one FRICKING shelf

[Leroy]

The bookstores I go to (the ones that haven't folded) there is at least one full shelf and maybe a half shelf of Star Trek and no less than 4 shelves devoted to Star Wars. The reason Star Wars is going stronger right now is the franchise has had some recent movies (with debatable quality) a cartoon on TV and a toyline that hasn't stopped since the mid-90's. All Trek has had is a couple of obscure TV shows on a network (UPN) that nobody got and no toys in stores. I don't think the quality of the books has anything to do with it since there is a lot of goofy stuff in some of those Star Wars books like the story where IG-88 uploaded his brain into the Death Star before it exploded.

 

[TerriO]

SW books sell better than ST books because everyone on Earth has seen a STAR WARS movie . . . even the ones that aren't very good.

See, I knew I was on the wrong planet. I have not once seen any Star Wars movie. I've seen maybe about 10 minutes worth of one of them once at some family's house when I was little. I've said for about 4+ years now that one day I will watch all of them to see what all the fuss is about, but I have yet to do that. And someday that day may come. I'm not in any particular hurry though.

I admit I was shocked the other day to discover that my next door neighbors had no idea who "Yoda" was. Of course, they're in their eighties, but even still . . . .

But, you live in Amish central, Greg.

 

[Steve Roby]

See, I knew I was on the wrong planet. I have not once seen any Star Wars movie. I've seen maybe about 10 minutes worth of one of them once at some family's house when I was little. I've said for about 4+ years now that one day I will watch all of them to see what all the fuss is about, but I have yet to do that. And someday that day may come. I'm not in any particular hurry though.

Interesting. I can understand someone who's interested in Star Trek not liking Star Wars once they've experienced it, but not having any interest at all? That seems kind of odd. Even if you don't like it, Star Wars is all over the world of pop culture of the last 32 years, influencing everything from hiphop to video games to Star Trek. It changed movies and it changed the public's perception of science fiction. I don't think Star Wars as a whole is anywhere near as good as its hardcore fans think, but there's no denying its importance. And the first movie is a lot of fun. (I like the original Star Wars better than The Empire Strikes Back, which seems to be the favourite of the critics and the fans, because Empire begins the simultaneous and yet seemingly contradictory twin downward spirals of Star Wars: throwing in cutesiness (Yoda the funny-talking muppet) while taking itself way too seriously.)

 

[LightningStorm]

Interesting. I can understand someone who's interested in Star Trek not liking Star Wars once they've experienced it, but not having any interest at all? That seems kind of odd.

Oh I have an interest, just not a very pressing one.

Because of the prevalence of the franchise, I do know quite a lot about it as well as its importance to pop culture. Hell I'd go so far as to say Star Wars isn't just "pop-culture" anymore, but has in fact become a big part of American Culture and history in general.

But yeah, every time I think about watching Star Wars it's because someone has said or pointed out something I think sounds VERY interesting but then just as quick something is pointed out that sounds terrible. So I plan to eventually get there and finally make the decision for myself whether it's good or bad, but I'm not in any hurry, what with all the good current movies/TV/books that keep coming out.

 

[Marie1]

SW books sell better than ST books because everyone on Earth has seen a STAR WARS movie . . . even the ones that aren't very good.

See, I knew I was on the wrong planet. I have not once seen any Star Wars movie. I've seen maybe about 10 minutes worth of one of them once at some family's house when I was little. I've said for about 4+ years now that one day I will watch all of them to see what all the fuss is about, but I have yet to do that. And someday that day may come. I'm not in any particular hurry though.

If Space is having a marathon showing them all, maybe SciFi will too?

But yeah, I've read one or two youth SWs that were pretty good... but overall, I prefer to think that only movies #4-6 happened, and that's it. ST on the other hand...

 

[Karnbeln]

If Space is having a marathon showing them all, maybe SciFi will too?

I think Spike tends to show at least one a week.

 

[Paris]

Interesting. I can understand someone who's interested in Star Trek not liking Star Wars once they've experienced it, but not having any interest at all? That seems kind of odd.

Oh I have an interest, just not a very pressing one.

Because of the prevalence of the franchise, I do know quite a lot about it as well as its importance to pop culture. Hell I'd go so far as to say Star Wars isn't just "pop-culture" anymore, but has in fact become a big part of American Culture and history in general.

But yeah, every time I think about watching Star Wars it's because someone has said or pointed out something I think sounds VERY interesting but then just as quick something is pointed out that sounds terrible. So I plan to eventually get there and finally make the decision for myself whether it's good or bad, but I'm not in any hurry, what with all the good current movies/TV/books that keep coming out.

Don't anyone spoil the infamous "kiss" from Empire ! She'll never see it coming

 

[Greg Cox]

I admit I was shocked the other day to discover that my next door neighbors had no idea who "Yoda" was. Of course, they're in their eighties, but even still . . . .

But, you live in Amish central, Greg.

This is true.

Buggies, warp speed ahead!

 

[Paris]

^Does that mean you can get a discount on those kick-ass fireplaces ?

 

[Greg Cox]

Don't know about the furnaces, but the lemonade is good . . . .

 

[LightningStorm]

Don't anyone spoil the infamous "kiss" from Empire ! She'll never see it coming

"He".

I know, the Storm avatar throws people.

 

[Paris]

Don't anyone spoil the infamous "kiss" from Empire ! She'll never see it coming

"He".

I know, the Storm avatar throws people.

Sorry about that dude. You thought right...the avatar threw me.

 

[Christopher]

(I like the original Star Wars better than The Empire Strikes Back, which seems to be the favourite of the critics and the fans, because Empire begins the simultaneous and yet seemingly contradictory twin downward spirals of Star Wars: throwing in cutesiness (Yoda the funny-talking muppet) while taking itself way too seriously.)

Hey -- Yoda is not cutesy. He's also not a Muppet. A Muppet is a particular type of puppet creation, an abstract or caricatured figure of fairly simple design based in felt and foam and intended for comedy. By Henson definitions, Yoda is a creature.

And TESB is better than the original movie for a simple reason: George Lucas wrote the first movie, while Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan wrote TESB. That means it has better dialogue and better characterization.

 

[Paris]

(I like the original Star Wars better than The Empire Strikes Back, which seems to be the favourite of the critics and the fans, because Empire begins the simultaneous and yet seemingly contradictory twin downward spirals of Star Wars: throwing in cutesiness (Yoda the funny-talking muppet) while taking itself way too seriously.)

Hey -- Yoda is not cutesy. He's also not a Muppet. A Muppet is a particular type of puppet creation, an abstract, caricatured figure of fairly simple design based in felt and foam and intended for comedy. By Henson definitions, Yoda is a creature.

And TESB is better than the original movie for a simple reason: George Lucas wrote the first movie, while Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan wrote TESB. That means it has better dialogue and better characterization.

Exactly. The two best films out of the six, IMO, are TESB and TROTJ. What do they have in common? Neither are written or directed by Lucas.

 

[ronny]

Exactly. The two best films out of the six, IMO, are TESB and TROTJ. What do they have in common? Neither are written or directed by Lucas.

I've always thought Lucas forgot that fact when he made the last three movies...

I consider Lucas more of a producer than a director or writer. He directed 3 movies including Star Wars in the 70's and didn't direct another movie until Phantom Menace in '99. Most of his writing credits are for "story" instead of screenplay.

Maybe he's like Roddenberry. Great vision but probably the guy you don't want actually writing a lot of the scripts...

 

[Steve Roby]

Hey -- Yoda is not cutesy.

He's not cutesy in the same way E.T. is not cutesy. Which is to say, he's cutesy. He's the first step on the road that led to Jar-Jar Binks.

And TESB is better than the original movie for a simple reason: George Lucas wrote the first movie, while Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan wrote TESB. That means it has better dialogue and better characterization.

Yes, I'm aware of who Brackett and Kasdan are. TESB has better dialogue, and some characterization. It also, imho, has a lot less pure fun and adventure.

 

[Christopher]

Hey -- Yoda is not cutesy.

He's not cutesy in the same way E.T. is not cutesy. Which is to say, he's cutesy. He's the first step on the road that led to Jar-Jar Binks.

E.T. is just plain hideous. As for Yoda, he's dignified. They modelled his face on Albert Einstein. And like Einstein, he has a sense of humor about himself.

TESB has better dialogue, and some characterization. It also, imho, has a lot less pure fun and adventure.

True. The first two films are the best in different ways. The first is the best popcorn movie, while the second is the best piece of writing. To each one's own.

 

[Roberto]

My local Chapters book store has a ton of sci-fi books on hand and many of them are Trek titles.

 

[RobertScorpio]

My local Chapters book store has a ton of sci-fi books on hand and many of them are Trek titles.

Well...I just went there again last night. Same thing. One shelf in a sea of SW shelves. Not one kid was reading a star trek book. (They love to sit in the aisle and read). They were all reading TWILITE the book or STAR WARS books.

I did take out some of the books and put them on the shelves so as the covers could be seen.

I did notice a couple new hardback TREK books in the 'new scifi' section. Something with the Corp of Engineers and another one I couldn't remember. The best thing? They had those two new hardback books right next to the calender section. So you know me. I put the MAXIM calender right next to the STAR TREK books. But then I got to thinking? And I put the CONSTRUCTION MEN calender there too. You got to work the crowd. And since most the young teens were reading TWILITE, I decide to throw them some eye candy too..

Rob

 

[Therin of Andor]

I did notice a couple new hardback TREK books in the 'new scifi' section. Something with the Corp of Engineers...

Trade sized paperback, not hardcover.