Dimensions
156 x 234 x 19mm
An intelligent and entertaining study of the phenomena of 'Star Wars' fandom.
In this intelligent and entertaining study of fandom at its most intense, Will Brooker examines the 'Star Wars' phenomenon from the audience's perspective, and discovers that the saga exerts a powerful influence over the social, cultural, and spiritual lives of those drawn into its myth.
From a Boba Fett-loving police officer in Indiana to the webmistress of www.starwarschicks.com; from an eleven-year-old boy in south London to a Baptist Church in South Carolina; from the director of George Lucas in Love to the custodians of the Jedi Hurtaholics Archive - Brooker unearths a seemingly endless array of fans who use and interpret the saga in a number of creative ways.
'Using The Force' explores what it means to be a fan. It examines the role of gender and generation in creating sub-communities within the larger group of 'Star Wars' devotees. It discusses the films and stories created by thousands of fans around the world, and asks whether this apparently unstoppable creativity can be controlled by an organisation that has - completely unintentionally - positioned itself in the role of the Empire and turned loyal fans into Rebels.
Ultimately, the book serves as a testament to the extraordinary power of the 'Star Wars' films and the Expanded Universe that surrounds them.
