#Sean Stewart

[legends-expo]

Would you want to see Dark Side Yoda? Check out the full panel video from "A Clone Wars Novel" with Sean Stewart and Matthew Stover next week!

Transcript: "And Yoda takes a step towards the Dark and basically says 'How much do you want this to happen?' and Dooku goes 'Ohhhhhhhhhh... Dark Yoda would be annihilating. Let's totally not, I was sort of joking... let's let's... would you like that?' Because there's a moment, and it's, it's one of those things, it's very important to me in the book; (if you haven't read it, think about it) is the moment at which everybody gets a good long look at what Dark Yoda would be like and decides that maybe they don't want to see that."

[jewishcissiekj]

Since Asajj Ventress appeared in recent media and is set to appear in future shows and Star Wars content, I've seen a lot of people starting to read Dark Disciple. but besides that book, there are so many stories featuring Asajj over her 22 years of existence. So if you are looking for some recommendations and entry points to Asajj outside of the TV shows, here are some recommendations to get to know her a bit better, in both the Canon and Legends timelines:

(for anyone looking for a definitive list of everything she's ever been in, I also have that)

for anyone looking for just the list of recommendations without all my babbling, scroll down to the bottom, it'll be there.

Canon

Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) Starting off, this masterpiece. Telling the dual story of Asajj and Dooku, Jedi Lost is genuinely some of the best Star Wars content out there, in my opinion. Taking place early in The Clone Wars, it tells Asajj's journey battling her ghosts and uncovering her Master's history. It requires only the context of the prequels and The Clone Wars, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes the Prequels, Dooku, or Asajj.

Brotherhood - by Mike Chen Continuing with the book that serves as an introduction to Asajj in canon (chronologically), Brotherhood presents an interesting take on her first meetings with Anakin and Obi-Wan. She's far from the main character here, only supporting the book's plot as the villain and the initiator behind some of the troubles Obi-Wan faces on Cato Neimodia. This Asajj is more calculated, working behind the scenes while still facing off face to face against Obi-Wan and Anakin, and it uniquely handles her character. The book is a Clone Wars adventure taking place before and it requires only the movies' and TCW's context, once again. *While technically taking place after Hyperspace Stories #5, it contradicts that issue's events and makes more sense if it takes place before, so I listed it first (for more info on the contradictions you can go here)*

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) Taking place shortly after Anakin's knighting, before The Clone Wars show, this is a short and interesting comic story for Asajj. While tying into an over-arching plot of the series, this issue stands alone well. Simply put, Asajj is sent to retrieve a mysterious item by Count Dooku and encounters Anakin and Obi-Wan in the process. It has fun art, fun dynamics, and it's really good.

Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok This one is not as set on the timeline, but we do know it takes place while Asajj is still working for Dooku. In short, without too many spoilers, Asajj falls into a pit and has to trust on a Clone Trooper's help to get out. The story is a part of an anthology, but it completely stand-alone on its own. If you can read it on its own, I recommend it, but the rest of the book is also very much worth it if you want to buy it for the story. Dawson captures a version of Asajj that rarely gets attention, before the Nightsisters, and manages to show her identity and tell a wonderful story without that tool that's often overly used (in my opinion).

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire Jumping forward in the Timeline, we have another Asajj story by Cavan Scott! It has Bounty Hunting, A baby Sarlacc, pretty art, fun coloring, and Asajj. So what's not to love? Like Hyperspace Stories, Return to Vader's Castle also has an over-arching plot, but that's 4 framing pages of Vaneé being a bitch and has no effect on the rest of it. Solid stuff. (it is also the source of the first picture in this post)

Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez Next, we have a wonderful short story taking place just before The Clone Wars episode "To Catch a Jedi". In just a few pages, Jody Houser brings conflict and personality to Asajj's time on Coruscant. And there's gorgeous art.

Legends

While Legends, and especially the comics, have some of my favorite stories with Asajj, it's hard to recommend individual issues. They can be stand-alone but still connected and ingrained in the ongoing story of the comics. But I tried to hand-pick the best for introduction and knowledge of who Asajj is a character there. So I won't recommend the 12 issues she's in, I set myself the limit of sticking with the same number of recommendations I had for canon.

Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello Although I'm assuming you all have at least a passing familiarity with Asajj's character, introductions are still important. And, yes, Asajj first appeared in a different comic and after a month or so in Clone Wars (2003), but chronologically, in-universe, this is her first appearance. The Face of War is comprised of issues #51 and #52 of the Star Wars: Republic comic series, and although Asajj is only in the last page of #51, it's necessary context. This one isn't a must for me, but it sets the ground for her. And it's good. Giorello's art brings a unique perspective to Asajj's character, and by that I mean it may not be to some people's taste. So take your pick with this one.

Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching If the last one isn't a must, this one is. It is a stand-alone adventure, almost feeling like a (better) TCW episode. Obi-Wan is off to infiltrate a Techno Union base with a team of all-star legendary Jedi that are introduced, and everything goes wrong when they run into the Confederacy's best, Durge and Asajj Ventress. I say it's a must because it establishes the nature of the rivalry between Obi-Wan and Asajj, and gives us such a sense of who those people are. It also lays the foundations to my next comic recommendation.

Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn This one, a 1784-word story, originally published on Wizards.com as a part of The Living Force roleplaying campaign, is definitely not a must, but it's barely 2k words, just read it. In all seriousness though, it captures Asajj's essence and I just. love it. You can read it right now, that's the link in the name, it's up online for free legally. While it is a part of the RPG campaign, I read it individually and had no trouble at all.

The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes (The Japanese cover is prettier and has Asajj, ok?) Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto head to the planet Ord Cestus to try and convince Ord Cestus's government to ally with The Republic. But under the surface, a mysterious scheme had developed and it gets messy. Never ask me to write a publisher's summary. Asajj is the villain of this one, and I don't have much to say about it, but it is good. Fair warning: it hasn't aged the best in my opinion, and not even in a politically correct sense, some of the descriptions and relationships were questionable at best. If you like Kit Fisto and political adventuring and Clone Wars fights and a mascarade ball, if I remember correctly, this one's for you. It's not much of a story for Asajj but it is a fun read.

Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello I have never ever not once said it but this right here is my favorite Asajj story of all time ever. It does require context, though, so here's it: after the battle of Jabiim, Alpha-17 (Legends Arc Trooper, you may have heard of him) and Obi-Wan (a staple in Asajj's stories, he needs to gtfo women's business) are blown up and declared dead. Turns out Asajj Ventress has been holding them in her castle on the planet Rattatak and this is the daring story of their escape. In this issue, Asajj's origin story is revealed, before the Nightsisters had anything to do with her. More than any other Legends issue, it differentiates greatly from anything you know about Asajj in TCW/Canon. She's a warlord, with armies at her beck and call, a military commander, And it's fun. Her origin story is told in this issue, and it's such a great story that shifted my understanding of her a lot. The art, once again, is by Giorello, keep it in mind.

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart (Japanese cover, once again) Last but certainly not least, the Legends Clone Wars book I've heard the most positive reviews of, and was not disappointed in the slightest. It is as good as they say. The story doesn't focus on Asajj, and she isn't even the main antagonist, but she gets a meaningful role in it and has her place and her arc in the story. It's also my favorite approach to how Asajj would act when she has to deal with children. Worth the hype and an excellent book to read unrelated to Asajj.

Alright, that's all! I hope you check out at least one of these, they're all great. As said before, I also have a complete list of everything Asajj in chronological order. Feel free to ask me anything about the list and the things in it. I can also give a complete comic reading list for her, since it's a bit more than just the issues she appeared in. For anyone struggling with the accessibility of these recommendations, I have a hopefully comprehensive guide in the complete appearances post. And now just this list because I promised that:

Canon 1) Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) 2) Brotherhood - by Mike Chen 3) Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) 4) Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok 5) Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire 6) Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez

Legends 1) Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc (Star Wars: Republic #51-52) - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 2) Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching 3) Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn 4) The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes 5) Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 6) Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart

tag list: @thechaoticfanartist @charmwasjess @metalatl @redsandspirit @slutshartsstuff @housepartyfortwo @karma-malfoy @thelivingforce

[rainintheevening]

Just this. This. This.

[dearly]

CELEBRITY REHAB - WISDOM

[lolochaponnay]

[callmewinged]

"Sorrow is a hidden continent. Only when a man discovers his own grief does he see the broad landscape of sorrow, stretching away, away." ~ Sean Stewart, "The Night Watch"

[desire-mona]

we as a society really should've never let rsl dress himself

[readtilyoudie]

BATMAN WHITE KNIGHT PRESENTS: HARLEY QUINN

[themomentsalreadypassed]

Love lies bleeding came out. Hannigram is back on the menu. And Cas fucked Dean out of perdition and they've been balls deep ever since (for sure). Oh, and Hilson is pissing all over the place. The atmosphere is gay and listening to lana isn't helping anymore. Would someone please fuck me to death?

[esthete-god]

[legends-expo]

20 Years of “Winning the Hard Way”

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous turns 20 years old today, and as it is my absolute favorite Star Wars book, I wanted to take some time to talk about it and what it means to me. I cannot recommend this book enough to any Star Wars fan. It really has something for everyone, and is a great place to start in the Expanded Universe because it is a stand alone novel and the only characters you are expected to know are Yoda and Dooku. In addition to being a great Star Wars book, it is a rare gem in that it also has something meaningful to say about life itself.

As it was told to me, Lucasfilm wanted a Yoda centric book as part of their Clone Wars Multimedia project in the years between the release of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The people at Del Rey hemmed and hawed over who could even write such a thing and do it well, before they eventually landed on Sean Stewart. In my mind he was the perfect pick for a Yoda book, as he has a background of studying Eastern philosophy, which is what George Lucas based the Jedi philosophy off of. He only had four months to write the book, and was still able to deliver something poignant and deeply meaningful, as a Yoda book should be. I think that if someone who did not have this understanding had been picked, there is no way they would have been able to deliver such a book in four months. Sean Stewart was able to stand on the shoulders of the great philosophers who came before to help him write something that was truly worthy of Yoda. I think that many writers (across media types and eras of publishing/producing) forget that the Jedi have Buddhist/Daoist roots, and their writing suffers for it.

Much less impressive, but still relevant, I took a general education class in college titled “Religion and Society in India.” I got a terrible case of pneumonia during the Buddhism unit, and as much as I did try to keep up with the readings, my brain was soup and I was not able to really ingest the text. When it came time for the assignments and test, I just wrote my answers under the philosophy of WWYS (What Would Yoda Say?) and still pulled a decent grade for the unit. Outside of the movies, I pulled much of that WWYS from this book.

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous delves deep into topics of loss, failure, and struggling for the best possible outcome when the deck is stacked against you. I first read the book when I was 13 or 14, and it has always stuck with me as one of the most meaningful books I have read. When there is darkness in my life, it is something I pick back up to renew hope, and really, that’s what Star Wars is about isn’t it?

(read the rest of this essay on our Ko-Fi)

[rainintheevening]

Excerpts from the best Star Wars book not written by Stover...

I really have nothing else to say.

[comicbooksaregood]

Uncanny X-Men: First Class Giant-Size Special

Volume: 1

Issue: 1

Writers: Jeff Parker, Scott Gray, Roger Langridge

Pencils: Craig Rousseau, David Williams, Dennis Calero, Sean Galloway, Joe Infurnari, Cameron Stewart, Jeff Parker

Inks: Craig Rousseau, John Beatty, Dennis Calero, Sean Galloway, Joe Infurnari, Cameron Stewart, Jeff Parker

Colours: Val Staples, Guillem Mari, Dennis Calero, Sean Galloway Joe Infurnari, Brad Anderson, Jeff Parker

Covers: : Skottie Young

Marvel

[recycledmoviecostumes]

The gray slashed doublet worn by Stewart Granger in the 1953 film Young Bess was designed by MGM costume designer Walter Plunkett. Interestingly, the doublet was reused in the 1956 film Diane by Sean McClory as Count Michel Montgomery. Today, it is owned by Larry McQueen of the Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design. McQueen describes the piece as:

Period tunic of beige suede, quilting at yoke and cap sleeve, cut work on sleeve, underlining of sleeves of beige linen, trimmed at cuff with beige cotton and brown crochet. METRO-GOLDWYN MAYER label which reads [ST. GRANGER 1604 2299].

Costume Credit: Katie S.,  Larry McQueen: The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design

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[catboyclarity]

Hey is it cool if I ask if u have any book recommendations? I wanna read more but it's hard for me to find new stuff to read so i'mma just ask randos to hand over their favs or whatever LMAO

Oh fuck yes I’ve been waiting for this.

I think everyone in the queer community should read In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado so that’s my blanket rec for everyone.

If you like The Weird Stuff I can’t recommend the Lilith’s Brood trilogy by Octavia E. Butler enough. It’s very weird and I love it.

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel fucked my life. If you are chill with reading something SUPER catholic and want a good trauma book pick that up.

Pick up Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin when it comes out. It’s twice as good as Manhunt and Manhunt is VERY good.

If you like literary fiction or even if you don’t try out Detransition, Baby by Torrey Petters

If you wanna read a 16 book fantasy series Realm of the Elderlings just reshaped my personality

Quick list of stuff I also like a lot but don’t find life changing:

-Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

-Pretty much anything out of the T. Kingfisher catalogue

-ditto for Seanan McGuire

-Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

“Hershel do you like any books by men” yes about two and you probably already know one of them.