Reading Roundup – 14th February 2014
Reading Roundup / February 14, 2014

This week I have read some fun books.  The first of these is William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher.  Doescher has taken the script for George Lucas’s Star Wars movie and translated it into Shakespearean English, complete with the Bard’s iconic iambic pentameter. [book-info] In short, this is the most brilliant piece of writing I have read in a long time.  I am a big fan of the original trilogy Star Wars movies and it’s just incredible how well they work in Shakespearean language.  Doescher studied Shakespeare and is also a big sci-fi geek and his understanding of both media comes across very well.  The dichotomy of the sci-fi content in old fashioned language adds a real interest to the writing.  It’s also a heck of a lot of fun to play “spot the (adapted) Shakespeare quotation.”  For example, we have “Alas, poor stormtrooper, I knew ye not” referencing Hamlet’s thoughts on Yorrick. I have both the audiobook (narrated by a troupe of Shakespearean actors including the author himself) and I strongly recommend experiencing William Shakespeare’s Star Wars in audiobook format rather than the written word.  The cast really brings it to life. Here’s a sample: I gave William…

Reading Roundup – 14th February 2014
Reading Roundup / February 14, 2014

This week I have read some fun books.  The first of these is William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher.  Doescher has taken the script for George Lucas’s Star Wars movie and translated it into Shakespearean English, complete with the Bard’s iconic iambic pentameter. [book-info] In short, this is the most brilliant piece of writing I have read in a long time.  I am a big fan of the original trilogy Star Wars movies and it’s just incredible how well they work in Shakespearean language.  Doescher studied Shakespeare and is also a big sci-fi geek and his understanding of both media comes across very well.  The dichotomy of the sci-fi content in old fashioned language adds a real interest to the writing.  It’s also a heck of a lot of fun to play “spot the (adapted) Shakespeare quotation.”  For example, we have “Alas, poor stormtrooper, I knew ye not” referencing Hamlet’s thoughts on Yorrick. I have both the audiobook (narrated by a troupe of Shakespearean actors including the author himself) and I strongly recommend experiencing William Shakespeare’s Star Wars in audiobook format rather than the written word.  The cast really brings it to life. Here’s a sample: I gave William…