Abrams Directing Star Wars

[DalekJim]

sojourner wrote:

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Yes, yes it is. When you can point to a sample set substantially larger than your friends, you might have some ground to stand on.

Uh, OK. Well, I personally believe that due to the popularity of TV and film, as well as the online digital revolution, our country's priority has shifted vastly away from reading printed books.

Apparently this is a controversial view that you take issue with, so I'll add a disclaimer saying this is only my opinion. It also happens to be backed up by the slump in printed book sales that increases per year but otherwise it's just like my opinion, man.

[Nagisa Furukawa]

DalekJim wrote:

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You're very lucky. I'm in the same boat but I have atrocious social skills and am therefore fair game for abuse. You have like... the best of both worlds by being autistic and being able to function socially with no problems at all.

Well on the downside, I'm damn near sociopathic in my ability to empathize with other human beings, even if I've gotten quite good at faking it to the extent that other people think I can. Social skills are simply a necessary tool to survive in the outside world, much as having a knife and a first aid kit would be in the jungle.

sojourner wrote:

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Yes, yes it is. When you can point to a sample set substantially larger than your friends, you might have some ground to stand on.

Even if he's wrong, that still doesn't make it an opinion. If I said, "the sky is made of purple condoms," it'd be wrong, but it wouldn't be my opinion. Saying "In my opinion, the sky is made of purple condoms" would be wrong AND I'd look like a git for saying it's my opinion what color the sky is and what it's made of.

[CorporalCaptain]

DalekJim wrote:

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Well, that would contradict the EU, which I think should be respected even if most fans are illiterate and too lazy to follow it. Contradicting the Thrawn trilogy would be a pretty dumb way of trying to win fans over. It's as beloved as the original trilogy, even by those that don't like Star Wars books.

Yeah, this idea has been fairly well put to rest by others this afternoon, from a variety of angles. The idea that fans are illiterate is a non-starter; fans of the films may read, but just read other things besides EU stuff. I'm a huge fan of the films, but most of the EU stuff doesn't interest me. Yet I read. A lot.

Also, there's this: If fans of the films are generally illiterate as you say, then there must not be a lot of EU fans to win over anyway. The smart money would be to win over the "non-fans," which is another point others have raised already.

DalekJim wrote:

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Well, I'd say the majority of readers were satisfied by Zahn's trilogy and the fact everybody in this thread knows which books I'm talking about when this isn't even a Star Wars forum proves their popularity.

No it doesn't. Familiarity doesn't prove popularity, not at all. Just because fans might keep their ears to the ground to keep abreast of what's out there, that doesn't mean they actually like it.

Practically every Star Trek fan has heard of Plato's Stepchildren, because it's been heralded for the interracial kiss scene, but that doesn't make that a popular episode. Similar remarks apply to Spock's Brain.

[DalekJim]

CorporalCaptain wrote:

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No it doesn't. Familiarity doesn't prove popularity, not at all. Just because fans might keep their ears to the ground to keep abreast of what's out there, that doesn't mean they actually like it.

Practically every Star Trek fan has heard of Plato's Stepchildren, because it's been heralded for the interracial kiss scene, but that doesn't make that a popular episode. Similar remarks apply to Spock's Brain.

This is a Star TREK forum where everybody in this thread has heard of or read the Thrawn trilogy and knows who Thrawn is. Go and start a thread on TheForce.Net asking people what Plato's Stepchildren is. None of them would have any idea what it was.

That is the point I'm trying to make. None of you can say Thrawn is entirely unheard of outside Star Wars fandom when this is the opposite camp and all of us know what it is. Do you seriously think this many Star Wars fans could name a single piece of Star Trek literature?

Not to mention the argument that not adapting a book because it isn't popular makes no sense. The Thrawn trilogy were best sellers. There are huge, hit movies based on far more obscure books.

I think discounting the entire EU yet keeping The Phantom Menace as part of the canon is the wrong way to go about it.

[BillJ]

DalekJim wrote:

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Not by the public obviously, but they hate books in general. With fans the Thrawn trilogy are universally loved. At school like 5 other people in my class had read 'em. More than had read Lord of the Rings.

I'm a fan and I couldn't get more than a couple hundred pages into Heir to the Empire.

It was incredibly dull and I read a lot.

[cooleddie74]

Now Shadows of the Empire....there's a terrific SW novel.

[DalekJim]

cooleddie74 wrote:

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Now Shadows of the Empire....there's a terrific SW novel.

I like the comic and the game but the book is just.... functional? Xizor was pretty bland and forgettable in comparison to Thrawn.

[sojourner]

Contrary to common belief in this thread "Star Trek fan" and "Star Wars fan" are not mutually exclusive labels.

[YARN]

sojourner wrote:

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Contrary to common belief in this thread "Star Trek fan" and "Star Wars fan" are not mutually exclusive labels.

Of course, not. It's just that there are a lot more Star Wars fans and they take less notice of Trek than Trek fans take of Star Wars. At least, this appears to the be point that DalekJim appears to be making.

[King Daniel into Darkness]

cooleddie74 wrote:

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It's beloved among the books. Saying it's as beloved as the big screen Original Trilogy is an exaggeration in the extreme. Apples and oranges.

If you want to talk novelized SW literature that's had an impact on the overall Lucas universe over the last twenty years then you might have a point. But saying the Thrawn Trilogy books are as cherished as The Empire Strikes Back?

[Will Smith] HELL, naw. [/Will Smith]

Tie-in novels are read by approximately 2% of the fanbase.

(this fact courtesy of Greg Cox)

It may mean as much to them as the OT (just as many Trek novels hold as dearer place in my mind as the very best episodes and movies) but to the world at large? Nu uh.

[DalekJim]

Nagisa Furukawa wrote:

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Well on the downside, I'm damn near sociopathic in my ability to empathize with other human beings, even if I've gotten quite good at faking it to the extent that other people think I can. Social skills are simply a necessary tool to survive in the outside world, much as having a knife and a first aid kit would be in the jungle.

I'm so lucky to have befriended a real life Patrick Bateman online . Complete with Genesis signature .

Myself, I just find it hard to interact with people. I can write really well and am getting excellent grades at university but sometimes simple things like a phone call can be nigh on impossible.

King Daniel wrote:

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It may mean as much to them as the OT (just as many Trek novels hold as dearer place in my mind as the very best episodes and movies) but to the world at large? Nu uh.

Yeah, I did specify that I meant geeks. The wider audience wouldn't know what the fuck those books were about.

[M'Sharak]

DalekJim wrote:

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This is a Star TREK forum where everybody in this thread has heard of or read the Thrawn trilogy and knows who Thrawn is. Go and start a thread on TheForce.Net asking people what Plato's Stepchildren is. None of them would have any idea what it was.

That is the point I'm trying to make. None of you can say Thrawn is entirely unheard of outside Star Wars fandom when this is the opposite camp and all of us know what it is.

I've heard of it by way of hanging around this place, but I've never read it and haven't the vaguest notion of what it's about (other than it's something Star Wars and some people have said they thought it was good.)

However, we at least seem finally to be sort of lurching back in the general direction of the topic, so keep that up, everyone.

[Nagisa Furukawa]

DalekJim wrote:

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I'm so lucky to have befriended a real life Patrick Bateman online . Complete with Genesis signature .

For nobody would understand! And you kill what FEAAAR! AND YOU FEEAAAR WHAT YOU dooon't uuuunderstand.

[DalekJim]

Nagisa Furukawa wrote:

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For nobody would understand! And you kill what FEAAAR! AND YOU FEEAAAR WHAT YOU dooon't uuuunderstand.

The Second's Out version of Supper's Ready is pretty much as good as music gets.

M'Sharak wrote:

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However, we at least seem finally to be sort of lurching back in the general direction of the topic, so keep that up, everyone.

Yeah, I'm kinda burnt out on that discussion. I don't see how it matters if the books are famous or not? I just think they're a great basis for a new trilogy. Audiences don't have to have read them to enjoy an adaptation.

[Nero's Shadow]

I'm happy with JJ decision to direct Star Wars episode 7 I was a bit shocked on Disney taken over the franchise and was a bit un interested but it's lifted my eyebrow like Spock so good luck to him and his cast and crew.

Also he did pick some really good actors for the Star Trek reboot and hopefully fingers crossed the next movie will be amazing !! And hopefully he will have time to direct the 3rd film !!!