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How Star Wars Conquered The Universe

The Force Awakens was recently unveiled as the title of a movie George Lucas swore for years would never be made: Star Wars Episode 7. But unlike for the previous six installments, this time Lucas is retired, an informal adviser whose empire has been turned over to Disney. It is time for a new hope.

When Lucas was a Flash Gordon-mad kid and film student, it was impossible to imagine the way Star Wars would come to dominate the galaxy, both on screen and off, from merchandise and replicas to books and comics to the far reaches of the internet.

In what proves to be A Book Of Whills for Star Wars fans, author Chris Taylor traces the evolution of a one-off space opera into a lingua franca that unites fans around the world, all the way to the Oval Office.

The book is How Star Wars Conquered The Universe: The Past, Present and Future of a Multibillion Dollar Franchise.

A lifelong resident of the Capital Region, Ian joined WAMC in late 2008 and became news director in 2013. He began working on Morning Edition and has produced The Capitol Connection, Congressional Corner, and several other WAMC programs. Ian can also be heard as the host of the WAMC News Podcast and on The Roundtable and various newscasts. Ian holds a BA in English and journalism and an MA in English, both from the University at Albany, where he has taught journalism since 2013.
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