A Long Time Ago... with P.A. Cornell
Hello there.
Welcome to A Long Time Ago… the fortnightly series where I ask a different guest to share with us a favourite Star Wars story and historical site. This started as a tie-in to my first piece of published writing, the article ART WARS for Star Wars Insider #226. The whole archive of my exploration of fourteen ancient art sites and every Star Wars story on my shelves can be found here.
Today I hand over to P.A. Cornell!
P.A. Cornell is an award-winning, Chilean-Canadian, speculative fiction author. In 2024, she became the first ever Chilean writer to be nominated for the Nebula Award for her story, “Once Upon a Time at The Oakmont,” also a finalist for the Aurora and World Fantasy Awards. Her stories have appeared in over fifty magazines and anthologies, including three “Best of” anthologies. Cornell has won Canada’s Short Works Prize and been longlisted for the BSFA Awards. Additionally, her debut science fiction novella, Lost Cargo, was listed as one of the best of 2022 in Year's Best Canadian Fantasy & Science Fiction, Vol. 1. Cornell’s next book, Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl, will be published in early 2026 by Stars and Sabers Publishing.
I’d also really recommend subscribing to P.A.’s newsletter to keep up to date on all her fantastic stories, and gather writing insights from her THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY sections.
In A Galaxy Far, Far Away…
When Harvey approached me to write a piece for his A Long Time Ago… series, the challenge wasn’t so much what to write about, but rather, how to choose just two favorites from all the things I love about both Star Wars and history.
Born just two years before the release of A New Hope, I’ve been a Star Wars fan all my life. I’ve seen all the movies, the recent series, played with the toys as a kid, listened to the radio plays when they originally aired, read a good share of the books (as well as art books, guidebooks, etc.), and yes, bought the soundtracks. I’m even the proud owner of an R2-D2 cookie jar—the very same kind George Lucas kept on his desk at Skywalker Ranch. I could go on, so needless to say, narrowing it down to a single thing I love in this franchise wasn’t easy. But in the end, I decided to go with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Here’s the thing for those of you younger than I am: people my age started out with a good deal of Star Wars, with a new installment of the original trilogy coming out every few years. But after that, there was a massive Star Wars drought. All we had to go on were the fumes of nostalgia. For a long time you couldn’t even rent the movies. All you could do was hope they’d come on TV now and then.
Finally, we were told George Lucas would be releasing a trilogy of prequels that focused on Anakin Skywalker and the events prior to the films we’d already seen. Let me tell you, we were pumped!
Until we weren’t.
Maybe it was a case of building up our expectations a tad too high. Maybe digital effects needed more time to marinate. Maybe a lot of things. For myself, the biggest letdown was that the prequels just didn’t feel like the Star Wars I’d grown up loving.
So I chose to write about Rogue One because as I sat in the theater in 2016, I felt like I was finally watching a movie that felt like Star Wars to me. I’m not sure I can explain what that feeling is, but I recognized it when I felt it. I came to learn that Rogue One was made by film industry professionals who also happened to be fans, so it certainly helped that it was in good hands. They made sure there were enough callbacks to the original trilogy, without bogging the story down with too much of that. Questions we’d long wondered about were answered. New things we’d never known about but loved were included—like Alan Tudyk’s outstanding performance as K-2SO.
Some people might’ve wondered what the point was in making a movie where you already know the ending—and that things don’t end well for the crew of Rogue One. But for me, the ending really wasn’t the point. I love a good character-driven story, and for me the point was in understanding why the rebellion was important in the first place, not just to larger-than-life heroes, but to regular people. People like Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor. Rogue One gives us a chance to know and care for this disparate band of characters, so that we really feel the weight of the sacrifice they ultimately make for the sake of this galaxy far far away. And the ending comes full circle with the very moment the events of A New Hope begin. For me, it was beautifully handled and it’s why Rogue One stands as one of my favorite movies of all time, period. It’s also why I was onboard with the Andor series and am looking forward to the next season. This is just great, grounded, storytelling that scratches an itch for this longtime fan.
In Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada…
Choosing a favorite historical site to write about was also a challenge. When I wasn’t engrossed in all things Star Wars as a kid, you could often find me flipping through my parents’ history books, or their collection of National Geographic magazines, or else watching some documentary with my dad (a history buff in his own right). So should I write about Petra? Or maybe the tomb of King Tutankhamun? How about something to do with one of the world wars? Eventually, I decided to choose something a little more personal to me, and far closer to home.
I grew up in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada, not too far from the river that gives the region its name and forms a natural border between the United States and Canada. These days, these two countries are on pretty good terms, but that wasn’t always the case, which is why you’ll find a number of historic forts along the banks of the Niagara River, on both sides. I’ve probably visited them all at some point, but the one that I’d say I’ve been to most, and that I’d consider my favorite, is Fort George. The fort has been a fixture in the town now known as Niagara-on-the-Lake since the late 1700s/early 1800s and was key to defending what was then known as Upper Canada against American attacks during the War of 1812.
In modern times, Fort George is more of a tourist attraction, but in many ways, it continues to be run like it was in the early 1800s. You’ll find young soldiers in period accurate uniforms that train in the use of antique weaponry and must earn their ranks over time. You can walk through both the barracks and the officer’s quarters, where knowledgeable experts will give you a sense for the perks of the upper ranks, versus what it might’ve been like to live as a simple soldier with fewer privileges. Often there are demonstrations for visitors that range from everyday activities of both military and civilians, to those that were used in battle. The fort’s location also provides a fantastic view of Fort Niagara, on the American side of the river, which drives home what it must’ve been like when the two forts engaged in massive artillery battles during the war, in a way textbooks just can’t.
In May of 1813, the Americans succeeded in destroying Fort George, and capturing the territory around it, with the only surviving building being that of the powder magazine, which still stands today. Abandoned in the 1820s, Fort George was later restored to its pre-war appearance, finally opening to the public in 1950.
Though I’ve now been visiting the fort for nearly half a century, it hasn’t gotten old for me. I often went as a teen, when I had friends who worked summers as low-ranking soldiers. More recently, I’ve taken my children there, so they too can learn a bit about our history, and about people like Major General Isaac Brock, who commanded the garrison during the war. My family has spent many a Canada Day touring the fort and buying unique souvenirs at the gift shop before watching fireworks from the same ground where soldiers once watched fireworks of a more lethal variety.
It’s because of the history here, that perhaps unsurprisingly, Fort George is rumored to be among the most haunted locations in Canada. I can’t say for sure, though my husband and I have taken an evening ghost tour through the fort, and whether or not you encounter something supernatural, it’s still worth a visit if for no other reason than the fascinating history you’ll get to learn about along the way.
Thank you so much P.A.!
These posts come out every other Sunday so subscribe today to discover the next guest and their picks!
Cheers,
Harvey