Queens alum and ‘Star Wars’ authority to discuss his new novel

The Force is strong with this one.

Queens University of Charlotte alum Chuck Wendig is a novelist, screenwriter and game designer (Hunter: The Vigil). He's the author of “Blackbirds,” “The Blue Blazes,” and the Young Adult “Heartland” series and co-author of the short film “Pandemic” and the Emmy-nominated digital narrative “Collapsus.”

Wendig (class of 1998) returns to his alma mater Nov.19 to discuss his latest work, “Aftermath: Star Wars: Journey to The Force Awakens,” which debuted at No. 4 on the New York Times Bestseller hardcover fiction list.

The synopsis will only mean something to you if you’ve followed the franchise. In “Aftermath,” the second Death Star has been destroyed, the Emperor killed and Darth (“Luke, I am your father”) Vader struck down. The Empire reels from its defeats, and the Rebel Alliance, now a fledgling New Republic, is on the hunt for the enemy's scattered forces.

You can follow his blog at terribleminds.com, where he’s been known to offer writing advice, although he admits it’s “not science.”

We “talked” to him via email.

Q. When did you go to Queens, and how did it shape your career?

A. I went to Queens what feels like one glacial epoch ago – but really, it was the late ‘90s. Queens was an environment that fostered creativity and taught me how to write. And it didn’t feel prejudicial against the kinds of things I wanted to write – which is a very good way to kill somebody’s interest and skillset, by the way — and so it was a perfect petri dish in which to grow my career.

Q. Tell me about your new book. Is it just for hardcore fans, or will the casual fan (if there is such a creature) enjoy it?

A. Definitely for both kinds of fan. The book only requires one having seen the films – even a casual watch of the movies will give you all you need to know to jump into “Aftermath.” But it’s got enough goodness to sharpen the teeth of hardcore fans, I think.

Q. I asked a friend of mine (a “Star Wars” nerd) what question he'd want answered from an expert. Here it is: “What became of Lando Calrissian?” (Apparently, Billy Dee Williams has disappeared from the franchise.) Do you know why?

A. Lando isn’t gone from the franchise! First, he’s got his own comic series. Second, he’s shown up on “Rebels.” Third, he’s referenced in “Aftermath.” Lando is still hanging around.

Q. What's your favorite line from “Star Wars”?

A. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

It’s classic, for one thing. But it’s also indicative of one of the truths within “Star Wars,” which is that the Force touches everyone, even those who are not directly sensitive to it.

It’s a nice message … that we can all go with our gut, and we know when something is right and something is wrong.

Either that, or “And I thought they smelled bad on the outside,” but I think my first choice is more meaningful-sounding.

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Queens alum and ‘Star Wars’ authority to discuss his new novel."