Star Wars Books on Facebook has posted another annotation to tease the upcoming release of the 20th Anniversary edition of Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire.
Annotation #11:
Showing posts with label Book News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book News. Show all posts
Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition Preview: Annotation #11:
Star Wars Books on Facebook has posted another annotation to tease the upcoming release of the 20th Anniversary edition of Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire.
Annotation #11:
A Salute to Sue: Lucasfilm Executive Editor Retiring
It is the end of an era, Starwars.com has announced that the guiding force behind Star Wars publishing, Executive Editor Sue Rostoni is retiring in July of 2011 after over 20 years with the company.
"I have enjoyed the best job in the world with the most wonderfully creative people," said Rostoni. "I'm so grateful to have been a part of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones programs these past years -- it's been the most challenging and rewarding time of my life."
The article also has great quotes by Lucas Licensing President Howard Roffman, Dark Horse Editor Randy Stradley and Del Rey Editor Shelly Shapiro.
I had the pleasure of interacting with Sue on the SW.com message boards over the years, but I have had the even greater pleasure of reading the Star Wars Expanded Universe that she helped shepherd into existence and maturity.
I could go on and on about the efforts of Sue Rostoni and the others who have kept the Star Wars story alive, but in the end I only have one thing to say. Thank you Sue.
SOURCE: Starwars.com
Excerpt for Timothy Zahn's Choices of One: Chapter 2
StarWars.com has posted a PDF excerpt from Timothy Zahn's next Star Wars novel, Choices of One.
Choices of One re-united characters from Zahn's book Allegiance, as well as characters from his earlier novels and characters from the Original Trilogy.
Look for a Preview Review of the Choices of One excerpt tomorrow on Lightsaber Rattling, but before then, go read the excerpt yourself.
Choices of One goes on sale, July 19th.
DIRECT LINK TO PDF CHAPTER 2
SOURCE: Starwars.com
Cover Preview: Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse
Starwars.com has released their "First Look" at the final book in the Fate of the Jedi Series, Apocalypse. No blurb which will come later, but the cover art featuring Luke Skywalker cast against a city or world in flames.
Which leads me to one thought
Tionne is playing the double viol while Coruscant burns...of course it could also be Tahv, the capital of Kesh that is up in flames.
It would be interesting to see the capital of the Galactic Alliance moved somewhere besides Coruscant (Triple Zero) for a while.
SOURCE: Starwars.com
Which leads me to one thought
Tionne is playing the double viol while Coruscant burns...of course it could also be Tahv, the capital of Kesh that is up in flames.
It would be interesting to see the capital of the Galactic Alliance moved somewhere besides Coruscant (Triple Zero) for a while.
SOURCE: Starwars.com
Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse cover to be revealed June 3rd
Interesting tidbit from Star Wars Books Facebook page, it appears that we will be getting a "First Look" at FotJ: Apocalypse tomorrow (Friday 6/3) on Starwars.com.
Star Wars Books BTW: Don't forget to keep your eyes on starwars.com tomorrow. APOCALYPSE is coming! (ES)So check the official site: www.Starwars.com tomorrow and get a sneak peak
Source: Star Wars Books on Facebook
Fate of the Jedi: Ascension Preview Excerpt #1: Leia needs caller I.D.
Star Wars Books on Facebook has released a little teaser excerpt from the next Fate of the Jedi novel, Ascension by Christie Golden scheduled for release 8/9/11.
FATE OF THE JEDI: ASCENSION mini-excerpt #1 (ES):The "She" has to be Leia, sounds like Han and Leia are probably in the cockpit of the Falcon when Leia gets a covert message. We also know most of the people who have the private channel, C-3P0 and R2 are the two droids, then you have the obvious Luke, Ben, Jaina, Tenel Ka as well as the almost certain Jag (Jaina's fiancee), Saba (Leia's former Master), and Winter.
She pointed to a message flashing on the screen.
INFORMATION YOU WILL WANT TO HAVE.
SAFETY FOR YOUR FAMILY GUARANTEED.
REPLY FOR MORE.
“Short and completely mysterious,” Han mused, frowning a little.
“It came in on my private channel.”
“The one only about six people and two droids have access to?”
“That would be the one.”
The question becomes who is the mysterious messenger? Could it by Wyn Dorvan former Chief of Staff for Chief of State Daala? Could it be fugitive former Jedi Tahiri Veila? Could it be some spy within the GA government? A conspirator having second thoughts? Could it be an old smuggler ally such as Talon Karrde?
The line "Safety for your family guaranteed," makes you think that this source of information is going to propose a clandestine meeting that will involve Han/Leia/Allana's sub-plot in Ascension.
The other question is what could the information be about? Sith movements/plans? Conspiracy withing GA government? Danger to Allana?
SOURCE: STAR WARS BOOKS ON FACEBOOK
More new short fiction coming to Star Wars Insider magazine
Del Rey editor David Pomerico post the following tidbit on Star Wars Books Facebook page today:
We already knew that Luceno was working on new short stories for the re-release of the tie-in novels for Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 3D, but this may have been the first news of the Reaves/Bohnhoff short story tie-in story for Shadow Games.
We are seeing a pretty consistent trend with the return of new fiction in Star Wars Insider, it is obvious that they are trying to get each author to write a pretty brief short story to accompany their novel release. Seems like a good strategy to both promote the books and promote sales of Insider. I am going to have to get a subscription if this trend continues.
SOURCE: STAR WARS BOOKS on FACEBOOK
Just finished up edits on a new Michael Reaves/Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff short story that ties into SHADOW GAMES for INSIDER magazine, and now I'm delving into a new James Luceno Darth Maul short story.
Turning into a pretty good morning. (DP)
We already knew that Luceno was working on new short stories for the re-release of the tie-in novels for Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 3D, but this may have been the first news of the Reaves/Bohnhoff short story tie-in story for Shadow Games.
We are seeing a pretty consistent trend with the return of new fiction in Star Wars Insider, it is obvious that they are trying to get each author to write a pretty brief short story to accompany their novel release. Seems like a good strategy to both promote the books and promote sales of Insider. I am going to have to get a subscription if this trend continues.
SOURCE: STAR WARS BOOKS on FACEBOOK
Suvudu Interviews Aaron Allston: Wraith Squadron and Fate of the Jedi News
The website SUVUDU has post a very good interview with author extraordinaire Aaron Allston. In which he provides some details on the Fate of the Jedi series and his forthcoming new Wraith Squadron novel.
Let’s talk about the new novel featuring the Wraith Squadron. I know the book isn’t scheduled for publication until 2012, but can you give us just a little information about that?
Sure. Most of the action takes place in the same approximate period as Fate of the Jedi, but there are critical chapters that revisit the Wraiths in earlier years, starting just after they made the jump to become an Intelligence unit. The current-era story reunites some of the longtime Wraiths, introduces new ones, and even has second-generation Wraiths.
Not every subplot that arose in Fate of the Jedi will have been resolved by that series’ end, and it’s up to the Wraiths to clean up a big mess left behind. That’s about all I’m willing to say at this time.
Except that I grew up in the 1960s, the Golden Age of movie and TV spies — The Man From U.N.C.L.E., James Bond, Mission: Impossible, Derek Flint, The Wild, Wild West, countless others. They’re with me still, occupying a psychotic little wing of my brain. And if you don’t hear some of those theme tunes in your head when you’re reading the new Wraith Squadron novel, I haven’t done my job.
Regarding Fate of the Jedi's villain Abeloth;
Nor can I share much of what I know about her — unlike most monsters, she has several stages of “reveal” and not just one.
For more on Aaron Allston visit his website: http://www.aaronallston.com/
SOURCE: SUVUDU
Cover Preview: Fate of the Jedi: Ascension
Starwars.com has posted the back cover for the next book of the Fate of the Jedi series, Ascension by Christie Golden. Along with the back cover they have also posted a blurb for the book that contains SPOILERS so read at your own risk.
SPOILER FILLED BLURB:
How long can the Jedi remain in power?
How far will the Sith go to rule supreme?
What chance do both stand against Abeloth?
As Luke and Ben Skywalker pursue the formidable dark-side being Abeloth, the Lost Tribe of the Sith is about to be sundered by an even greater power -- which will thrust one Dark Lord into mortal conflict with his own flesh-and-blood.
On Coruscant, a political vacuum has left tensions at the boiling point, with factions racing to claim control of the Galactic Alliance. Suddenly surrounded by hidden agendas, treacherous conspiracies, and covert Sith agents, the Jedi Order must struggle to keep the GA government from collapsing into anarchy.
The Jedi are committed to maintaining peace and ensuring just rule, but even they are not prepared to take on the combined threats of Sith power, a deposed dictator bent on galaxywide vengeance, and an entity of pure cunning and profound evil hungry to become a god.
My Thoughts:
Clearly the Jedi are going to have their hands full on Coruscant. But the aspect of the blurb that fascinates me is; "As Luke and Ben Skywalker pursue the formidable dark-side being Abeloth, the Lost Tribe of the Sith is about to be sundered by an even greater power -- which will thrust one Dark Lord into mortal conflict with his own flesh-and-blood."
Clearly the Dark Lord in conflict with his flesh-and-blood will be Vestara in conflict with her father Gavar Khai. The interesting this is what is the "greater power," the sentence structure implies that it was not Abeloth but some other force. That make me immediately go to since we are dealing with Jedi/Sith, an extreme emotion, love, hate, greed. The potential of love between Ben and Vestara is one option, but it would seem to be a rather quick romance. The potential of hate or greed dividing the Lost Tribe amongst themselves seems possible, but how would this divide pit Gavar vs. Vestara?
In terms of the cover art, I am a sucker for Boba Fett and the Mandos so the back cover is playing to the choir at Lightsaber Rattling. It also does make sense if Fett as an expanded role in fascilitating Daala's escape and move to warlord if he helps her set up or reconnect with her new power base. I just hope they don't have Fett throw the support of the Mando's behind that nutter.
The front cover which we have already seen is great color-wise and I like it overall, but I don't think the portrayal of Vestara has been consistent on the covers and that is my only real gripe. She looks very different on the cover of Omen.
SOURCE: STARWARS.COM
Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition Preview: Annotation #10: So Long Obi-Wan
Star Wars Books on Facebook has released the latest in a series of preview annotations for Timothy Zahn's Star Wars: Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition. Annotation #10 centers around Luke Skywalker and his journey as the hero.
"One of the parameters I wanted to set for the trilogy was that Luke would be entirely on his own as a Jedi, with no one he could call on for help or advice. And though I didn't know it at the time, the line about 'the first of the new Jedi' nicely sets up Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy trilogy, as well as many other future books." --TZ
Zahn's choice to have Obi-Wan appear to Luke in a vision in Heir to the Empire, hen to depart the stage and allow Luke to find his own way in many ways represents not only the proper role of a mentor but also the proper role as a parent. Obi-Wan through his teachings and advice to Luke as well as his directing Luke for further teaching to Yoda gave Luke the tools he needed to make his own decisions and to control his own destiny.
It may seem unfair that Obi-Wan had so much knowledge that he did not impart, but the goal couldn't to be just to recreate the Old Republic's Jedi Order but for Luke to find a new way and form to resurrect the Jedi. The old Jedi Order as well intentioned as it was failed, perhaps some structural flaws were at the root of this problem and Obi-Wan worried that if he attempted to rebuild the older Order through Luke that these flaws would return.
There are both in-universe reasons and real world story telling reasons for Obi-Wan's Force Ghost to become one with the Force. The only downside is that Obi-Wan was a great character so it was sad to see his story end.
SOURCE: Star Wars Books on Facebok
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan: Novel Blurb
 |
| Picture by Matthew Rex Downham, http://www.mrexd.com/portfolio/#revan |
Credit NJOE.com and the number one detective of all things Random House, poster Max Jaybo for finding the first published blurb for the forthcoming TOR novel Revan by Drew Karpyshyn.
About this BookThere’s something out there:
a juggernaut of evil bearing down to crush the Republic—
unless one lone Jedi, shunned and reviled, can stop it.
Revan: hero, traitor, conqueror, villain, savior. A Jedi who left Coruscant to defeat Mandalorians—and returned a disciple of the dark side, bent on destroying the Republic. The Jedi Council gave Revan his life back, but the price of redemption was high. His memories have been erased. All that’s left are nightmares—and deep, abiding fear.
What exactly happened beyond the Outer Rim? Revan can’t quite remember, yet can’t entirely forget. Somehow he stumbled across a terrible secret that threatens the very existence of the Republic. With no idea what it is, or how to stop it, Revan may very well fail, for he’s never faced a more powerful and diabolic enemy. But only death can stop him from trying.
This sounds like fun...
SOURCES: NJOE and RandomHouse.ca
Chat Wrap: Del Rey Star Wars Editor Shelly Shapiro with My Commentary
Shelly Shapiro, is Editor at Large at Del Rey publishing and along with Sue Rostoni one of the guiding lights for the Star Wars Expanded Universe was kind enough to take part in a chat with fans on the social media website, Facebook. Below is a transcript of what Shelly had to say along with my commentary to her answers.
CHAT WRAP
"Will our timeline ever meet up with the events of Dark Horse's Legacy series? I have no doubt that it will, eventually, as we continue to fill in the future history of the Skywalker/Solo clan. More Tales collections? We don't have plans for those right now, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. For the moment, though, the only collection we're planning is a Lost Tribe of the Sith collection."
It makes sense that the ends of the time line farthest away from George Lucas' vision of Star Wars are likely to see expansion in the future. The Clone Wars television series as well as the currently on hold Live Action Series (set between Episodes III and IV) create a certain difficulty in terms of continuity that make them de facto off limits.
Count me as extremely disappointed that there are currently no plans for more "Tales of" books, as these are extremely fun books. It seems like a Tales of the New Jedi Order, Tales of the Smuggler's Alliance, Tales of the Empire of the Hand, and Tales of the Imperial Remnant could be interesting concepts to play with.
"Smugglers: I like them, so yes, I think we'll consider smuggler-type adventures in the future. And don't miss The Old Republic: Deceived, as it has a great smuggler-type character! New Clone Wars novels: Possibly. A GL signature series: That could be very cool, but I don't see it happening any time in the near future. Blu-ray: We have marketing plans tied in to the blu-ray release."
Smugglers would be a nice focus and would be a nice lead in to test the waters for the Live-Action TV series which is suppose to focus on non-Force users, like smugglers and other background characters from the GFFA. I doubt we ever see a GL signature series, but it would be interesting to see the occasional preface by Lucas to a book, perhaps if down the road they decide to kill of any of the Big Three, then he could write a preface or forward in the book.
"Two more 20th anniversary novels: I'd love to do them, but I think we will likely let the market guide us on that decision. Possible future additional Rogue and Wraith Squadron novels? Absolutely possible. Next series after FotJ: No idea yet! We have a lot of ideas to hammer out first."
The translation here is that if you want Dark Force Rising and The Last Command annotated editions then you need to buy Heir to the Empire. Sales will dictate whether it makes sense to give these books the same treatment. More X-Wing books are always welcome by me and might be a nice way to get Mike Stackpole back into the SWEU.
"More Kerra Holt or other JJM novels: Definitely possible. Nothing in the works at this moment, though. 3-novel vs. 9-novel multi-author series: We are backing off the multi-book, multi-author series for a little while, I think, if only to give us all some breathing room. We are talking about sticking to standalones, duologies, and trilogies for a bit in the near future. Video-game novelizations? If the right game presents itself."
I like the idea of backing off the mega-story arcs for a while. It tends to chew up a lot of timeline and characters. There is a finite amount of storytelling space on the timeline, switching to smaller stories that can be fit more easily into the timeline and perhaps focusing on characters that are off-screen in some of the earlier series should allow for more Star Wars publishing long term. It is also nice to not have to wait multiple years for a story to be completed. Instant gratification.
" I have to say that right now we have a lot of ideas--a LOT of ideas, let me stress--and they're mostly in the early-seed stages. So all these questions about "any plans for..." are hard to answer definitively, and easy to answer with a "Possible.""
Well if they need anyone to help nurture those seeds of ideas, this guy volunteers to take a trip to Maine.
"I can tell you that there are definitely plans for post-FotJ stories. Just not sure yet what form and exactly what the stories will be."
The adventures of Ben and Vestara? Jaina in the Imperial Remnant...
"Character dying in FotJ: Actually, what I recall promising was that in this series, NO major character would die. Believe it or not, we don't kill major characters lightly, and we don't enjoy inflicting grief on our surviving characters."
Kenth Hamner's Force Ghost gives Shelly a dirty look, the Grand Master not a major character. Seriously though, Luke, Han, and Leia are safe for a while.
"Hardcover vs. trade paperback: Most new novels are being done in hardcover these days, because that seems to be what the market is asking for. Our one foray into trade paperback for novels wasn't terribly successful, so unless we see a major change in the marketplace, I suspect we'll be sticking to hardcovers, mass-market paperbacks, and now--yay!--e-books."
Count me in the camp that hates trade paperback novels. They feel cheap, both the cover and the paper. They are easily damaged and they are just a awkward size. I didn't have a problem with the experiment or the Clone Wars stories in that format, I just really dislike the format. Oh and I second the "yay" on the e-books.
"Darth Bane followups: We absolutely want Drew to explore the future with Zannah. Nothing definite yet, though. Boba Fett: We had to cancel that book because of changes to continuity and new material being planned on the tv end of things. . Alex Irvine: It's set in the distant past and stars Nomi and Vima Sunrider. I think it's really cool to explore some of these older legends and time periods that haven't been touched by novels yet. And Alex is a terrific writer, so I'm hoping for an epic legend!"
Alex is a terrific writer from what I have read, so the Nomi "can't call it Sunrider" novel should be a lot of fun. A Darth Zannah book would be cool, but I worry they may be over saturating the Sith-focused books at some point.
The Boba Fett comment is intriguing because the "tv end of things" could refer to the Clone Wars, but its cryptic and vague enough that it could also be referring to what is planned for the Live-Action Series.
"Wow, it's so great to see all this enthusiasm! The best thing (and sometimes the hardest!) about working in Star Wars fiction is the incredible wealth of ideas open to us to explore. It's like being the proverbial kid in a candy store. So yes, I hope to address Ben's future in the Jedi Order at some time--I like Ben, and I think he has amazing potential as a really cool adult characters. And then, of course, there's his cousin Allana, whom I can't wait to help develop further. Cade Skywalker is a really neat character--but right now I feel that things are so rich, we'd be limiting ourselves by simply novelizing Dark Horse's material. I'm much more excited by collaborating more closely with Dark Horse, the way we did with Knight Errant--where each of us develops part of a greater whole and we work together to make that greater whole something really rich and exciting."
More Ben stories and more tie-ins with Dark Horse comics, I'm down with that.
"E-book pricing: I wish I understood that stuff, but I don't. I do understand, however, that we live in a relatively free-market capitalist economy... Continuity: This is one of the biggest challenges for us. Thank goodness for Leland Chee at Lucasfilm, Keeper of the Holocron and grand master of retconning. Some things, though, just have to remain as they are. I prefer that to going back and revising already published novels to reflect recent changes. Look at Splinter of the Mind's Eye--never revised, it just lives as an entity of its own, and that's how it should be. Imho."
The E-book pricing issue is something that author Drew Karpyshyn discusses on his website in his most recent post. E-books will be a major profit center for publishers because of the miniscule production cost versus traditional published books. As long as authors are compensated fairly, this will be great for publishing and hopefully see more books published and more authors get publicity as publisher's shift budgets from production of books into marketing of books.
The continuity comment and the opposition to revising previously published books tells a lot about what is going to happen to certain books like Coruscant Nights I. The whole Evan Piell issue will either be ret-conned in CN4 or it will be ret-conned at some other time but I don't think we are going to get an edited re-release of CN1.
"Death of Luke Skywalker: To be honest, I don't even recall that brouhaha. Most so-called fanatics are wonderful in their love of the material, and getting excited--even negatively--is just a sign of that love. Choosing authors: I get approached by a lot of authors who want to write Star Wars. I read samples of their published work, and when I find someone I feel will be able to live up to our SW expectations, I pass those samples on to Lucasfilm for approval. Why don't editors do their jobs? Well, I suppose I should be a little insulted by that question.I know I do my job. But I can tell you that these books go through a lot of iterations, and are read and reread by numerous people, but that sometimes, even with all that, errors slip through the cracks. Rest assured that every error we do catch gets corrected, but if we catch it too late... We're also on a very tight production schedule, which can introduce errors, as well. We do our best to not let these things happen, and I, for one, hate when I find out that a major error has made it through into a finished book."
Death of Luke Skywalker is like the Death of Superman, it will be a major event when it happens, but it has to be handled right and I am in no hurry to see it happen.
Fans are incredible, and not in a good way sometimes. Lay off the editors. No person or computer program is perfect, mistakes will be made in the editing process. To get hung up on little mistakes and let them ruin your enjoyment of a book is silly. Relax, take a deep breath and just have fun with Star Wars.
"Of course GL has the final say as to when and how Luke dies! No current plans to even touch that.""Will the SW saga ever end? I hope not! We have millennia of past and future history yet to explore!"
Keep making Star Wars books and I will keep reading and buying them.
"Deaths and future: Most SW characters don't live THAT much longer than contemporary humans. 120 would probably be pretty impressive. What has changed is that they age better, and remain vital much longer than most of us do on 21st-century Earth. As for an end point in the future, honestly, I don't see that happening. There can always be new events in a galaxy that large. Though when, and if, we eventually put an end to Luke, Han, and Leia's active careers, that'd probably feel like a major ending point, at least to one part of the saga."
It would be interesting to see Luke, Han, and Leia transition into a Obi-Wan/Yoda role and mentor the next generations of heroes without being as actively involved, but I still enjoy seeing the AARP crowd in action.
"who is your favourite character, author, novel, comic, movie ;) are you sith or jedi or mandalorian, etc.? and last but not least: what is the meaning/message of star wars for you? Hard questions! I confess to being very fond of Han; I like Jaina, Ben, and Allana a lot, too. And I loved Qui-Gon Jinn. I can't have a favorite novel, because it'd be too much like a parent choosing favorites among his or her children. My favorite movie is ESB. Meaning/message? Good question. I think it's that events--no matter how small or large in scale--revolve ultimately around human beings (including sapient aliens, of course!) and their feelings and their relationships with one anther. Also, that no matter how strong the lure of evil, which we are all susceptible to, there is always the possibility of redemption. Which probably makes me a Jedi. Though my colleagues at RH probably would say I'm naturally more of a Sith!"
Well if Shelly is a Sith, may I humbly suggest Darth Pyro as in Sha-Piro.
"No current plans for a third Chronology book, but I can see the need for one in the future. As for MAKING OF BOOKS, J. W. Rinzler is currently writing the MAKING OF RETURN OF THE JEDI. And the REVAN cover should be revealed sometime mid-summer."
Ohhhh, Revan cover this will be interesting but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a close of the mask.
"Aaron's Wraith Squadron novel takes place around the end of the FotJ. I can't wait to read it! The cover for Revan will be revealed when it is finished--right now we're just at the sketch stage. But I know it's going to be awesome. I love our Old Republic covers! (Also can't wait to try the game!!!)"
Interesting placement of the Wraith Squadron novel, do we see a cameo of some of the Wraith characters in the end of the FotJ series? I am really intrigued by where this book is going. Also she is right about the Old Republic covers, they are very well done so far.
"Palpatine: I think once you've read Darth Plagueis, every one of Palpatine's later decisions will be very clear. It will make watching the prequels much more interesting, I think."
This is probably the novel that I am most looking forward to. This could be epic. Fingers crossed.
"Diversity: I feel we've had quite a bit of diversity, especially when you take into consideration the growing number of prominent characters that aren't human. Saba Sebatyne, for example: An awesome female Jedi who is barely even humanoid. (I like her a lot!) Single book story arcs: Yes, of course! Alex Irvine's novel will stand alone, as will Jeff Grubb's. We will be planning others, as well."
I don't particularly care what a character looks like if the character is interesting, but I am not sure this is really that big of an issue.
"I can't tell you when the contract is up, but I can tell you that we have books planned through 2014 at the moment. :-)"
Now that is a non-answer, answer. Fingers crossed on a new contract extension.
"Shelly, could you discuss how the role of editor is different in the Star Wars publishing shared universe, versus if you were editing an author's own individual work in their own universe? Could you also describe how your role is either similar or different from Sue Rostoni at Lucasfilm? My role as editor is much more complicated in the Star Wars universe. When I work with an author on a non-tie-in novel, the entire job is between the author and me, and the author has a lot more leeway in terms of what happens on the pages. Those novels don't have to have approved outlines, for example: I'll just make suggestions to the author as to how I feel he or she can improve the story and/or characters. With Star Wars, every aspect has to be approved by the licensor--LFL. So part of my job is to help the author make the work the best novel they can write, and part is as liaison between the author and LFL. Sue and I do very similar work, though it's more her job to make sure the story and characters conform to SW continuity and LFL expectations, while it's more mine to make sure the writing flows well, the story evolves smoothly, etc. I hope that answers the question--it's a small space and time in which to answer something not that simple!"
This was my question, so a big personal thanks to Shelly for taking the time to answer it. It is a pretty impressive balancing act that Shelly, Sue and the various authors have to do to keep this giant Star Wars universe fitting together.
"Thanks, O Great Holocron Keeper! And thanks to everyone for coming here with all these great questions, for putting up with any awkwardness on my part in terms of keeping up with this chat format, and especially for your ongoing enthusiasm and support for our books!"
Thanks to Shelly and the rest of the Star Wars Books staff for putting the chat together and to fans for submitting many great questions.
SOURCE: Star Wars Books on Facebook
Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition Preview: Annotation #9: Wild Karrde
Star Wars Books on Facebook has released the latest in a series of preview annotations for Timothy Zahn's Star Wars: Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition. Annotation #9 makes me think both of Han Solo and of American Graffiti.
ANNOTATION #9:
To quote Han Solo, "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself."
SOURCE: STAR WARS BOOKS ON FACEBOOK
Star Wars Books Facebook Chat with Editor Shelly Shapiro: May 19th
Attention Star Wars fans, if you are on Facebook you have the opportunity to interact and ask questions of Del Rey Editor Shelly Shapiro on Thursday May 19th at 3PM EST on Del Rey's Star Wars Books Facebook Page.
Our next Facebook chat is Thursday, May 19, at 3:00pm (Eastern time) and will feature our own editor at large, Shelly Shapiro. Shelly is responsible for the Del Rey line of Star Wars novels. A perfect chance for you to ask about current, older, and upcoming Star Wars books. (ES)
Del Rey does a terrific job interacting with fans on Facebook, including hosting chats with authors, holding giveaway contests and sneak peaks at future books. I hope to see you all on Facebook a week from Thursday.
For your reading pleasure a fun little post by Ms. Shapiro on Suvudu. The Cubicle at the End of the Universe.
SOURCE: STAR WARS BOOKS ON FACEBOOK
Star Wars Publishing Goes Digital: SWEU Catalog E-Books Release Date Announced
As first reported by the USA Today, the long rumored and much anticipated digitization of the Star Wars Expanded Universe catalog of novels is finally becoming a reality. On June 28th all 106 Star Wars novel titles will be available in e-book format.
We had hints that this was coming, for a while we have gotten official responses to questions about e-books by those like Sue Rostoni on the Starwars.com Message Boards in the VIP thread, basically stating that contractual issues needed to be worked out before the Star Wars library could be brought to the digital format.
Then in March listings for Star Wars e-books started appearing on Random House's Smart Archive website, with the place holder date of August 17, 2011. This news elicited the official response from Del Rey Editor Erich Shoeneweiss:
As we've been saying for some time, we're working hard with Lucasfilm to make ebooks available as soon as possible for all the novels. It's a complicated process and not one that happens quickly. While the information that is being posted and talked about on other sites sprang from info on a Random House website it's common practice for Random House to use temporary data as placeholders until plans for books are finalized. When the time is right Random House and Lucasfilm will release an official statement regarding when we will expand our ebook program. Until then we ask for your patience. Thank you. (ES)Below is Lucasfilm and Random House's official announcement regarding the E-book releases:
Expanding a relationship that began more than 30 years ago, Lucasfilm and Random House Inc. announced today that the entire library of Star Wars fiction titles under the Del Rey and Bantam Spectra imprints will be available in eBook format as of June 28, 2011. Over one hundred backlist titles will be converted into digital editions, along with any future Star Wars novels presently in production. These titles will join the thirty Del Rey Star Wars novels currently available as eBooks. All Star Wars eBooks from Del Rey and Bantam Spectra will include additional content at the back of the book. The extra content will include the following:I am very excited by this news. I am a Kindle owner and already have a few of the limited Star Wars titles that are available in e-book format. The fact of the matter is that Star Wars books take up and entire wall/bookshelf in my house, and the option to stuff all those books into one small device is incredibly appealing."Readers and fans have been asking for the Star Wars novels to be made available digitally, and we're excited that we can finally make this happen," said Howard Roffman, President of Lucas Licensing. "We're committed to providing fans with great Star Wars stories that can be enjoyed on any reading platform. We're thrilled to see the extensive backlist of Del Rey and Bantam titles made available electronically."
- An updated Star Wars novels timeline
- An introduction to the six major Star Wars eras: The Old Republic, Rise of the Empire, Rebellion, The New Republic, New Jedi Order, and Legacy
- Over half a dozen additional excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years
"Over 30 years ago, Del Rey Books published the novelization of the very first Star Wars film," said Gina Centrello, President of the Random House Publishing Group. "Since that time, the Star Wars Saga has grown to become a worldwide phenomenon. We're exceptionally proud to have been at the helm of such a rich and vast literary universe, and thrilled to be working with our partners at Lucasfilm as we move into the future with eBooks."
Having Star Wars books at my fingertips either on my phone or on the Kindle makes it much easier to sneak in a few minutes of reading here and there.
I am a book collector, I like have a hard copy of all the books, so in many ways I am the ideal consumer for Random House and Lucasfilm, because I will be buying most books in both formats. That does raise the issue of pricing however, as the realities of a budget have to factor in to fandom at some point. The official announcement from Lucasfilm does not give any details for pricing of the books. The place holder data on the Smart Archive website listed most of the titles at $7.99 (you can see the full chart w/placeholder data here), the same as you will pay for a new Star Wars TPB release such as John Jackson Miller's Knight Errant novel. If I was betting money, I would say that this is the most likely price point for the majority of the older titles in the catalog. I think we will see new books priced as they have been recently with new hardcover books being in the $13.99 range as e-books, while either new TPB releases or once a hardcover book gets a TPB release, I think the e-book price will be in the $7.99 range.
One thing I would like to see the publishing industry do is something that the film industry has done, that is include either a free digital copy or perhaps a discounted digital copy with the purchase of a physical edition of a title. For example, purchase a hard cover Star Wars novel and get a free e-book download of the same book, or a 50% of coupon for the e-book of the same book.
It strikes me that e-books are a boon for the publishing industry in that, it makes reading more accessible and makes people more likely to purchase books. At the same time it should lower production costs significantly while not impairing profits significantly. I would assume if the piracy issue can be managed, that publishers would prefer e-books over traditional publishing.
SOURCES: Starwars.com and USA TODAY
Star Wars Publishing Update: Release Date Changes
Del Rey's Star Wars Books Facebook page has let us know about some changes to previously announced release dates for four novels.
STAR WARS: CHOICES OF ONE by Tim Zahn moves to 7/12/11 (Previously 7/19/11)
STAR WARS: FATE OF THE JEDI: ASCENSION by Christie Golden moves to 8/9/11 (Previously 8/16/11)
STAR WARS: HEIR TO THE EMPIRE 20th Anniversary Edition moves to 9/13/11
(Previously 6/28/11)
STAR WARS: RIPTIDE by Paul Kemp moves to 10/25/11 (Previously 9/27/11)
It is nice to see Choices of One and Ascension moved up a week each, but approximately 6 week delay for Heir to the Empire's re-release and approximately a month delay for Riptide makes for a long wait for these much anticipated books. With FotJ: Conviction and a paperback reprint of Fatal Alliance coming out May 24th, and Choices of One coming out July 12th, there isn't a huge gap by skipping June. Hopefully it means they are printing extra HttE books in anticipation of a huge demand.
The upside, is that I hope the 20th Anniversary edition of HttE becomes an impulse buy for those also purchasing the Star Wars Blu-Ray and opens up the Expanded Universe to fans who may not have ventured beyond the movies yet. The EU is so much fun, I wish all Star Wars fans would partake of it.
I am totally bummed by the fact that Riptide is getting pushed back a month as Paul S. Kemp is quickly becoming one of my favorite Star Wars authors. I worry that this book may get lost in the shuffle coming only a week after Drew Karpyshyn's Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan.
SOURCE: Star Wars Books Facebook
STAR WARS: FATE OF THE JEDI: ASCENSION by Christie Golden moves to 8/9/11 (Previously 8/16/11)
(Previously 6/28/11)
It is nice to see Choices of One and Ascension moved up a week each, but approximately 6 week delay for Heir to the Empire's re-release and approximately a month delay for Riptide makes for a long wait for these much anticipated books. With FotJ: Conviction and a paperback reprint of Fatal Alliance coming out May 24th, and Choices of One coming out July 12th, there isn't a huge gap by skipping June. Hopefully it means they are printing extra HttE books in anticipation of a huge demand.
The upside, is that I hope the 20th Anniversary edition of HttE becomes an impulse buy for those also purchasing the Star Wars Blu-Ray and opens up the Expanded Universe to fans who may not have ventured beyond the movies yet. The EU is so much fun, I wish all Star Wars fans would partake of it.
I am totally bummed by the fact that Riptide is getting pushed back a month as Paul S. Kemp is quickly becoming one of my favorite Star Wars authors. I worry that this book may get lost in the shuffle coming only a week after Drew Karpyshyn's Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan.
SOURCE: Star Wars Books Facebook
Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition Preview: Annotation #8: Imperial War Machine
Star Wars Books on Facebook has released the latest in a series of preview annotations for Timothy Zahn's Star Wars: Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition. Annotation #8 focuses on Zahn's portrayal of Imperial forces.
ANNOTATION #8:
"I wanted to set up the Fleet as having suffered during the chaos and retreat of the years since Endor, slipping back from the generally efficient war machine shown in the movies to something less polished. Lieutenant Tschel was an example of the eager but inexperienced crewers that the Empire now had to whip into fighting shape, contrasting with Captain Pellaeon." -- TZThis portrayal is something that we see repeated in the Bantam era with regards to former Imperial forces. It also provides an interesting flip flopping of roles between the Rebellion becoming the New Republic and the Empire in effect becoming more like the Rebels in terms of resources and quality of training and troops.
SOURCE: STAR WARS BOOKS ON FACEBOOK
Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition Preview: Annotation #7: Heir Mitth'raw'nuruodo
Star Wars Books on Facebook has released the latest in a series of preview annotations for Timothy Zahn's Star Wars: Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition. Annotation #7 involves a curious random factoid that doesn't have much to do with the story but focuses on what can sometimes be lost in translation.
ANNOTATION #7:
"A small thing that I never would have anticipated, and never even knew before I was invited to a Star Wars convention in Munich: The "thr" combination apparently doesn't exist in German, or so I was told. German Star Wars fans therefore have terrific difficulty pronouncing Thrawn's name." -- TZ
It would be curious to know what the German pronunciation or attempted pronunciation of Thrawn ends up sounding like.
SOURCE: STAR WARS BOOKS ON FACEBOOK
Random House Fall 2011 Hardcover Catalog: Fate of the Jedi: Ascension, The Complete Vader, and The Old Republic: Revan
Random House's Fall 2011 catalogs have been posted in PDF form on their website. There are no Star Wars titles in the trade paperback catalog, however the Hardcover catalog has three Star Wars titles in it. Unfortunately we do not get a lot of new information about any of the three titles listed that we haven't already had.
Fate of the Jedi: Ascension (Book 8 of 9): 400 pages. Release Date: 8/16/11. Price: $27.00
The eighth novel in a thrilling nine-book story arc for fans of the Legacy of
the Force series, the Dark Lords of the Sith, and the most popular
characters in Star Wars, Luke, Han, and Leia!
In this penultimate novel in the bestselling Fate of the Jedi series, Luke
Skywalker, his son Ben, and the Sith girl Vestara are in hot pursuit of the dread
power called Abeloth, who has joined forces with the Sith in a bid to take over the
galaxy. The leadership of the government is uncertain, torn apart by power
struggles and infiltrators, while the Sith have a terrible secret that could shake the
Jedi Order to its core...
Key Points/Quotes
SERIES SUCCESS: There are more than 660,000 Fate of the Jedi series books in print.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERS: Every title in the Fate of the Jedi series has been a
New York Times hardcover bestseller!
AUTHOR POPULARITY: Christie Golden made a New York Times hardcover-bestselling
splash with her first Star Wars novel, Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Omen--but even before
that she was a bestselling author of World of Warcraft and StarCraft novels.
NEW PACKAGING: While we're keeping the look of the nine-book series consistent,
we're giving the last three books (starting with Conviction, Summer 2011) a distinctive
look to set these final novels apart as a climactic mini-trilogy for readers.
eBOOK TIE-IN SUCCESS: Our free eBook series tying into the Fate of the Jedi--Lost
Tribe of the Sith, by John Jackson Miller--has been a huge success, with more than 700K
downloads for the first five stories.
Copyright © 2011 by Lucasfilm, Ltd. & ® or (TM) where indicated.
Series Overview
A nine-book Star Wars adventure featuring Luke, Han, Leia, and a lost tribe of Sith, in which
the fate of the galaxy could fall on the shoulders of the next generation--and an unlikely
alliance. Set in the time just after the Legacy of the Force series.
The Complete Vader: 192 pages. Release Date: 10/18/11. Price: $60.00
This gorgeously illustrated book is a must-have for Star Wars fans--the first
time a book of this scale has been dedicated solely to Darth Vader, the Dark
Lord of the Sith.
A comprehensive, in-depth, and fully illustrated look--including interactive
artwork--at arguably the most important character in the Star Wars universe: Darth
Vader. Star Wars: The Complete Vader will be the definitive book on the history,
myth, and cultural impact of Darth Vader. From his early development by George
Lucas, to the new legends created in comics and novels, to his ongoing
appearances on everything from television commercials to bedspreads, this book
will present a complete view of the character in all his incarnations.
Star Wars: The Complete Vader features hundreds of images, including early
concept sketches, collectibles, movie posters, script pages, and an uncut sheet of
Darth Vader trading cards. The book will also feature interactive elements such as
lift-up flaps, envelopes, and cut-outs.
Key Points/Quotes
FEATURES HUNDREDS OF IMAGES: Includes early concept sketches, collectibles,
movie posters, script pages, and an uncut sheet of Darth Vader trading cards.
INTERACTIVE ARTWORK: The book will feature lift-up flaps, envelopes, and cut-outs.
STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE VADER is being produced by packagers Becker &
Mayer, who are well known for their previous successful works of this scale.
BOTH AUTHORS HAVE A LONG HISTORY of working with Lucasfilm and have access
to some of the largest Star Wars collections in the world.
THE STAR WARS franchise remains as popular as ever.
The Old Republic #3: Revan: 352 Pages. Release Date: 10/18/11. Price: $27.00
An exciting new novel based on the blockbustster online video game, Star
Wars(TM): The Old Republic(TM) from BioWare and LucasArts!
With the success of the New York Times bestselling Star Wars: The Old
Republic: Fatal Alliance and the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic:
Deceived in Spring 2011, this original new novel set in the world of the game by
BioWare and LucasArts is sure to bring fans who want a truly immersive,
transmedia experience!
Key Points/Quotes
EXCITING FAN-FAVORITE TITLE TO BE REVEALED: A major title reveal to happen
sometime in early to mid-2011!
BIG GAME: Star Wars: The Old Republic will be a story-driven, massive multiplayer,
online PC game, where gamers will experience the next generation in video-game
storytelling, providing unprecedented immersion into an epic Star Wars saga that unfolds
based on their choices and actions.
POPULAR STAR WARS AUTHOR: Drew Karpyshyn is the New York Times bestselling
author of our Darth Bane novels: Star Wars: Path of Destruction; Star Wars: Rule of Two;
and Star Wars: Dynasty of Evil!
CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GAME AND BOOK: This novel was written with the
full cooperation and creative consultation of the BioWare/LucasArts game-design team.
As one of the writers on the game, Drew Karpyshyn has intimate knowledge that will
color all aspects of the novel. All possibilities for cross-promotion will be exploited!
NEW OLD REPUBLIC STORYLINE: The Old Republic is a huge era that is still relatively
untouched in terms of new Star Wars content, and a time that fans are eager to explore
further.
Commando video-game tie-in novels have been highly successful, and the novel based
on Star Wars®: The Force Unleashed(TM) was a #1 New York Times hardcover
bestseller! Our first TOR novel, Fatal Alliance, was a New York Times hardcover
bestseller.
HUGE GAMES: Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic(TM) has sold more than 2
million copies, and Star Wars®: The Force Unleashed(TM) has sold more than 7.8
million copies!
SOURCE: Random House
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
