Well now wasn’t that fun? If only most “trials” could be as extravagant, harmlessly entertaining and so worth the price of admission!

Of course, a bit of humility is called for. Especially since all of this wrangling amounts to very little more than poking at the edges of a truly substantial mythos. Indeed, as a social phenomenon, Star Wars has grown huge—the six-hundred-pound gorilla of movie sci-fi.¹ And yet, isn’t that enough reason to take a closer look? Should we leave to “experts”—like movie critics and academic literary ma-vens—the task of examining such an important piece of popular culture? Shouldn’t anything that gets big and powerful—from presidents to epics—merit skeptical examination from the people, as well?

Or is that just my way of pleading that I shouldn’t be kneecapped for taking up this quixotic bit of windmill-tilting! After all, there must be an expression for fools who go out of their way to challenge kings, emperors or eccentric billionaires. In other times, such people were used for kindling! Nowadays? Well, if you never see another movie made from one of my books, draw your own conclusions.² Just kidding!

Okay, let’s get serious. It’s time to sum up, and then hand this matter over to the jury. An informal jury of public opinion that will gather at a Web debate site organized by Benbella Books, to argue, deliberate and finally cast their judgment on the indictments discussed here.

Would I have done anything differently, now that this brash and rambunctious book is  …