It is hard for some to believe, but after Return of the Jedi, the Star Wars franchise faded into the backdrop as other franchises such as Indiana Jones, Back to the Future and Revenge of the Nerds took center stage. When was Star Wars reborn into the massive iconic force that it remains? If you are thinking 1999 with the launch of the Jar Jar Juggernaut, think again!
Back in 1991, author Timothy Zahn created a work of popular fiction called ‘Heir to the Empire’. It took us back to the universe just five years after Return of the Jedi, and finds the New Republic still struggling to rebuild after the toppling of the Empire, and also finds a powerful Grand Admiral still loyal to the Empire with designs of his own! The stories are well thought out and well written, containing great characterizations of the struggles of the characters we loved from the original trilogy. It also contains some of the greatest characters introduced outsode of the films, such as Thrawn, Talon Karrde, and of course the future bride of Luke Skywalker … Mara Jade.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Heir to the Empire, which is marked with a special re-release with loads of add-ons. Here is the description:
Here is a special 20th anniversary edition of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel that reignited the entire Star Wars publishing phenomenon—featuring an Introduction and annotations from award-winning author Timothy Zahn, exclusive commentary from Lucasfilm and Del Rey Books, and a brand-new novella starring the ever-popular Grand Admiral Thrawn. The biggest event in the history of Star Wars books, Heir to the Empire follows the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia after they led the Rebel Alliance to victory in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.
Five years after the Death Star was destroyed and Darth Vader and the Emperor were defeated, the galaxy is struggling to heal the wounds of war, Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting twins, and Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of new Jedi Knights.
But thousands of light-years away, the last of the Emperor’s warlords—the brilliant and deadly Grand Admiral Thrawn—has taken command of the shattered Imperial fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the New Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to create.
The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale—in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars.
Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!
The book release date is September 6th. Head on over to Amazon or Barnes & Noble . I have linked to the Kindle and Nook versions, but you can also get the hardcover editions for about a dollar or so more at those locations.
Of course, if you haven’t read these books before you can get the ebooks of the original editions for $7.99 each from either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Either way, this trilogy is perhaps the best of all the ‘Expanded Universe’ fiction and is highly recommended for fans of Star Wars and science fiction in general.