Covers of three Star Wars books.

History and Star Wars: Researching and Writing the Galaxy Far, Far Away

Welcome to the Seminar on Popular Culture and the Fantastic with guest lecturer Dr. Chris Kempshall.

The Star Wars franchise has always taken an interest in the historical events and politics of the real world. In this talk Dr Chris Kempshall will reflect upon his work firstly analysing Star Wars to find the ways in which it draws inspiration from the real world, and then upon his own work producing 'in universe history' books for the franchise.

He will explain how, although the original trilogy is motivated by George Lucas’ thoughts on the Vietnam War, by drawing on wider sources such as novels and computer games, it is possible to see what other events have motivated a response from those who create Star Wars materials.

Additionally, this talk will show how he has used the tools and approaches of historians in the books Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy (DK, 2021), Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire (DK, 2024), and the forthcoming Star Wars: Star Pilots (DK, 2026).

By creating fictional non-fiction that is based on the skills of academic history, he will discuss what lessons he has learned about being a historian and how the field can better engage with wider audiences.