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100 Things Star Wars Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
As a Star Wars fan, you've seen the movies, from A New Hope to The Last Jedi , and beyond. And of course you've probably had a faux lightsaber battle or two, pretending to be Luke Skywalker, Rey, or maybe Kylo Ren. But can you name the seven actors who have portrayed Darth Vader? Do you know how Ralph McQuarrie helped shape the world of Star Wars? Are you familiar with Deak Starkiller, Darth Plagueis, or Drew Struzan? Have you seen the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special? 100 Things Star Wars Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resource for true fans of the galaxy far, far away. In this revised and updated edition, Dan Casey has collected every essential piece of Star Wars knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activites, and ranks them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist for viewers old and new to progress on their way to fan superstardom.
496 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2015
11 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 1, 2019
This book was given to me by a student, which is the only reason I finished it. The fact that I finished it is the only reason I'm not giving it one star. Other than a cash grab, I fail to understand why this book exists. The title clearly states that it's for Star Wars fans, yet Casey writes about many ideas that the fans already know (e.g., the plots of the movies). I was embarrassingly far into the book before I realized that it was self-published, which might explain some of the issues I have with it. That said, here - in no particular order - are those issues.
*Casey's writing style: Early in the book it becomes clear that his writing style is not one that is going to appeal to me. He has in informal tone that I presume is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but I find it annoying. When discussing the show "Rebels", he writes that the "titular rebels are a small, but integral part [of the story]. You know, kind of like the marshmallows in your hot chocolate; sure you could enjoy it without them, but it just wouldn't be the same. Now go ahead and take a quick five-minute break to get yourself some hot chocolate. I'll wait... Are you back? Good!" (96). It's meant to be humorous, but it comes off as annoying and juvenile. When discussing places Star Wars fans can visit, he mentions Caserta Royal Palace in Italy, the setting for Naboo. One of the benefits of that location is that "there's a waterfall. Did I mention the waterfall? Because it totally has a waterfall" (327). I know an attempt to increase word count when I see it. He writes in a tone that seems meant for a younger audience, but he goes into depth on topics such as whom George Lucas went to film school with, topics that younger audience wouldn't understand or likely care about.
*It's a book in blog form: If this were a blog that were written once a month, some of his diction might make more sense, but as a book it gets annoying. When writing about Anthony Daniels, Casey writes that Daniels is "invited to meet with a young American director who was in the midst of casting a space-fantasy film that was set to film in Tunisia. Of course, that director was a young George Lucas, and the film in question was 'Star Wars'" (195). Later in the book, Casey, writing about John Williams, refers to "George Lucas, a struggling filmmaker who needed a composer to provide the score for his epic space fantasy, a little film called 'Star Wars'" (347). Of COURSE it's "Star Wars". This entire book is about Star Wars. What film did he think we had in mind? "Casablanca 2: Rick's Revenge?" It's an insulting tone that disrespects his readers.
*pointless allusions: Count Dooku is so evil that "the only think missing was a hairless cat for [him] to menacingly stroke" (244). Yes, Dr. Evil has a hairless cat, but Austin Powers, aside from being dated, is irrelevant to this. He's not even an archetypal evil character. It's a pointless throwaway line (of which there are many in this book). When discussing the Expanded Universe and the Star Wars Legends - and their respective places in and out of the canon - Casey quotes Rob Bradfield about the difficulty of knowing what is and isn't canon, wrapping it up with the idea that "it's not canon until it is" (250). Casey acknowledges that it's not much comfort and advises readers to "look on the bright side: the glass is still half-full of blue milk" (250). There IS no bright side to look on, so not only is the allusion forced (no pun intended), it's illogical.
*poor diction: Casey writes that Ackbar's "It's a trap!" is "one of the most infamous lines in 'Return of the Jedi'" (288). "Infamous" has an inherently negative connotation. It makes no sense in this context. Casey also writes about Red Squadron's attack on "the planet-sized problem called the Death Star" (313). One of the few high points of this book is that it gives my students examples of how NOT to write. "Called" is pointless verbiage. My students should not be writing about Hamlet's friend named Horatio.
*blatant factual inaccuracies: Casey writes about poster designer Drew Struzan and how he designed record covers, including "Alice in Chains' 'Welcome to My Nightmare', which 'Rolling Stone' named one of the Top 10 Album Covers of All Time" (344). Two issues: "Welcome to My Nightmare" is by Alice COOPER, not Alice in Chains, and it was in the top 100 (#92), not the top 10. This is one of the biggest issues with self-published books; they lack the editing and proofreading necessary to catch mistakes such as this. That said, outside pop culture references are bad enough (to be fair, an unofficial Alice in Chains bootleg called "Welcome to My Nightmare" exists, but it's its own entity and not connected to the band or the "Rolling Stone" list), but mistakes about "Star Wars" are unforgivable. Casey writes that "[blue] milk is the frothy blue beverage Luke Skywalker drinks at... the Mos Eisley Cantina" (363-364). It isn't. Luke drinks the blue milk at home with Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen. If Casey is going to write about all things Star Wars, he needs to get the facts right.
*Casey's writing style: Early in the book it becomes clear that his writing style is not one that is going to appeal to me. He has in informal tone that I presume is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but I find it annoying. When discussing the show "Rebels", he writes that the "titular rebels are a small, but integral part [of the story]. You know, kind of like the marshmallows in your hot chocolate; sure you could enjoy it without them, but it just wouldn't be the same. Now go ahead and take a quick five-minute break to get yourself some hot chocolate. I'll wait... Are you back? Good!" (96). It's meant to be humorous, but it comes off as annoying and juvenile. When discussing places Star Wars fans can visit, he mentions Caserta Royal Palace in Italy, the setting for Naboo. One of the benefits of that location is that "there's a waterfall. Did I mention the waterfall? Because it totally has a waterfall" (327). I know an attempt to increase word count when I see it. He writes in a tone that seems meant for a younger audience, but he goes into depth on topics such as whom George Lucas went to film school with, topics that younger audience wouldn't understand or likely care about.
*It's a book in blog form: If this were a blog that were written once a month, some of his diction might make more sense, but as a book it gets annoying. When writing about Anthony Daniels, Casey writes that Daniels is "invited to meet with a young American director who was in the midst of casting a space-fantasy film that was set to film in Tunisia. Of course, that director was a young George Lucas, and the film in question was 'Star Wars'" (195). Later in the book, Casey, writing about John Williams, refers to "George Lucas, a struggling filmmaker who needed a composer to provide the score for his epic space fantasy, a little film called 'Star Wars'" (347). Of COURSE it's "Star Wars". This entire book is about Star Wars. What film did he think we had in mind? "Casablanca 2: Rick's Revenge?" It's an insulting tone that disrespects his readers.
*pointless allusions: Count Dooku is so evil that "the only think missing was a hairless cat for [him] to menacingly stroke" (244). Yes, Dr. Evil has a hairless cat, but Austin Powers, aside from being dated, is irrelevant to this. He's not even an archetypal evil character. It's a pointless throwaway line (of which there are many in this book). When discussing the Expanded Universe and the Star Wars Legends - and their respective places in and out of the canon - Casey quotes Rob Bradfield about the difficulty of knowing what is and isn't canon, wrapping it up with the idea that "it's not canon until it is" (250). Casey acknowledges that it's not much comfort and advises readers to "look on the bright side: the glass is still half-full of blue milk" (250). There IS no bright side to look on, so not only is the allusion forced (no pun intended), it's illogical.
*poor diction: Casey writes that Ackbar's "It's a trap!" is "one of the most infamous lines in 'Return of the Jedi'" (288). "Infamous" has an inherently negative connotation. It makes no sense in this context. Casey also writes about Red Squadron's attack on "the planet-sized problem called the Death Star" (313). One of the few high points of this book is that it gives my students examples of how NOT to write. "Called" is pointless verbiage. My students should not be writing about Hamlet's friend named Horatio.
*blatant factual inaccuracies: Casey writes about poster designer Drew Struzan and how he designed record covers, including "Alice in Chains' 'Welcome to My Nightmare', which 'Rolling Stone' named one of the Top 10 Album Covers of All Time" (344). Two issues: "Welcome to My Nightmare" is by Alice COOPER, not Alice in Chains, and it was in the top 100 (#92), not the top 10. This is one of the biggest issues with self-published books; they lack the editing and proofreading necessary to catch mistakes such as this. That said, outside pop culture references are bad enough (to be fair, an unofficial Alice in Chains bootleg called "Welcome to My Nightmare" exists, but it's its own entity and not connected to the band or the "Rolling Stone" list), but mistakes about "Star Wars" are unforgivable. Casey writes that "[blue] milk is the frothy blue beverage Luke Skywalker drinks at... the Mos Eisley Cantina" (363-364). It isn't. Luke drinks the blue milk at home with Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen. If Casey is going to write about all things Star Wars, he needs to get the facts right.
August 14, 2017
Certainly not what I expected. I gave it three stars because I thought it was well written, but that's about it. Of course, this review is coming from a tried and true Star Wars fan and such Star Wars fans could probably skip 75% of the book. That is about how much of the book tells the who's who and what's what of every Star Wars film minus Episode VII The Force Awakens since the book was published prior to its release. However, those who have seen the movies but still don't know a great deal about the Star Wars universe, which encompasses the movies, the Extended Universe(i.e., the novels, comic books, animated series, and video games), as well as Star Wars merchandise and collectibles, and tourist attractions and events around the world, might want to consider picking this book up. That being said, there are some chapters I found quite interesting. Chapter 79 tells you where you can find some of the locations around the world that were used in the making of the films. Chapter 65 explains how Han Solo made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. Chapters 89 and 90 provide a few recipes for Star Wars-inspired cocktails and Rebels Cookies and Blue Milk, like the kind Luke drank in the Cantina. And probably my favorite chapter of all is Chapter 78, about George's first wife Marcia Lucas, who it seems is the real reason why the movies of the original trilogy were so successful. It was due to Marcia's guidance and insistence that we witnessed such memorable moments especially in Episode IV A New Hope, such as the little mouse droid's reaction in the corridor of the Death Star when Chewie roars at it, Ben's death while dueling with Darth Vader, Leia's good-luck kiss to Luke before they swing across the chasm, and the moment when Han Solo flies to the rescue in the Millenium Falcon to get the TIE fighters off Luke's tail so he can fire the proton torpedoes and destroy the Death Star. Maybe Marcia's absence after Return of the Jedi and her subsequent divorce from George is the reason why the prequels fell short of the original trilogy in quality. Hmmm!
April 14, 2019
I was really disappointed by this book. Based on the title, and the description I read, I thought it would divulge little know facts, perhaps tell you about conventions, place you go could related to Star Wars, things of that nature. 90 of the entries were just about characters and the films, and, quite frankly, it was nothing new. The information discussed was well and widely known. The remaining entries were really no better, no revelations, nothing unexpected.
It was very much a let down of a book.
It was very much a let down of a book.
November 29, 2015
This is an amazing book for any star wars fan, new or old. It is packed with fun and interesting ideas, recipes, and things to do as well as a ton of facts that will teach Star Wars to the younger fans and refresh many older fans before they see The Force Awakens. Definitely a must have for any Star Wars fan. Plus the author is like, super fuego.
December 24, 2015
This is going on my Did Not Finish bookshelf. I got to page 150 out of 400.
The book is nothing but a summary of movies, events and characters. There's little to no analysis. If you're a Star Wars nerd, you know everything that's in here already. Nothing to see here. Move along, move along...
The book is nothing but a summary of movies, events and characters. There's little to no analysis. If you're a Star Wars nerd, you know everything that's in here already. Nothing to see here. Move along, move along...
December 22, 2015
Not much to learn here if you are an avid Star Wars fan, but a great gift for someone who is only now getting into Star Wars.
August 15, 2019
Extremely repetitive, full of errors (such as getting Joseph Conrad confused with Joseph Campbell), and nobody needs such long synopses of all the stories.
January 16, 2022
This book was around 2.5 stars for me.
As a big Star Wars fan I was excited for this book. But there's quite a few things in this book that aren't facts, they're anecdotes or recipes or stories and there's a significant amount of the book dedicated to retelling the plot of the movies. If these are things Star Wars fans should know, surely Star Wars fans already know what happens in the movies? So I'm not sure why there was so much time dedicated to telling us about the movies plots.
There is a variety of information included in this book from behind the scenes stories to recipes for Star Wars inspired recipes and even a Star Wars inspired scarf idea. The instructions for these crafts is a bit lackluster and there aren't a lot of pictures, which isn't the most helpful.
It was a quickish book to flip through, but I don't feel like I learned a lot.
As a big Star Wars fan I was excited for this book. But there's quite a few things in this book that aren't facts, they're anecdotes or recipes or stories and there's a significant amount of the book dedicated to retelling the plot of the movies. If these are things Star Wars fans should know, surely Star Wars fans already know what happens in the movies? So I'm not sure why there was so much time dedicated to telling us about the movies plots.
There is a variety of information included in this book from behind the scenes stories to recipes for Star Wars inspired recipes and even a Star Wars inspired scarf idea. The instructions for these crafts is a bit lackluster and there aren't a lot of pictures, which isn't the most helpful.
It was a quickish book to flip through, but I don't feel like I learned a lot.
June 16, 2020
I rated this 3 stars because some of the book was very repetitive with the information that was being given so I would recommend not reading it but using it as something to read for information every now and then like an encyclopedia. I found some of the information very useful and learned an exceptional amount but was rushing to finish reading it so that I could start another book. I have never been bored reading any book in the past but this was the first book that I have read where I felt like not picking it up after putting it down.
September 11, 2025
Self-published.
Not great.
Some interesting tidbits, but otherwise not worth my time.
Skimmed/skipped most of it.
Chapter layout makes no sense.
Released before EVII, so some information about the movie was untrue.
Not great.
Hoped for better.
Not great.
Some interesting tidbits, but otherwise not worth my time.
Skimmed/skipped most of it.
Chapter layout makes no sense.
Released before EVII, so some information about the movie was untrue.
Not great.
Hoped for better.
January 24, 2018
This was a great book for all Star Wars fans, of any degree of obsessed. Many interesting things I didn't know, all written in a fun and engaging way. Worth a read for sure!
September 9, 2018
A good review of everything Star Wars. I'm excited to see the next movie!
December 13, 2022
Rubbish. When a book is advertised as being non-fictional and factual, I expect it to be so. I wasn't expecting something as large-scale as How Star Wars Conquered The Universe but at the very least I was expecting snaps of trivia and behind-the-scenes Easter eggs.
Instead I got this Stereotypical Star Wars Fan™ (ifykyk) summarising the movies, interrupting to insert his own personal rants and biases with awful jokes. He defends ridiculous parts of some movies then lazily criticizes other aspects because he can't put two-and-two together unless it's shoved in his face. If you can't stay neutral when writing about fiction, then maybe don't write a non-fictional book????
The author's narration rubbed me the wrong way. He comes off as conceited and insufferable, strongly reminding me of Gen X dudebros who look down on female fans ("but I'm not sexist, Rey and Ahsoka are my favourite characters!") and dub anyone who hasn't read the entire Legends continuity a "fake fan". This should have stayed a blog or vlog.
Instead I got this Stereotypical Star Wars Fan™ (ifykyk) summarising the movies, interrupting to insert his own personal rants and biases with awful jokes. He defends ridiculous parts of some movies then lazily criticizes other aspects because he can't put two-and-two together unless it's shoved in his face. If you can't stay neutral when writing about fiction, then maybe don't write a non-fictional book????
The author's narration rubbed me the wrong way. He comes off as conceited and insufferable, strongly reminding me of Gen X dudebros who look down on female fans ("but I'm not sexist, Rey and Ahsoka are my favourite characters!") and dub anyone who hasn't read the entire Legends continuity a "fake fan". This should have stayed a blog or vlog.
December 20, 2015
There isn't very much I needed to learn from this book; as a long time "Star Wars" fan, I'd say that 90% of what is in this volume are facts that I (and a considerably number of other fans) already knew. Combined with a breathless adulation & a lack of critique, this makes for a very bland encyclopedia, without much of a logical organization. I suppose I've been spoiled: being a "Doctor Who" fan is to be part of a legacy of amazing analytical fan critiques, ranging from the "Discontinuity Guide" to the "About Time" series to Phil Sandifer's "TARDIS Eruditorum". In comparison, this book seems pretty banal and insubstantial.
August 21, 2016
For the die-hard Star Wars fan, there really isn't much to learn that hasn't already been un-earthed in this book. The book is structured as a series of 100 short chapters that are on the actors, characters and places within the Star Wars universe. New Star Wars fans may find some of the information entertaining. There are clearly some filler chapters on drinks and places to go, which only the geekiest of Star Wars fanboys will enjoy. This is a a quick read, but relatively enjoyable.
October 9, 2016
Loved it. Easy to read, informative and fun. Only for Star Wars fans. Otherwise you won't appreciate it
February 28, 2016
great book about star wars!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews