I'd Just as Soon Kiss a Wookiee

Uncovering Racialized Desire in the Star Wars Galaxy

By Greg Carter

University of Texas Press

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 society. But expectations have also shifted since Star Wars launched in 1977, and the franchise with it. Carter gauges minority and mainstream fan reactions, finding that, while science fiction enthusiasts have a reputation for progressiveness, the truth turns out to be as complicated as US racism itself.

Reviews

A meaningful resource for discussing contemporary science fiction, fantasy, and fan cultures, I’d Just as Soon Kiss a Wookiee will be of interest to Star Wars fans inside and outside of academia. Through a paradigm that blends fan scholarship and critical mixed-race studies, Greg Carter drawsStar Wars into conversation with historical precedents and contemporaneous developments in culture that demonstrate the franchise’s place in a wider media system. andré m. carrington, University of California, Riverside, author of Speculative Blackness: The Future of Race in Science Fiction

I’d Just as Soon Kiss a Wookiee offers a unique approach to understanding interracial intimacies and race relations through the lens of the Star Wars narratives, production, and fandoms. Greg Carter provides insight, reflection, and a pathway to further thinking on race relations as well as conservative backlashes rooted in white supremacy in the US public sphere. Ultimately, Carter proves how valuable the world of Star Wars is as an object of analysis for understanding US racial systems. Jasmine Mitchell, Brooklyn College, author of Imagining the Mulatta: Blackness in U.S. and Brazilian Media

List of Illustrations
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1. The History of On-Screen Science Fiction Interracial Intimacy (1902–1987)
Chapter 2. What Are You, Darth Vader? (1977–1980)
Chapter 3. Early Fanship, the Invisible Jetpack, and Black Fans (1977–1982)
Chapter 4. Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, and Fan Imaginations (1977–1983)
Chapter 5. Don’t Ask the Prequels Where Babies Come From (1999–2005)
Chapter 6. Four Ships Sailed. Which Would Land? (2012–2016)
Chapter 7. Social Media, Fans, and Interracial Relationships (2015–2020)
Conclusion
Notes
Index