasfilm's attempts to use its position as copyright holder to promote a single meaning, to the 21st century where the internet has rendered such authorial control impossible and new entries to the canon present new twists on old hopes.

Despite the insatiable public appetite for all things Star Wars, the more analytical side of the saga is all too often ignored. This book offers a new way of seeing George Lucas’ space opera—particularly the prequel trilogy, a series never given a fair chance because of constant comparisons to the iconic originals. In the classic style of Joseph Campbell, the trilogy is viewed through the lens of myth and metaphor, revealing a body of work not only worthy of scholarly study but perhaps destined to find therein its home. A wide variety of philosophical and mythological themes are presented and expounded upon, drawing from a rich source of scholars, thinkers, writers, and poets from East and West alike. Heretical or not, the Star Wars prequels are a surprisingly rich source of insight into the saga—as well as the human drama—as a whole.

Read along with Star Wars! Luke Skywalker does some fast flying as he protects Hoth's rebel base from the Empire. This level 1 early reader retells classic scenes from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back as the rebels face off against the Empires dreaded mechanical AT-ATs. Featuring beautiful full-color illustrations and word for word narration, this World of Reading book is perfect for little Star Wars fans who are ready to read on their own.

The Force is strong with this series! Introducing a line of workbooks that marries the iconic popularity of Star Wars with the unique mix of editorial quality, fun presentation, and rigorous educational standards that Workman applied to the BRAIN QUEST Workbooks. Twelve titles launch the seriesÑthree each for Pre-K through 2nd GradeÑand dig deep into core subjects, including numbers, ABCs, phonics, and reading readiness for younger grades, and math, reading, and writing for the older ones. The material, which aligns with national Common Core State Standards, is designed to reinforce essential concepts and lessons taught in schools. Any child, not just fans of Star WarsÑbut yes, those fans will be especially delighted (as will reluctant learners)Ñwill love the ÒAÓ is for Anakin approach to phonics. Kids will practice learning numbers by counting and circling X-wing starfighters and clone troopers. Master place values by sorting groups of Wookiees. There are math problemsÑYoda is holding 7 lightsabers. 5 of the lightsabers are blue. The rest are green. How many green lightsabers is he holding? And Language ArtsÑCircle the correct homophone in this sentence: Luke is a Jedi knight/night. Featuring favorite characters like Luke Skywalker, Queen Amidala, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and other creatures, monsters, Jedi, and Sith, the workbooks are filled with thousands of original illustrations drawing from all six Star Wars movies and the expanded Star Wars universe. Learn well, you will.

Read along with Star Wars! C-3PO and R2D2 must keep Darth Vader from discovering the Rebels' secret plans! This fully-illustrated level 1 reader retells the classic scenes from A New Hope where the droids crash land on the desert planet of Tatooine and meet a young farmer named Luke. Follow along with word-for-word narration and join the adventure!

“A Planet for Rent is the English-language debut of Yoss, one of Cuba's most lauded writers of science fiction. Translated by David Frye, these linked stories craft a picture of a dystopian future: Aliens called xenoids have invaded planet Earth, and people are looking to flee the economically and socially bankrupt remains of human civilization. Yoss' smart and entertaining novel tackles themes like prostitution, immigration and political corruption. Ultimately, it serves as an empathetic yet impassioned metaphor for modern-day Cuba, where the struggle for power has complicated every facet of society” —NPR, Best Books of 2015 Out of the modern-day dystopia of Cuba comes an instant classic from the island’s most celebrated science fiction author: a raucous tale of a future in which a failing Earth is at the mercy of powerful capitalist alien colonizers. In A Planet for Rent, Yoss critiques life under Castro in the ‘90s by drawing parallels with a possible Earth of the not-so-distant future. Wracked by economic and environmental problems, the desperate planet is rescued, for better or worse, by alien colonizers, who remake the planet as a tourist destination. Ruled over by a brutal interstellar bureaucracy, dispossessed humans seek better lives via the few routes available—working for the colonial police; eking out a living as black marketeers, drug dealers, or artists; prostituting themselves to exploitative extraterrestrial visitors—or they face the cold void of space in rickety illegal ships. This inventive book marks the English-language debut of an astonishingly brave and imaginative Latin American voice.

Discover hundreds of stormtrooper helmet designs with a deluxe art book, and customize your own unique helmet with this collector’s set! In 2014, creatives from Lucasfilm, Disney, Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar, and Marvel Studios joined forces for an incredible artistic endeavor, the Star Wars Legion project. The task was simple—decorate, adorn, or transform a blank, vinyl stormtrooper helmet—but the result was extraordinary, with artists creating more than 200 radically unique helmets that were put on display at the Robert Vargas Gallery in 2014. Now, you can experience the Star Wars Legion project through a deluxe art book showcasing incredible helmet designs, and a customizable stormtrooper helmet. • BE INSPIRED BY MORE THAN 200 HELMET DESIGNS: Includes a deluxe, hardcover photography book that showcases the hundreds of stunning helmet designs created for the Legion project. • EXERCISE YOUR CREATIVITY: This collector’s kit includes a blank helmet, based on the stormtrooper design from the beloved television show Star Wars Rebels, which is ready for customization, display, or even signing at conventions. • THE PERFECT GIFT FOR STAR WARS FANS: A great value for fans of any age, this kit is the perfect way to celebrate the boundless inventiveness of the Star Wars galaxy. • COMPLETE YOUR STAR WARS COLLECTION: This kit stands alongside fan-favorite Star Wars books, including Star Wars: The Life Day Cookbook, Star Wars: The Secrets of the Sith, and Star Wars: The Lightsaber Collection.

Read along with Star Wars! Search Your Feelings continues Katie Cook's adorable run of Star Wars primers for young Padawans. Featuring poems and art about different emotions that tie to iconic moments from across the Star Wars saga, this is the perfect book to add to a youngling's growing library.