While some bloggers discuss their favorite characters or film moments, Philadelphia teacher John H. Furnish (AKA darth_morbus) prefers to pontificate deeper meanings hidden within the saga itself by explaining parallels between classic mythology and legends, as well as world history as it relates to Star Wars.

"Visitors to my blog can expect to read contrasts and comparisons of Star Wars to other storytelling traditions and discussions of Star Wars and its reflections on real-world society and history," Furnish says. "I always try to teach them something about the real world in the context of Star Wars, which is of course our collective muse here."

With entries like "Star Wars and Sociopolitik: Galaxy-Wide Humanity and the New Order" and "Future Literary Criticism: Looking Back on Star Wars from 2500 AD", Furnish enjoys giving his readers something more to think about instead of the usual fan debates. Working as a high school English teacher, Furnish views his blog as an extraordinary opportunity to encourage thought-provoking discussions.

"I'm an academic, a literature geek, and a contemplative person who analyzes things constantly," Furnish explains. "I wish to bring something to the table that isn't already there, and while there is certainly intellectual discussion on starwars.com, no one was doing quite what I do. As an English teacher I innately want to put something in peoples' heads that will make their minds a little wider. On or off the clock, it's still my job."

Case in point, when Furnish wrote the entry "Star Wars and Arthurian Myth: of Lightsabers, Holocrons and Mysticism" he encouraged his readers to ponder the parallels between lightsabers and Excalibur -- one of the most legendary artifacts in world history -- as well as others magic-infused swords that have held an iconic place in storytelling in a variety of cultures.

"As a fan of Merlin's part of the Arthurian myth, I am immediately drawn to all similarities in Star Wars to that great story and vice versa," Furnish explains. "The similarities are obvious but powerful, and like Star Wars, Arthurian myth contains heroic figures who become tragic figures, falling from high places but sometimes redeeming themselves. In the case of Star Wars, the heroes are often also mystics, meaning the Jedi, while Arthur and the other tragic figures are warriors and kings. Merlin remains a righteous figure similarly to Lord of the Ring's Gandalf, aloof of all moral quagmires, but is much like Obi-Wan Kenobi in that he raises a great pupil who falls to his own follies. Arthur doesn't go on to do heinous things but must fight his own son while his friend Lancelot betrays him with Guinevere; Anakin, and later Darth Vader, has something of Arthur, his son and Lancelot in him."

In addition to the legend of King Arthur, Furnish also explores mythologies of Star Trek and The Lord of the Rings as they relate to Star Wars. For Furnish, who originally began his love for all things sci-fi and fantasy as a Star Trek fan, entries like "Star Wars vs. Star Trek: Science Fiction Sagas for Different Purposes" and "Lucas and Sociopolitik: Star Wars, LOTR and Cinemactivism" show fans the intellectual side of the debate regarding the creative origins of Star Wars versus other fan-celebrated franchises.

"Star Trek in many ways is the 'competing' mythology to Star Wars," Furnish says. "Their differences are greater than their similarities although they're both outer space tales. Fandom from both sides has constantly compared and contrasted the two, not always intelligently, and I felt that I should touch on this at least once. As for Lord of the Rings, Star Wars has some heritage in this story, particularly since they both draw some energies from Wagner's 'Rings' composition. Both Tolkien and Lucas admired this music and were informed by it as they created their own worlds. Discussion of Star Wars begs comparison and contrast to Lord of the Rings, and discussion of mythologies past and present certainly begs discussion of both."

As Furnish continues to blog about various mythologies inherent in the saga, he's eager to focus future entries on moral teachings surrounding the storylines, and take a more in-depth look at connections between Star Wars and real world politics.

"I eventually would like to reprint a letter of mine that was published in one of the last issues of Star Wars Gamer before it ceased publication," Furnish says. "'Speaking from Authority' regarded the depiction of evil characters and their deeds in Star Wars in response to a parent angry that the Sith were featured in a previous issue. I would also like to talk more about the moral teachings of Star Wars and to continue to remark on its connections with real-world history and society. Over time I may change the theme of my blog to focus on something else, but for now I'm going to continue to write about Star Wars as a body of myth in relation to great stories that have come before it. Certainly I'll comment on the new stories coming out with Cade Skywalker as well as various Dark Horse storylines I've enjoyed."

For Furnish, blogging has not only allowed him to write about themes that spark a higher level of discussion, but he also feels a sense of belonging in an online community built on the power of ideas from an unique audience that appreciates the finer details of the Star Wars mythos.

"I believe that the blog community here is one of the most important and interesting aspects of both the site and the fan club," Furnish says. "There are so many interesting and diverse points-of-view that one cannot help but come away with something new to ponder once signing off. The discussions of alternate possibilities in Star Wars history and points of character and storyline have been fascinating."

"Blogging is one of the most positive aspects of Internet life today, and is a powerful development that has extended the Net's usefulness as a tool of communication and sharing of ideas all over the world," Furnish continues. "Just when you thought it was becoming a completely polluted thing, with spam and other negatives flooding the web, blogging has come along to make the thing useful and fun again. It took a while for me to get around to it but it's become an important part of my life and has helped me to examine my own thoughts with the benefit of thoughtful remarks from people I trust. I'm sure there are people who have had negative experiences with it but by far it's a very positive hobby, all its own. It has become indispensable."

Click to read the blog New Mythologies: Star Wars as a Testament to Modern Storytelling by Furnish. And be sure to visit Star Wars Blogs for other exciting blogs from cast, crew and Lucasfilm VIPs like actors Daniel Logan and Matthew Wood, authors Karen Traviss and Aaron Allston, the legendary droid wrangler Don Bies, as well official licensees like the Topps Star Wars Blog.

To learn how Hyperspace members can create their own blog, click here.