How Star Wars Conquered The Universe Revisited

How Star Wars Conquered The Universe by Chris Taylor

First, I am writing this blog post not to even come close to addressing a question like this. First, as a 1977 Star Wars Kid, I am embarrassed to say I have not seen it as of June 2018 but I am staring at my Fandango app about to purchase the tickets for tomorrow.

Here is an affiliate link where you can also find the Audio book: https://amzn.to/3s84kSc

What is the purpose of this post?

I will be turning 50 years old next month and I am a life long Star Wars fan and will always be.   I don't rant on Youtube because the Lucasfilm was bought by Disney, nor to I lament over switching directors, or carry on about perceived weak story lines.

I save that for others.  

I am writing this post to help put the history of Star Wars in better focus by recommending the book "How Star Wars Conquered The Universe".   

In full disclosure the link above will take you to an affiliate link of mine and if you make a purchase I get a small....very small...percentage of the sale.  Ok.  Now you know.

But this isn't why I am writing this post.  I am writing it because as I have completed the book in audio form with occasional rereads of the hardcover book, I am a reborn Star Wars fan.  I love it even more now that I have consumed Christ Taylor's wonderful telling of the Star Wars timeline.

How Star Wars Conquered The Universe - A Must Read

My brother-in-law gave me this book as a Christmas gift several years aga and sadly it sat on my shelf.  It was a heavy book crammed with text.  Being a reader it didn't scare me but I thought what could this book possibly tell me that I didn't already know. 

I have lived it.  From seeing it marketed for the first time at a Giant supermarket to the 17 times I saw Episode IV in the theatres, the digital releases, prequels, and now the spin offs....well except Solo, I thought the book might be boring.

No way was it boring.

I was amazed at the great detail and research Chris Taylor put into this writing.

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Did George Lucas write Star Wars?

The better question Chris Taylor answers is did George Lucas write it alone?  You will learn that rewrites took place and no, George Lucas did not write this completely on his own.  I won't steal any thunder from the book.

My advice and why you should get How Star Wars Conquered The Universe

The book added much more to my understanding of who George Lucase, the "creator", is and how this story came to be not only part of our culture in the United State but in the entire world!

It details out the build out of the release of Episode IV - Star Wars A New Hope, the uncertainty of Empire, the issues with David Prowse who played Darth Vader on the screen, and how an underground marketing campaign truly pushed Star Wars into the stratosphere.

The book also tells of Kathleen Kennedy's ties to George Lucas long before her taking the helm as Disney acquired it.  

You may think you can be a Monday morning quarterback and put together a better Star Wars trilogy.  However,when you read this you may rethink that.

Get the book or the audio book and embrace this story.  You also do not have to know every square inch of the Star Wars galaxy to enjoy this book.  

If you are a fan of only the first 3, the cartoons, or simply like R2D2, this is a book that will fill in so many gaps.

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There has to be a downside, right?

The first downside is that the book comes to an end in 2014 before the Episode VII.  It is discussed briefly.

I wish Chris Taylor would write an addendum or create his own sequel.

The other downside is that it may also lift a little of the curtain to show an ugly side to something you love dearly.  I won't say what surprised me but even though this is a creative form it is tied to the hip of a business.  Businesses are designed to make money.

My message to George Lucas

In the conclusion, the book discusses George Lucas and his love of space exploration.  NASA did some special things for Lucas and the Star Wars fans.  But George Lucas also hoped that somehow Star Wars would inspire someone to want to explore space not so much as a scientist but as someone looking for adventure and romance.  Here is my message to George Lucas. I hope somehow he gets this some day. 

"Mr Lucas -

I am a 77 Star Wars kid and a lifelong Star Wars fan.  In the summer of 1977 my father passed away and my world turned upside down.  As a 9 year old kid I found myself a bit lost.  After speaking with my Uncle, my Mom said he talked about the most amazing movie he ever say called 'Star Wars' and that I should go and see it.  So in late July, we loaded up the car with my cousins and my Mom and saw this movie called Star Wars.  I had no idea what it was about.  The name conjured up all sorts of images.  When the Imperial Star Destroyer emerged in the opening seen and the explosions boomed in the theater I am instantaneously swept away.

By the end of that movie I was connected with a character named Luke, wanted to build a robot (aka droid) called R2D2, and was compelled to make a t-shirt with iron on letters that said 'Vader Lives'.  I consumed everything Star Wars from then on out.  Most importantly it put me on a trajectory wanting to be an astronaut.

At the end of Chris Taylor's book How Star Wars Conquered The Universe he notes how you hoped that Star Wars would inspire others to explore space driven by adventure and romance.  I want to tell you that you did that with me.  

I was a good student but now with a goal I began to lay out a plan for my life.  I continued to follow and consume all things Star Wars.  I received my Bantha Tracks newsletter, entered model building contests, and played and collected toys.  

To further my dream of being an astronaut I studied computer science in college and then joined the United States Marine Corps Platoon Leader Class to become an officer.  As you may recall most astronauts in the 1980's just as the shuttle program was beginning were military officers with aviation backgrounds.

When I entered the active duty military I applied to the astronaut program.   However due to limited experience, not enough PhD's, and my change in my focus away from aviation, I was denied.  I wasn't entirely upset as I loved working with my Marines fixing and supplying the various aircraft in the Marine Corps.

It does get more interesting.

After obtaining my Masters Degree I left the military and developed software.  This was now the early internet days and I was entering the civilian world as a techie at an incredible time.  I moved back to Pennsylvania where I was from and worked for a number of years building a software application at a nuclear plant. 

The project downsized and one evening looking for inspiration I visited my old computer science professor who offered me a job teaching "advanced powerpoint".  "There is advanced powerpoint?" I asked.  I loved teaching my first class.  He mentioned they needed more instructors for a new technology degree, so I applied, and have been there now almost 20 years.

While there I have told my story of how Star Wars brought me to this point in my career.  I may not be careening across the stars....yet but I am inspiring others.  To that point one of my students was a software developer for a system on the space station.

My passion runs deep for teaching others.  I have been recognized on multiple occasions for my teaching ability but that is not my goal.  My goal is will always will be to serve others.  I like to think I am a Jedi knight of sorts using my skills to help others.  

So through your creation, you inspired me.  My inspiration pushes me to teach others and they then go forward.

Thank you George Lucas.   Thank you for following your dream.  More importantly thank you for lifting a 9 year old boy out of his own personal downward spiral and setting him on a path to serving others.  

May the force be with you."

If you have not visited the link for Chris Taylor's book and you are a fan of Star Wars, I highly recommend getting it.

How Star Wars Conquered The Universe written by Chris Taylor