Saturday, April 13, 2013

L is for Lightsabers

I Love Sci-Fi/Fantasy Because...


...of lightsabers.

On rare occasions, a person pulls something from their imagination that fires the imagination of others. George Lucas did exactly that when he created the ultimate weapon for the ultimate warrior.


Science fiction is replete with pulses and beams of light flying across the screen--or page.  Armories 'R Us sells ray guns, blasters, lasers and phasers at deep discounts from their oversized cargo holds every time they dock at a space station.

But lightsabers?  They're the perfect weapon. Reach back in time and grab a hilt from the surest of swords.  Pull from the future a most lethal blade of glowing force to add to it.  Combine that with some cool sound effects and let the dance begin. 

That meter's worth of light attached to a hilt lets your flair for swordplay flare.  It's what the Jedi do.

Lightsabers are definitely a reason I love science fiction and fantasy.

For the civilized warrior

42 comments:

  1. Lightsabers are amazing weapons. George Lucas was definitely onto something good when he invented them. I only wish I'd thought of it first...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's true that a lot of good ideas have already been taken. Of course, that just makes the challenge of finding better ones that much sweeter when we succeed.

      Delete
  2. I love the idea of lightsabers, but I don't know too many people I'd trust to own one if they were real.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You could trust me. Honestly! (Never mind what they say about people who claim you can trust them...honestly.)

      Delete
  3. I would love to own a lightsaber. Just me, no one else. I promise I'd use it responsibly.

    Jenn @Scribbles From Jenn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Only if you promise to share if I come to visit. ;-)

      Delete
  4. You couldn't have picked a better L word for this series.
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Others had ripped him off and done their own variation on the old laser sword, but Lucas did it first and best. Honestly, what kid didn't want their own lightsaber growing up?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Usually, for things such as this, first is best...because it's first. Imitation is proof.

      Delete
  6. You had me at lightsabers! Great post, Jeff.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Everyone should have a lightsaber. Excellent L word.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jen disagrees, Sara. She wants one only for her. Keep a check on her mailbox just in case.

      Delete
  8. My brother and I used flashlights for our Jedi battles, hahahaha. The most hilarious thing was that we kept spitting at each other trying to do the sound effects that go with a light saber. :)) Thanks for the flashback.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I was decent at doing the sound effects. And yeah, the flashlights was about the best we could come up with back then.

      Delete
  9. It IS amazing isn't it, that writers have come up with so many different weapons for sci-fi over the years, but the light saber remains a constant classic. Everyone knows and loves it! Great post! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's as widely known as lasers and phasers. Maybe more so.

      Delete
  10. And everyone know the sound of one. My friend has an app on his phone that makes the sound when he waves his phone.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I want that app Alex is talking about.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not me. I'd run my phone's battery down in a flash and probably land myself in trouble playing when I should be working. LOL

      Delete
  12. Very handy weapons! Though I've never needed an app. Just give me a cardboard tube or flashlight and I make my own noises. Who doesn't?

    John at The Bathroom Monologues

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My sound effects usually resemble honey bees in agony. ;-)

      Delete
  13. I've always loved the idea of a 'laser sword' and have seen it duplicated a ton of times since Star Wars. The hallmark of a real innovation :)

    Left and Write

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed. Lucas definitely had an active imagination.

      Delete
  14. I love it in Big Bang Theory when Leonard pulls his lightsaber out of a closet during a blackout and says to Sheldon, "You call that a glowstick? THIS is a glowstick."

    ReplyDelete
  15. I was trying to come up with a futuristic weapon in my book and ended up describing something that sounded just like...a lightsaber. haha. I switched it up but, at one point, I'm still forced to describe it as looking like, "a mini sheathed light-saber" Cause, like you said, everyone knows what a light-saber is!

    ReplyDelete
  16. The creation of the lightsaber was genius. Look at all the kids so inspired by it that grew up to be scientists so they could create one for real. And now the Navy has a laser gun that can knock a drone out of the sky. And who knows what else. Maybe a lightsaber.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are times when science fiction becoming science gives me pause.

      Delete
  17. I want one. I wonder if we'll have those for real in my lifetime?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If not, I suspect we'll have a close imitation.

      Delete
  18. Yes! Lightsabres! I should have included those in my post today. Lightsabres are the ulitmate sword, and I would love to have one for real.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I wish that I could fit one in my purse. Just in case...

    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  20. you are right about hp, anyone who gets a theme park named after them is legendry (immortalized!)
    robert jordan, wish he could have finished the series. so many lives were touched by him and so many unfinished!
    we just watched the newer star trek movie over the weekend, was kirk always such a bad fighter, he seemed to lose them all! but came out the winner eventually... i liked it ok, but i see why trekkies wouldnt!
    and lightsabers, my son wants them to be real so bad! and hes 12! soooo cool!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually had to watch the last ST movie twice to be sure they did what I thought they did on the first viewing. I still have mixed feelings about it.

      Delete