Get ready to DEFY THE STARS on April 4th! Check out an excerpt of Claudia’s new interstellar adventure series over on Entertainment Weekly.
DEFY THE STARS by Claudia Gray
Noemi Vidal is seventeen years old and sworn to protect her planet, Genesis. She’s willing to risk anything—including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel.
He’s a machine.
Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel has advanced programming that’s begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination.
Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.
Naomi is capable and strong willed but has almost no sense of self worth. Orphaned at an early age she never had the feeling of truly belonging somewhere. After losing the only person she truly connected with she’s ready to sacrifice herself to change the outcome of a battle to buy her people more time in an ongoing war.
Abel is an android, constructed and groomed to fulfil one specific purpose for his creator. Abandoned for decades on a space ship he knows the meaning of loneliness. Yet when Naomi frees him and his programming demands that he accepts her as his new master his main objective stays the same. Find his true master and seek his approval.
Both Naomi and Abel travel together on a risky mission to turn the outcome of the war. Slowly they find out that they are more than the sum of their parts, more than their upbringing or programming.
Thank you @ewa-a-nie-chce-spac for your encouragement and @shadowlass for inspiration 🙂 I’ve been thinking about writing this post for a year, but recently few things happened that motivated me to do it:
Finally I had a chance to watch “Beauty and the Beast”. Well, I saw the animated version before but watching the new one only made me realize why I disagree so strongly with the conclusions of this fairytale. I was never a fan of this theory which highlights the parallels between Kylo and the Beast. Of course, there is some similarity in the outer layer and symbolism but the core of the story is totally different: while Beast is a proud and vain man and so his task in the story is to learn how to love another human being, Kylo is full of self-hatred and doubt and his main goal in this trilogy is learn how to love himself.
What is more, there are many fairytales that reflect more accurately the main motives visible in the Force Awakens. The two that, in my opinion, are the most fitting here are “Snow Queen” and “Prince Lindworm”. But let me say this: since I’ve become a part of this fandom I admired all those talented people who were creating amazing stores, drawing beautiful fanarts and those who put their extensive knowledge (from fabulously varied fields!) into use, writing metas. I also wanted to contribute and share those bits and pieces that I’ve collected during my studies. I decided to divide this post into two parts: the first one will be about the Snow Queen and I will discuss the similarities between the fairytale and TFA on the level of the plot and its symbolism. This one will be more like a summary. In the second part I will write about Prince Lindwom and more psychological stuff, like trauma, dissociation and archetypal defenses of personal spirit. However, I will focus on Kylo’s relation with Snoke in both parts, because I feel that there are still some things that need to be said.
TLJ has almost exactly the same storyline as The Snow Queen! Only the ending is changed, so when Kai finaly becomes “ his own master, and has the whole world and a pair of new skates” he decides to use his new power instead of going home with Gertha!
Yes, your meta was quite prophetic and predicted the narrative direction and theme of TLJ very accurately. 🙂
May I suggest revisiting your meta instead of rewriting it? This meta is a perfect example of very accurate plot and theme extrapolation of what TFA has established. As such it’s yet another proof that you (and the reylo fandom in general) interpreted TFA the way it was meant to by the creators. It really shows that you understood long before TLJ came out what kind of story they are telling.
Maybe you could add commentaries throughout your meta, pointing out what plot points, character motivations and themes from the fairy tale have already occurred in TLJ?
The last question of your meta where you ask if Kay’s and Kylo’s/Ben’s story ending will be similar would be a really good starting point for speculations about character journeys in Episode IX. I wonder if they stick to the plot of The Snow Queen (in a slightly more elaborate way) or if they subvert it. I kinda hope for the latter because reducing everything to “love will save the day” seems a little bit too simplistic. But maybe that’s just a matter of personal taste. 🙂
Thank you @ewa-a-nie-chce-spac for your encouragement and @shadowlass for inspiration 🙂 I’ve been thinking about writing this post for a year, but recently few things happened that motivated me to do it:
Finally I had a chance to watch “Beauty and the Beast”. Well, I saw the animated version before but watching the new one only made me realize why I disagree so strongly with the conclusions of this fairytale. I was never a fan of this theory which highlights the parallels between Kylo and the Beast. Of course, there is some similarity in the outer layer and symbolism but the core of the story is totally different: while Beast is a proud and vain man and so his task in the story is to learn how to love another human being, Kylo is full of self-hatred and doubt and his main goal in this trilogy is learn how to love himself.
What is more, there are many fairytales that reflect more accurately the main motives visible in the Force Awakens. The two that, in my opinion, are the most fitting here are “Snow Queen” and “Prince Lindworm”. But let me say this: since I’ve become a part of this fandom I admired all those talented people who were creating amazing stores, drawing beautiful fanarts and those who put their extensive knowledge (from fabulously varied fields!) into use, writing metas. I also wanted to contribute and share those bits and pieces that I’ve collected during my studies. I decided to divide this post into two parts: the first one will be about the Snow Queen and I will discuss the similarities between the fairytale and TFA on the level of the plot and its symbolism. This one will be more like a summary. In the second part I will write about Prince Lindwom and more psychological stuff, like trauma, dissociation and archetypal defenses of personal spirit. However, I will focus on Kylo’s relation with Snoke in both parts, because I feel that there are still some things that need to be said.
It has some Snoke/Rey or Snoke/Kylo (depending on whom do you perceive as the enchanted swan) as well~
Her soul will be a swan Until She feels The love of nobleman Forever her soul will be a swan Until She feels The love of noble…
In swan lake In swan lake In swan lake In swan lake
Tired to ride in the royal hunt To listen sweet lies that I am won’t I am the prince! The future king! Boomed in my head my mother’s voice Take to wife! should be my choice Oh, cruel fate! That my soul hate!
To forget all I fled into the woods Searching preys goods Then I saw the lake Lost in the deep forest And its water chorused An odd melody
Swans of nice white feather on the dusk Swam in a dance in harmonious masque Hunter I am! My bow was prepared
But her beauty was shown me in the depth Spouting, silent, from the lake And her pale look kept a sad poem Lost in despair Dragged into the warlock’s lair In the shadows
Her soul will be a swan Until She feels The love of nobleman Forever her soul will be a swan Until She feels The love of noble…
Like a night tide Together we cried Our lips sealed its secrets way And my doubts died But when came the dawn My dream sank covered by dark waters
But her beauty was shown me in the depth Spouting, silent, from the lake And her pale look kept a sad poem Lost in despair Dragged into the warlock’s lair In the shadows
Her soul will be a swan Until She feels The love of nobleman Forever her soul will be a swan Until She feels The love of nobleman
My princess’s tears fall in the moonglade The lake is afraid The night shows the spell Then I can feel my heart run into my chest Now I know my quest In the hell of the storm I’ll break her swan-form So inside the waves We will find our graves But the warlock’s curse will be broken
But her beauty was shown me in the depth Spouting, silent, from the lake And her pale look kept a sad poem Lost in despair Dragged into the warlock’s lair In the shadows
Her soul will be a swan Until She feels The love of nobleman Forever her soul will be a swan Until She feels The love of nobleman
My princess’s tears fall in the moonglade The lake is afraid The night shows the spell Then I can feel my heart run into my chest Now I know my quest In the hell of the storm I’ll break her swan-form So inside the waves We will find our graves But the warlock’s curse will be broken The Rothboart’s curse will be broken
The Rothboart’s curse broken… The Rothboart’s curse broken… The Rothboart’s curse broken… The Rothboart’s curse broken…
Our spirits will be free Will fly The sky Over the green lake’s trees Forever our spirits will be free Will fly The sky Over the green lake’s trees Remember us in the stars Remember us in the stars
JIM HENSON’S THE STORYTELLER: HANS, MY HEDGEHOG
Reylo vibe recommendation by @shutup-fuzzball who describes it like this: “…its obviously a Beauty and the Beast story but The princess doesn’t just sit and look pretty, she’s an active character like Rey and goes out to find Hans and make things right again between them. I love how Hans is the gentle beast; the scars from his youth much like Kylo/Bens experiences have made him who he is later, into an imposing and even frightening figure until the princess opens up to him and they connect.”
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I highly recommend this surprisingly sexy puppet enhanced story. To me there are also Prince Lindworm and East of the Sun, West of the Moon vibes.
It also reminded me of an interesting BatB version from a french fairy tale collection I read very long ago but still can remember. In this version the Beauty marries the literal devil. In their wedding night the devil asks Beauty if he should turn into an animal. Among two or three other suggestions he also proposes to turn into a hedgehog (!). Beauty declines all his offers and rather has him as a his devilish self. 🙄 The devil turns out to be a totally fine and considerate husband btw which is the reason Beauty’s sisters become jealous and start plotting against her. To my never-ending teenage frustration the sisters succeed and Beauty loses her devil husband.
ANYWAY, is there an ancient hedgehog symbolism I don’t know about?
Or does somebody by any chance know this version of the fairy tale? I’d absolutely love to read it again.
Do you have a REYLO VIBE recommendation? Submit or contact me! 💙💙💙
THE NUTCRACKER (USSR 1977)
Animation movie with Tchaikovsky’s wonderful music instead of dialogue.
Reylo vibe recommendation by @ewa-jednak-chce-spac who points out that in this version the nutcracker is a prince who was cursed as a child and Klara is a poor servant girl.
Do you have a REYLO VIBE recommendation? Submit or contact me!💙💙💙
“We’re going to win this war not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love.”
So I’ve been an emotional, Star Wars-driven wreck for the past two years—ever since Kylo Ren and Rey first appeared on screen. Even still The Last Jedi was like a bucket of cold water on my system. When I realized just how sexual the film was—that I was basically getting everything I’d wanted and more—I couldn’t breathe. Because holy s**t. Salt gods preserve us, they’re really going there. Give me some time to prepare myself *fumbling with pill bottle,* give me some time, I’m not ready *downing pills,* I’m not ready at all—
(Trust me, I love the film. I’m just in a state of shock at how ballsy it is.)
The Last Jedi is the most intelligent, multi-layered Star Wars movie to-date. It’s also my favorite out of the franchise, and with its creation Lucasfilm has finally won me over. After being gifted not once but twice with amazing stories and complex characters, I owe it to the filmmakers to say “you know what. You’re on top of this. I’ll wait to see how the story shapes up.” So this essay will be a little less critical than normal. But I’m still going to talk about what I saw.
For those of you who have followed this blog since the beginning, you’ll know it’s been awhile since I’ve written any “meta.” I’m an illustrator by trade, a fiction writer by night. Academic essays are not my natural element, which is why I tend to shitpost ad nauseum whenever someone leaves me too close to a keyboard. That said, in the days right after The Force Awakens I meta’d a lot. My most widely circulated essays were:
This work has aged in its technical execution over the past couple years, but I still feel pretty good about it. The writing was genuine and from the heart. Like many who saw the same things as I did on screen, I find it extremely validating to have our shared predictions proven correct. It’s such a weight off my shoulders to see that no, we weren’t imagining stuff, and yes, we can enjoy the dynamic between Kylo Ren and Rey in this way, in canon. After two years of constant harassment over a fictional “ship,” it’s a victory. I’ll never forget how we were treated. But I digress.
After writing the bulk of my meta post-Force Awakens, I didn’t feel like pumping out any more essays until I saw The Last Jedi. Then the bug bit and the urge came upon me again. The Force Awakens showed us what kind of dynamic would arise—namely “Reylo,” or a romantic relationship between Kylo Ren and Rey. The Last Jedi showed us where this dynamic will head. We’ve evolved from a Death and the Maiden motif to one that clearly depicts an Usurper and Holy Mother, which… wow. That dynamic has a lot of connotations associated with it, and it was not the film I was expecting to get. I’m still happy because it’s being depicted well, but Jesus its bold as f**k.
Additionally, to those of you who have been predicting since The Force Awakens that we’re going to get Anakin and Padme’s romance in reverse (“Show me, grandfather, and I will finish what you started,” Kylo repeats to the ghosts of his past, desperately wishing to do better):
^The other proposal for galactic domination. (external source)
Congrats. I’m pretty sure you’ll get your wish.
Of course this story is not “the same as […] Han and Leia,” as Rian Johnson assured the skeptics. The Sequel Trilogy is not inspired by them. The Last Jedi is deeper, mythic, and based around healing psychic wounds in the Force, caused by everyone’s favorite sand-hating hot mess.
A few housekeeping things that I want to get out of the way before I begin: this essay will be image heavy, and it currently clocks in at over 15,000 words. Yes, 15,000. Please for the love of Crait do not open it on tumblr’s mobile app, you will break it. A giant thank you to @ashesforfoxes for beta’ing, and a special shout out to @pixelrey for the images/gifs. I also want to say thank you to @ugnaught77. Your help in tracking down and compiling the visual references/videos was invaluable. Congrats on your Anidala predictions.
Alright, here we go: an essay even longer than Death and the Maiden. I hope you’re all ready for a Force-bonded Oedipus complex, because… welp…
Brilliant meta that makes me appreciate the writers of the Sequel Trilogy so so much. If everything Ohtze pointed out in this meta was intentional and planned ahead than my respect for the creators is now limitless.
Monsters and Villains 