I’ve been travelling a lot this past year–in case you were wondering why I haven’t posted in a while. Switzerland, France, Norway, Sweden and Iceland … Mostly the northern realm this time. I find the crisp cold and dancing snow refreshing. It reminds me that I am so alive.
Did you know that several science fiction movies have been filming in Iceland? Oblivion… Prometheus… Interstellar…Star Trek and now recently Star Wars … I might move there for a while and help with the camera crew as I write my next book…
Speaking of Star Wars–the newest one, that is–that Rey character sure isn’t a “Mary Sue”… In fact, she rather reminds me of someone I know very well … Check out this pic of her. Can you see the resemblance with anyone you know?
But what’s a “Mary Sue” anyway? Some fanfic “Trekkie” 
parody used the name to describe a fictional character who was gushy perfect and smote (is that a real word?) Captain Kirk and even Spock (well as much as he could be smote or smitten by anything or anyone). Apparently there’s a male version which no one every talks about–probably because he would be even more boring than Mary what’s her name.
In an entertaining piece in Forbes Magazine Erik Kain writes how The whole “Mary Sue” thing started, or at least was popularized, when screenwriter Max Landis took to Twitter to call The Force Awakens a “fanfic movie with a Mary Sue as the main character” and Rey “the worst fucking Star Wars main character ever.” Then a bunch of tweeters followed Landis’ lead, calling Rey a Mary Sue. Is it warranted? Let’s see…
Kain says, “Rey is certainly very powerful—surprisingly so, even, given she’s had no training in the Force. She’s well-liked by those around her, can speak more than one language, and is a decent fighter. In her final battle with Dark Jedi Kylo Ren, she holds her ground against an opponent with better training. She also performs a Jedi mind trick on a Stormtrooper, expertly flies the Millennium Falcon even though she’s never done so before, and basically kicks ass and takes names throughout.” Now, I admit I hate it when a character that starts out wooden and lame and ignorant suddenly kicks ass big time when necessary. I’m thinking of that silly psychologist in “I, Robot” with Will Smith. She was atrocious!
Is Rey like that? Kain breaks it down nicely, so I won’t do it here, except 
to sum up: Rey grew up as a loner and survivor after being abandoned on a desert planet. She had to learn fast how to take care of herself, how to fight, fix things, take things apart, fend for herself, judge aliens, and negotiate with big jerks. She’s a scrapper. Someo
ne who learned fast. That she picked up skills fast–especially how to pilot a starship–is surely also part of her hidden arsenal to do with the Force.
Rey appears far more intuitive with the Force, open to it, needing less “logical” prompts like her male counterparts. She’s more like Leia, who never flinched under the temptation of the dark side like her twin brother did.
That’s because both are unswerving lady knights!
kate wylde 