Finding the Force of the Star Wars Franchise

In 1977 a single film called <I>Star Wars</I> exploded on the consciousness of the world. Since then the franchise, created by George Lucas, has become a global entertainment corporation. The merchandise of the original trilogy was largely confined to toys and games, but those games have since become computerized, the toys more sophisticated, and <I>Star Wars</I> has moved into the multi-media environment of the twenty-first century in ways unimaginable in the long-ago world of 1977. Computer games and web sites, novels, animated television shows, as well as a new trilogy of films, have all placed <I>Star Wars</I> at the center of world popular culture.<BR> <I>Finding the Force of the Star Wars Franchise </I>brings together contributors who critically analyze the <I>Star Wars</I> universe from many perspectives. Topics include war, foreign policy, gender roles, spirituality and religion, toy play and adult collecting, creative fandom, race, special effects, and mythology.