See, I think the Force can still be that mysterious, magical source of power.
The midichlorians aren't the Force, they just explain why some people can tap into it and others can't. More midichlorians, higher Force-sensitivity.
Also, a random theory I have: midichlorian count increases when passed from a parent to a child. Think about it, what do Kyle Katarn, Galen Marek, and Luke Skywalker all have in common? They're all insanely powerful, and they all had JEDI PARENTS. (I haven't gotten that far in the book series yet, but I'm lead to believe that the Solo kids aren't exactly weaklings, either.)