Tosche Station Radio #74: 2013 in the Expanded Universe

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Kicking off the show, the hosts highlight what’s New on the Blog.  Bria started her new blog project, the Hondo Caravan. She also reviewed 2013 in the Expanded Universe…which we’ll get back to shortly. Brian and Nanci did a Go/No-go for Ender’s Game. Brian reviewed the The Haynes Death Star Owner’s Technical Manual by Ryder Windham, Chris Reif, and Chris Trevas. Bria reviewed The Star Wars #3.

In Fixer’s Flash, Nanci’s been busy reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. She’s knee-deep in NaNo, but still found time to watch Ender’s Game. Both Brian and Nanci watched Thor in preparation for The Dark World. Bria. Bria’s kept herself busy with duolingo. She also attended a Pretty Deadly signing and met awesome person Kelly Sue DeConnick

There’s not a whole lot in Deak’s Dirt this time. UK Casting Call for Episode VII? Also a US call? Dennis Barbie tweets that Episode VII will be coming “end 2015,” but he backtracked later in the day. In comics news, the new Ms. Marvel is a Muslim shapeshifting teenager! Awesome!

On Camie’s Concerns, staff writer Bria joins the hosts to take a look back at the year that was in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. What books stood out? What books fell flat? Which book got everyone angry ranting and which book had everyone gushing? Wrapping things up, everyone discusses the trends noticed in 2013 and what we hope to see in 2014.

Finally, the hosts field questions in Ask Us Anything. 

Tosche Station Radio is the official podcast of Tosche-Station.net and a part of Majestic Giraffe Productions. If you like what you hear, please leave a review on the iTunes Music Store. We can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Nanci and Brian are the co-founders and writers of Tosche-Station.net. You can find Nanci on Twitter with the handle @Nancipants and you can find Brian with @LaneWinree.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by Her Universe and Audible.com.

Dear Star Wars Books: Thank You For the Women

About a year and a half ago, I wrote a blog post for EUCantina in which I analyzed the roles of women in the Expanded Universe, specifically in the post-Return of the Jedi era. The article was inspired by the cancellation of “Mandorla”, the Alex Irvine novel about Nomi Sunrider, from the Tales of the Jedi comics. I’d been wanting a book about Nomi for awhile, and was really disappointed to see it cancelled. And the disappointment stung on more than just a level of “I was really looking forward to that book.”

And then my brain began to turn. As far as I can recall, “Mandorla” was the only novel in recent memory to be focused on a female protagonist. We’ve had “Han” novels, “Bane” novels, “Revan” novels; where are the “Jaina” and “Padme” and “Leia” novels? Why cancel a novel that had a chance to expand on a strong female lead?

The article was generally well received, with a few exceptions, mostly from people claiming that the EU was already filled with lots of female characters. While that may have been true, the point of the article remained:

“But Star Wars has many female leads,” you might say. To which I reply: “but none are allowed to lead.”

The original article has since been lost to the internet ether, but I had my own draft copy elsewhere. With San Diego Comic Con happening and in anticipation of the Star Wars Books panel, I recently skimmed the article with the intention of reposting it here on Tosche Station for posterity’s sake. But as I kept reading, I realized something: in less than 18 months, Del Rey and LucasBooks has addressed nearly all of my major complaints in the article. And I knew I’d be remiss if I didn’t revisit the article and say THANK YOU.

Continue reading

Listen to the Tosche Station Radio livestream tomorrow, win a copy of ‘Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void’

intothevoidWhat are you up to tomorrow at 5PM PDT? Nothing? Fantastic! You could win yourself a copy of Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon. What do you have to do? Listen to the livestream and join the chat as we record a new episode of Tosche Station Radio!

While we’re streaming the podcast recording, all you need to do is head over to livestream.com/toschestationradio and comment in the chat. Near the end of the show we’ll throw the names into a hat* and draw one lucky winner. Be sure to stick around until that point!

*Randomizer application

Celebrate Jacen Solo Day with the SWEU

What better way to celebrate a day of terrible puns than with the Star Wars Expanded Universe, home of the best punster in the GFFA, Jacen Solo?

(Yes, it’s May the 4th. Yes, I’m grumbly about it. But hey, more Star Wars!)

If you can’t wait for Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void, coming out Tuesday, Suvudu released 50 pages of the book in their 50 Page Fridays feature.

Excited for Troy Denning’s Crucible? Suvudu has also released the first chapter.

Finally, the kind folks at Del Rey are offering deep discounts on four ebook titles: Heir to the Empire, Tatooine Ghost, Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, and Darth Plagueis. If you are building up your ebook collection, or have just been waiting for an excuse to get copies of these books, go buy them today! (Barnes and Noble) (Amazon)

Happy Jacen Solo Day, everyone! Don’t turn into a Sith Lord!

EU News: Making of RotJ, Into the Void, and Kenobi

Making of ROTJYesterday Entertainment Weekly revealed the cover for The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi by J.W. Rinzler. The book’s release date is scheduled for October 1, and it will join the previous “Making Of” books on my bookshelf.

intothevoid

 

 

Hollywood.com posted an excerpt and delved into the cover art process for Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon. Into the Void comes out in hardcover May 7. Be sure to check out the blog next week for a review from Bria.

 

 

 
Finally, Random House has posted a new synopsis for Kenobi by John Jackson Miller.

The Republic has fallen.
Sith Lords rule the galaxy.
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has lost everything . . . 
Everything but hope.

Tatooine—a harsh desert world where farmers toil in the heat of two suns while trying to protect themselves and their loved ones from the marauding Tusken Raiders. A backwater planet on the edge of civilized space. And an unlikely place to find a Jedi Master in hiding, or an orphaned infant boy on whose tiny shoulders rests the future of a galaxy.

Known to locals only as “Ben,” the bearded and robed offworlder is an enigmatic stranger who keeps to himself, shares nothing of his past, and goes to great pains to remain an outsider. But as tensions escalate between the farmers and a tribe of Sand People led by a ruthless war chief, Ben finds himself drawn into the fight, endangering the very mission that brought him to Tatooine.

Ben—Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, hero of the Clone Wars, traitor to the Empire, and protector of the galaxy’s last hope—can no more turn his back on evil than he can reject his Jedi training. And when blood is unjustly spilled, innocent lives threatened, and a ruthless opponent unmasked, Ben has no choice but to call on the wisdom of the Jedi—and the formidable power of the Force—in his never-ending fight for justice.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I think this book sounds amazing.

Kenobi comes out in hardcover on August 27. Look for a cover release shortly.