I’ll admit, I didn’t consult with the Obsidian writers before including the Exile in the novel. They didn’t consult with me before including Canderous and HK-47 in KOTOR 2. And I didn’t expect them to – that’s not how it works, and it would be virtually impossible to get anything done in the Star Wars universe if it did. Too many projects, too many contributors.
Here’s how it does work: Obsidian doesn’t own the Exile. Neither do I. Lucas (the corporation) does – she’s a part of Star Wars. My only options were to bring her into the fold by doing as much research as possible and doing my best to give a fair and accurate representation of her in the novel, or to ignore her completely and pretend she never existed. I think option A is far more preferable (and more respectful) than option B.
In a shared fiction world it’s inevitable that some characters are going to get multiple treatments from various authors. Earlier events are going to be referenced, and sometimes the small details aren’t going to match up exactly as fans want or expect. Like it or not, that’s a fact. If you don’t like it, there’s not much I can do to change your mind. But I hope you’ll keep this in perspective and understand that most authors (including me) do their damnedest NOT to mess up other people’s stuff… and the e-mails I get accusing me of willfully changing things for no reason are ridiculous and offensive.
They’re also filled with f-bombs and profane descriptions of what I should do with my sexual organs, but unfortunately that’s just the norm for the internet. Remember the “Triple A” formula: Anonymity + Audience = Asshole. Still, it strikes me as odd that they would even bother to send me these e-mails. Do they expect me to read their profanity-laced venom and go, “Hey, they’re totally right – stop the printing and let’s redo the book that’s already in production because a handful of foul-mouthed jerks are spamming me!” Probably not. The only explanation I can figure is that they feel angry, and venting on a forum isn’t enough. They have to personally attack someone, because the only way they can feel better is by trying to make someone else feel worse. Sadly, that’s all too common in our society today.
I could respond with swears, curses and angry rebuttals, but I’ll take the high road. Actually, the high road would be not mentioning it at all, so I guess I’m taking the middle road by ranting on my personal website. But in the end it’s a small price to pay for the privilege of being able to write novels set in the Star Wars universe, and I know for every jerk who fires off an angry e-mail, there are a hundred (or a thousand, or hopefully even ten thousand) folks who appreciate what I do.
So, to the Star Wars, Mass Effect and Drew Karpyshyn fans out there who aren’t haters, thanks for listening. And to the haters: you know that thing you told me to do to myself in that nasty e-mail? Right back at you. Twice.
