December 22, 1947 – February 11, 1996
Brian Daley was one of the earliest writers in the expanded universe. His first novel, Han Solo at Star’s End, was released in 1979, second only to Splinter of the Mind’s Eye. The after effects of his stories were felt right up until the Disney reboot.
Oddly enough, Brian Daley only did three novels which many years later were combined into an omnibus. Each one pretty much stood alone, giving just enough hints of his other stories to make one curious. I should know, as I first discovered Han Solo’s Revenge and started there!
The Han Solo Adventures by Brian Daley were released in hardcover, paperback and in an omnibus. The first one even had a comic book adaptation (although it wasn’t very accurate.)
- Han Solo at Star’s End
- Han Solo’s Revenge
- Han Solo and the Lost Legacy
The books written by Brian Daley featured only Han Solo and Chewie, and weren’t even set in the Empire, but in the Corporate Sector. They were set before the movie. But the Han Solo characterization was dead on to the only movie released at the time, Star Wars, which wasn’t even branded A New Hope as yet!
Brian Daley wrote the ‘shoots first’ (as opposed to shooting too late) Han Solo, and the decision to kill someone was at least as final as in the movie pre Special Edition. In fact, it was a bit colder, or would’ve been except that Han, for all his bluster about being in it for the credits, had to choose between the life of one man or the lives of those counting on him.
I shall say no more about that lest I give it away to newcomers. But I’ll also say that Han Solo’s Revenge is to this day the best Chewbacca story I ever read.
Afterward, Brian Daley wrote the scripts for the NPR radio adaptations of the Star Wars movies. The first was just released as Star Wars, followed immediately after by The Empire Strikes Back and years later Return of the Jedi.
Sadly, Brian Daley only lived long enough for the Return of the Jedi Radio Drama to finish recording. He passed away soon after due to cancer.
One friend of Brian Daley’s was James Luceno, these days an accomplished Star Wars author, himself. Occasionally one can find Easter Eggs in his stories reflecting the old tales.
As for Brian Daley’s continued impact:
The history of Han Solo and his past was built upon by other writers. His stories were the first hint we had that Han had once been something other than a smuggler. It told us he’d been a naval pilot, and that he got cashiered out helping Chewbacca.
AC Crispin carefully interwove the Han Solo Adventures into her Han Solo Trilogy. A relative of an old foe from the Han Solo Adventures is encountered by his children in the Young Jedi Knights series. The Corporate Sector area of space, involved in his other books, appears throughout the expanded universe, sometimes mentioned briefly. One of the Agents of the Empire story arc directly intersects Han Solo there.The New Jedi Order reintroduced at least one of the old characters.
His stories to this day are a great introduction to the expanded universe, the more so because they were much shorter books than came after. That makes it easier for a reluctant reader to get into the tale. There is action and humor mixed with page turning danger.
In th radio dramas, particularly the first two, his writing drastically expanded on what was seen in the movies. That content also found it’s way into other stories such as Star Wars Empire comics.
Epilogue
What might Brian Daley have done in the Expanded Universe had he lived longer? We’ll never know. But he left a permanent mark on it. And for that, we should be grateful.
