This month, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider 500 feet beneath the Franco-Swiss border announced they are one step closer to proving the existence of the Higgs boson, what's informally called, the "God particle," the fundamental building block of life theorized to inform all. In other words, The Force, the life energy harnessed by Jedi for good.
In celebration of the Force, why not give the good Jedi in your life one of the following Star Wars-themed gifts this holiday season.
Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray There is no better gift a fanboy or fangirl can receive this Christmas (or Hanukkah) than the Star Wars: The Complete Saga on blue-ray. Seriously, if you love the Star Wars fan in your life, this is what you ought to buy him or her. Who cares if the recipient doesn't own a blu-ray player? This nine-disc compendium includes more than 40 hours of bonus material. And not just audio commentary, no sir. Included in the package are scads of interviews, a tour of the Lucasfilm archives, concept art and documentaries galore. Among the latter is the 1977 Making of Star Wars, the new A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later and Star Wars Tech. The deleted scenes include a spine-tingling bit of Luke Skywalker building a lightsaber in Return of the Jedi. Available online and at all major retailers.
The Star Wars Cookbook II: Darth Malt and Other Galactic Recipes Like all things Lucas, a sequel there must be. This follow up to the popular Star Wars Cookbook: Wookie Cookies and Other Galactic Recipes includes 60 pages of force-wielding, culinary scrumptiousness, such Nabooli Forest (tabouli salad), Darth Double Dogs and Protocol Droid Pasta. $13.03 from Barnes & Noble.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Gamers worldwide are so starry-eyed with anticipation they would have dry humped an Ewok to receive an email granting early access to Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR). With cinematic trailers like this one (link), it's hard to blame them. The story-driven MMORPG, or massively multiplayer online role-playing game, looks crazy good. When the game is released, Tuesday, Dec. 20, players can choose to be a Sith, a Jedi, bounty hunter or any other of the common classes in the Star Wars universe, form alliances with friends (a group of North Texas gamers who have formed the Republic of Texas guild) then participate in the Sith Empire's invasion of the Republic millennia before the events of the prequel trilogy. Use the game's official headset to not annoy your family. The world of gaming will never be the same. From $59.99.
Tauntaun Sleeping Bag What began as a 2009 April Fool's Day joke, quickly spiraled out of control. Let's put it this way, the interior of the sleeping bag is decorated with an intestinal pattern and the zipper is a lightsaber. Buy one and find out if they smell worse on the inside. $99 from ThinkGeek.
Action Figure Wreath OK. This might piss 'em off. But it's crafty! And free.
Force FX Lightsaber? Cardboard tubes only last so long. This line of toys puts into your hands fine replicas of a weapon from a more civilized time. The blade ignites with the proper sound effects and, most importantly, the speakers embedded in the hilt emit the classic "vroom whoosh" sound when the toy sword (Anakin Skywalker's Clone Wars saber, pictured) is waved. Models for Luke Skywalker, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda are also sold. Available Hasbro Toy Shop for $32.99 and all major retailers.
Luke Skywalker Complete Jedi Ensemble with Boots For the die-hard cosplayer who requires an outfit to make the Force FX Lightsaber pop, there is Luke's Return of the Jedi get-up. Designed from the original reference material, the ensemble (Jedi cloak, shirt, tunic, pants, single leather glove, leather boots and belt) with accessories is spot on down to the fabric's weight. It's a quality from a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. $700 at Museum Replicas.
Her Universe From dangling rebel insignia earrings and charms to the "Daddy Issues" hooded thermal top, Her Universe, founded by Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, fills a niche in the Star Wars marketplace. The clothing company gives women a fashionable way to express their fandom. No longer will the growing female fan base be ignored--they'll be dressed, too. Separate lines include apparel for the Battlestar Galactic and Warehouse 13 geek. $40 at Her Universe.
Vader's Dark Side Roast Coffee This Java blend, hand-picked from the Empire's private plantation by only the best slave labor, puts the force choke on Starbucks. It coffee smells of drunk Jawas and isn't fair trade, but we're talking about Sith, here. What do you expect? It's going on a shelf, anyway. The coffee is a collectors' item. $14.99 from ThinkGeek.
Darth Talon Statue The Dark Side has never been more alluring. From the licensee that produces almost realistic, Gentle Giant, this female Twi'lek Sith from the popular Legacy comic book series is covered in scant else than full-body tattoos. The statue stands at approximately 12 inches at 1/6th scale, perfect for putting on a sexy--but evil--pedestal. $225 at Gentle Giant Ltd.
