Since it’s May the 4th—also known as Star Wars Day—I figured the perfect way to kick off my new website would be to introduce you guys to a favorite writer of Star Wars stories: S. A. McCaffrey.
Fanfiction often gets a bad rap, and frankly that’s often deserved. Spend enough time with me and you’re bound to hear some very blunt statements on just what I think of much of the content that’s out there.
But that’s not our focus right now.
Right now...we're focusing on the good stuff. And S. A. McCaffrey's work is very, very good.Click To TweetShe’s a talented writer whose work shows an in-depth knowledge of the people and surrounding world, and I especially love how she delves into the psychology of the different characters. Her insights feel very believable and insightful, and the way she’s expanded the storyline feels very true to who they are.We got to know each other through an online writing-critique group we both participated in, and I’d credit her skills as a copyeditor, English teacher, drama teacher, and theatrical director (and no, that isn’t even the whole list…) as likely being a big reason for the level of skill she shows in terms of both her own writing and helping others with theirs. And besides how talented she is, I also really appreciate being able to read work by an author whose spiritual side I can feel safe with.
If I had to choose a favorite work of hers, it would be a tough choice, but I would probably say Empire Day, which explores the idea of what might have unfolded if Darth Vader had encountered an eight-year-old Luke and discovered the child’s identity then.
Excerpt from the story’s page:
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Vader stiffened when he saw her face. He knew her. Beru. Vader knelt down next to her, using his cape to quell the bleeding from the boy’s arm. Vader looked at the boy through his red lenses, sensing something he had never felt before. He should know this boy. He felt a connection.
Owen broke past the stormtroopers who were now guarding the door to the headquarters, but they detained him before he reached Vader. “Let go of me. That’s my son! Let go of me.” Owen broke free and ran toward Vader.
Vader turned just as Owen reached him, grabbing him with the Force by his neck and lifting Owen above him. Vader recognized him. “You!” Vader yelled. Something within Vader caused him to look back at the boy, and then to both Owen and Beru. There was no way that boy was theirs. There was no similarity. “You lie!”
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But as I said, it’s a tough call! There hasn’t been a Star Wars fanfic of hers I’ve read that I haven’t loved. In fact, a while back I put together a quote graphic for another of her stories, Star Wars: The Jedi Reborn (then titled Star Wars: The New Jedi Order).
Took her cover to use as a background, found some additional art to overlay it with, figured out what quote text to use, and voila! (Alright, it took a while to do all of that, but I was darn pleased with the results!)
And I can’t resist sharing an updated version of the copy I wrote for it:
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Hey there, Star Wars fans! Everybody loves a good victory celebration, no? But “happily ever after” isn’t so simple when you’ve got a galaxy to rebuild, a new life to map out, and a fallen Order to revive. If you want to find out what happened once that Ewok party was over and the celebrations died down, check out SapphireAlena’s novel, Star Wars: The Jedi Reborn. She’s done a great job in capturing the characters and creating new ones, and her end-of-chapter notes have fascinating tidbits, plus pose some thought-provoking questions.
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Two things to keep in mind before you check out her books:
- While her books are touching and have plenty of heartwarming and joyful moments, they also get dark and gritty, and can be very emotionally intense and draining. If you’re in a fragile state and need something light and relaxing…I’d put a pin in these until later. But if you don’t mind shedding some tears and going through a fascinating, absorbing, immersive emotional rollercoaster, these could be just the ticket.
- I’m genuinely afraid this woman has ruined me for other Star Wars fanfics. Between the quality of the writing, how much I love the storylines, and the amount of time I’ve spent reading her work, any other writers will have a hard act to follow…and I’m picky enough as it is!
But if you’ve read those two caveats and that just makes you want to read her books all the more, you can head on over to her Wattpad page today and read them in their entirety for free! (Note: She has other works in addition to the Star Wars niche, but hey, it’s May the Fourth, darn it!)
Links to individual books on Wattpad:
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