Star Wars
The Triumph of Nerd Culture
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- USD 40.99
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- USD 40.99
Descripción editorial
Star Wars: The Triumph of Nerd Culture engagingly reveals how the most popular film franchise of all time sprang from the mind of a deeply insecure nerd, who then inspired and betrayed a generation of fans.
In Star Wars: The Triumph of Nerd Culture, Josef Benson offers an unauthorized and provocative expose of the most popular film franchise of all time. Fueled by George Lucas’s insecurities and a fervent fan-base who felt betrayed when Lucas defiled the original films, Benson presents the conflict between Lucas and Star Wars fans as comparable to the twisted relationship between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. Just as there is a riveting saga within the Star Wars universe that centers on the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker and the redemption of Darth Vader, so too has a saga unfolded in relation to George Lucas and Star Wars fandom.
Star Wars fans both love and hate Star Wars and George Lucas. He is equally responsible for their pleasure and pain. Star Wars:The Triumph of Nerd Culture delves deeper into the Star Wars universe than any book has gone before, including an illuminating look into why Lucas sold Lucasfilm to the Disney Corporation and how the sale affected the franchise. After reading this book, fans will never be able to watch Star Wars in the same way again.
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Benson, a University of Wisconsin Parkside associate professor of English, offers a readable but insubstantial review of George Lucas's work as the creator of the Star Wars series and his place in "nerd culture." At pains to define Lucas as a "nerd," in the sense of being attuned to technology and to science fiction and fantasy at the expense of his ability to interact with other people (and particularly women), Benson traces Lucas's transformation from the nerdy director of avant-garde films like 1971's THX-1138 into the consummate studio mogul who, in 2012, sold his series to Disney for more than $4 billion. In this context, Lucas's protracted battle with Star Wars fans over control of his films' legacy emerges as both a repudiation of his nerdy roots and an all-too-nerdy appeal for attention and affirmation. The accompanying psychologizing of Lucas, unfortunately, is a bit ham-handed, with Benson suggesting that Lucas is essentially asexual, as reflected in the failure of his first marriage, the "genitalia-inspired" design of many of the monsters featured in his films, and even Lucas's use of in-vitro fertilization during his second marriage. Benson's fast-paced look at Lucas's career will have some value for Star Wars fans, but those looking for a nuanced take on his contributions to pop culture will be disappointed.
