My Life With the Jedi Is a Wholesome Guide to Self-Discovery Shaped Like a Book About Long-Ago Space
A review of My Life With the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars.
As the Star Wars universe continues to expand, and more fans begin to apply its stories, themes, and messages to their own real-word lives and experiences, familiar patterns continue their course.
Not all story lovers are writers. But those who are have a tendency to turn their innocent analyses into books—such is the case with Eric Clayton’s new book, My Life With The Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars.
While I’ve reviewed a variety of nonfiction Star Wars books on this show—and have had the pleasure of speaking with some of their writers and editors—Eric’s is the first featured on Now This Is Lit to view Star Wars through a spiritual lens. And the timing could not have been better.
Spirituality is, by definition, an interest in humanity and the immaterial existence—things we can feel and find purpose in, but not things we can take with us beyond this life. Spirituality is often spoken about in association with religion, but looking at a galaxy far, far away’s spiritual implications, it doesn’t have to be. To analyze the spirit of Star Wars is to think more deeply about ourselves, how we interact with one another, and how the franchise and its stories can teach us to look at our lives differently in the interest of living them more fully.
Eric, like many of us, has experienced a journey through Star Wars fandom that involved a gradual wandering and epic return (we speak about this in my interview with him, which is also available on the podcast today). His day job ultimately led to an unexpected outcome, one many dream of but never see to fruition: the opportunity to write a book about how Star Wars can inspire us to live better, more fulfilling lives.
Through seemingly simple and well-known themes such as caves, wounds, redemption, and even sand, the book brings readers back to familiar moments in Star Wars and then challenges us to reflect on our own lives related to those moments. We're asked to think about ourselves with the intention of improving our futures using Star Wars as a guide. Almost as if we’re being tricked into applying messages from a galaxy far, far away to our own pasts and futures, but all with good intentions.
My Life With The Jedi is a book you could read at 10 different points in your life and walk away from it with new insights and inspirations each time, which is to me a true sign of an expertly crafted book.
Eric was one of my writers during my tenure as Dork Side of the Force’s lead editor, so I had no doubt going into my first read that his writing, analysis, and takeaways would hit every intended mark. And yet, I found myself absolutely blown away by his ability to take a seemingly surface-level concept like Anakin hating sand and leave me breathless at the end of a chapter contemplating all the barriers I have let hold me back from my desired future for the last 30 years.
A book that can grab hold of and shake you like that, words that can catch you off-guard in the way something has needed to for years, is not to be missed. While nonfiction like this may not be the kind of reading you generally gravitate toward, I highly encourage you to make an exception for this book if you can. Star Wars analysis is at its best when it explores who we are—and who we can become—as people. It’s not about the dialogue or the special effects or even who dies at the end (though all this is fun to talk about). Instead, it’s about who we become when we face our fears. What we accomplish when we trust the universe (Force). What happens when we let others in to help us move forward, and the power of accepting who we used to be in order to love who we are now.
If you, like me, are in need of a good excuse to sit back and think long and hard about your life—while also revisiting some of your favorite stories in Star Wars—make this book your next read. I can guarantee you won’t regret it.
My Life With the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars is available now wherever you get your Star Wars books.
Now This Is Lit is a podcast (and newsletter!) about Star Wars books, the people who make them, and the readers who just can’t get enough of them. You can find the show wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe to the Substack for more deep dives, guides, interview transcripts, and book love.