Editor Del Rey Books: “intensity” of Star Wars discourse makes it hard to find new writers

[Lifejumper]

The writer of the TROS novelization; Rae Carson was/is currently being harassed on Twitter.


I bet LF is also having a tough time finding new directors for the upcoming movies. I think the film world noticed how the fandom treated Rian Johnson after he took some creative risks.

Isn’t it ironic that the fandom, not Disney, will be the end of the franchise?

 

[El Bombastico]

Who the fuck wants that kind of pressure/harrasment? Established authors/directors know its NOT worth the bullshit.

 

[Richiek]

Star Wars fans are the most toxic fanbase for a long while.

 

[Deleted member 4260]

Star Wars is really one of the most toxic and shitty fanbases out there.

 

[Deleted member 11626]

Star Wars fans are toxic. Their animosity has driven actors just playing roles to the brink of self harm. I’d rather no more Star Wars content ever drop if it meant the people responsible were no longer subject to the bullshit.

 

[Rookhelm]

*Sigh* I hate this. I love star wars, but no one hates it more than Star Wars fans

 

[entremet]

I mean, look how they treated Lucas, the Grand Poobah of SW. It was foreshadowing of what was to come.

And then the actors over the years, Jake Lloyd, the man how voiced and acted Jar-Jar, the actress of Rose, Daisy Ridley, Rian Johnson, and so on.

 

[zma1013]

I will do it. I will write the scripts and direct the movies... though I do not know the way.

 

[Anth0ny]

You definitely need to be thick skinned/ignore social media it you’re gonna get involved with this shit show. It’s not the way things should be, but it is what it is.

I’m always amazed how Rian is able to handle all the criticism/death threats with such grace.

 

[Slayven]

I wonder how often that kinda of shit is factored into a decision? I bet it is becomign more common everyday.

 

[El Bombastico]

I will do it. I will write the scripts and direct the movies.

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At the rate directors are passing up on SW, Disney might just hire you...

 

[data west]

A highly mediocre space wizard film series really isn't worth all this

 

[Tekku]

This made me think of that time when Lucas tried to pitch Star Wars to David Lynch over a salad lunch. The more he listened the less interested he was and he ultimately left the place with a big ”no” and a migrane.

Kudos to those who dare invest in this ”sacred” piece of cinema though. It’s like trying to write a new and modern chapter of the Bible.

 

[DopeToast]

I love Star Wars and have grown to hate the fan base and ever discussing it online. It's sad.

 

[El Bombastico]

This made me think of that time when Lucas tried to pitch Star Wars to David Lynch over a salad lunch. The more he listened the less interested he was and he ultimately left the place with a big ”no” and a migrane.

Kudos to those who dare invest in this ”sacred” piece of cinema though. It’s like trying to write a new and modern chapter of the Bible.

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This really makes me wonder how the new Lord of the Rings series will be received by the Tolkien fanboys...

 

[AlexFlame116]

Judging by the replies on Twitter, it looks like a majority of the complaints comes from...Reylo fans????

 

[Deleted member 4260]

You definitely need to be thick skinned/ignore social media it you’re gonna get involved with this shit show. It’s not the way things should be, but it is what it is.

I’m always amazed how Rian is able to handle all the criticism/death threats with such grace.

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in every interview I’ve seen of him, he always seems so grateful and happy that he got to do his movie. Given how much shit he’s gotten from dumbass fans, I can’t believe he’s still positive about the whole thing.

 

[Nostremitus]

You mean, writers don't want death threats from incels?

 

[Sordid Plebeian]

Angry, over-opinionated nerds are the worst, especially when you throw in a bunch of racism and sexism

 

[Sobriquet]

I wish people weren't assholes. Can't they use a pen name?

 

[NiallGGlynn]

What a hideous fanbase. Even the bad films in the series have positive messages so it's always bizarre how many people become so hateful around it.

 

[Lifejumper]

GL bailed out right on time. He knew.

This really makes me wonder how the new Lord of the Rings series will be received by the Tolkien fanboys...

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tbh the lotr fandom seems a lot more chill. Must be all that Shire pipe- weed; Old Toby.

 

[Empress of ice cream]

They are free to publish all my Master Qui-Gon and Padawan Kenobi fanfiction I wrote as a teenager.

I saw a bunch of shippers complaining over some kiss thing and others over Sheev. I mean, it is just a novelization. It is not like the author had much to say about the story on their own.

 

[Van Bur3n]

I wish people weren't assholes. Can't they use a pen name?

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Don’t see how their actual name won’t leak out in this day and age.

 

[Nepenthe]

Who wants to be driven to suicide over a fucking space opera?

 

[RLCC14]

Sucks, but honestly I'd still do it for the money (assuming the pay is good) and just ignore social media while doing it.

 

[Mike]

I'll do it. I don't use social media.

 

[Lord Vatek]

Star Wars fans are just spoiled children.

They don't enjoy it so now no one else can.

 

[El Bombastico]

I'll do it. I don't use social media.

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Sucks, but honestly I'd still do it for the money (assuming the pay is good) and just ignore social media while doing it.

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Studios/Publishers kinda expect you now to use social media to interact and promote your work. Its the nature of the beast.

 

[CesareNorrez]

Star Wars fans love pushing away creative people that want to give the world more Star Wars.

It's no surprise to me as my ignored threads basically comprises a Star Wars sub-forum.

 

[RLCC14]

Studios/Publishers kinda expect you now to use social media to interact and promote your work. Its the nature of the beast.

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Post then mute. Simple as that.

 

[Gabriel Hall]

Judging by the replies on Twitter, it looks like a majority of the complaints comes from...Reylo fans????

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To me, it looks like people are happy that Rae Carson emphasized the relationship between Ben and Rey in her novelization to a greater degree than what the movie accomplished. Unless you are referring to Tom's tweet, I haven't sifted through the comments beyond what N.K. Jemisin wrote.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

I love Star Wars and have grown to hate the fan base and ever discussing it online. It's sad.

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I'm with you, but It's to a point where I genuinely don't even know if I love Star Wars anymore. It's become so joyless that I just don't even know.

 

[Nairume]

I love star wars but can't fucking the star wars fanbase because of shit like that.

 

[Cross-Section]

To me, it looks like people are happy that Rae Carson emphasized the relationship between Ben and Rey in her novelization to a greater degree than what the movie accomplished. Unless you are referring to Tom's tweet, I haven't sifted through the comments beyond what N.K. Jemisin wrote.

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I think some folks are mad that the kiss itself was written as a moment of gratitude rather than outright romance but I've also been seeing a lot of happy Reylos on my end, too.

 

[WriterInTheDark]

Imagining thinking your dislike of media entitles you to harass someone.

 

[Winny（๑•̀ㅂ•́）و]

I don’t really blame them. There weren’t exactly high standards for the old stuff. As long as it was fun and adventurous and had characters you knew or introduced characters you liked, it was fine. Now the entire fandom has gone to shit because of one movie and I wouldn’t go near it either. It doesn’t exactly help that the one character everyone would love to write stories about has been taken off the table, too. Considering how many Luke Skywalker novels were written before Disney bought Lucasfilm, not being able to write any for him now must be a bummer.

 

[Garlador]

Toxic Star Wars fans harassed a child into a mental breakdown and an actor into contemplating suicide.

I wouldn't want the job either.

 

[PhaZe 5]

Discourse is one reason, but I'd imagine the main one is the lack of freedom. The guys upstairs barely know what they want to do moving forward, so how are they going to let you create a truly unique story without tons of red tape involved?

 

[No Depth]

Yea hard to resolve my love for the franchise when it’s fan base is such garbage. Really sours the whole thing.

 

[Soj]

I mean, you make the best movie in the franchise and all they do is complain nonstop for two years.

Who the fuck needs that in their life?

 

[jelly]

Is it probably not that you have to work in the confines of Disney, Lucasarts and whatever film writers have made rather than a toxic fan base?

I don't deny there is some scummy hateful people but I don't think it's much different from others, it's a massive IP, shame there has been some tragic outcomes though like Jake Lloyd.

I really wish they wouldn't go for that line Rian took risks and people hate him for it, people do have fair standard criticism that doesn't involve that. People call out lots of films.

 

[Nairume]

Discourse is one reason, but I'd imagine the main one is the lack of freedom. The guys upstairs barely know what they want to do moving forward, so how are they going to let you create a truly unique story without tons of red tape involved?

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I mean

People have been working on licensed star wars shit for years, even after the disney buyout. If a lack of freedom was the main point of contention for most people being courted for these projects, we'd have heard about a lot more people turning stuff down.

Meanwhile, you can demonstratively see how utterly toxic Star Wars discourse has progressed over the past two decades and see how it has more directly caused people to disconnect themselves from it.

 

[MilkBeard]

It really does suck how a seemingly fun and light science fiction/space opera series can garner such toxicity in its fans. Boggles the mind.

 

[HStallion]

I don’t really blame them. There weren’t exactly high standards for the old stuff. As long as it was fun and adventurous and had characters you knew or introduced characters you liked, it was fine. Now the entire fandom has gone to shit because of one movie and I wouldn’t go near it either. It doesn’t exactly help that the one character everyone would love to write stories about has been taken off the table, too. Considering how many Luke Skywalker novels were written before Disney bought Lucasfilm, not being able to write any for him now must be a bummer.

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People need to stop acting like TLJ is when the SW fanbase shit the bed. Just look at their treatment of Jake Lloyd or the Jar Jar actor during the prequel era. It's been a notoriously toxic fanbase for decades.

 

[Nairume]

It doesn’t exactly help that the one character everyone would love to write stories about has been taken off the table, too. Considering how many Luke Skywalker novels were written before Disney bought Lucasfilm, not being able to write any for him now must be a bummer.

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Aside from content that takes place after TLJ, how is Luke off the table? Not only is there still a massive gap in time in his life that can still be filled in, we are actually seeing that happen, given he's still starring in the main Star Wars comic and is a notable part of the ongoing Kylo Ren series (and is indirectly a part of the ongoing Vader series). What happens to him in the ST doesn't seem to have impacted the Marvel writers much with regards to writing good stories about him.

 

[abellwillring]

I am sure this is why Weiss and Benioff backed away. No reason to subject themselves to the same sort of reaction as the ending of GOT. They had enough money on the table elsewhere.

 

[bricewgilbert]

I mean I would say boohoo for the film and tv writers considering that they get paid, but the books and comics people get paid shit right?

 

[Winny（๑•̀ㅂ•́）و]

People need to stop acting like TLJ is when the SW fanbase shit the bed. Just look at their treatment of Jake Lloyd or the Jar Jar actor during the prequel era. It's been a notoriously toxic fanbase for decades.

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Oh it's true some older fans have always been jerks, but the new fans that grew up watching the prequels and The Clone Wars weren't exactly as bad. At least not until TLJ came out and everything went to shit.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

I mean I would say boohoo for the film and tv writers considering that they get paid, but the books and comics people get paid shit right?

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No amount of money is worth being bullied or harassed to the point of mental issues or contemplating suicide.
Actually, let me make that simpler:
No amount of money is worth being bullied or harassed.

Oh it's true some older fans have always been jerks, but the new fans that grew up watching the prequels and The Clone Wars weren't exactly as bad. At least not until TLJ came out and everything went to shit.

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Citation needed