Faster than light space travel has been a common concept in science fiction. However, I do not think hyperspace from Star Wars or warping from Star Trek are scientifically plausible. The reason for this is because one cannot move faster than light and even if you could it would take years to reach your destination. With this in mind, I prefer the concept of folding space, which is the idea of crafts teleporting from one section of space to another without moving. To make the concept better, reaching your destination would be instantaneous. I will therefore incorporate it into my space opera story.
I did some research on the space opera genre and I discovered something stunning on Amazon. Apparently, the space opera genre is surprisingly popular because there are over 30,000 stories to choose from. The picture above is but one example that is available. A few of them were released this this month in November. Since I am writing my own space opera series, this gives me hope because I clearly have a big audience waiting when I am done.
I remember the Mel Brooks satire on Star Wars known as Spaceballs. In one scene, Dark Helmet’s ship undergoes “Ludicrous Speed”, which is an extreme version of light speed. I recently discovered just how fast Ludicrous Speed is. It is less than one and a half trillion kilometers a second! I’m surprise their engines did not overheat instantly!
For my new space opera story, I am thinking of doing a plot twist that will involve a heroic sacrifice. This sacrifice will decide the fate of an entire star system and potentially the interstellar government as a whole. Just thinking about it gives me chills and thrills at the same time.
As a devout Star Wars fan, I watched The Mandalorian show and I love it so far! The main character is like a space version of Clint Eastwood. In particular, the protagonist resembles the version of Clint Eastwood from The Unforgiven, who is a morally ambiguous gunslinger. I am glad that they brought back several things from the Old Expanded Universe in this show. For example, we got to see Beskar iron in live action for the first time. Beskar is an indestructible metal that not even lightsabers can cut through and Mandalorians often forge weapons and armor from it. The main character also displayed a trait that I like about Mandalorians: despite being battle-hardened warriors, Mandalorians have a soft spot for children. In the Old Expanded Universe, it was customary for Mandalorians to adopt orphaned children from battlefields and raise them as their own. As the old Mandalorian saying goes, “family is stronger than blood.” Apparently, the main character is continuing this age-old Mandalorian tradition by rescuing and adopting an infant from Yoda’s species. I also like how the show illustrates how some Imperials who were not assimilated into the First Order were reduced to being warlords and mercenaries, clinging on to whatever power and influence they could. I look forward to seeing how the show will progress because I am loving it so far. Hopefully, we will see the epitome of another Mandalorian saying, “a warrior is more than his armor.”
I REALLY love how Darth Vader was reimagined in the new Star Wars canon. In the old Expanded Universe, there were several stories in which multiple characters who could beat Vader. I do not like this version of Darth Vader because the Galactic Empire would have fallen sooner than it did if Vader was that weak. Now, the new canon truly portrays how Vader instilled an all-consuming fear in the Empire’s friends and enemies. Disney has made us fear Vader again in ways we didn’t before. The greatest villains are not hated; they are feared. Darth Vader is not the most feared Jedi killer in recent history because he looks terrifying and is ruthless, but because he is STRONG!!! The new canon showed Darth Vader being too strong both physically and in the dark side, portraying him like a force of nature instead of a person. Even Vader’s subordinates whether if they are Inquisitors or Imperial officers would rather kill themselves than face his unstoppable wrath. With this version of Darth Vader, you can’t fight him and all you can do is run for your life. When it comes to Darth Vader, you are not running from a man or a machine but from death itself. Not only could most of his enemies not match him in lightsaber combat, but Darth Vader’s power in the dark side is so extreme that he could literally tear his surrounding environment apart if it means crushing his prey. Against weaker opponents, Darth Vader toys with them like a cat playing with a wounded mouse. I can see why Kylo Ren wants to be like his grandfather. Not just because of Vader’s immense power in the dark side, but also the respect he instilled in his minions and the fear he instilled in his enemies. The scariest thing of all is that the ancient Sith Lord Momin implied that the ancient Sith were even stronger than either Vader or Palpatine. I look forward to seeing this in future works. In the meantime, I get to enjoy watching Darth Vader in all his sinister glory in the new canon.
A few years ago, I discovered the significance of swords with curved hilts like this katana. When a sword’s hilt is curved, you not only have better blade control and precision, but you also have a little extra power with each strike. The curvature of the hilt also makes your techniques and movements unpredictable compared to swords with a straight hilt. I will be featuring a sword with a curved hilt in my space opera story.
