A review by jrc2011
From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back by Elizabeth Schaefer

4.0

I have not always been a fan of short stories - it often feels like something is missing, or I'm not relating to the world being built due to the short ramp-up. However, I am familiar with the world of "Star Wars" -- and the authors have presented a set of short stories that dovetail nicely with the theme, providing both a perspective from a minor character as well as a different lens for viewing the world of "Star Wars." We get a gay space cowboy romance, a dedicated obsessive botanist, various leadership and team-building strategies, even some hilarious scenarios depicting "what if" possible perspectives of some characters like Obi Wan Kenobi who is sick of Luke's crap.

This is awesome as an audio book.

Spoiler

●   "Eyes of the Empire" - a story about loyalty and small acts of sabotage.

●   "Hunger" - from the perspective of the Wampa, a sasquatch like animal - giving us backstory, family and questioning who really are the monsters in this scenario.

●   "Ion Control"- What happens when Han and Leia have a fight and flounce off - "office gossip" - and funny.

●   "A Good Kiss" - Not everyone can be a hero but maybe they can? Perspective of an admin assistant.

●   “She Will Keep Them Warm” - another story of non-human sentience, the Tauntauns have their own society and preferences.

●   “Heroes of the Rebellion” - news reporting for the rebellion; why don't we have more reporters in space westerns? The press corps in "Battlestar Galactica" was a bit over the top but embedded war reporters provides a good perspective.

●   “Rogue Two” - more about the cold but also team building and leadership.

●   “Kendal” - I think this is the "life flashing before" one's eyes

●   “Against All Odds" - another fallen hero

●   “Beyond Hope” - Battle / warfare descriptions with character motivations for joining the rebellion.

●   “The Truest Duty” - more internal dialogue of folks attracted to fascism

●   “A Naturalist on Hoth” - This was SO good - a botanist who lives for knowledge, and dies for it.

●   “The Dragon Snake Saves R2” - sound F/X - it was atmospheric.

●   “For the Last Time"- imperial story and a promotion by attrition, musings on power, fear and strength -- and folly

●   “Rendezvous Point” - "top gun" in space

●   “The Final Order”, A: Boom. An unexpectedly deep tale.

●   "Amara Kel's Rules for TIE Pilot Survival (Probably)" - fun and sexy, good story, girl gets girl!

●   “The First Lesson”- philosophical Yoda musings

●   “Disturbance”- Imperial chapter with background on the Emperor

●   “This is No Cave” - Point of view of a massive space worm who just wants to have friends live inside it.

●   “Lord Vader Will See You Now” -

●   “Vergence”- Funny and dark, a sentience that grows in a cave that feeds on fear.

●   “Tooth and Claw” - this was SO good!!!

●   “STET!” - this was hilarious as an audio play - back and forth between a writer and a censor/editor

●   “Wait for It” - exogorth bat barf trail leading to a promotion

●   “Standard Imperial Procedure” - this one has Irish & English accents that sound hilarious over 2.00x speed

●   “There is Always Another” - I love the musings about shortcomings and personal hell by Obi Wan (don't care that the voice is not a match, personally).

●   “Fake It Til You Make It” - oh, this is hilarious - story of a rabbit like species who is an overly confident grifter with delusions of grandeur.

●   “But What Does He Eat?” - a non-human chef with a barely human customer - more on power, fear and compliance in fascism - harkens to the age old question about time travel and killing Hitler.

●   “Beyond the Clouds” - young wannabe bounty hunter dreams of bigger things

●   “No Time for Poetry” - more bounty hunter machinations and observations

●   “Bespin Escape” - this was a long story about a species that makes more of an appearance in the Mandalorian series; wasn't super memorable as some of the shorter stories

●   “Faith in an Old Friend”
●   “Due on Batuu”
●   “Into the Clouds”
●   “The Witness”
●   “The Man Who Built Cloud City”
●   “The Backup Backup Plan”
●   “Right Hand Man”
●   "The Whills Strike Back" - funny and whimsical finale from the historians of the galaxy.