Archived News and Website Updates 2006

The former has titles, the latter does not

12/23/06 Lots of tiny tweaks on the timeline, including some Clone Wars corrections to better harmonize with the official timeline and changes involving the first volume of the micro-series, and some other unrelated minor ones.

12/22/06 EU Action Figures

Fans of the EU that also collect action figures are going to be thrilled by some of the future choices being produced.  You already know about Quinlan Voss.  Next after that is Ashared Hett, the Tusken Jedi from Dark Horse's Republic series!  After that, another two-pack is headed our way based on the Purge comic book that takes place right after Revenge of the Sith: Jedi Bultar Swan ... and her murderer, fellow Jedi Koffi Arana!

12/13/06 Can You Speak Japanese?

No?  Well, now you don't have to!  At long last, English translations of the two rare Tokyopop Manga Star Wars trades are available on the Amazon UK site.  These two graphic novels feature exclusive stories featured nowhere else.  And while some of them have been labeled Infinities by LFL, we all know fans will judge that for themselves.  Finally you can order these and be able to read them.  The link to Book 1 is HERE!  The link to Book 2 is HERE!  Special thanks to Jovial Jay Shepard for the UPC codes that helped me track these babies down!  If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out this link here.

12/19/06 Added title and cover image for The Last of the Jedi #7: Secret Weapon.

12/13/06 Turns out the rumors are true and I am smoking crack.  Ok, some clarification.  Scholastic released two exclusive mail-order series of Star Wars books and magazines with similar titles (don't you just love that?)  The first was called Star Wars: Episode I Adventures; the second: Star Wars Adventures.  These were original stories.  The first series ran 15 books.  I thought it was 14 and it turns out I'm missing the last one.  I also apparently decided to re-title book 8 as "Deep Trouble," when in fact it's called Trouble on Tatooine.  Don't ask cause I don't know!  Scholastic's second series debuted shortly after Episode II in 2003 and ran 13 books.  As if things weren't confusing enough and to the upset of a lot of subscribers, they began reprinting stories from their first Episode I Adventures series starting at Book 7 (which reprinted Book 5 of the first series: The Ghostling Children.)  I thought the series concluded at Book 9, but it turns out they kept reprinting books till Book 13 (which reprinted Book 14 of the first series.)  Confused yet?  Then it turns out I also left books 13 and 14 (of the first series) off the timeline.  All that's corrected now and you can see the proper order in the Rise of the Empire section and all of the covers in the Cover gallery.  Once again, thanks Chad for the fantastic eagle eyes!

12/10/06 Added cover image of new Tag & Bink Were Here trade paperback (as well as Tag & Bink: Episode I: Revenge of the Clone Menace which I'd somehow forgotten to post in the Infinities section.)

12/06/06 Added cover images of KOTOR trade paperbacks volumes 1 and 2.  Some additional aesthetic changes.  Added the years 30-40 to the New Jedi Order page.

12/05/06 Back to normal...  For best appearance, your text-size should be set at the default: Medium.

12/04/06 Please excuse the site's appearance (primarily the Star Wars Expanded Universe Timeline) as I work through some technical aesthetic updates.  Thank you!

It was announced on the Official Site's boards that book 7 of the Legacy of the Force series will be called Fury.  Added cover images of KOTOR #10 and Legacy #6.  Finally, there is confirmation that there will be a total of 10 books in the Last of the Jedi series from Scholastic (#6 was just released.)  Good news indeed.

11/30/06 Moved "Casualty Report:Order 66" till after the conclusion of Dark Lord.  Thanks again Chad!

11/25/06 Return to...

...The Planet of the Apes!  Rich Handley (Star Wars Tales author and creator of Roots of the Swamp Thing) has at last debuted his newest chronology, The Hasslein Curve: A Timeline of the Planet of the Apes is up!  As is appropriate, the site comprehensively covers the films, TV series, cartoon series, comic book series (old and new), novels and more!  For those who haven't yet checked out the Planet of the Apes films, certainly enjoy those first.  It's great fun.  When you're done there and ready for more, don't miss the excellent Revolution on the Planet of the Apes (which bridges films 4 and 5) and Rich's site... Check it out you damned dirty ape!

11/25/06 Separated webstrip Reversal of Fortune into two periods: before ROTS (1-101) and during (102-169).  Thanks goes to Chad Walton for the refinement!

11/17/06 Added cover image of trade pb Empire Volume 6: In the Shadows of their Fathers.

11/15/06 Back after a brief jaunt to Italy with some updates.  Dark Horse's ongoing Legacy series is up to issue 5.  Knights of the Old Republic hit #9 this past week.  And at long last the first issue of Dark Times is out!

10/22/06 The Phantom Menace period in the Rise of the Empire era underwent a major overhaul today.  A number of pertinent young-readers stories -- particularly Scholastic's Star Wars Junior books -- were absent, and the order of Episode I stories (Random House, Dark Horse, Scholastic and the online Podracing Tales) was completely out of alignment in a number of areas!  Check it out here starting at 33 BBY.

Also added two RPG miniadventures from Wizards of the Coast, "Rebel Jedi" and "Nightsaber" which can be downloaded online for free.  While this site doesn't usually feature RPG adventure stories, "Rebel Jedi" features Luke Skywalker in a speaking role (and "Nightsaber" is the direct sequel to that adventure and features Crimson Empire hero Kir Kanos.)  These adventures occur in the year 12 ABY in the New Republic era.

10/18/06 Added placement for upcoming webstrip: Evasive Action: End Game.  For more information on the fourth and final installment of this series, click here.

10/18/06 End Game

Those who've been following the daily webstrip Evasive Action will be happy to note that the fourth and final installment End Game is coming to Hyperspace in November, and it's set to be a major "shake-up and a definitive finale!"  Also, long time Star Wars readers will be thrilled to note that not only will Vader return, but there will be a connection to someone or something from the Star Wars Marvel comics (reprinted in Dark Horse's trade paperback series A Long Time Ago: Volumes 1-7)!  Great news indeed from Paul Ens and Tom Hodges!  We definitely appreciate it guys!  For the full story on this upcoming webstrip, click here.

10/12/06 Added notes and cover images for Lullaby and two privately printed manuscripts, Rosine and the Laughing Dragon and Beany in Oz.

10/08/06 A new Boba Fett trade paperback called Man with a Mission is being released in March which will collect Boba Fett: Agent of Doom, Empire 7, Empire 28 and Boba Fett: Overkill.

9/29/06 Choose a Path!

If you haven't yet, run out and choose the path of destruction, that is: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, a Novel of the Old Republic.  For the first time, Del Rey travels back in time a thousand years before the events of the films to the days of the Dark Lords of the Sith, and the one apprentice who changed everything and begat the Rule of Two.  While war rages on the planet Ruusan, young Bane trains in the temple on Korriban, homeworld of the Sith.  Betrayed by masters and fellow apprentices, Bane uncovers secrets that will help him to revenge himself upon Jedi and Sith alike and forge the galaxy anew.  But first he must overcome his handicaps: guilt, compassion and loyalty, traits not becoming a master of the dark side!

9/19/06 Unfinished Tale Finished at Last

Great news for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien!  Next spring Harper Collins will see the publication of an as yet unpublished story set in the First Age of Middle Earth.  The Children of Hurin has seen excerpts published in Unfinished Tales and the History of Middle-Earth series.  But next year, the full and completed version (edited by Christopher Tolkien) of this fantastic tale will appear as a book all it's own.  This is the first time since the Silmarillion that fans will be treated to a new completed work of Tolkien's (although Unfinished Tales did contain some stories that approached completion) and not a laboriously footnoted historical treatise.  The interweaving tales of Turin and his cousin Tuor are some of Tolkien's most powerful.  Those who haven't read the excerpts are in for a great surprise come next Spring!  This news comes at around the same time that MGM and New Line have announced plans to go forward and make the Hobbit into a live-action motion picture.  In fact, talk is circulating of producing two Hobbit films, which indeed could work if the background material from the "Quest of Erebor" (included in the Annotated Hobbit and Unfinished Tales) and the Lord of the Rings is factored in, eg., the meeting of the White Council and Gandalf's encounter with the Necromancer, aka. Sauron, in the fortress of Dol Goldur in Mirkwood.  Time will tell if in fact Peter Jackson will helm this project as his schedule is full at the this time, and of course, the direction of the project is open to much controversy (as always.)  The one thing nearly everyone can agree on is getting Ian McKellan back as Gandalf and Andy Serkis as Gollum.  Other possibilities would include getting Christopher Lee to reprise Saruman and Hugo Weaving as Elrond.  Time will tell how things develop.

9/29/06 KOTOR 8 cover image is up.  Added proper chronological designations for new novel: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction.  Moved Kevin Anderson's short story Bane of the Sith to Infinities.  For a discussion of the reasons, see Reviews.

9/21/06 Dan Wallace's short SW Adventure Journal story, "The Most Dangerous Foe" is finally available online at Hyperspace.

9/15/06 Modified placement of Star Wars one-shot Purge (reprinted in Clone Wars Volume 9: Endgame) to before chapter 28 of the book Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader.

9/12/06 Added Oz news regarding newly released books.

9/11/06 Added entry for the upcoming Clone Wars 3D animated series that will debut in 2008.  Also, after a hiatus, Hyperspace is back to reprinting short fiction.  This time 'round, "Do No Harm" (from Tales from the Empire and the Adventure Journal #10.)  Hyperspace members click here to read it.

9/09/06 Just noticed that Crimson Empire #0 is available again online.  Click the link to check it out.  Also, changed placement of "Darkness Shared" to after the upcoming Darth Bane novel (which may include these events.)  Also updated Ewoks chronology entry for a better understanding of the placement on the timeline.

9/9/06 EU Figures Begin

At long last Hasbro has decided to move ahead with Expanded Universe figures.  A brief set was released some years back in 1998 following the Shadows of the Empire multi-media event (which of course included figures) but nothing much came of it.  This seemed to be the pattern for the EU line which began with figures from the Ewoks and Droids cartoons (which now fetch high prices!)  The 1998 set wasn't a bad one either, featuring Dark Empire versions of Luke, Leia, a cloned Emperor and Imperial Sentinel, and Heir to the Empire figures, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Mara Jade and a Spacetrooper.  A Darktrooper and Kyle Katarn from Dark Forces rounded off the set.  The latest batch began just recently with a Shadowtrooper, which many know and identify as Blackhole's stormtroopers (from Russ Manning's newspaper strip Gambler's World reprinted in Classic Star Wars 4: The Early Adventures and made recently into a mini-bust which commanded insanely high prices on the second-hand market due to the low production run.)  The newest set is a two-pack of Kir Kanos and Carnor Jax from Crimson Empire (which is accompanied by a copy of Crimson Empire #6.)  While the next wave is not as interesting to me (featuring classic film characters as interpreted by the first six issues of Marvel -- cute I suppose but not what I'm looking for) it's hoped that more genuine EU characters will debut including Lumiya, Quinlan Voss, Asajj Ventress and many more!  Time will tell.  I'm not by any stretch an action-figure collector, but I did pick up the Shadowtroooper (which I still more appropriately call the Blackhole Stormtrooper) and might just grab the Kir Kanos/Carnor Jax two-pack for fun as well and to support this line.  As many of you know, my main interest is in the vintage EU characters from the pages of Marvel, the newspaper strips and the early books, but I'm not averse to later Bantam, Del Rey or Dark Horse characters either (so long as it's not exclusively focused on them.)  Note: The Kir Kanos/Carnor Jax two-pack is exclusive and will not appear on toy-store shelves, so grab it if you're interested...

9/03/06 Rearranged the placement of two Boba Fett stories due to new information and a closer look.  First up is Tales #7: "Outbid but not Outgunned" which I'd placed far too late.  This is the tale of Sintas Vel, the Kiffar bounty hunter to whom Fett was married for a short time (and from whom their child Ailyn Vel came.)  Abel Pena and Karen Traviss reveal more closely the Fett dysfunctional family saga.  Fett and Sintas were married 16BBY.  Ailyn was born a year later (15BBY).  Fett left Sintas two years later (13BBY).  Sintas is killed when Ailyn is 16 years old (1ABY).  This knowledge is enormously helpful but doesn't exactly nail down the events of the Tales story in question wherein Fett runs into Sintas again and helps her retrieve a memento from Ailyn's birth other than the fact that it must be somewhere between 13BBY and 1ABY.  Clearly Sintas is an adult in this story so it must be later on.  To add resonance to the tale and Fett's callous behavior in it, I placed it in the 3-0 (BBY) as I imagine it occurring some time shortly before her death.  Now as regards the Tales #18 story, "Being Boba Fett" I had that placed far too earlier, as apparently I'd  missed the extensive scarring on Fett's face and body (which he received as a result of his Sarlacc ingestion).  Again, an exact placement after ROTJ and before 20ABY is highly speculative.  I chose to place it in the period 8ABY, after his dealings with the Bounty Hunters Guild (which the story shows he clearly isn't using) but before the Thrawn years and his revelation to Han in Dark Empire.

Added short story to The Chronology of Middle Earth.  Professor Jared Lobdell's "A Sudden Coming, Being a Story of Later Time" was first published in the book England and Always: Tolkien's Word of the Rings and later in the The World of the Rings.  An historian of Edwardian literature, Tolkien and Lewis, Lodbell has corresponded with Christopher Tolkien, Tolkien's publishers and Tolkien himself over the years, and it seemed fitting that his short prequel to "A New Shadow" (Tolkien's abandoned chapter that might have been the sequel to the Lord of the Rings) be included on the timeline.

Added stories of the latest Clone Wars Adventures digest (vol. 6) to the History and Rise of the Empire era.  These were a bit harder to place than the usual storyline (which is often more narrowly delineated) so there's quite a bit of "guesstimation" going on based on little clues and the occasional leap of logic with stories like "It Takes a Thief" "The Drop" "To the Vanishing Point" and "Means and Ends."  Thanks to Narcranor for some tips on the Dark Horse boards!

8/29/06 In Latest News, added rumors of the upcoming Star Wars box set in '07.  Added link to cover of Legacy of the Force: Book 4: Exile.  Added Insider 89 online supplement: Underworld Appendix.

8/24/06 The Rumor Mill!

Great news for fans of Star Wars that have been awaiting an Ultimate/Archival/Special Edition Box set of all six films.  Despite earlier misgivings that no such plans existed, a good source over at T'Bone's Star Wars Universe is confirming that 2007 will in fact see the release of this box set, and in fact Lucas is in the process of making updates to the films.  To add to that, thedigitalbits.com has done a little digging and is confirming it!  What kinds of changes and updates these are remains solely the province of speculation, but it's know that the hideous Yoda puppet from TPM will at long last be replaced by a CGI version.  We know some of you are against Lucas' tinkering with his own films, but for those of us who loved the Special Editions, this is great news!  There are a LOT of deleted scenes that we haven't even seen, and a lot that we have that would work nicely incorporated back into the films. 

Now this is just my personal wishlist, but for the Classic Trilogy, aside from necessary changes (fixing Luke's saber from green to blue in A New Hope), I would practically kill to see the Biggs' scenes on Toschi station reincorporated back into the film (at least by means of seamless branching.)  I'd love to have the sandstorm scene from Return of the Jedi brought back into the film.  Finally, I'd love to have the Wampas attacking Echo Base fixed via CGI and reinserted back into the film.  For the Prequel Trilogy, I'd like to see Jar Jar's lines trimmed just a little bit (I know a lot of you want him trimmed entirely but that's not going to happen and I wouldn't welcome that myself anyway.)  Attack of the Clones really needs the scenes with Padme and Anakin from Naboo reinserted as it goes a long way towards helping the romance between the two be seen as more believable (that and the fact that they're great character moments.)  There are also additional scenes of the Geonosis battle that no one's ever seen that would be a nice treat to have put back into the film.  Finally, nearly everyone agrees that the deleted scenes in Revenge of the Sith were great and would add a lot to an already excellent film.  I say, put 'em in.  Shaak Ti's two death scenes cannot be utilized (as Lucas has decided she survived -- go Shaak Ti!), but a CGI jedi in place of her would be nice for both scenes.  Grievous got the short shrift in the film (as opposed to his EU appearances which really built him up) and Anakin's scenes in the Temple were a bit too short and could stand to be appended.  So basically, I'd like everything and the whole kitchen sink thrown in!  We'll see what happens, but be assured that I'll keep you posted as further news develops! 

8/14/06 New Boba Fett Novella

Karen Traviss' e-novella, Boba Fett: A Practical Man is available to download from RandomHouse.com.  Check it out here.  On the surface, it seems like just another routine contract for Boba Fett and his Mandalorian commandos, but the mystery client who hires them to start a small war is more dangerous than any of them can possibly imagine. When the Yuuzhan Vong invasion force sweeps into the galaxy, the Mandalorians find they’re on the wrong side–fighting for an alien culture that will bring about the end of their own.  Now Fett has to choose between his honor and the survival of his people. Since he’s a practical man, he’s determined help the resistance beat the Yuuzhan Vong–even if it means working with a Jedi agent.

8/19/06 Added cover of Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron Volume #2.

8/14/06 Yet more Oz titles being released!  Check out my Oz News page!  Also added privately printed short story (A King of Needles and Thread) about Pastoria.

8/14/06 Adjusted placement of Karen Traviss new e-novella, Boba Fett: A Practical Man.  Added name of upcoming Empire trade paperback: Volume 7: The Wrong Side of the War (which collects issues 36-40).

8/13/06 Lots of news added to the Oz News page!  When it rains, it pours!

8/11/06 Missed your Vader: Ultimate Guide?

You're not alone.  Fans who somehow missed the boat on IDG Entertainment's excellent special magazine, "Vader: The Ultimate Guide"–which has been commanding a LOT of money on Ebay–can take now comfort in this fact: The short Vader story included in the magazine, "In His Image" was reprinted in the UK's Official Star Wars magazine #61.  So all is not lost for you guys.  You can try the official site for information on back issues here: http://www.starwars.com/community/fanclub/uk.html. 

Or check Ebay, of course.  Thanks to Shawn Barnett for the info!

8/08/06 Added link to Abel Pena and Jason Fry's "Dark Forces Saga" published online by Wizards of the Coast.  Placed in the Legacy era along with entry for the New Essential Guide to Droids.

8/01/06 Added cover image of Insider #89 and entry to new story-article, "Underworld: A Galaxy of Scum and Villainy."

7/29/06 Added cover image of Knights of the Old Republic #7.

7/29/06 One More Piece of Comic-Con News

Fans of Karen Traviss will be happy to note that not one, but TWO more Republic Commando books will be released, the first one debuting in the summer of '07.  Good news indeed!

7/28/06 Addendum to Sansweet's Announcement

Steve Sansweet also announced that the Clone Wars cartoon would be set AFTER Anakin was knighted as a Jedi, therefore, late in the Clone Wars.  He also noted the following characters would appear: Obi-Wan, Anakin, Palpatine, Grievous, Dooku and most interestingly, Asajj Ventress.  Since Asajj's final fate is determined in the series Obsession (collected in Clone Wars volume 7), that leaves between 1 and 4 months (depending on when exactly Anakin is knighted) for this series to take place.  The question of when Anakin is knighted is a controversial one as there are contradictory indications, and the fact is that many do not view the 2nd season of Clone Wars cartoons as being part of continuity.  Even if it is, the cartoon's internal chronology is so jumbled, it would be impossible to ascertain when exactly in the stream of time the Knighting scene occurs.  Ultimately, LFL is going to have set an exact date for it so they'll know what stories they have to work around for the upcoming animated series. It'll be interesting to see just how the screenwriters and LFL coordinate the upcoming Clone Wars' storyline to ensure its harmony with the comics and books set in this time frame...whatever time frame that is!

7/27/06 Added title of sixth Star Wars: Legacy book, Inferno.  Added cover image of '95 San Diego Comic-Con edition of Heir to the Empire.

7/24/06 Added cover images of new Rebellion and Legacy titles.

7/23/06 Comic-Con News

Well, the annual San Diego Comic-Com delivers far less than stellar news this time around – unless you're a fan of video games and action figures.  The "big" news is that 2007 will see the release of a new video game with super-duper technology that will bridge the gap between Episodes 3 and 4 and feature characters from both.  Unfortunately, there's no mention of a multi-media tie-in ala Shadows of the Empire – as many had hoped, so those of us loyal readers who've been with the saga for some time but don't have endless hours needed to devote to video games are shut out.  Typical.  Oh and if that's not sour enough news, Sansweet also reported the live-action TV show will debut before the end of the decade (or sooner.)  Not exactly exciting news.  At least Dark Horse has been consistently releasing some great titles.  If you haven't yet, definitely check out Legacy, Knights of the Old Republic and Rebellion (and keep an eye out for Dark Times) as these and the excellent Last of the Jedi series are the only things keeping the flame of Star Wars alive until 2008's animated Clone Wars series debuts (and at least that's already in production.) 

Cool cover, aye!  Even better on the inside.  Jude Watson never disappoints.  Be sure to check it out.

And coming soon by the great Drew Strewzan:

Three great titles everyone should be reading!

7/19/06 Added cover image of rare UK Droids book: A Race to the Finish.  Modified Droids entries in Rise of the Empire era.  Thanks to Tusken Jedi for the information on the three Droids books!

7/18/06 Added upcoming Dark Horse series: Dark Times #1-5: The Path to Nowhere to the period after the book, Dark Lord: The Rise of the Darth Vader in the Rise of the Empire era.  Exact placement is subject to change.  Also added cover and entry to Last of the Jedi #6: Return of the Dark Side.

7/17/06 In Oz section, in the Deadly Desert page, added cover image and notations on 1994 novella Up the Rainbow.

7/13/06 In the Rise of the Empire section, broke down the Lucasarts video game Republic Commando to better differentiate between the three different missions which occur at three different times during the span of the Clone Wars.  Thanks to Paul Myers (www.clonewarz.com) and Eddie (Starwarstimeline.net) for helping in that.  Divided Shatterpoint to show exactly where the short story "Equipment" belongs in the midst of it. Changed placement of Clone Wars Adventures #5: Bailed Out to just above Lucasarts game, New Droid Army (due to the events that occur with Wat Tambor on Metalorn)

7/10/06 Dark Times

Dark Horse recently announced a new series set in the 20 year period following Revenge of the Sith.  Dark Times follows the events of Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader and Purge.  But new fans need not fear as issue #1 will set up events with a bang.  Vader and Palpatine will be present in this series, but Dark Horse editor Randy Stradley has assured readers that this series will focus on the effects of the newly-christened Empire on the little guy, the average-Joe.  No doubt Dark Times will complement well the upcoming live-action TV series (to debut in 2008) which is also set to take place in this era...

7/4/06 Added new year date for Legacy #2 and the ongoing series.

6/30/06 Added cover images to Star Wars: Legacy #1, Rebellion #3, KOTOR #4-6, Insider #86 and 88 (multiple covers).  Added in-universe article from Insider magazine to the end of the New Republic era.

6/25/06 Added links to new short SW stories from Insider Online on Hyperspace: A Tale from the Dark Side, From the Dark Side Compendium, Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties and Lumiya, Dark Star of the Empire.

6/17/06 Added and corrected information regarding Denslow's Scarecrow and Tinman newspaper strips and 1904 book, including added covers of that volume as well as the new one from Hungry Tiger Press.

6/15/06 Mixed Allegiances

Well, it's official.  Tim Zahn's Allegiance is set to debut in January 2007.  Allegiance takes place in the period in between Episodes IV and V.  According to the official site: "Luke Skywalker is still new to all this Jedi business. Han Solo isn't sure how much he's willing to commit to the Rebel Alliance. Princess Leia is trying to help run the Rebellion and wondering why Han is so infuriating. The young Mara Jade is one of the most valued agents of the evil Emperor. And a team of stormtroopers goes rogue, deciding to mete out justice their own way..."

6/14/06 Added Oz news regarding upcoming conventions and posted link to 1959 Oz parody.  Added The Dark Side of Internet Fandom, a short introduction and link to the blog essay Sex, Lies and Video Hate. 

6/13/06 Added entries of new Insider stories: "Ghosts of the Sith" and "Heritage of the Sith."

6/12/06 Added entry for upcoming Star Wars ebook novella about Boba Fett and the Mandaloreans: A Practical Man by Karen Traviss will debut in August 2006.

6/12/06 The Legend of Darth Plagueis the Wise

Palpatine's intriguing story to Anakin will soon feature in a full-length novel by James Luceno about the legendary Sith Lord who trained Darth Sidious!  Expect a hardcover release of this as yet-untitled book in early 2008.

While you hunger for that, Fett and Mandalorean fans should keep their eyes peeled for an ebook by Karen Traviss set in the era of the New Jedi Order.  A Practical Man details Fett and the Mandaloreans' fierce battles against the evil alien invaders, the Yuuzhan Vong.  Look for that in August.

Finished Betrayal and can't wait for the follow-up novel!  You're wait won't be so long as Karen Traviss' Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines debuts in September!

Also debuting this month is Legacy #1, the new series that forges 100 years into the future with an all new Skywalker, all new Empire and all new Sith!

While you're at it, don't fail to pick up the ninth and ultimate trade paperback volume of the Clone Wars: Endgame.  Taking place in the moments and days after Revenge of the Sith, Vader begins a personal vendetta to hunt down the Jedi Knights, some who've gone into hiding, others who've chosen to confront the new Dark Lord!  

Finally, travel back a thousand years in the past as Darth Bane prepares to betray the divided Sith Empire and begin the Rule of Two that will culminate in the domination of Darth Sidious and Darth Vader a millennia later!  Darth Bane: Path of Destruction debuts in October!

6/09/06 Changed date of Legacy to 130 years ABY.  Added cover of Legacy #0.  Removed promo ads.

6/07/06 Legacies

Run, don't walk to your nearest comic book store for the 25 cent introduction to Dark Horse's new Star Wars: Legacy comic series.  Set 130 years after the Battle of Yavin (seen in Star Wars IV: A New Hope), this series promises a whole new era of heroes and villains set amidst a tumultuous time in which a new Sith threat has arisen, a new Empire is in command and a new Skywalker is at hand...  The new #0 issue introduces you to all the major players as well as the situation in the galaxy.  And you will be surprised.  Don't feel daunted if you've never read a Star Wars book or comic before.  While Legacy builds on the hundreds of years of Star Wars history, new readers are not required to know any of it enjoy this new series.

Which brings me to the brand new Del Rey title of a similar name: Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Betrayal!  This new book by Aaron Allston is a brilliant start to a new mini-series starring the heroes of the Classic Trilogy.  And as with series listed above, new time readers need not fear.  Author Allston's excellent prose makes this the perfect jumping on point for those who've never read a Star Wars book before.  This of course is not to say that long-time readers won't be rewarded!  They will and in spades!  After all, this is the final series starring the heroes of Episodes IV to VI!  And best of all, the story rocks!  Grab Betrayal at Amazon or your local book store!

5/27/06 Finally added entries/cover image of Clone Wars Adventures #5.

5/24/06 Added cover images for the upcoming Star Wars Legacy series of novels: Betrayal, Bloodlines and Tempest.

Added entries for two new online Oz stories in the Deadly Desert page.  Added info. on Roger Baum's new books in the New and New Releases page and an entry in Munchkinland.

5/18/06 Added entry and cover image for new novel, Bloodstained Oz.

             Added cover image of new Star Wars trade paperback Honor and Duty.

             Added cover image of Star Wars Rebellion #2.

5/24/06 The Tempest Arises!

The third book in the upcoming Legacy of the Force series, Tempest, features a great cover image of a grown-up Tenel Ka, Queen of Hapes (and the Jedi lover of Han and Leia's son Jacen).  Some very interesting information on this plot of this book is available at the Official Site.  Minor spoilers apply.  Best yet, the official site provides the first official release in print that indeed Star Wars Marvel legend, Lumiya, Dark Lady of the Sith, is indeed returning as the major villain of this series!  For long-time Star Wars readers this is exciting news.  Lumiya made her debut in the pages of the monthly (weekly in the UK) Star Wars Marvel comics back in 1981 (albeit in a different form -- no spoilers here) in the storyline following the events of the then recently released Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.  A fan-favorite since her inception, Lumiya was the brainchild of authors David Michelinie and Jo Duffy.  If you're fan of this site, you'll know that her visage appears on the title page of The Star Wars Expanded Universe Timeline.  Here's the original cover design from Marvel #95:

You can find all of Lumiya's back story in Dark Horse's recent reprint series of trade paperbacks, called A Long Time Ago, which collect the entire Marvel run in seven volumes (in gorgeous full color on high quality paper).  Lumiya's saga begins in the fourth volume, entitled Screams in the Void (note however that Volume 3 begins the ongoing post-Empire Strikes Back stories).  The first volume in the Legacy series debuts at the end of May, so if you haven't yet read them, this is a great time to pick up this series and discover the history of one of the Star Wars saga's greatest villains!

5/18/06 Anamorphic Controversy and Deleted Scene

Lots of angry reactions to news from thedigitalbits.com (which they are saying is confirmed and not just rumor) that the original Star Wars films LFL is releasing in September will NOT be anamorphic transfers but letterbox (basically the same transfers that made up the '93 laserdisc versions).  For those with older 4:3 televisions, this won't matter, but letterbox is a rightly outdated forum as more and more people are owning 16x9 widescreen televisions (designed for square TV's letterbox versions show black boxes on not only the top and bottom but left and right on a widescreen TV). 

Creating a new anamorphic print is hardly cost-prohibitive.  We understand that Lucas regards the Special Editions as the true versions (as do many of us), however, if you're going to release the originals at all, do it right.  Letterbox is unacceptable in this day and age and does not accurately represent what the originals look like (at least not for us with 16x9 televisions). 

There's still time.  Let's hope LFL does the right thing by the fans.

In other interesting news, YouTube.com has posted the entire deleted scene of Luke and Biggs on Tatooine!  Check it out here!

5/17/06 OT DVD Cover Art

On sale, September 12th.  Click here for details.

5/16/06 Yet another Star Wars Adventure Journal story is available on Hyperspace.  This time it's Firepower.  Also, the LA Times newspaper strip, "The Return of Ben Kenobi" is being reprinted as an unformatted webstrip online.

Posted news for both upcoming Books of Wonder Oz celebration and OZ-Mania in Syracuse, NY.

5/7/06 Added entry and cover image for Star Wars "free comic book day" story "Routine Valor" to the Rise of the Empire and History section.

5/05/06 Added entries and links to three unpublished short stories from the Star Wars Adventure Journal available to read online: "Just Business," "Light and Shadow," and "Love is a Warm Blaster."  See the History page for timeline placement.  Added Marvel Star Wars #78 back into the Era of Rebellion and History timelines.  See the Reviews page under that entry for more information.  Made changes to the article Fantasy and Faith: Compatible?

5/04/06 Added cover image and description of Lost Girls on Dark Side of Oz page. Added cover image and entry of Time in Oz to Parallel Histories page.

Added notes to the horror essay (Aliens and Monsters) on Reckoning.  Added shortcut to essay: Fantasy and Faith: Mutually Exclusive?  Rearranged essay on Star Wars and added quote on Science-Fiction on About TimelineUniverse page.

5/03/06 Official Word from on High

Due to popular demand, the original Star Wars trilogy (Episodes IV - VI) as shown in theaters in 1977, 1980 and 1983 respectively, will be released on DVD in two-disc sets of each film (packaged along with the recent Special Edition versions of the films).  Each release is a limited edition and will only be available from September 12th to December 31st.  This is good news indeed as the purists can now stop whining and get on with their lives...  Not me.  I'm waiting for the super duper, extended, special, archival edition with tons of extra scenes incorporated into the films.

5/01/06 3-for-1

Head on over to your local bookstore and be sure to pick up Jude Watson's thick new Star Wars paperback which includes her excellent novellas, Legacy of the Jedi, Secrets of the Jedi and a new short story exclusive to this collection, "The Last One Standing."  Legacy... deals with Count Dooku's past as a young padawan and an event that shapes the rest of his life including his years later as master of Qui-Gon-Jinn.  Secrets of the Jedi details the dark romantic secrets of three Jedi, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Anakin.  The new short story concerns the growing rift between Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi and the Lars family in the months after Revenge of the Sith.

5/01/06 Added update to Dark Side of Oz.  Also added cover image of issue #5 of Dorothy.

Added entry for new Jude Watson short story, "The Last One Standing" in Rise of the Empire (and History) section.  Added new hyperspace entry from Tales of the Empire (and Adventure Journal), Charlene Newcomb's "A Certain Point of View."

4/27/06 Updated upcoming trade paperback Star Wars: Honor and Duty, which will reprint Star Wars #46-48 and #78 (preserving the story-arch surrounding the Royal Guard Sagoro Autem).

4/24/06 Added entries and cover images of Rebellion #1 and new Boba Fett comic.

4/19/06 Updated Laumer cover gallery.  Added links to Hungry Tiger Press for a complete set of readable (and downloadable) Ozmapolitans. Changed table view on mainline timeline.

4/14/06 Added new short story from Karen Traviss in the latest Insider #87, "Odds" (sequel to Republic Commando: Triple Zero) to the Rise of the Empire and History sections.

4/13/06 Upcoming Comics

The official site has posted the upcoming Star Wars comics straight from the Horse's mouth, and it may prove exciting indeed!  Check it out here.

4/11/06 Updated Star Wars: Emissary to the Void series (from Insider magazine) which are now all on Hyperspace. 

Added update to X-Files site that indeed seasons 7, 8 and the Lone Gunmen will be forthcoming, but that an additional viewing will be necessary to sort out the perplexing chronological issues.

4/03/06 The names of two titles in the upcoming Star Wars Legacy series have been released, Book IV: Exile and Book V: Sacrifice.  The release schedule, beginning in May of this year will average three months between books. 

Posted cover image of upcoming Darth Bane novel: Path of Destruction.

Added cover image of upcoming Last of the Jedi book: A Tangled Web.

3/30/06 John Whitman's short SW story, "Combat Moon" is up at Hyperspace.

3/19/06 Added news of an upcoming exclusive story to the News and New Releases page!

Angela Phillips short Star Wars Adventure Journal story "Slaying Dragons" is available on Hyperspace.

3/16/06 Added new parody, The Evil Author of Oz and Carroll/Oz crossover poem, The Broker's Mistake by Aaron Solomon Adelman.  Check them out here.

3/16/06 Lucas in Time

Time Magazine is featuring an online interview with George Lucas which is worth a read.  As usual with the visionary director, it's insightful and interesting.  Check it out here.

3/15/06 Added two entries in the Patchwork Parodies & Poems page.

3/14/06 Added new information to the Oz news page.  Added "coming soon" information to upcoming releases.  Added new entry (A Grown-Up in Oz) to Parallel Histories page.  Added link to online Oz fanfic (mostly MGM related) to Deadly Desert page.

3/12/06 Added to Oz news regarding new essay: Exploitation vs. Art, pt. 2.  Added link to new Oz short story.

3/7/06 Added name of third Legacy book: Tempest (and changed the date of the series to 40 ABY).

3/5/06 Added placement and cover images of Knights of the Old Republic #0 and 2.  Added placement and cover image of Rebellion #0.  Shifted Missions #5-8 to after Holiday Special and before Devilworlds.  River of Chaos is shifted to after Rebellion #0 (this placement better accounts for both Leia's solo mission and Han & Chewie's during Luke's solo adventure in Empire #36-40)

3/4/06 Made subtle changes to the essay on Fantasy in AboutTimelineUniverse page.

2/28/06 Added essay from Karen Traviss about new release: Star Wars: Triple Zero.

2/28/06 Triple the Fun!

Fan favorite, Karen Traviss has written an essay hosted by Amazon.com in celebration of her brand new book, Star Wars: Triple Zero.  As is the case with Karen, the essay is chock full of good stuff, including a great defense on the aspect of Star Wars as a valid form of literature and science-fiction as a means of tackling important issues—themes this site's creator have always held to be important and true.  Head on over to Amazon.com to check it out, or take a look here.  And while you're at it, don't forget to pick up this great new book!  Note: Triple Zero is a direct sequel to Republic Commando: Hard Contact – a fantastic read you won't regret and the one that made Traviss a luminary in the eyes of many a Star Wars fan!

2/27/06 Added more navigation to the Oz site.  Added cover of Chris Dulabone's new book The Haunted Hot Tub of Oz. 

2/23/06 Rearranged the New Republic era, particularly the latter part of Years 4 and 5 and the arrangement of the X-Wing comics to better accord with internal chronology and the clarification established in the book, The New Essential Chronology.

2/20/06 Added Jeff Rester's new short story Dreaming in a Scarlet Slumber (available from the author) to mainline timeline in Royal Timeline of Oz.  Incorporated Denslow's Scarecrow and Tinman short story into The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but it's a tenuous fit at best and will reevaluate its place in the Royal Timeline as soon as Hungry Tiger Press ships their new volume of Denslow Oz strips from 1904.  Created new place just for Oz news.  You can now find it on the News and New Releases page.

2/20/06 News in Oz

Oz fans will be pleased to note that this site is dedicating Oz news to its own page.  News and New Releases will take over from the Upcoming Releases page and now include information about all new and upcoming Oz publications (or at least I'll try to!).  By all means, drop me a line if you know of a new Oz or Oz related book coming out. 

2/16/06 Live-Action TV Show Delayed

Movieweb.com has a good interview with Steve Sansweet about the two upcoming Star Wars TV shows, as well as future 3D theatrical projection and more.

2/17/05 Aaron Allston's Clone Wars short story (from Insider #65), "The Pengalan Tradeoff" is available at Hyperspace.

2/12/05  Take off with Outbound Flight...

Tim Zahn's newest Star Wars volume set before the Clone Wars has been released and may be one

of his most exciting adventures!  Thrawn and Darth Sidious stand at the center of intrigue when arrogant Jedi Jorus C'Baoth leads a team of Jedi Masters, padawans, Anakin, Obi-Wan and thousands of families heading into the Unknown Regions, a mission none of them will ever make!  And while you're at it, pick up Dark Horse's last few issues before the relaunch: Empire #39 finds Luke confronting an old friend from home who's questioning his loyalty to the Empire.  And don't miss the final issue in Republic's three part storyline, "A Jedi's Fate" (Republic #83), as we see the stunning conclusion to Quinlan Vos' tale on Kashyyyk during the purge of Order 66!

2/12/06 Added covers of Star Wars: Empire #39 and Republic #83.

             Added new notes and made changes to The Vampire (and Werewolf) essay in Reckoning.

2/10/06 Added upcoming book, Coruscant Knights I: Jedi Twilight to the period after Revenge of the Sith.

2/7/06 Together in one Volume

Out in May in paperback, Scholastic is releasing Jude Watson's two excellent pre-Revenge of the Sith books, Legacy of the Jedi and Secrets of the Jedi in one volume with extra material.  Legacy spans three periods of time and features a young Dooku and his first brush with the dark side!  Secrets uncovers the hidden romantic relationships of three different Jedi (Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Anakin) and the very different ways they each handled it!  I highly recommend this volume to old and new fans alike.

2/5/06 Breaking the Code

Ever wonder what the Jedi Council are talking about when they mention the Code, or why it is that Jedi are taken at birth, separated from their families and forbidden to marry?  If so, check out my new essay: The Jedi Code.

2/05/06 Paul Ens and Tom Hodges' upcoming Star Wars webstrip has been announced as Evasive Action: Prey.  Available to hyperspace members, it debuts in March.  Pablo Hidalgo's new webstrip starts next week.  Called "Rookiees," it follows a group of inexperience Rebels during the era of the Classic Trilogy.

Added my new essay, The Jedi Code to the Reckoning page.

2/03/05 Added cover image of the upcoming Star Wars Omnibus volume.  The Omnibus series are oversized trade paperbacks that will eventually reprint all the Dark Horse titles under different Omnibus editions in chronological sequence.  The first up collects the early X-Wing issues.

2/1/06 The Legacy Begins...

Better head on over to the Dark Horse forums to check out Randy's latest announcement about the upcoming series Jan and John have been working on.  It's a doozy and it's bound to cause controversy!

1/31/06 Tim Zahn's Outbound Flight is available today.  This story at last wraps up the mystery of Jorus C'Baoth's tragic Outbound Flight Project which we all know went awry.  Aaron Allston's short story "The Pengalon Tradoff," originally published in Insider #65, is now available online at Hyperspace. 

Also, I updated the New Jedi Order section including links of the first three chapters of Emissary of the Void to their new location on the Official site.

I've moved X-Wing: Rogue Leader #1-3 to the place where it fits most appropriately, namely right before X-Wing: Rogue Squadron #1.  This placement follows the internal continuity of the story and not the erroneous timeline date stamped inside each of the three issues which indicates it occurs a week after ROTJ and just after Truce at Bakura.  This ridiculous dating not only squeezes Truce into less than one week, but it crams all of the post-ROTJ Marvel stories (81-107) into less than 2 weeks!  Whoever edited that miniseries should, in the future, be far more careful in their research.  Herein, that date-placement is being ignored.

1/28/06 Knights in White Satin...

Dark Horse's brand new ongoing series, Knights of the Old Republic is out with issue 1!  Set in the period nearly 4,000 years before Luke Skywalker in the days of the Ancient Sith and the Mandalorean Wars, young Padawan Zayne Carrick is about to take his first step into a much larger world ... or so he thinks!  This is a really strong issue and the perfect starting point for new fans to jump onboard!  It's also selling really well, so be sure to grab your copy while they're still available!  You won't be disappointed!

Back to War...

The Clone Wars is about to end, but for Quinlan Vos and Luminara Unduli, everything is about to change... for the worse!  Star Wars Republic: Hidden Enemy details the moments not shown in Revenge of the Sith (although Lucas had planned on filming sequences with Vos and Luminara, time ran out).  As Yoda descends on Kashyyyk to begin a battle that will end in tragedy when his own troops turn against him to carry out Order 66, Quinlan is joined by his former triple-crossing 'friend' the Devaronian Villie Grahrk, who has secrets of his own.  Watch the tide turn on the galaxy in Republic 81 and 82!

1/25/06 Purge your Weaknesses

...and run out to buy the new one-shot, Purge!  After Order 66, few Jedi dare to venture outside the shadows—rumors of the dark and terrible Darth Vader haunting even their waking moments. Yet, some Jedi find this life of fear unbearable. Now, a small band of Jedi have agreed to meet and discuss what should be done to oppose the Empire and its Sith Lords. However, the Empire is always watching, and Vader himself is eager to confront any Jedi that might bring him closer to the whereabouts of his betrayer, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Prepare for Jedi versus Sith action unlike any seen since the Old Republic in this special one-shot follow-up to Revenge of the Sith!
 

1/25/06 Ok, back to business: the short story from Tales from the Empire and WEG's Adventure Journal is online at Hyperspace.  You can read "Blaze of Glory" here.  Also, the About page has been modified, this time I've expanded the article, Fantasy: A Brief Introduction and included more material on the often conflicting position of Christians and Fantasy.

1/20/06 Faster with FIOS

I'm back online after losing phone service once again.  This time, however, I'm on Verizon's new super-fast high speed fiber optic system called FIOS.  Now, not only is my speed quicker than the fastest cable modem, but I've crystal clear phone service... and all for less than what I was paying before!  Well, I'm still playing catch up and I'm sure there's plenty of news to report...

1/01/06 With the new year upon us, I made some major changes to the Reckoning page.  The new look is far more in line with what I had envisioned for the page as well as for the entire site.  The marriage of art and literature, color and text, is something that I believe is important for this site.  I recognize that those still on dial-up (of which I remain) have difficulty with JPEG heavy sites, but I feel the trade-off is worth the extra few seconds, and with more of you converting to cable, DSL and FIOS, this becomes less and less of a factor.  After all, this is not a news site (although I do occasionally post news) and there are no commercial interests (although I do make a few pennies from Amazon clicks).  So I have no interest in following the trend of modern sites that forsake image and design for the sake of efficiency.  To do so would be to betray the whole point of this website which is intended a tribute to the glory of Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror in literature and illustration.

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