Why Star Wars Fanfiction is so Good

I recently read a book called Darth Bane, some subtitle or other, and I loved it, and I hated it.  I loved the fact that the book used locations and events from one of my favorite video games, Knights of the Old Republic.

This game is amazing, both for its game play and its narrative depth.  There are a lot of beautiful set pieces, both from the original Star Wars universe and created for the game.  There is also a lot of amazing lore.

To tell you the truth, the Darth Bane book had such terrible writing that I wondered how the story managed to be so good.  It's a good story.  I later learned that the author retold a story originally published by Dark Horse Comics.  Because of this I stayed away from the rest of the books.  I had heard that the author used his own original content.  I didn't want to see it.

Then, why was it so good?  Why did I stay up late into the night reading it?






One thing: set-pieces.  I've seen a cantina.  I've been on the world of mannan.  I know what a selkath looks like, what it sounds like, what they like to do for fun.  I know what a tuta'ka is.  I've traveled through the valley of the dark lords on Korriban, the sith academy there.  I've seen Banthas and blasters and thermal detonators.

So when, out of nowhere, I read: the twi'lek ran through the korriban desert with his double-bladed lightsaber drawn--without description--I see

So, all the heavy lifting has already been done.  I know what it all looks like.  I can conjure it in my head better than any words could ever describe.  And that's why, despite the terrible writing style, I still read that Star Wars Fan Fiction, and loved it.  And that's why I hated it.