George Lucas and Science in the Star Wars Universe
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Jeanne Cavelos. The Science of Star Wars. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999. xv + 256 pp. $22.95, cloth, ISBN 978-0-312-20958-2. Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb Published on H-PCAACA (June, 2000) [Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this cluding Charlton Heston in the motion picture review are those of the author and not of his em‐ Planet of the Apes (1968), and she states that she ployer or any other federal agency.] saw her frst Star Wars flm in Syracuse at age This volume was published to coincide with seventeen, and immediately became (and contin‐ the release on 19 May 1999 of George Lucas's long ues to be) a fan. These events led to her being in‐ awaited Star Wars prequel. It offers the reader a trigued with space exploration and in alien life unique perspective on the scientific plausibility of forms. This interest in science fction led to an the phenomenon now depicted in four Star Wars eight-year career in publishing and she was a se‐ motion pictures: Episode I: The Phantom Menace nior editor for science fction/fantasy at Dell Pub‐ (1999); Episode IV: A New Hope (1977); Episode V: lishing. Leaving New York in order to pursue her The Empire Strikes Back (1980); and Episode VI: own writing career, she wrote The Shadow With‐ Return of the Jedi (1983). Episode IV was common‐ in, Book 5 of the Babylon 5 novels (New York: Dell, ly referred to as Star Wars before the other 1997), and now also teaches at St. Anslem and episodes were flmed and released. In Jeanne New Hampshire colleges. At the latter institution, Cavelos's book and in my evaluation, Star Wars as Cavelos also directs and teaches at "Odyssey," the a term refers to all of the episodes (filmed and annual six-week summer workshop for writers of planned) in the nine-episode saga. science fction, fantasy, and horror. She is also the author of The Science of the X-Files (New York: Cavelos, the author of The Science of Star Berkeley/Boulevard-Penguin Putnam, 1998), pub‐ Wars , has a BS in astrophysics, did graduate lished last November, and since nominated for work in astronomy, and taught astronomy at the 1999 Horror Writer's Association's "Bram Michigan State University and Cornell University Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Hor‐ before working in the Astronaut Training Division ror." In addition, she has a website that includes at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. She additional material on the scientific issues raised admits to an early interest in science fction, in‐ in Star Wars: http://www.sff.net/people/cavelos H-Net Reviews Indeed, Jeanne Cavelos brings a unique back‐ moe, the author's iguana (six references). The ground to this assessment of science - and science book has no illustrations, charts, or diagrams. fiction -- in Star Wars. Following her orienting "Introduction," Cave‐ The purpose of her current book is to scientif‐ los divides the book into fve topical chapters. I ically explore the Star Wars universe, so that in shall characterize the contents of these individual her analysis, in addition to the four theatrical mo‐ chapters, providing commentary and an assess‐ tion pictures and the "Special Editions" of ment of each, prior to my concluding remarks. As Episodes VI through IV (1997), she also refers to she proceeds from environment to aliens and an‐ the Star Wars Holiday Special (a two-hour made droids to spaceships and weapons, and fnally for television video dating to 1978), and Stephen J. "The Force," the chapters become longer and Sansweet's Star Wars Encyclopedia (New York: more detailed (chapter lengths increase from 38 Ballantine, 1998). Calvelos's book has a one-page to 67 pages). Every chapter has internal subhead‐ list of "Recommended Readings" containing 18 ci‐ ings and relevant "sidebar essays" (each one para‐ tations to books and websites, and a very useful graph to three pages in length contained in shad‐ 11-page triple-column index that conflates topics ed boxes and printed in a font different from that and proper nouns (including characters, species, of the narrative). The chapter titles are straight‐ and planets that appear in Star Wars). She draws forward but the internal headings and essay titles upon a variety of scientific disciplines and at least are often whimsical. 47 named experts from various felds in her anal‐ "Chapter 1: Planetary Environments" has four ysis. Unfortunately, Cavelos does not provide any sidebar essays and seven sections with headings direct citations to publications, correspondence, such as "You Can't Have an Empire without Real or her oral interviews with the "experts," so that Estate" and "The Bright Center of the Universe." even direct quotations lack any references, pre‐ The subjects covered include planet formation, cluding the verification of the quoted statements. star systems, tidal forces, biochemical factors This is particularly distressing should the reader needed for life, high-energy particles, Tatooine's wish to investigate a specific topic without having desert environment, and Owen and Beru's mois‐ to do a major library or online reference search. ture farm. We learn that "life is common, that Nonetheless, the reader can enjoy a fowing nar‐ there are two billion earth-like planets in our gal‐ rative uncluttered with in-notes, footnotes, or axy, and that water is the best medium for car‐ endnotes. Invariably, she cites a source as "Dr. so- bon-based chemical reactions. One essay, "Twin and-so" (proper noun name). The Ph.D. scientists Suns" evaluates and challenges the probability whom she quotes span an extraordinary range of that Tatooine would have two suns, while another disciplines from evolution and human paleontolo‐ considers Endor's moon and potential radiation gy (Owen Lovejoy, Tim White, and Bruce problems. In sum, the chapter is informative but Janowsky), to intelligence (Michio Kaku and Clif‐ "thin" in content in comparison to those that fol‐ ford Pickover), paranormal and remote viewing low. The environments of various planets de‐ (Hall Puthoff and Jessica Utts), computing and ro‐ scribed in the Frank Herbert novel Dune (Radnor, botics (Rosalind Picard), and psychokenetics (Matt Pa.: Chilton, 1965) and depicted in the motion pic‐ Visser), to gravity and wormholes (Miguel Alcu‐ ture Dune (1984), as well as episodes from all four bierre), desert ecosystems (Uwe George), and the of the Star Trek television series and the nine the‐ classification of civilizations (Nikolai Kardishev). atrical motion pictures might have been intro‐ Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan, and Ron Hubbard duced as parallels. However, this might serve only are also mentioned, but less frequently than Ig‐ to "clutter" the essay and confuse some readers. 2 H-Net Reviews See, for example, planetary entries in Willis E. Mc‐ Electric Sheep?" explicates the role of the brain in Nelly's The Dune Encyclopedia (New York: decision making and personality development. In Berkley, 1984). addition, "I'm Okay, You're an Overweight Glob of Cavelos's "Chapter 2: Aliens" has eight sec‐ Grease" reflects assessments of neurochemistry, tions and three essays. She notes (p. 39) that "the emotions, instinct, logic, and holography; and "I universe according to Lucas is flled with life" -- Whine, Therefore I Am" concerns conveying emo‐ Jawas, Hutts, Ewoks, Gungans, Wookiees, etc. Sec‐ tions -- with Furbys and Tamagotchi entering into tion topics include "How Alien are Alien?" which this discussion. "The Six-Million Dollar Sith" en‐ deals with bacteria, mutations, and the pen‐ ters the world of prosthetic limbs, amputations, tadactyl (five digit) advantage; "Do Your Ears industrial accidents, airway-lung damage in burn Hang Low?" concerning eye mobility, heat dissipa‐ cases, and voice augmentation devices (like the tion, and fexible necks; and "The Dawn of Wook‐ one used by the actor Christopher Reeve). An en‐ iee," in which bi- and quadrupedalism are as‐ tire section reveals "Why Han and Threepio Will sessed and questions raised about why Wookiees Never be Friends." Age, sex, culture, education, lived originally in trees. "Slugfest" characterizes and situations that affect learning and emotion Jabba (Hutts are slugs) and the predator Space are some of the factors considered. Cavelos also Slug (but what would it eat ordinarily?); "When raises an interesting but unresolved proposition Teddy Bears have their Picnic" reviews the physi‐ (p. 108): "can and should we create a robot that ology and behavior of koalas, chimpanzees, and feels pride, fear, frustration, and affection?" A Ewoks; and "Did You Leave Your Headlights On?" world inhabited by C-3POs...? Or R2-D2s? A very in which Jawas and Sand People, optics, photore‐ useful discussion about Verbmobile software left ceptors, and bioluminescence are evaluated. Alas, this reviewer wanting references or citations to one significant point -- it is highly unlikely for pertinent literature. One delightful essay consid‐ aliens from different planets to survive in a single ers the efficacy of "All-Terrain Armored Trans‐ environment, such as the Mos Eisley cantina (p. ports" (ATATs). This is a very fne essay but there 63). Being a slug, Jabba supposedly travels using is much more on robotics that might be incorpo‐ wavelike motion on a coating of secreted slime, rated into the discussion. but in the enhanced 1997 version of Episode IV, In "Chapter 4: Spaceships and Weapons," with Jabba moves with ease in the xerophytic environ‐ ten topics and three essays, Cavelos moves to an‐ ment of Tatooine -- he should be desiccating. Also, other area of future technology. The velocity of as another unexplored topic -- I believe that there light, the laws and principles of Newton and Ein‐ may be some parallel to the Third Stage Guild stein, fuels requirements (chemical fuels vs. nu‐ Navigators of Dune and the Hutts.