I'd Just as Soon Kiss a Wookiee : Uncovering Racialized Desire in the Star Wars Galaxy

How the Star Wars trilogies and their fandoms have engaged with and mirrored American beliefs about race and gender. The Star Wars saga takes place in a galaxy far, far away, but its social structures-in particular its racial realities-are thoroughly American.So argues Greg Carter in this thought-provoking analysis, which blends historical and theoretical treatments of science fiction cinema and Star Wars fandom to explore the subtle mirroring between fantasy and the communities that create and consume it.I’d Just as Soon Kiss a Wookiee draws on insights from prominent scholars to examine fictional relationships between groups perceived to be biologically different.Three areas of commonality between the United States and Star Wars arise: stiff regulation of racial mixture; racialized servitude, with nonhumans placed in positions of bondage; and the presumption of white male supremacy.None of these are functions of the of the Star Wars story; rather, they index the expectations of US so