Clearly, this is my first entry. So instead of launching into a full-out rant or posting a two-liner containing a question that a google search would yield the answer to, I have devised a fun and simple method by which you can get to know me! And I call it...

The Official Marvolo7 FAQ!

Marvolo? Who or what is that?
Marvolo is the middle name of Tom Riddle, a young man who would later become a powerful Dark Lord and...wait, you do realize I'm talking about Harry Potter, right?

But why Marvolo7? Was it because "Marvolo" was taken already?
Of course not. You see, the number seven, according to Riddle himself, is the most powerfully magical number. Hence, when Voldemort tried to seek immortality, he split his soul into seven parts, six of which found their homes in objects, which are called Horcruxes. Now, Harry Potter must destroy the remaining Horcruxes before he faces Lord Voldemort for the last time to determine the fate of the wizarding world!

So basically, yeah, there's a seven on the end of my name because Marvolo was taken.

You read Harry Potter?
Yes. And no knocking Harry Potter here. Or Firefly. I mean it.

What does misanthropic mean?
Look it up.

Do you have any other websites?
I'm far too lazy and incompetent in the HTML department to run a website. I do, however, have a livejournal, which I update regularly (sometimes). Some entries posted here may be Star Wars-related entries that I previously posted on livejournal, and some livejournal entries may be cross-posted to this entry.

Are you reading any expanded universe books at the moment?
As a matter of fact, I am. Currently I'm working my way through the New Jedi Order, after having read some, but not all, of the New Republic era novels. From there I will proceed to the Dark Nest Trilogy in order to be ready for the release of Legacy. So far, the New Jedi Order has been a delight to read.

You like the New Jedi Order? But they killed a major movie character/betrayed the vision of George Lucas/made the events of the Original Trilogy worthless/ruined the Star Wars universe/screwed up everything!!!!
Well, I don't happen to think so.

I, for one, applaud the bold new direction in which Del Rey and the authors of the New Jedi Order have taken the expanded universe. The New Jedi Order, in my opinion, is a great triumph. Some may disagree with me, but I am very critical of the early post-Return of the Jedi novels, and see the New Jedi Order as a breath of fresh air. There are major changes in this book, and they are a welcome departure from the mediocrity that was the New Republic era. Finally, the expanded universe is a cohesive story, and not merely a set of separate and unrelated works of glorified fanfiction by authors with enough industry connections to get their work published. In this era, the heroes of the Star Wars movies are actually challenged by villains that manage to pose a real threat. At last, they face real villains instead of the latest Imperial Remnant mop-up job, the latest superweapon, or yet another one of Luke's students turned evil. Luke doesn't have to be injured for an entire novel to be brought down to the level of his enemies. And most importantly, there is change in the galaxy far, far away. The Star Wars expanded universe is no longer a Saturday morning cartoon in which the characters defeat the villain of the week and proceed to return to their daily lives. People and worlds are changed by the events of the books, and they will never be the same again. Therefore, Vector Prime is the first expanded universe novel, in the true sense of the words. No longer are authors merely playing in George Lucas' universe. They are truly expanding it. These aren't the usual daily adventures of Luke, Han, and Leia, nor are they background stories to the films. The New Jedi Order is a series in which compelling characters and an extensive and fantastic universe must change.

And like it or not, that's great fiction.

Hang on. Do you hate the Thrawn Trilogy? Because you may have just implied that the Thrawn Trilogy sucked.
Well, between the appearance of Luuke, characters saying "point" every fifth sentence when they're talking to each other, and some other sketchy stuff, it had its moments. And so did every other Star Wars novel. So the answer is no.

So does that mean that you're some kind of bitter and jaded Star Wars fan who constantly nitpicks and trashes everything?
No. Let me make it clear that it's the nitpickers who I don't like. It's a thing called "suspension of disbelief." You see, I'm willing to lose myself in a fictional universe to escape my discontentment with people and everyday life. When fans bring their petty squabbles and constant bickering into this fictional universe, it's not an escape anymore, and it's no fun. I'm all for criticism, but there's a fine line between legitimate criticisms and outrageous nitpicking.

What can I expect to see on your blog?
Rants like the one above, book reviews, random thoughts. Whatever I feel like putting on the page. By the way, that rant about the NJO was taken directly from my livejournal.

Why should I care?
Well, you've made it this far. If you read the entire rant that answered the inquiry of four questions ago, that's gotta tell you something.


So if you recognized this entry as a thinly veiled attempt to plug my livejournal and rant about the NJO, congratulations, you are absolutely right. I, however, look forward to many more blogs, most of which are hopefully more interesting than this one.