Star Wars Bookworms Book Club discussion

Ok, so I'm enjoying this book so far. The characters seem like the ones I know and love from the films, I like the attention to detail that has been taken with Luke's reaction to Force lightning, and the idea of the Rebel Alliance now working side-by-side with the Empire is a really interesting element that I hadn't really considered before but there's just one little thing that's bothering me...

Entechment. I can't get on board with this no matter how hard I try and here's why:

Star Wars is many things. It's that strange creation that almost defines a genre, yet utterly abandons it at times. It can be argued that it isn't even science fiction, but rather space fantasy or a space western. But what makes it work is the balance between sci-fi and fantasy.

The science of Star Wars really isn't that bad. Lightsabers are very close to something that could be made today, hyperspace is never fully explained in the films but quantum theory would accept it as possible, and droids are basically a sci-fi staple.

On the other hand, the Force is both a plot device that can get our characters into or out of trouble as the writers see fit and also a sense of mysticism and high fantasy. The different views of the Force held by Luke and Han symbolize so much more than just their particular religions. They define the characters in fundamental ways, giving Han a reason to be such a stick in the mud at times and Luke a reason to be so wide-eyed and optimistic. It makes Star Wars Star Wars.

However I, like many Star Wars fans, generally only let suspension of disbelief go so far. Entechment attempts to sound scientific, since these Ssi-ruuvi are Force-blind and cannot use that only source of mysticism we, as fans, have ever really signed off on. The problem with it though is the fact that the science of it is awful. We as readers can't be forced to just accept that a tube can be inserted, you can be Force calmed, and your body can be emptied of your you-ness can we? Picturing someone's soul traveling through these tubes and into a droid while retaining anything, magnetized, ionized, or otherwise that resembles your identity or "life energy" is just silly.

Not to mention how incredibly non-renewable this "energy" would be. What do their ships run on? Could they not power the much smaller droid ships on that same fuel? I just think this is an as yet unjustified leap to ask the reader to make.

All things considered, I enjoying most of this book. Like I said, the characters are familiar and written well and I always enjoy enriching my knowledge of the Star Wars universe. I know it's a galaxy far, far away and all, but this just bugs me and it doesn't feel like Star Wars.

What do you guys think? Does it fit any better in your Star Wars?

You must be new to reading the novels. Its more believable than some other things I have read along the storyline

My first thoughts were similar. It seems like a huge effort to go through just to power some droids and ships: they have to capture living humans, Force calm them, and go through the actual transfer rigamarole. But do the Ssi-ruuvi use entechment to simply power their droids and ships? Or does the extracted Force energy actually confer some intelligence into the droid or ship? During the initial description of the transfer process (chapter 2) it says "their life energies powered droids of Ssi-ruuvi choosing" and "his new housing would respond to all Ssi-ruuvi orders." Then when Luke probes one of the ships (chapter 4), Luke discovers "one controlled shields, the other, all remaining shipboard functions." Obviously the Ssi-ruuvi do something to the life energy to enslave it to their will. But there is still some free will and intelligence left since Luke is able to break the hold and allow the ship to kill itself.

This could lead to an interesting parallel with Dev. He is forced to be "renewed" by the Ssi-ruuvi and used to enslave other humans. Once he feels Luke's presence in the Force, though, he begins to question his enslavement. So I can see a theme about free will and enslavement running through this novel.

The general concept of transferring life energy to machines is used in a few other Star Wars novels. (view spoiler)[Callista in Children of the Jedi is the example I'm thinking about. She willingly transfers her energy to a ship and clearly has free will afterward. (hide spoiler)]

The thought of entechment is terrifying but it can get silly, it just popped back up in the NJO im reading also..

When I first read this book years ago, the idea of entrenchment was terrifying. The stealing of someone life force is so wrong. Such a dark side thing to do. I never really saw it as a issue of not being Star Wars. I just accepted it.

I agree with Lori, at the time it was just what they did. Now with many other novels with entechment it makes you think that they may have had deeper intentions, a subtle hint at the social ramifications of the Empires collapse? The Empire was for the most part, based on the Nazi party and its twisted beliefs of inferiors and superiors... With that collapse many oppressed peoples would be struggling for freedom but would still be stuck in the grip if tyrants. Then again I may be reading too much into nothing.

i accepted it just fine.

its crazy how they manipulate dev and how he Wants to be enteched.

When the Senate shows Dev's video to Leia, Luke, and Han I kept envisioning the bad guys on MST3K when they're describing the movie they're going to make the crew watch. I know it's supposed to be a very chilling video but with that image in my head I couldn't help chuckling.

I've been reading the EU since 1991 and when this was released...Entechment was perfectly acceptable as something a "baddie" would be capable of doing.

As for it not being very "Star Wars"...consider this: in the last 13 episode of The Clone Wars, something very similar to this happens in one of the story arcs.

As for Dev and how the Ssi-ruuk were able to manipulate him, it's classic Stockholm syndrome, or capture-bonding. --> "a psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and sympathy and have positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending and identifying with them. These feelings are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, who essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their captors for an act of kindness."

Bluescale also outright hypnotizes Dev as part of the "renewal" process. There are certainly cracks in the Ssi-ruuk hold over him. By this point (through chapter 15) Dev is more pathetic (not quite sympathetic) than evil, especially when compared to the Ssi-ruuk.