Why Is That So Popular - Star Wars Edition

     Hey guys. Sam here. Today I want to talk about Star Wars, and a few reasons why I think it's as popular as it is. Star Wars has probably had more fanfiction written on it than almost any other series. Now I think it's picking up some renewed interest with the planned 7th episode coming out.

    First of all, I would like to explore a few reasons why I think Star Wars is popular.

    1: It's extremely imaginative. Star Wars introduces us to a large and extremely diverse array of weapons, starships, worlds, people, and even droids. Many of these ideas have influenced other science fiction works as well. As one of the pioneers of the science fiction genre, Star Wars has had a strong impact on the way we view sci-fi today.

     2: Star Wars was filmed on the cutting edge of computer generation techniques and special effects. I think this was a strong contributing factor in its initial popularity, as it allowed viewers glimpses of other worlds which were previously unavailable to them on the movie screen.



     3: The Star Wars story includes themes that are common and yet we enjoy seeing them played out with fresh variations. We have the rebel alliance, a relatively small organized rebellion that is facing seemingly hopeless odds as it struggles against the empire, and yet they prevail in the end. We also have Luke, the young 'rookie' hero who grows to become a key factor in the rebellion.

     4: Last but not least, Star Wars was also one of the pioneers into the world of epic movie soundtracks. It's one of the first major soundtracks in which the composer used themes to illustrate the scene in the music as well as the movie itself. One of the most recognizable is the dramatic imperial theme, which can often be heard in the background when imperial soldiers are shown on-screen.

     Thanks for joining us for our Star Wars edition of Why Is That So Popular. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a comment to let us know why you think Star Wars is so popular.

Why Is That So Popular? -- The Lord of the Rings Edition

Hey Writers! So today, on "Why Is That So Popular?", we're going to look at J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It's popular worldwide, and has been since it first became widely known in the 1960s, about five years after its original publication. (Although Tolkien wrote the trilogy as an epic novel, it was published in three volumes as we know them: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.) So, what is it about Tolkien's epic novel that has such lasting popularity? Why is The Lord of the Rings so popular?

J.R.R. Tolkien's original book covers (image compiled from various sources)

To start, I'll turn it over to two of my fellow admins, Brian McBride and Carilyn Anne, with their thoughts on why The Lord of the Rings is so popular.

I (Brian) am a HUGE Lord of the Rings fan, and I even have the swords and poster to prove it! I bought the authentic Narsil sword, Legolas' fighting knives, the LOTR movie trilogy and book trilogy, The Hobbit move (also went and saw it in the theatres, which was actually my first ever theatre experience!)
   It wasn't until a year ago that I was actually allowed to watch LOTR. Before then I had thought it was another move series like Harry Potter, with witchcraft and the like. My uncle lent his trilogy to me and I watched it (however warily). After tons of research, I discovered that J.R.R. Tolkien meant the trilogy (along with the prequel) to be kind of allegorical, yet not as blatantly so as C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. From then on, I was a huge fan of not only Tolkien, but also that specific series.
   I think that LOTR is popular because it tells the reader/viewer that no matter their weaknesses, their strengths will always be shown through victory in hardships and struggles. It shows the ups and downs of friendship; it shows that if you push those close to you out of your lives you'll fall victim to those who prey on the weak, but if you realize you need help and actually ask for it, your weakness can be overcome by a new strength, because you now know that your true friends have your back. Really, I think The Lord of the Rings is a story of friendship, and victory in times of struggle. Also, the entire series is riddled with Christian symbolism. Unfortunately, I can't get into that right now. ;) My final reason for thinking this series (fandom!) is so popular is that the battles are beyond epic! That alone is enough to love it!

Challenge: find The Shire. It's a lot harder than it sounds.

I (Carilyn) am not a huge fan of LOTR. I don't love it. But I have seen the movies at least twice, and I've read The Fellowship of the Ring. (I *think* I read it all the way through. I know I at least read part of it, like half.)

Here are the reasons why I think LOTR is popular:

1. It's epic. It's a story that covers a grand scale, but also the characters on a personal level.
2. The scenery and setting. At least for the movies. Some of the places they shot at for the movies are just gorgeous!
3. The character development. While the big plot is going, each character has got their own little character development thing going, from Boromir to Frodo to Sam to even Aragorn. I can't think of one character that doesn't have their own development going on.
4. Good vs. Evil. Good always wins and bad always loses in the end, sort of thing. Personally, I don't believe there is any such thing as "good magic" or "good sorcery" or whatever word you want to use for the powers that Gandalf and The Lord of the Rings contains. It also kinda promotes bravery and courage and honesty and loyalty, which are all good traits.

I (Kira) definitely fall more on Brian's side of the spectrum. I don't know that I can say I'm "obsessed" (although after reading this, you might correct me), but I definitely love me some Lord of the Rings. I own the books (including The Hobbit) and the extended editions of all three movies. Plus, I do know some Sindarin Elvish, which is the dialect used by third age elves - the version you would be familiar with from The Lord of the Rings movies. (A! Pedig edhellen?) The other dialect of Elvish is Quenya, which is the style of the Noldor (first and second age elves). Galadriel (a first age elf) and Elrond (a first age half-elf; long story, do some reasearch on him if you're interested) would have spoken Quenya as well, but probably switched to Sindarin when it arose after the second age. My Elvish name is Moréfindiel, which is a translation of the meaning of Kira - "black-haired." 
   When I was younger, my dad had a rule that my sister and I had to read LOTR before we were allowed to watch the movie. Unfortunately, this meant that I first experienced the books begrudgingly to say the least. However, I've since reread them to acknowledge the brilliance that is J.R.R. Tolkien's writing.
   I can honestly say that I think there are hundreds to thousands of reasons why The Lord of the Rings is so popular and successful, and everyone has their own reasons for liking it! Broadly, I agree with Brian and Carilyn - LOTR is popular because it highlights real issues while somehow managing to give every one of the many characters in the narrative a history and personality all their own.
   On a more personal level, I appreciate Tolkien's epic novel for reasons additional to the above. First, I love the linguistics (as you may have gathered from the above tangent on Elvish). Tolkien constructed more than twenty different languages from scratch - which is insane considering that they all have unique vocabulary and grammar. Along with the above mentioned well-known versions of Elvish, there were many more, not to mention languages for the dwarves, Ents, orcs, men, and a completely separate language for Mordor itself. Secondly, I love the characters. Each and every character in Tolkien's universe of Middle-Earth has a history and story. Many of these include family trees and subplots that hardly anyone knows about. Thirdly, I love the symbolism. Brian talked about this earlier, so I'll just mention it briefly, but almost every situation Frodo finds himself in through the epic novel have some sort of subtle symbolism. Finally, I love the story. This seems like a simple reason, but everything about Tolkien's storyline generally is brilliant. While on the surface it may seem a bit cliche (the little guy goes on a long journey to save the world), there is so much depth to the large plot and every subplot in between.

The Lord of the Rings movie covers (image complied from various sources)

I hope you've enjoyed The Lord of the Rings edition of Why Is That So Popular? So, why is that so popular? Leave your comments below to let us know why you think Tolkien's trilogy is so popular - or why you don't!

"The world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places. But still there is much that is fair. And though in all lands, love is now mingled with grief, it still grows, perhaps, the greater." - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Why Is That So Popular? - Doctor Who Edition

Hey Writers! So today, on "Why Is That So Popular?", we're going to discuss Doctor Who. It is popular in several countries, and most of the people who've seen it either hate it or love it. Its fandom is devoted, starstruck, and sometimes obsessed. What is it about the show that makes people love it so much?

If you're a whovian, this picture should just make you smile. :)

Here's Emily Rachelle, with her reasons as to why she thinks Doctor Who is popular:

I am one of those Doctor Who fangirls.  I have a T-shirt (two, actually!), I like the Facebook pages, and I pin like a crazy person.  Clearly, I adore the show.  Guess what?  So does my three-year-old babysitting client!  Not to mention the show celebrates 50 years - yes, fifty! - this year.  Personally, I think this show owes its popularity to a number of things.  First of all, the show stays true to its tone and message.  From the early days in 1963 to the most recent season, Doctor Who doesn't deviate in theme or tone like some shows do through the seasons.  Dedicated fans appreciate that.  Second, the actors are brilliantly cast.  Most of them are new talent, but they are still brilliant actors and play their roles beautifully.  Third, the writing.  Oh, the stories are amazing!  While I agree with some people that Steven Moffat's showrunning sometimes makes things a bit too confusing and don't leave enough time for character development, I still love the show.  Now I'll let the others take their turns :)  ~ Emily Rachelle

I (Carilyn) agree with Emily. The acting and screenplays are just *brilliant*. Some episodes are better than others (and some I didn't even finish they were so bad!), but for the most part, the writers did an excellent job with keeping episodes tied together. They also make you love the characters, because they develop the characters over time. The characters grow because of their relationship with each other, and you get to see why people act the way they do, and you see what their past has done to affect their future. The writers let you get attached to the characters. If you don't care about the characters, then you won't care about the show.

So, do you like Doctor Who? Why or why not? Why do you think it is popular?

Why Is That So Popular?! Divergent Edition

Hey, guys! Welcome to our first Why Is That So Popular?! post!

I'll be filling in for Emily Rachelle on this one and I want to talk about a subject that is near and dear to my heart! :D
    The Divergent Trilogy!
    I LOVE Divergent. It is an amazing trilogy and I could rave about it for hours. But (Yes, there's always a but somewhere)...
    However, I'm not here to tell you why you should go to the bookstore right away and buy the first two books and read them before book three comes out.
    This series (WITSP) is meant to discuss popular MG, YA, and even A fiction. (For those of you who don't know, MG = Middle Grade; YA = Young Adult; and A = Adult) and to analyze the pros and cons of said popular fiction. Twilight, Hunger Games, Mortal Instruments, Infernal Devices, and Harry Potter not excluded. *hint hint*
    Okay, first let's talk about why Divergent is so great!


Pros: Contains strong protagonist who is not afraid to make her own decisions; contains romance (of course!) but without the love triangle; is action-packed and intriguing from the beginning; the world-building is not shallow; is in the first person present tense; shows what it means to be brave (dauntless), selfless, smart, and kind; the characters are not invincible.

Cons: The world split into "factions" is somewhat repetitive of The Hunger Games' "districts"; is written in first-person present tense which is somewhat cliche for the genre; contains mild-to-strong violence; to some, the character of TRIS might have been a little bit shallow, like Twilight's BELLA - I did not see it, however; people die... lots of people.

For some, Divergent might not be their piece of cake. For others, it is an excellent read and incredibly incredible!

The writing quality is very professional and the writing style is easy to adjust to if you've already read The Hunger Games.

Now, why is Divergent so popular? Perhaps it is because TRIS portrays someone who is dauntless despite the horrors that surround her. Perhaps it's because young girls feel they can look up to her as a role model because even when people around her continue to die, she remains strong. Perhaps it's because, if she has only 6 fears, that she is flawed. She hurts, she loves, she can be selfish, she can cry, she fears... she isn't perfect... she's Divergent.



Why do YOU think Divergent is so popular? What makes it worthy of being a NYT Bestseller? Comment your thoughts below! We love hearing from you, our readers!