Club Jade has posted a preview spread from Dan Wallace’s upcoming Imperial Handbook: A Commander’s Guide. You can check it out here.
Category Archives: SWEU
50-page Preview of Tarkin
Speaking of Tarkin excerpts, Random House has posted the first fifty pages of James Luceno’s upcoming book on its listing page, which you can find here.
Tarkin will be released in hardback and ebook formats on November 4.
New Tarkin Mini-Excerpt
Del Rey posted a new mini-excerpt from James Luceno’s upcoming book Tarkin to their Star Wars Books Facebook page today. You can read it here.
Tarkin will be released in hardback and ebook formats on November 4.
Thrawn Trilogy Retrospective: Heir to the Empire Chapters 4-5
In the last installment of our Thrawn Trilogy retrospective, we met most of the major players of the series and set the stage for the story to come. In Chapter 4 we meet two more antagonists–one major, one minor (who later becomes a huge part of the New Republic’s government). Onward we go!
The Chimaera arrives at another new planet, called Wayland. Right off the bat we have Zahn treating hyperspace travel realistically–well, as realistic as fictional technology can be. Apparently the Chimaera travels at .4 past lightspeed, and hyperspace travel isn’t instantaneous like it seems in some of the films (mainly Revenge of the Sith).
Lighting The Legends Fanfiction Signal
Yes, the old “Expanded Universe” has been decreed “Legends.” Some people are unhappy with the idea, and that’s okay. We at Tosche Station have already discussed this ad nauseum, and have all made our peace with the idea. That doesn’t mean we’re completely satisfied, though. While the old EU was sometimes bloated, full of off-the-rails characterization, and simmering with contradictions, there were many stories left to tell. It’s disappointing to know we may never see the proper end of them.
To that end, we’re here to light the fanfiction signal as we list the loose threads and storylines from Legends we’re going to miss most.
Thrawn Trilogy Retrospective: Heir to the Empire Chapters 1-3
The original cover art for Heir to the Empire
Welcome to the first post of the Thrawn Trilogy retrospective! First, let’s gloss over the history. Heir to the Empire was published in 1991 by Bantam Spectra, and was the first novel in the post-Return of the Jedi era of the Expanded Universe. Many people didn’t think the series would perform very well, but instead it sold out at nearly every bookstore and went through multiple printings. Bantam decided to continue publishing Star Wars novels, and here we are in 2014, with a sequel trilogy in production and the Expanded Universe spawned by the Thrawn Trilogy having been deemed non-canon. People thought Star Wars was dead when Heir was released; it’s debatable whether the prequel trilogy and sequel trilogy would’ve ever happened if this insurgence hadn’t occurred.
Onto the book! Heir to the Empire starts with a Star Destroyer, as do all Timothy Zahn’s novels set in the Rebellion and New Republic era. It’s a fitting start, as the Original Trilogy also started with the Imperials; and because the series later became known as the “Thrawn” trilogy, after the principal antagonist Grand Admiral Thrawn. We’re first introduced to Captain Pellaeon of the Star Destroyer Chimaera, and learn that he was present at the Battle of Endor and was responsible for the Imperial Fleet’s retreat. Somehow he met up with Thrawn not long before the series begins, and now they are starting their campaign against the Rebellion in earnest.
The Thrawn Trilogy Retrospective: Introduction
Timothy Zahn and I at Hollywood Studios, during his Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition tour.
I first saw Star Wars in the summer of 1992, when I was 11. (You do the math.) My dad discovered that I hadn’t seen any of the movies and decided to rectify that tragedy. We rented Star Wars (which I later learned was called Episode IV: A New Hope) and the tape broke in the middle of the trash compactor scene. That was an even bigger tragedy than having never seen the Original Trilogy. Thankfully my dad assured me that everything turned out okay, and I saw the rest of the trilogy as soon as possible.
But that’s not when I became a true Star Wars fan. I became a fan when I discovered Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn.
For people around my age, it’s not an uncommon story. We became fans at just the right time, when the Expanded Universe was started in earnest; or we were fans from an early age and the EU revitalized our interest. I often say that I became a fan because of Luke Skywalker and stayed for Mara Jade, and it’s not an overstatement. If there weren’t Expanded Universe books for me to dive into, I doubt I’d be the fan I am today. It’s even doubtful that Star Wars itself would be what it is today.
And now Heir to the Empire, and all the books that followed, have been deemed Legends. I’m okay with this for the most part, but sometimes I get sad. Sad because I’m not sure if I’ll ever read about characters I’ve become so attached to again, sad because I’ll never know the end to certain stories, sad because a huge part of what made me a fan has come to a close.
What’s the best way to stave off melancholy and indulge in nostalgia for summer days reading your dad’s copy of Heir to the Empire and falling in love with a saga all over again? Why a Thrawn Trilogy retrospective, of course!
And here we begin. I’ll be reading the entire series–Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command–and recapping it for your enjoyment. I’ll be discussing the characters, plot, setting, and the impact on the Star Wars saga as a whole. And in a way I’ll be saying farewell — but not good-bye — because the books will always hold a special place in my heart.
I hope you enjoy the retrospective just as much as I do.
New Clone Wars Story Reels Online Now!
Here’s your Clone Wars news, folks. The official site has posted a video for The Clone Wars Legacy, discussing continuing the story of the series through Marvel comics, Del Rey novels, and story reels on the Official Site. Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir is discussed, along with Dark Disciple, the new novel featuring Asajj Ventress and Quinlan Vos and written by Christie Golden.
And while it’s not new episodes per se, story reels for the Crystal Crisis on Utapau arc, featuring Matt Lanter and James Arnold Taylor and discussing Ahsoka’s departure from the Jedi Order (and a KYBER CRYSTAL), are now available! Dark Disciple will be available Summer 2015. And from what the video says, it seems like more stories are to come.
Del Rey releases first seven chapters of A New Dawn
There’s no winning if you’re Del Rey’s Star Wars team right now. The inevitable changing of the Expanded Universe to its current Legends status was bound to upset folks, and their Facebook page has been flooded with angry comments ever since. It’s worth pointing out and reiterating that this change was outside of their control. More importantly, it was something that needed to happen with new films on the horizon.
Keep that in mind when you see Del Rey’s peace offering: the first seven chapters of A New Dawn. They’re proud of the new direction Star Wars literature is going and the least you can do is give it a chance.
Marvel’s First Act: Reprinting Their Classic Comics
Those expecting something a bit more noteworthy might be somewhat underwhelmed by today’s news, but it is something. The official site announced today that Marvel would be reprinting their classic Star Wars comics in an all-new hardcover omnibus.
The comics will be released in a multi-volume set starting with the first omni containing issues #1-44 plus Annual #1. And yes, this will be released under the Legends banner.
Volume one has a list price of $125. Head to the link above for more information.