A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

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

(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

(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

(C) 2016 Harper Design/becker&meyer! and Lucasfilm Ltd. Cover art by Steven Thomas On October 25, 2016, Harper Collins' imprint Harper Design and becker&meyer! published Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy. Written by Lucasfilm Story Group's Pablo Hidalgo, this 112-page coffee table hardcover is an in-universe look at persuasive art created for various factions during several periods of conflict in the Star Wars timeline. Propaganda art has become synonymous with life in the galaxy far, far away. Whether it's a poster of a Star Destroyer hovering over a planet in a display of Imperial domination; a symbol painted on a wall to deliver a message of hope on behalf of the Rebellion; or a mural depicting a line of stormtroopers to promote unity within the First Order; this type of art, as an instrument of persuasive fearmongering and impassioned idealism, captures the ever-changing tides of politics and public sentiment across the

(C) 2015 Abrams ComicsArt and Lucasfilm Ltd (LFL)   The Story So Far.... A long time ago in a South Florida apartment far, far away, I started collecting Topps' Star Wars trading cards. It was the fall of 1977, and we were "in between" houses; Mom had sold our three bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom home (with its huge backyard) in September and bought a townhouse in the Fountainbleau Park complex of condos, based on a couple of visits to the model home and on the floor plans provided by Trafalgar, the General Electric-owned developer that was building the new Eastwind Lake Village subdivision of Fountainbleau. I wasn't keen on the idea, but I was 14 at the time and not in a position to question my mother's decisions. The developers had promised my mother the house would be ready by October, but bad weather and issues with the builders caused delays. Now we were stuck in that apartment till January, perhaps even February of 1978. I wasn't thrilled