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Delectable
Dissection Do we really need to know where the power pulse cycling circuitry is on a Droid Starfighter? Well . . . no. But that doesn't mean this isn't a cool book to have on your coffee table. |
Star
Wars Episode I: Incredible Cross-Sections
Written by Dr. David West Reynolds Illustrated
by Hans Jennsen & Richard Chasemore
Published by DK Publishing, Inc.
Publication Date: May 3, 1999
It comes down to this: if you liked the other books in this series, you'll probably like this one, too. This 32-page "Definitive Guide to the Craft of Star Wars: Episode I" concentrates on the vehicles and spacecraft in that galaxy far, far away. Specifically, you get to see intricate layouts of the "innards" of the following:
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- Republic Cruiser
- Landing Ship
- MTT Large Transport
- Gungan Sub
- Naboo Queen's Royal Starship
- Podracers (explosion of Teemto's)
- Anakin's & Sebulba's Podracers
- Sith Infiltrator
- Droid Starfighter
- Droid Control Ship
- Naboo N-1 Starfighter
- AAT Battle Tank
- Naboo Speeder
- Coruscant Taxi
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
I understand from another review that
illustrators Jennsen and Chasemore do this type of work
for jet aircraft, military vehicles and other real world
machinery. It shows, because the detail in these huge
cutaway drawings (some on double fold-out spreads) is
truly astounding. What boggles my mind, however, is that
before these guys could draw it, somebody at Lucasfilm
apparently had to think it up. I gaze at these drawings
and shake my head in wonder.
Author David West Reynolds (who also wrote Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary and Star Wars: Incredible Cross Sections) has once again provided a wealth of detailed information about each craft, including a "Data File" with specs such as manufacturer, crew and passenger capacity, engine types and capabilities, armament, etc.
I found it entertaining to look at the drawing of, say, the Queen's Royal Starship, picturing the characters moving through its rooms and corridors as they played out the action of the film. We find out that even the ship's wiring is laid out with exacting precision in parallel lines to honor the Queen, and that the chrome surface which covers the entire ship was had executed by skilled traditional craftspeople, in accordance with Naboo's love of beauty and art.
I especially enjoyed getting an idea of the scale of these ships. Above, you can see Battle Droids emerging from an MTT. Below is my mockup of successive details of the Trade Federation droid command ship which gives you an idea of how incredibly large this ship really is -- the tiny reddish things in the far right "explosion" are MTTs.
Overall, I think this book is definitely worth a look, especially for anybody who loves machines or Star Wars trivia.
(Toryn Farr knew everything about Star Wars back in 1977 thanks to Starlog Magazine. She's been trying to keep her know-it-all reputation ever since. During the 90 minutes per day her two-year-old is napping, Toryn attempts to run an internet design business and write fantasy fiction.)