SciFi/Fantasy Anthology Review: The Legends of Luke Skywalker by Ken Liu

SF/F Anthology Review: The Legends of Luke Skywalker by Ken Liu https://t.co/A8hwNbVsM1 Short Review: 9 out of 10 (1/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) November 14, 2017

Short Review (cont): An All-Ages anthology of tall tales and myths about Luke Skywalker and his adventures as heard by a bunch of teenagers on a space ship features several excellent stories using the Star Wars universe, fun even if you're a full grown adult. (2/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) November 14, 2017

The Legends of Luke Skywalker is the 4th book in the new Star Wars Canon that I've read since the old EU was blown up.  As a big fan of the old EU, I haven't been exactly impressed by the prior 3 works (Aftermath, Aftermath Life Debt, & Thrawn), but Ken Liu is one of my favorite authors and he's particularly notable for his short fiction work.  And what do you know, The Legends of Luke Skywalker is an anthology of short stories set in the Star Wars universe written by Liu, so I was extremely excited to hear of this book's existence - even if the stories were marketed toward children and a lower age group (Amazon lists the recommended age group for reading as 8-12).

My excitement appears to have been justified - several of the stories in The Legends of Luke Skywalker are simply great, even though I'm well over the recommended age group.  The basis of the book is that a crew of teens on a space ship traveling to the city of Canto Bight (which will be part of Episode 8) and are telling the stories they've heard about Luke Skywalker.  Remember how Han in TFA told Rey and Finn that all of the stories they might've heard about Luke are true?  Well.....if Han heard these stories, he might have to amend that statement somewhat.  But even though these stories are presented as tall tales (and thus might not be trusted), they're still incredibly fun and well worth your time.

More after the Jump:



------------------------------------------------------Plot Summary-------------------------------------------------
The Wayward Current is a starship owned by a Hutt crewed mainly by young teens/adults of various species, specifically chosen for their age because they're willing to work for little pay on the ship in exchange for getting the chance to see the Galaxy.  On the journey to Canto Bight, the crew tell stories amongst themselves to keep themselves entertained and one particular topic fascinates the crew:  Luke Skywalker.  The legendary Jedi has not been seen in years, and tall tales and myths surround him - and these are those stories.

The six stories told by the crew are:
"The Myth Buster" featuring an engineer alleging that Skywalker, Solo and the rest of the crew are frauds, who out-conned the Empire at its own con-game with the so-called Death Star.

"The Starship Graveyard" featuring an Imperial Star Destroyer crewman who survived the Battle of Jakku being carried through the Desert by a mysterious man who tries to keep him alive.

"Fishing in the Deluge" which features Luke arriving on a world of fishing people who seem to have an understanding of the "Tide," and trying to learn from their ways.

"I, Droid" which features a Construction Droid taken by slavers and forced to be an evil enforcer droid in some dangerous mines, until a mysterious half-human-half-droid being arrives....

"The Tale of Lugubrious Mote," the tale of the intelligent flea who may have been the real mastermind behind the escape from Jabba's Palace.

"Big Inside," a tale where Luke and a scientist get stuck in the inside of a Giant Space Slug and Luke discovers the meaning and power of sacrifice.
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I'm considering TLoLS as an anthology, rather than a novel, because the framing device (the kids on the ship) is really bare bones, and while it does have a plot arc, it's not really much more than a skeleton that can justify the presentation of the stories.  That said, most of the stories are EXCELLENT even for the adult reader of this book.

"The Myth Buster" in particular is the story I never knew I needed - basically asking what beings who would believe things like 9/11 Truth Conspiracies would be like in the Star Wars Universe?  The resultant tale of the con-men Luke Clodplodder, Benny O'Kenoby, Hansel Shooter, and Chewie Baccarat and their ship the "Century Turkey" is absolutely amazing and made me have to choke down laughing out loud (in a good way) in a public place.  Definitely a story that's making my Hugo list (assuming I can figure out the appropriate category).

"Fishing in the Deluge" is also an excellent, if more straightforward story of Luke gaining an understanding of the force, which solves one of the more common problems of Star Wars stories - if there are other force users out there in the galaxy, why haven't we seen them in the movies?  The answer here is that these force users, dedicated pacifists, believe that actually manipulating things with the force, instead of just following its call, to be forbidden, and seek to let themselves be guided rather than to guide.

"Big Inside," "I, Droid," and "The Starship Graveyard" are also excellent in various ways and are worth reading, even if they're not quite as good as the two stories I mentioned above.  Well worth reading.

Really the only misfire is "The Tale of Lugubrious Mote" which is the only story to place a character directly into the action of the movies for an alternate spin.  I suspect this story works better for the children's audience this book is listed for, but adults will just find it - the story of an intelligent flea in Jabba's Palace who actually is the one who guides Luke in his escape - kind of silly at best and annoying at worst.

Otherwise, The Legends of Luke Skywalker is a really entertaining read of Star Wars tall tales for all ages.  Recommended for sure.