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Book Review: 'Star Wars: Vision of the Future'

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Cover art by Drew Struzan. (C) 1998 Bantam Spectra and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) Pros:  Timothy Zahn's usual  reader-friendly style. Good characterizations.  Cons:  Ending is okay but not impressive It is a time of peril for the New Republic. Although 19 years have passed since Luke Skywalker left Tatooine and destroyed the Empire's first Death Star at Yavin, and even though the Galactic Empire now holds only a handful of star systems, political infighting, interspecies squabbles and other problems beset the former Rebel Alliance which has ostensibly defeated it. Nevertheless, the Imperial Supreme Commander, Admiral Gilead Pellaeon has convinced Imperial Remnant's Council of Moffs that if the vestiges of the once mighty Empire want to survive intact, it is time to negotiate an end to the war with the New Republic. Reluctantly, the Moffs agree and give Pellaeon the authority to send a peace feeler to Corellian Senator Garm Bel Iblis to see under what conditions

Book Review: 'Star Wars: Specter of the Past'

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Cover art by Drew Struzan. (C) 1997 Bantam Spectra and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) Pros:  Timothy Zahn's writing. Characterization. Detailing. Cons:  May be too political for casual Star Wars readers. Ends on a cliffhanger One of the hardest things to accomplish in pop literature is continiuing a popular movie or television series' storyline and striking a balance between staying true to the sensibilities of the on-screen source and telling original stories that don't seem like tired retreads. If you are a regular reader of Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or any of the Young Indiana Jones books by Rob McGregor or others, you know what I'm talking about.  You often end up reading a veritable mix of superb novels amidst a hodge-podge of books which range from fantastic reads to tomes you wish you hadn't bought at all. Star Wars fans aren't immune from this particular dilemma; even as Lucasfilm licenses a select group of writers to continue telling a

'Star Wars' Collectibles and Toys Review: Hasbro's 'Star Wars Saga' Death Star Trash Compactor 1 & 2 Screen Scene

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"The walls are moving!" Photo Credit: www.toyark.com  (C) 2002 Hasbro Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) Luke, Han, and Chewie infiltrate the Death Star to free Princess Leia. While making their escape, they dive down a garbage chute and become trapped in a trash compactor with a hungry dianoga. Then the walls begin to close in on them, and our heroes are caught in a tight squeeze! - Manufacturer's blurb, Death Star Trash Compactor 1 & 2 In December of 2002, Hasbro Inc. released Death Star Trash Compactor 1 & 2, two separate multi-figure sets that, when put together, form a single diorama that recreates the iconic sequence in Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope that pits Han Solo, Chewbacca the Wookiee, Luke Skywalker, and the recently rescued Princess Leia Organa against the double threat of a hungry dianoga and the converging walls of the Death Star's trash compactor.  Originally introduced as a Walmart exclusive in Hasbro's December 200

Book Review: 'Star Wars: The Last Command'

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Cover art by Tom Jung. (C) 1993 Bantam Spectra and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) In 1991, eight years after the release of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Lucasfilm's licensing division authorized various projects to revive interest in George Lucas' characters and situations in advance of both the 20th Anniversary of the Star Wars Trilogy and to create fan anticipation for the still-in-planning prequel trilogy. Among the many ideas that were given the green light was a publishing concept known as Star Wars: The Expanded Universe, which entailed hiring some of the best science fiction and fantasy writers to create new "further adventures" featuring Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Artoo Detoo (R2-D2) and See Threepio (C-3PO) and set in the time period immediately after Return of the Jedi. Although there were many authors involved and not all the stories would be in the same format (Dark Horse Comics, for instance, would publish the Dark

Book Review: 'Star Wars: Shatterpoint - A Clone Wars Novel'

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(C) 2003 Del Rey Books, Lucas Books, and Lucasfilm Ltd.  Cover art by Steven D. Anderson Pros:  Good prose, nifty concept, and features a kick-butt character: Mace Windu Cons:  Slower pace than most novels, might be too intense for some readers The  Star Wars  saga, like the English language, is what I call the great "borrower." Even though when it came out in May of 1977 and everyone thought it was a very original and contemporary story, it was seen by savvy film buffs and experts on mythology as a very traditional myth that was inspired not only by such classic tales as  Beowulf  and the King Arthur legend, but also Oedipus, the fall of Lucifer from Heaven to Hell, and such "heroic" epics as the story of Perseus and the "quest" tale featuring Jason and the Argonauts. Matthew Stover, author of several  Star Wars  novels - including the novelization of  Episode III: Revenge of the Sith  - no doubt knows that George Lucas was one of the filmma

Book Review: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Expanded Edition'

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(C) 2018 Del Rey Books and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)  On March 6, 2018, Random House’s Del Rey science fiction/fantasy imprint published Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Expanded Edition, a novelization of the middle act of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy that started with 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens . Written by Jason Fry with direct input from writer-director Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi chronicles the continuing adventures of Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron, as the brave Resistance led by General Leia Organa fights a desperate battle for survival against the evil First Order.   Set three decades after the deaths of Emperor Sheev Palpatine and Darth Vader and the fall of the Galactic Empire, The Last Jedi begins where The Force Awakens left off. And taking a cue from Alan Dean Foster, who adapted The Force Awakens three years ago, Fry opens his novel with the actual “crawl” from Johnson’s film: The FIRST ORDER reigns. Having decimated the peaceful Republic, Supreme Leader Snoke now d

Book Review: 'Misery'

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Stephen King's Misery focuses on Paul Sheldon, a writer who has made a comfortable living for himself by writing a series of Harlequin-type historical romances featuring a gorgeous English woman named Misery Chastain. For millions of his mostly-female readers, the romantic adventures of Misery are as riveting as, say, the mayhem endured by Jack Bauer on 24 , and although Paul was willing to write more books in the series to get those royalty checks, he is now growing weary of his character and her non-contemporary world. And, like many novelists, he wants to get on with the business of writing a serious work that might place him on the same literary level as Faulkner, Steinbeck and Hemingway Giving in to his heart’s desire, he does what his legions of fans and his agent least expect him to do: he kills off Misery Chastain. Unfortunately, when Paul is involved in a one-car accident out in the middle of nowhere, he’s saved from certain death by Annie Wilkes, a former nurse who