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The Star Wars Extended Universe 101

There are many books in the Extended Star Wars universe. Sometimes it is hard to figure out what would provide the best examples of the world that Mr. Lucas has given us a glimpse of. When I was younger, I was the person who was looked to as the resident expert on all things Star Wars. I read books, watched the movies repeatedly, and read the game books almost religiously. And now, I am going to attempt to list some of the books I feel are important to understanding both the evolution of the Star Wars galaxy. These books represent some of the best -and not so best- bits that can provide a good solid background on a universe that has experienced a lot of change...

One has to keep in mind that Lucas has changed his mind on the Star Wars galaxy several times. So choosing books that will stick with the extended universe, you always must keep in mind that things have changed over the years. After discovering that Lucas decided that he was going to make the Lars family actually related to Luke in stead of being relatives of Obi-Wan, I decided that two universes (the movies and the extended) must be considered apart from each other. Each one must stand on its own merits and flaws and you can not let your opinions of one flow into the other. Ok, so I know I definitely let my opinions flow over, but at least you get my point.

To start off, I think one of the most important books to read is the original Star Wars. This book (thankfully) is the only book in the Saga that was written by Lucas. The book really focuses on descriptions and the fine details of every scene. Lucas also has a propensity for large words. But over all it is a very good read that starts you off into the Star Wars Universe with a desire to learn more.

The next books I consider to be an important part of the Extended universe are: (drum roll please) Empire and Jedi. Once again there is much in these books that the movies only touch on. They are well written and very exciting to read. One of my favorite parts in the Empire is when Luke goes to the cave on Dagobah once he defeats himself as Vader; there is just a short paragraph that discusses his thoughts about the whole encounter. It really shows the unsteady young Skywalker in a way that the movie doesn't.

Timothy Zahn created a Series of books that take place approximately 10 years after the battle at Endor. These books are by far some of the best Star Wars material ever written. The Heir to the Empire trilogy really introduced people to Coruscant for the first time. The descriptions and revelations about the Emperor and some of his “minions” are pretty startling, but very cleverly crafted.

Next on the list of good choices to try your hand at would be The Han Solo adventures and the Lando Calrissian adventures. (Han Solo at Star End, Han Solo's Revenge, Han Solo and the Lost Legacy - Lando and the Mindharp of Sharu, Lando and the Flamewind of Oseon, Lando and the Starcave of Thonboka). Now I know a few people who did not enjoy these books as much as I have, but I find them to be a great way to get to know 3 of the more popular characters in the Star Wars universe. The 6 books have a common theme also, The Millennium Falcon - and who would pass up a chance to read about that ship?!

I have a tendency to read short stories more then novels, that when I saw that someone had compiled a collection of short stories, I was one of the first geeks in line to get my copy. The books I am referring to are the “Tales from insert location” books. The authors are both well known, and not so well know, but all of them pen excellent stories. Each of the books allows a fan a little glimpse into each of the lives of a “normal” being with in the universe. Well, I guess considering the jobs and the locations these books take place the main characters will obviously live a bit more then “normal” lives. Besides who would want to read about an office worker anyway?

Now, Shadows of the Empire was a decent book. This book acts a bit as a bridge between Empire and Jedi. The book is fun, but not one of the best novels in the Star Wars Universe. However, this book bears mentioning because it brings to light something I have never heard of before in a written work of art. The novel, Shadows of the Empire has a complete soundtrack. Now this doesn't refer to an Audio Book, but an actual soundtrack. The music was composed by Joel McNeely and performed by the Royal Scottish Orchestra, and follows the same tone as John Williams works of art. While the book is only moderately worth reading, the soundtrack is worth picking up. Out of all the Star Wars novels, the above mentioned are pretty much the only books I have been able to really get interested in and could recommend. Most of the others seem to be thrown together just so a publisher has something to send out the door to satisfy rabid fans.

Now there are some interesting places to find interesting Star Wars books. And while I don't necessarily recommend the next two books for detailed information about the Star wars universe, I do recommend they be read for a good laugh, and also just as a quick way to relax.

Book one is called “Star Wars - The Mystery of the Rebellious Robot” this book involves a severe drought on Tatooine, and because of “something” all the robots and computer systems in the local area are malfunctioning preventing the design and creation of a Super Vaporator that would cure the planet of its water woes. Word of warning, this is a kids book; (It looks just like a read along book). But it is still a nice little entertaining read if you can find it. The second book I recommend is in the vein of young adult fiction. “The Glove of Darth Vader” goes into the power of the dark side, and describes how it seeps into every part of a person. While the book is a bit far fetched in a lot of respects (Receive great power by wearing Vader's Glove…) it really does bring into the universe some interesting thoughts about the true power of the dark side, plus finding out the Emperor had a son was kind of a shocker.

The last item on my list for must reads in the Star Wars extended universe is yet another difficult item to find. Marvel Comics, Star Wars #92 Feb. 1985. This issue has a lot of the exciting aspects of a Star Wars movie. This comic takes place after the battle of Endor, and Luke is teaching some of the newest Jedi. He is facing several dilemmas; the first is a recurring dream of Darth Vader. And the second is his reluctance to teach any of his pupils the force, due to the great danger the dark side poses to young Jedi. The comic books have always been a wonderful source for finding new technologies and seeing different species, and different aspects of the characters we have grown to enjoy.

There are hundreds of books within the extended universe, children's books, comic books, collaborative books and novels. Many of them do not mesh completely with each other, and some even clash, terribly. You just have to separate the differing ideas, and sort through the ones you like, and use those to help you envision the Star Wwars universe the way Lucas intended.
Just how in my extended universe Greedo DIDN'T shoot first, Owen Lars is Ben Kenobi's brother, and there is no such thing as midichlorians...