By Ryan Britt
Plume, 2015. 224 pages. Nonfiction
Ryan Britt is more than a geek or a hipster; he was
both before it was cool (and if you asked him, he’d say it still isn’t). Raised
on Barbarella and Star Trek, Britt discusses a lifetime of study of pop culture
and what science fiction means to the real world. Half memoir and half
analytical essay, Luke Skywalker Can’t
Read asserts, among other observations, that the Skywalkers are illiterate,
Sherlock Holmes is science fiction, and that monster movies are romantic
comedies.
Written in the comedic style of Klosterman and
Rooney, Luke Skywalker… demonstrates the
benefit of not taking culture too seriously. Though he tackles topics like
literacy and religion, he does so light heartedly, not as an expert. My
favorite essay was about Back to The
Future, where Britt discusses why BTTF is riddled with paradoxes and how
this makes it universally loved. Though his understanding of some of the
heavier topics is a little light, his wit is not, nor is his research; Britt
goes to great lengths to prove his points, though without delving into the
overly academic. Luke Skywalker is a
great read for nostalgic adults or for older teens curious about why all robots
in movies are murderous.
JMS
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