A long, long time ago, in a galaxy known as high school, my senior English Lit class studied Hamlet by William Shakespeare. As I read the play, the Star Wars nerd in me could not help but correlate the tale, chock full of spirits and sword fighting and murderous relatives, with George Lucas’s beloved space opera. I had the idea that one day I would put on a production of Hamlet with the roles replaced by the appropriate Star Wars character. Luke Skywalker would play the titular character, Darth Vader would be his murderous, scheming uncle, and Obi-Wan would take a turn as the ghost/Force spirit that was once his father. The other positions could be filled by the various supporting cast members. It was an interesting idea but unfortunately I never had the means nor the talent to make it.
Flash forward eighteen years (has it really been that long since I graduated?) and it turns out that I am not the only one to notice the connection between the Bard’s writings and the galaxy far, far away. With his debut novel, William Shakespeare’s Star Wars, author Ian Doescher gives a unique perspective on A New Hope by telling it through mimicry of the style of the most famous playwright in history. He has since gone on to publish books for the entire movie saga, with the final tale Tragedy of the Sith’s Revenge released just days after the “Force Friday” extravaganza. To celebrate the finale, Doescher went on a multi-city book tour, and one of his stops was near my home in Cincinnati, Ohio. Read more
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