StanleyWheeler

Before I get to Solo: A Star Wars Story
Let me speak of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
I took an arrow. I received the hit a week or so ago but only recently noticed the wound. The arrow flew in silently; launched from goodreads, the bolt pierced me in the left center of the ego. I'm still trying to stop the bleeding. There are some reviews of Justice Resurgent on goodreads: three 5 star reviews, a 3 star, and the lone star missile of discontent. Neither the 3 star nor the 1 star review were written. I can understand a three star review -- it just wasn't someone's cup of tea, or they enjoyed it, but not much. However, a single star review really calls for some supporting basis. I really have to detest a book to give it a single star; in fact, I've never given a single star review on goodreads.

I had hoped to discover that the reviewer was a Negative Nelly, trashing everything. Nope. Of the many reviews that the reviewer had posted (stars only, no written reviews), most were of the 4 and 5 star nature. I could only find three others that were given the red badge of discouragement. One of those is a Half Breed Haven Wonder Women of the Old West Action Adventure -- it's tagline is: BULLETS, BRAWLING, BIRACIAL BEAUTIES AND BAD HOMBRES MIX IT UP IN THIS ADULT WESTERN ACTION ADVENTURE! I can honestly say that I would never read that book and I'm mortified to have my work given the same rating. Another of the reviewer's single star bullets went to a book called The Loner; reading the book description makes me cringe. I wouldn't read that one either. He was also disenchanted with The Unwanted: The Adventures of Lucas Morgan. The description to that one abolished any mystery--they make it to Oregon. 

While I'm suffering a thousand natural shocks at the company into which the reviewer has cast my recent publication, rather than take up arms against a sea of troubles, I will bear the fardel along with the whips and scorns of the oppressor's wrong and thank the reviewer for reading my book (I hope he did actually read it) and sharing the unsupported nub of his opinion. I have enterprises of great pith and moment to pursue and can spare no time for rebuttals--but some profusely positive reviews would do wonders to salve my wound.

I do note that the reviewer had not read the first book in the 2 book series, Justice in Season. I don't suppose he's likely to want to read it now.

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Speaking of enterprises of great pith and moment (and that's not meant to be a Star Trek reference), I've hit the 60K word mark on the novel in progress. I still haven't decided upon a title that I like for it. Please feel free to send suggestions for the title of a best selling flintlock fantasy novel to be published this year. I could tell you something about it but that would inhibit your imaginative title suggestions.

I've found that writing dialogue is how I discover my characters. The characters ask questions that I had not previously considered. Answering those questions helps develop depth and motivation. Action scenes are fun to write, but conversation is the fertile soil in which the seed of character is best sown.

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Aside from the writing, which went extremely well, the week included a game with these figures from Bronze Age Miniatures and the musketeer figures that I've posted earlier. It was Barsoom meets the musketeers. Once again using the ...And All for One rules mentioned before for a simple game that several boys could quickly learn for a fun evening.

They never got tired of trying to kill each other and take off with the loot.

I alluded to a review of Solo: A Star Wars Story. I'll be brief--or not; I'm just rambling here.

 Color me simply disappointed. I thought it not a bad show, better than Last Jedi. When I see a Star Wars film I'm thinking about rewatchability. I'm always asking myself if I'll want to watch this film again. Of the new films, only The Force Awakens has a measurable rewatchability factor for me. As for Solo, I thought Firefly did the train robbery better. Apart from the characters there were elements that recalled scenes from the original New Hope, Empire, and Jedi trilogy that I appreciated. I was glad that Ron Howard paid homage to the three great movies onto which the rest of the mediocre films of the franchise have been scabbed.

For both people who have not seen this film yet: Beware, spoilers follow.

As for the acting, I found the new actors playing the roles of the old heroes entirely believable; I liked them. The special effects obviously soaked up a lot of the budget. The music only reached memorable heights when it went back to the original theme. The story seemed sloppy and unlikely. If I remember correctly, bad guy Dryden never had a pistol. I think the bad guy should have more than a glorified knife for self defense. I was pleased to see Clint Howard with a cameo. Lando's lover-like remorse at the loss of L-3 struck me as a rather ridiculous, but I hate cat videos and space octupi as well so maybe I'm wrong--but I'm not. The security on Kessel, a planet with mines producing extremely valuable fuel mined by slave labor, reached a nadir even lower than that on Endor for the protection of the death star in Jedi. At least there were no Ewoks. Finally, who was surprised when the big bad Cloud Rider took off the helmet to reveal a woman? No one.