An Unrevised Exploration of Star Wars Expanded Universe
With the introduction of Dark Empire and Heir to the Empire, Star Wars Expanded Universe became all one universe, one great history of a galaxy far far away. Each new element referenced past events in the media, be it books, comics, video games, movies, TV shows or roleplaying guides. Older works were gradually retconned in and explained to reduce contradictions. Over 30 years of stories became not separate stories or fan fiction based on Star Wars, but authors chosen and guided by Lucas’ company to tell the story that stayed true to his vision. It required question and answer sheets to Lucas, final approval on major character developments like deaths, marriages and children. The prequel era was not open for development until after the movies of that time were released. But ultimately, each story referencing the other makes for one vast galaxy, where you may enjoy one media or story or more with the joy of finding a favorite new character stars in other media as well.
The Truce at Bakura is the literal aftermath of the Battle of Endor and deals with the emotional and very real strategic fall outs of it. As such, its a great place to dive into the Expanded Universe. The Truce at Bakura starts immediately after Return of the Jedi. It is literally the day after … Read more
The prequels introduced to the movie screen things that were, until now, only in print. Things that some viewers complain about were actually explained in print, in some cases, long before the movies. From Print to Movie The world of Coruscant was glimpsed in Return of the Jedi’s Special Edition. But until The Phantom Menace, … Read more
Keys: M = Movie | N = Novel | C = Dark Horse Comics | G = Video Games | R = Audio/Radio Drama Rogue Squadron was never a planned multimedia event. It became one without any help, featuring novels, comic books, video games and action figures. In Universe Influence[ The most important thing about … Read more
The Jedi Academy trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson is the new beginning of the Jedi Order. At the time of writing, the Jedi philosophy of the prequels the specifics of Jedi training were unknown, including the rules of no attachments (families), one master to one apprentice and that usually they began as infants. Even if … Read more
Shadows of the Empire was the first multimedia event. Everything was tied in but an actual movie. The story takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The mission: to find and rescue Han Solo before Boba Fett gets him to Jabba the Hutt. The complication: someone has put a hit … Read more
The Thrawn trilogy was a big bang in the creation of the Expanded Universe. For years there had been no new Star Wars. Even the ewoks and droids cartoons had faded away. Then came the Thrawn trilogy, set 5 years after Return of the Jedi. The Alliance to Restore the Republic has succeeded in creating … Read more
The Courtship of Princess Leia is only one book, and a controversial one at that. Some loved it, others hated it. But it has to be given credit for two of the most popular cultures in the EU. It is set 4 years after the destruction of the 2nd Death Star. It introduces the world … Read more
