Star Wars: Death Star
by Michael Reaves, Steve Perry | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
ISBN: 9780345477439 Global Overview for this book
ISBN: 9780345477439 Global Overview for this book
Registered by 
GoryDetails
of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 6/12/2021
This book is in a Controlled Release!
GoryDetails of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 6/12/2021 This book is in a Controlled Release!
1 journaler for this copy...
I got this paperback from an online seller, intrigued at the concept: a tale of the events of the "Star Wars" films from the viewpoint of the workers and crew of the Death Star!
Given that we know what happens to the Death Star it might seem a bit bleak meeting all those doomed characters - but it turns out that some of them do manage to get away. Apparently a battle station this size with more than a million sentient beings aboard is going to be a hotbed of rumor and conspiracy, and while many of the soldiers, slaves, spies, loyalists, and others are too busy with their own pursuits to worry too much about the plans of the great ones, quite a few are very much interested indeed... We get to meet a number of people whose places on the Death Star range from lowly grunt to the guy who activates the destructive beam (and oh, does that guy feel guilty about it), with some seeking personal vengeance for lost loved ones, others gradually coming to realize that the Empire they work for is doing some Very Bad Things, and a few who just really, really want to get away. How their paths intersect, which alliances form and why, and which characters manage to escape make up the majority of the plot, with lots of side bits showing the events from the film as they would have appeared to the people on the Death Star. (Not surprisingly, the thing is so vast that most people barely registered that there was any kind of attack, which... was probably a mercy.) About the only time we get to see the main characters from the film up close, it's when Darth Vader is meeting Obi Wan for their last battle, and we're given a look at his thought processes. But, you know, I liked that; the book's purpose really is to put us in the shoes of the people who, voluntarily or otherwise (and it's mostly "otherwise") have had to risk their lives building the thing.
[There's a TV Tropes page on the book, with some entertaining tidbits - and links to other pages about the films and other expansions of the franchise.]
Given that we know what happens to the Death Star it might seem a bit bleak meeting all those doomed characters - but it turns out that some of them do manage to get away. Apparently a battle station this size with more than a million sentient beings aboard is going to be a hotbed of rumor and conspiracy, and while many of the soldiers, slaves, spies, loyalists, and others are too busy with their own pursuits to worry too much about the plans of the great ones, quite a few are very much interested indeed... We get to meet a number of people whose places on the Death Star range from lowly grunt to the guy who activates the destructive beam (and oh, does that guy feel guilty about it), with some seeking personal vengeance for lost loved ones, others gradually coming to realize that the Empire they work for is doing some Very Bad Things, and a few who just really, really want to get away. How their paths intersect, which alliances form and why, and which characters manage to escape make up the majority of the plot, with lots of side bits showing the events from the film as they would have appeared to the people on the Death Star. (Not surprisingly, the thing is so vast that most people barely registered that there was any kind of attack, which... was probably a mercy.) About the only time we get to see the main characters from the film up close, it's when Darth Vader is meeting Obi Wan for their last battle, and we're given a look at his thought processes. But, you know, I liked that; the book's purpose really is to put us in the shoes of the people who, voluntarily or otherwise (and it's mostly "otherwise") have had to risk their lives building the thing.
[There's a TV Tropes page on the book, with some entertaining tidbits - and links to other pages about the films and other expansions of the franchise.]
I'm adding this to the Science Fiction bookbox (bookbox journal here), which will be on its way to its next stop soon. Enjoy!
*** Released for the 2021 Science Fiction challenge. ***
*** Released for the 2021 Science Fiction challenge. ***
