A Jedi Craves Not These Things

Fanfiction
Title:	A Jedi Craves Not These Things
Author(s):	Susan R. Matthews
Date(s):	privately circulated and then printed in "Guardian" in 1982
Length:
Genre:	gen
Fandom:	Star Wars
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

A Jedi Craves Not These Things is a gen Star Wars story by Susan R. Matthews.

It is an alternate solution to Star Wars.

It was first called "The Susan Solution to Star Wars: A Jedi Craves Not These Things," and it was privately circulated for a time as 130-page standalone zine. It was later printed in Guardian #4 where it was illustrated by Karen River.

The story was discussed in Han and Leia in Fanfiction in 1981 and in From Star Wars to Jedi: The Fanzine Way in 1985.

Reactions and Reviews

A story that provides the author's answers to TESB is Susan Matthews' "A Jedi Craves Not These Things" (Guardian 4). Luke's personal growth prepares him for the duel with Vader, while Han comes to his own answers after he is rescued by Lando and Chewie from Jabba. The rivalry between Han and Luke over Leia is resolved in an unexpected manner.

If one can get a Fan Q in a full year ahead of time, I nominate Karen River for Best Artist on the basis of the work in this one fanzine alone. The following is my one absolute no-holds-barred rave in this fanzine. Susan Matthews' answers to all the unresolved questions of TESB appear in "A Jedi Craves Not These Things" and if this is not. the way George Lucas solves his own puzzle in ROTJ, he had best have something equally as good. There are subtleties in this gentle handling that floored me, caused me to cheer, and destroyed the fingnails on one hand. Every single character is real and alive and lovable. Leia is not a manipulative cold woman, but accepting of others' responsibilities in this war. She recognizes that while Han's loss may be staggering to her personally, the loss of the one active Jedi knight available to the Alliance would be fatal to a far larger population. We see Vader desperately surviving in his dog-bite-dog world. Chewbacca is a fierce, not entirely predictable alien. C3PO is the flaming twit who still offers comic relief. In particular, his totally irrelevant worry over Princess Leia's lack of a pocket hanky is a fine example of how Susan uses detail and humor in her characterizations. There is the introduction of a Rhodrix mercenary in the course of Lando's rescue operation that was also neat. Some of the byplay between her and Chewbacca I did not quite follow. A minor quibble, Susan: alien insults may add flavor but only if we are able to understand the reference involved. But it is Susan's portrayal of Luke's maturation and education that most entranced me. Her version of an aquatic... no, I won't say. This needs to be discover in order to be appreciated. However, her resolution of the major conflict between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader is of major important. There is use of color in this scene in the same way Lucas uses color in his medium. What is not done is as important as what is done in the line of plot action. Pay attention, folks. There has been no other version quite like this in fan fiction to my knowledge, and it is a powerfully done scene. The twist to the triangle of Luke-Leia-Han is neatly and tidily done and, should leave everyone happy. Applause, Applause, Applause!