The History and Politics of Star Wars: Death Stars and Democracy (Routledge Studies in Modern History)

This book provides the first detailed and comprehensive examination of all the materials making up the __Star Wars__ franchise relating to the portrayal and representation of real-world history and politics. Drawing on a variety of sources, including films, published interviews with directors and actors, novels, comics, and computer games, this volume explores the ways in which historical and contemporary events have been repurposed within __Star Wars__. It focuses on key themes such as fascism and the Galactic Empire, the failures of democracy, the portrayal of warfare, the morality of the Jedi, and the representations of sex, gender, and race. Through these themes, this study highlights the impacts of the fall of the Soviet Union, the War on Terror, and the failures of the United Nations upon the ‘galaxy far, far away’. By analysing and understanding these events and their portrayal within __Star Wars__, it shows how the most popular media franchise in existence aims to speak about wider contemporary events and issues. __The History and Politics of Star Wars__ is useful for upper-level undergraduates, postgraduates, and scholars of a variety of disciplines such as transmedia studies, science fiction, cultural studies, and world history and politics in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Acknowledgements Comparative timeline Introduction: A long time ago ...? 1. ‘For a safe and secure society’: Totalitarianism, imperialism, and the Emperor 2. ‘How liberty dies’: Republics, democracy, and the fall of civilisation 3. ‘Built on hope ...’: Rebellion, resistance, and the depiction of warfare 4. ‘Keepers of the peace, not soldiers’: Jedi, the Force, and the complicated morality of intra-state operatives 5. ‘We don’t want them here’: Aliens, androids, and far outsiders Conclusion: Always in motion the future is ... Index Introduction: A long time ago ...? -- 'For a safe and secure society'--totalitarianism, imperialism, and the emperor -- 'How liberty dies'--republics, democracy, and the fall of civilization -- 'Built on hope ...'--rebellion, resistance, and the depiction of warfare -- 'Keepers of the peace, not soldiers'--Jedi, the force, and the complicated morality of intra-state operatives -- 'We don't want them here'--aliens, androids, and far outsiders : degrees of otherness across the galaxy -- Conclusion: Always in motion the future is ... "This book provides the first detailed and comprehensive examination of all the materials making up the Star Wars franchise relating to the portrayal and representation of real-world history and politics. The History and Politics of Star Wars is useful for upper-level undergraduates, postgraduates, and scholars of a variety of disciplines such as transmedia studies, science fiction, cultural studies, and world history and politics in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries"-- Provided by publisher