posted
While watching the Empire Strikes Back with a friend I was startled to learn a little bit of trivia (which will probably become much more widely known if it is mentioned on the new dvds). Apparently, "Luke I am your father" was originally "Obi-wan killed your father" or something along those lines. Being the storyteller I am, I instantly started thinking about where the movies would have gone if the line had stayed like that. It was an interesting little thought process that might actually have some good possibilities in the world of the story.
Is this something I should bother thinking more about or is it too close to "fan-fiction" and something that I should avoid? I think it could definitely make for a more fulfilling moral conflict in Luke.
posted
Actually, it was always "Luke, I am your father."
The thing is that secrecy was so tight that they didn't even tell the guy playing Darth Vader what the real line would be. So in the original footage, you actually have Darth Vader say (in a funny Scottish tenor, no less), "Obi-wan killed your father." Everyone on set thought that was the line, there were only three people that knew the truth. Lucas, some other guy, and Mufasa.
posted
From the rumors I've heard, The "Obi-wan killed your father" line almost has a basis of truth.
***POSSIBLE SPOILER*** But I am pretty sure that most Star Wars fans have already heard this.
It is rumored in episode three Obi-Wan throws Aniken into a lava pit or something to that effect. Thus, the need for Aniken to become the robot/man called Darth Vader. The Lava destroys his body except for his head and spine, and possibly a few other things. The Emperor saves what's left of him and makes his new body and life support. I think that Obi-wan may even think he has killed Aniken.
This is what I heard, but I'm sure there are several people out there who could clarify this better.
I would think it would be too close to fanfiction. Not that fanfiction is all bad. It's writing practice, after all. And if that's where your imagination is going, and you can't get it out of your head, it might be best just to write it and get it out of your system.
In the fanfic circles what you're describing would be called an AU--Alternate Universe. But still a fanfic.
posted
Agreeing with djvdakota that's it's fanfic, but that there's nothing wrong with fanfic. A number of authors have come up through the fanfic line of things-- Diane Duane through Star Trek IIRC; a number of the other Star Trek novelists who wrote fanfic and then authorized novels and then original fic; Laura Anne Gilman, who was a fanfic writer in the X-Files fandom and I believe the Buffy fandom (I know she's written authorized Buffy novels) and now is branching out into original fic; and a number of others, up to more recent authors like Cassandra Claire, a major fanfic author in the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings fandoms who recently landed an agent for her original work. It's good practice-- writing is always good practice for writing.
And there's some damn fine writing out there in the world of fanfic. If you've never read it before, I'd suggest going to a page about your fandom specifically and looking for reccomendations. You can find some great stuff at fanfiction.net, but there are also some truly horrific things out there that can turn you off fanfic forever. (And although I meant that last part writing-wise, do read the warnings. Slash makes up a large portion of fanfic, as do stories rated NC-17 and R for very good reasons. If they're not your cup of tea, they can be a bit of a shock to the system.)
Of course, you have to be able to write fanfic. (I can't. Other people's characters just sit there when I poke them, and even if I tried to pretend they were moving, it just wouldn't be the same.) And then, too, you have to balance it against what you want for the rest of your writing career. Fanfic provides easy egoboo (ego boost) from reviews, and it's easy to stop writing original fic, where you don't get that so easily. And then, if you're happier in fanfic -- and this is a point Teresa Nielsen Hayden made at the "Don't Be A Writer" panel at Worldcon -- if you're happy writing fanfic and people enjoy reading it, then maybe that's the world where you're happiest, instead of sending things out and getting rejected. (I don't see it, but it's probably a valid point popular fanfic writers have to consider.) So you may want to consider the effects on your original fic time and energy-wise.
Then, too, you could decide to stick with original fic, but take the conflict back into your own characters and universe. What's compelling about this situation for you? Is it just the fact that Luke as Luke is facing the fact that Obi-wan killed his father, or is the idea of the archetypal hero facing the fact that his swordsmaster and guide killed his father? If it's the second, you could try pulling this archetypal conflict into an original setting with original characters.
[This message has been edited by Gen (edited September 25, 2004).]
[This message has been edited by Gen (edited September 25, 2004).]
I probably should have qualified my fanfiction.net recommendation by saying that it's overloaded with teens seeking egoboo (Like that term, by the way), because that's all they get. If, by a slender chance, anyone bothers to actually offer any constructive critique it is generally ignored.
But finding the occasional gem can be a real treat.
posted
Of course, because STAR WARS is copyrighted (as well as trademarked and so on and so forth), we don't do any STAR WARS fiction here--or any other such fan fiction. (Did you all know that there is another definition for the term "fan fiction" which is more or less "fiction written by fans of science fiction for other fans of science fiction (ie amateurs) and not for professional sale"?)
I realize that George Lucas has always been very supportive of STAR WARS fan fiction (it may interest you all to know that I was involved in all of that at one time--and I saw EMPIRE STRIKES BACK when it was new--Survivor is right, the line was always "Luke, I am your father."), but even though he is supportive, Hatrack River Writers Workshop is not.
So, please, take the idea of the young hero learning that his mentor killed his father and write a WAY COOL story about it that isn't in the STAR WARS universe. We'd love to see the first 13 lines of it.
posted
I suppose I could do it. But I must admit that the idea of having Luke face that question brings new life to something that has gotten tired (the I am your father complex), then again maybe I should take that life and use it in something else.
As for the what the line was originally, while George Lucas obviously wrote the script with the idea in mind, he didn't actually finally decide to go through with it until the dubbing. (I remember this from an interview, but I didn't make the connection until recently). Luke's reaction actually makes more sense that way.
Maybe I could incorporate this into my story. I really like AU stuff though, I just don't know if I could get the characters to react properly though, that's probably why Fanfic isn't really believable to me, it doesn't seem the same. I'll have to ponder this.
posted
Gotta admit, either way the line went, I would have thought Luke's reaction completely over the top.
I mean, if I found out that my real father was Darth Vader (or rather, if I found out that my actual arch-nemisis was my real father), I think I would express reasonable skepicism, but it wouldn't exactly rock my world.
On the other hand, if I found out that my (completely hypothetical) mentor had killed my father, I would merely be puzzled and somewhat curious as to the details.
On another level entirely, I would naturally think that either was pretty cool. But that's just me.
posted
indeed, I watched the dvd documentary today and it included a section about that line, I'll have to find the old one that includes the interview with Lucas in which he says he wasn't for sure going to do it. (It was on sci-fi several years ago I believe)
You're right though, now that you mention it, his reaction was totally over the top no matter how you look at it. Oh well.
posted
Ditto, Survivor, though I don't think the 10 - 30 seconds of screaming was over the top at all. Maybe if the Vader thing had been revealed in less traumatic circumstances -- at dinner over dessert? -- the screaming would have been over the top, but with all else going on, not to mention suddenly losing a hand, I think a bit of screaming was quite reasonable.
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
You know, that brings up the question of whether or not our other intrepid heroes ever actually got to eat anything at that fancy dinner party with Vader.
I mean, Vader seemed quite civil, even after Han tried to shoot him. On the other hand, would you really feel comfortable enough to eat anything with Vader sitting at the head of the table? And would the storm troopers be serving or would they just blend into the (white, naturally) walls while conventional staff handled the catering?
I wonder if there is a deleted scene somewhere, Vader and the guys at dinner. Lots of witty banter, Vader occasionally winning an argument by choking the opposition with the Sith, elegant food served by storm troopers...okay, perhaps there isn't such a scene.
"please pass the corn," Han solo said. Darth Vader waved his hand and said, "You don't want any corn, Give it all to Vader." "I don't want any corn, we should give it all to Vader." "That'll teach you to shoot my glove Falconboy," Vader muttered under his labored breath.
I think the screaming was gratuitous, or mabye I just don't like Hamill, I couldn't stand his voice in that wolverine game.
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