For a long time now, I’ve been toying with the idea of creating a blog: a place to put all my thoughts and ideas concerning fantasy, sci-fi, and everything geeky. Up until now, that’s all it was, an idea. Something for me to put off, never get round to, I mean – I’ve got better things to do, don’t I?

Well, it seems anger is a greater motivator than most (although I doubt Yoda would feel the same way). And so here I am, with what I suppose is an open letter to the Star Wars fandom.

The year I became a Star Wars fan was 2002. I was 6 years old. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones was in theatres, and one day at school, my best friend stumped over to me, and asked the question, “Would Count Dooku beat Mace Windu in a fight?”

Well, I didn’t have a clue what he was on about. But 6 year old me had to know everything. So I answered that Count Dooku would win.

“Count Dooku has a bendy lightsabre handle,” my friend informed me.

“Light saver?”

“Like this,” my friend grasped something invisible in his hand, a sword maybe. “Tcheeeeung!” He waved this invisible sword around with many a Vooom Vooom Ctuuuung!

I think I saw the film the next day.

I was hooked. Everything about Star Wars; the lightsabres, the ships, the Force. My young mind was well and truly blown. Nothing could be as good as this. Nothing. I soon became an expert, watching the films religiously. I went back and watched The Phantom Menace, which my gran had on VHS. At some point, I saw the originals, A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi. In 2005, I saw Episode III: Revenge of the Sith at the cinema. Up until that point, I’d never seen anything as good in on the big screen.

I loved Star Wars, I still do, and I’m always gonna.

Of course, I’m older now. I read a lot, mostly fantasy and sci-fi, and those early years of religiously watching Star Wars probably had a lot to do with it. The galaxy far, far away is huge. There’s so much in it. It was my first encounter with world-building, before I even knew what world building was. I write too, short stories, piecing together a novel bit by bit, but my first attempt at writing was Star Wars too. I did comic books, sometimes with the characters from the movies, sometimes entirely new stories, based around me and my friends – we’d be Jedi, Sith, bounty hunters.

Star Wars inspired me to write.

Well, I’ve digressed a bit there, but nevermind!

I’m older, and it takes more than flashy lights, well-choreographed battles, or rousing symphonies to blow my mind. Plot, character arcs, dialogue, theme…these are what keep me up at night now!

And, as you’ve no doubt heard others say, the prequel trilogy is found lacking when it comes to the writing. The plot is half-baked (Episode I), the pacing is all over the place (Episode II), the dialogue is at times cringe-worthy (another point for Episode II here I’m afraid), the characters are robotic with little in the way of arcs (especially true in Episode I).

In a three-part story, it is important to let things stew away nicely for the entire piece. Characters are set up, developed, and reach an end-game which should be consistent with everything that’s come before. Take Padme Amidala in the prequels; set up as a queen, a diplomat, the consummate politician fighting for what is right, and willing to truly fight for it! Her dialogue is mostly ropey, of course, but Padme is a truly badass character in the first two episodes. When we reach Episode III, she is undercut massively, reduced to a pregnant woman who Anakin must save. And Episode III is the good one!

I have many more criticisms of the prequels. The point I’m trying to make though, is about something greater. I love these films. I love the prequels. They got me into Star Wars as a child, and they are perhaps more dear to me than any other set of films or books. Harry Potter came later for me, Lord of the Rings later still, Game of Thrones (the show and the books) was my teenage obsession.

I can separate my criticisms of the films, from the overall love I have for the franchise.

In a big way, Star Wars made me the person I am today. Writers, whether it be George Lucas, J.J. Abrams, or Rian Johnson, are intent on making movies that inspire, that make us punch the air in delight, that make us applaud, weep, that bring our hearts into our mouths with fear, or else drop them into our stomachs with shock. The actors who bring our favourite characters to life are in the mind’s eye of children all over the world, who wish to be Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Obi Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala, Mace Windu, Rey, Kylo Ren, Finn. (The final scene in The Last Jedi came unexpectedly to my mind as I wrote this sentence.)

This is a noble pursuit.

Which makes it all the more bewildering, depressing and, quite honestly, pathetic, that these writers, directors, and actors are being engulfed in a deluge of slime-ridden filth from some within the fandom. There is an enormous difference between criticism and hate. No critique you have of a movie should lead to the hurling of the kind of abuse that’s been going on.

Today, Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks in the prequels, revealed he considered suicide over the reaction to the character. Kelly Marie Tran, the actress behind Rose Tico in The Last Jedi, has withdrawn from social media due to racist and misogynist abuse.

Quite honestly, there is a dark underbelly to the Star Wars fandom. And it is sickening. Movies that are made to produce so much happiness, to inspire the young, to transport the old back to their childhood, should not suffer this dark affliction. We, who are Star Wars fans, who love and cherish this franchise, must now shout louder.

Anger and hate, the vilification of hardworking people, abuse of any kind; this is not what the Star Wars fandom is about. We who are rational, open-minded people, who understand there can be debate without name-calling, criticism without abuse, must now stand up and be counted. I believe it’s time that the quiet Star Wars fan came to the fore.

This is why I’ve finally stepped into the blogging world, more than ready to put my thoughts and ideas to any who of you who wish to hear them. Everything I do on here will be in the spirit of fair-mindedness and open discussion. Whether the topic is Star Wars, fantasy and sci-fi reviews, movie talk, or just general discussions, I’m hoping that positivity and reasonableness can shine a light on the wretched hive of scum and villainy that exist in other places across the internet.  

Along the way, maybe we can even win back our fandom…

JM Hughes