Books: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Alexander Freed (2016)

Reading novelizations of movies, for me, was once a great past time. But most, I discovered, were just a translation of the screenplay, with the writer not adding much –if anything- to what was seen on screen. I had always hoped, knowing how films were made, that we see new scenes because to keep a movie flowing, to keep the audience in rapt attention, some scenes are deleted. Novelizations have the ability to not only add those cut scenes (because books don’t have to be linear) back in, but expand the set pieces. Alan Dean Foster did that with the original novelization of Star Wars back in 1977 and again when he penned the book version of The Force Awakens. And for this novel version of the big screen film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Alexander Freed does –more or less- a straight forward work of the screenplay. However, as it’s become aware, Rogue One when through extensive re-shoots which meant that Freed needed to alter his book to fit the screen version. 

Still, we do get a glimpse at what was lost here. It seems clear that Bodhi Rook had a bigger part in the original script, and while that was curtailed back in the re-shoots, some extra stuff has been added to this book. Of course the question is how much is what Freed is just adding to extend the page count and what was part of the film before changes were made? Who knows?

And the while Jyn is on the tower getting ready to send the Death Star plans to Raddus on his ship, the Profundity, the TIE fighter that shows up in the trailers to the film is described here in the book. We also get a clearer –though never spoken- understanding of the relationship between Chirrut and Blaze. Freed dances around the subject, but much like in the film, here in the book it’s sort of obvious that the two were connected in more ways than being brothers in the Ancient Order of the Whills.

Finally, for me, I get a better sense of what I thought was a plot hole with the brief scene of Artoo and C3PO on Yavin 4. Near the end of the film we see R2-D2 and C3P0 in the Rebel base watching the X-Wings leave to fight over Scarif. Threepio and Artoo don’t appear to be leaving so they could be with Princess Leia on Tantive IV at the beginning of A New Hope. I missed it in the film, but Freed clarifies it in the book –they were likely the last to leave the base:

“Intercepted Imperial transmission, ma’am,” the private answered. “Rebels on Scarif.”

Mon Mothma fixed the private with a sober look. “I need to speak to Admiral Raddus,” she said. 

“He’s left already.” The man was almost stammering. “He’s in orbit aboard the Profundity. He’s gone to fight.”

“I see,” she said, and slowly smiled.

Note that he merely left Yavin, and was still in orbit, gathering the forces there at the moment. Then:

“Less than ten minutes later, sirens were announcing the departure of Red, Blue, Green, and Gold Squadrons along with the U-wing transports. Raddus had already contacted all capital ships within range of Yavin or Scarif.”

And as the last transports are filling, she sees R2-D2 and C-3PO going towards tarmac, meaning towards those transports being filled:

“As the last transports began to fill, she turned back to the corridors of the ziggurat and set out for the communications center. She had to step aside for a gold-plated protocol droid and an astromech unit hurrying toward the tarmac, and faintly overheard the former indignantly declare:

‘Scarif? They’re going to Scarif? Why does nobody ever tell me anything, Artoo…?’”

And that meant –and reinforced by the Lucasfilm Story Group recently- that Princess Leia was on Yavin 4 during the events unfolding in Rogue One. And in the novel, her ship was under repairs on Profundity, and not fully completed when she made her escape, custodian of the stolen Death Star plans.  

Books: The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (1972)

When you read Ray Bradbury you know you’re in for a treat. Some tricks as well, but this legendary writer of dark fantasy never disappoints in the treat department. While he wrote a many science fiction novels, it is tales like The Halloween Tree that reminds me of my own Midwestern upbringing in the suburbs of Chicago (me in Hoffman Estates and Bradbury in Waukegan). Bradbury, like a few writers that would follow him(Stephen King and Neil Gaiman in particular), always seemed to obsess, remember, and love his days growing up. Here he found the magic and mystery of childhood, especially at a time when kids had more freedoms, and where TV and the internet were decades away; where adventures of the mind and adventures exploring the unknown mixed together in heady mix of fear and joy. 

And much like 1962's Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Halloween Tree explores the relationship between boys and the harvest month of October. It seems, with this short novel, Bradbury tired to explain, with his trade-mark style of dream-like imagery, what Halloween meant to him. Here he evokes the smells, the sights, and the excitement that this season brought to many boys back in the late 1920s and early 30s –the time he grew up in. He also uses Halloween as a metaphor to explore how children view life and death, how they try to rationalize the sometimes scary fact that kids can face life and death situations when they are still fresh to the world. The Halloween Tree is also an allegorical novel that gives us a better understanding to the secret history to this highly misrepresented holiday. 

“A group of eight boys set out to go trick-or-treating one Halloween night, only to discover that a ninth friend, Pipkin ("the greatest boy who ever lived"), has been whisked away on a journey that could determine whether he lives or dies. Through the help of a mysterious character named Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud, they pursue their friend across time and space through Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Greek, and Roman cultures, Celtic Druidism, Norte Dame Cathedral in medieval Paris, and The Day of the Dead in Mexico. Along the way, they learn the origins of the holiday that they celebrate, and the role that the fear of death, spooks, and the haunts has played in shaping civilization.”

As always, Bradbury’s uses his brilliant prose style to shape a novel using flights of poetic language to induce the reader into a wondrous world of the magic and the macabre; creating a world where the fantastical and the innocence of childhood come alive. By also giving us a look into the origins of Halloween, he shatters the idea that this holiday is really representative of something evil and satanic. 

Interesting to note that Hanna-Barbera produced an animated version of this book back in 1993 (which won a 1994 Emmy for animation). It was written and narrated by Bradbury himself and starred Leeonard Nimoy as Moundshroud.

Books: The Paladin Caper (Rogues of the Republic #3) by Patrick Weekes (2015)

“Loch and her crew are determined to stop the ancients from returning to reclaim the world they once ruled, but a kidnapped friend throws their plans awry. When a desperate rescue turns into a shocking reunion, the ancients return and seize power. Determined to stop them, Loch and the crew look for a way to close the gate to the ancients’ world, but this time, they find themselves up against an enemy that has insinuated itself into the highest ranks of the Republic. Cruel, cunning, and connected, the ancients target the crew’s families and histories, threatening to tear friendships apart.If that weren’t bad enough, Loch must deal with her treacherous assassin sister, her turncoat ancient friend, and a daemon who has sworn to hunt her to the ends of the earth. In order to save the Republic and pull off her largest con ever, Loch will need her friends…and maybe her enemies too.”

In what could be (though I doubt) the final book in this series, author Patrick Weekes saves the best for last. Even though the book has a tendency to bounce around like ADD kid locked in a sugar factory, the story and the characters evolve. Of course, after three books, I might have finally just used to his style of writing. Still, I enjoyed the books, with its daring Indiana Jones adventures and snarky, sometimes self-aware heroes who are as flawed as much as they’re awful damn lucky and clever.

The overall arc of the series was well thought out –nothing seemed really out of place here. He dropped just enough hints and ideas that enabled the set pieces to flow without stopping the narrative to from falling into long, bloated info-dumping explanations.  

Once again I must note the diverse cast of characters Weekes has created here, something not seen in fantasy. And like the science fiction genre where modern problems are used in future settings, Weekes weaves a subtle commentary on racism. Also refreshing is the mutual respect of sexual relationships with the various characters. There is no slut shaming as well as no one batting an eye at any of the pairings, including the same sex ones. 

Even though I’ve grown to have a love/hate relationship with series novels, I do hope Weekes plans to continue writing about these characters. They’re fun to be around and this rag-tag group of thieves, former killers, and hooligans appear to be more interesting than anything Robert Jordan ever created.