If so, i highly recommend reading books from the star wars the expanded universe. Each month, bryan wade and a special guest will choose a book. Even though the first star wars fiction book i read was terry brooks novelization of star wars episode i. Star wars wasnt the only scifi franchise to have tiein books, comics, video games and tabletop adventures. Star wars books to this day, the first widely recognized eu book is. The first star wars spinoff material was star wars. The ultimate guide to reading the star wars books reedsy. Quite possibly the best novel to come out of the star wars new expanded universe, this story of two star crossed lovers, by claudia gray, is just incredible. At its peak, it included hundreds of books, thousands of comics, a. The legendary star wars expanded universe turns a new page. Author karen traviss explores a third great power source in the lucas universe, neither the jedi or the sith, really not even directly involving the force, but rather the mandalorians and fetts miraculous escape from the tatooine sarlacc.
For those puzzled as to why the postdisney buyout titles would be included on a star wars eu timeline, the complete saga page follows the one canon approach, which permits any story that reasonably fits into the expanded universe on the timeline. The 10 best star wars legends books, ranked screenrant. Now known as legends, the original expanded universe is full of amazing stories. Where to start with the star wars expanded universe. Was star wars a book series before it was a film series. The expanded universe was rebranded as star wars legends, but it was far from. New movies and other stories arent based on these books, and will sometimes contradict them. The 20 best star wars books of all time canon and legends. Star wars has been expanded to media other than the original films.
See, before disney took over, star wars had a huge amount of extra material novels, comics, etc. The star wars universe is more than just a handful of blockbuster films and animated television shows. The exact chronology of the events described in this article is currently unknown. If youre new, and want to learn more about the expanded universe, you can find a few links in the sidebar that may be helpful. The series depicts the adventures of various characters a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. So it is possible that disney will bring more legends material into canon indeed, disney has introduced grand admrial thrawn into canon. An easy way to spot a canon novel is to look at the publication date.
In 2012, disney bought lucasfilm, adding another wrench to the works. Dec 09, 2008 this is the complete star wars encyclopedia published in 2008, and provides information on anything and everything to do with star wars up until that date. Courtship picks up a few years after the return of the jedi and shows the aftermath of. No if you want to get technical, the film originally titled star wars, and later retitled star wars. The best star wars books to read first a getting started. The first movie chronologically is the phantom menace which was released in. Dec 27, 2019 as such, i would argue that fans who connected with star wars through the expanded universe did so in a way thats fundamentally different from how fans who only saw the films interacted with that. In what order should i read star wars expanded universe. A guide to all the new star wars books in the expanded.
On the screen, the first new canon to appear will be star wars rebels. The new legends clone wars timeline was never established by lucasfilm. Novel publishing timeline this is the realtime chronological novel publishing timeline. May 05, 2016 may the fourth be with you as we explore my collection of star wars expanded universe novels. Because the star wars universe this guide covers is as vast and populated as george lucas galaxy far, far away, its impossible for even the most prolific researcherwriter to keep up with all the new additions as books, games, collectibles and even animated episodes appear almost on a monthly basis. Lost stars represents the star wars sagas first foray into the world of young adult fiction. Dark force rising by timothy zahn, heir to the empire by timothy zahn, the last command by timothy zahn, sh. Originally appearing in our fourth quarterly almanac, where to start with the star wars expanded universe is the latest in our ongoing series of essays detailing where one can start with any number of sffpopgeekery topics. Star wars is an american epic spaceopera media franchise, centered on a film series created by george lucas that includes star wars 1977, the empire strikes back 1980, and return of the jedi 1983.
From the adventures of luke skywalker 1976, the novelization of the 1977 film. Star wars legends should follow marvels comic example. It begins with the birth of the empire, and covers the gap between revenge of the sith and a new hope, and continues through the original trilogy, ending with the battle of jakku. Understanding the star wars universe will be easier than ever now since all of it is technically. His best writing and storytelling is subtle and smart.
As regards the ongoing controversy over the disney universe and the expanded universe, this page which is an extension of the star wars expanded universe timeline website regards the latter as canon and the former as infinities, though it accepts workable elements from the du into the eu. The book largely kicked off the expanded universe, as it began just five years after return of the jedi. Here are the best star wars books and book series ever written for the series, both new and old. The best books from the old star wars expanded universe. Here are the best star wars books from the old cannon. Ranking the canon novels from worst to first duration. However, after the disney acquisition, the expanded universe books became known instead as legends, and a new, official canon that ensured the continuity of the star wars universe was established. In print, the first new books to come from this creative collaboration include novels from del rey books. Of the approximately eleventy billion books in the original star wars expanded universe, there are the hallowed the thrawn books by timothy zahn, the good the xwing books. Many star wars fans are not particularly happy about the new movies, and some feel that disney threw out the baby with the bathwater when it came to the expanded universe. After years of waiting in the shadows, darth sidious is taking the first step in his. Sure, theyve mostly kept that old material in print, but there havent been any new stories set in the expanded universe since 2014s star wars.
Please note too that these pages are being kept for nostalgia and research purposes. This was the very first fulllength novel released after that first star wars film hit in 1977, and it was actually written by foster to be the basis of a fall. A definitive guide to star wars legends the fandomentals. Specifically, the yuuzhan vong first appeared in the first new jedi order book. New canon the newly standardized star wars canon includes all the movie episodes, the clone wars and rebels tv shows, and new books since. I had been reading the star wars expanded universe novels for ages. For years before disney purchased lucasfilm the star wars story was primarily told through the expanded universe, or eu, a collection of books, comics, audio dramas and games that continued and expanded on the stories from the movies. Heres your guide to everything from the old star wars expanded universe that lucasfilm has gradually made canon again. Jan 10, 20 star wars on where to begin with star wars books. This is the realtime chronological novel publishing timeline. A new dawn officially rebooted star wars continuity. Star wars legends, formerly known as the expanded universe abbreviated eu, encompasses every one of the licensed, fictional background stories of the star wars universe, outside of the original six star wars films produced by george lucas and certain other material such as star wars.
It is the first novel in a nineteenbook series entitled the new jedi order. Apr 16, 2016 quite possibly the best novel to come out of the star wars new expanded universe, this story of two star crossed lovers, by claudia gray, is just incredible. Welcome to the star wars expanded universe subreddit. For purists, the other pages on this site remain free of post20 stories. Over the course of the 1990s, lucasfilms publishing program helped sustain the legions of star wars fans out there, first with books like. Disney has announced a new publishing initiative for its star wars expanded universe, titled star wars.
Heir to the empire, kicking off the enormous expanded universe publishing experiment. Its about time lucasfilm brought back the star wars. The new star wars canon has existed for four years now, but we still remember the old days. Force awakens, ive become extremely enthuastic about learning about expanded universe. Because disney is not satisfied with just making action figures, childrens shows, and video games, it wanted a whole new set of films, and it wanted those films to go into the direction of the star wars universe that george lucas himself, until now, had left well enough alone. A guide to all the new star wars books in the expanded universe. Nov 18, 2015 the star wars expanded universe is dumb and should be forgotten. May 04, 2017 ask any star wars reader what book to start with. Disney has signalled a fresh start for its star wars trilogy by officially ruling out storylines borrowed from the scores of expanded universe eu novels in book shops fans of the books.
Han solo and the lost legacy 1980 one of the mostfascinating aspects of the star wars expanded universe was how the early authors were kinda making up how everything worked and casually. Designed as an interconnected series of books, novels, and comics, the. While the main focus of the eu novels has been the star wars movie characters, even the early expanded universe explored side characters in more detail. Expanded universe is a podcast about the star wars legends series of novels, comics, games, and other media.
Jul 10, 2017 where to start with the star wars expanded universe by thea james. In an official statement friday, lucasfilm said the new star wars films will not tell. Lucasfilm later rebranded the expanded universe as star wars legends and declared it noncanonical to the franchise. Demand for past tales of the expanded universe will keep them in print, presented under the new legends banner. Expanded universe and a new series of books that fall in the official canon. With the exception of the cgianimated the clone wars tv series, nonfilm material produced prior to april 2014 was collectively known as the star wars expanded universe eu. It is derived from and includes most official star wars books. From the adventures of luke skywalker in december 1976 to the latest novel, this timeline tracks the month and year of every star wars novel excluding childrens and graphic novels published. This body of work represents the original star wars expanded universe, which was rebranded as star wars legends and declared noncanon to the franchise in april 2014. Occasionally, youll see non star wars material from my other timeline sites included, as this was before i had the lightbulb moment when i realized that each universe should have its own latest news and updates page. The best star wars books to read first your first star wars book for many fans of star wars who decide to read the books, the expanded universe generally referred to as the eu can appear much like wild spacecrowded, confusing, and potentially dangerous. The star wars expanded universe is dumb and should be forgotten. Crystal star really is the worst star wars book ever.
Its got gambling, c3po singing, clubwielding force witches. The star wars expanded universe timeline august 17, 2017 policy guidelines for new and old fans alike. All star wars fans are welcome here, but this is a pro expanded universe site, and as such, there is a zero tolerance policy for eubashing. Creators of new star wars entertainment have full access to the rich content of the expanded universe. If it was published before 2014, then its not canon. In 2014, disney struck most of the star wars expanded universe the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s novels, comic books and video games that existed outside of the six films from the canon, and.
Star wars is an american epic spaceopera media franchise, centered on a film series created. The expanded universe, or eu, is the moniker for the entire body of work that comprises the stories set in the star wars universe ranging from novels, comics, cartoons, short stories, young adult books, television shows. Where to start with the star wars expanded universe by thea james. A brief history of the star wars expanded universe film. Star wars legends, formerly known as the expanded universe abbreviated. With the star wars expanded universe having grown so large and encompassing, its also a great way to explain many of the discrepancies and continuityerrors that occur from time to time within the body of lore comprised by the books, comics, films, cartoons, video games and more. We are primarily a source of discussion and news for anything involving the star wars expanded universe legends or story group canon. It is not for comics or short stories in legends continuity.
Mar 22, 2019 in this video, we take a look at the origins of the star wars expanded universe with the ten novels that established the entire first 15 years of star wars books. This is a timeline for novels, young adult books, and ebooks in the expanded universe legends continuity. These books are part of the original star wars expanded universe, and follow an internally consistent timeline. The best star wars books to read first a getting started guide. No love for expanded universe in new star wars films.
A long time ago, before a giant mouse bought the rights to one of the biggest franchises in existence, there was a thing called the star wars expanded universe or eu. Conquest was the eighth in that series, and it was the first, ah. Nov 18, 2016 you know a series is going to lovingly examine the ancient evil of the star wars universe when the first book is titled the golden age of the sith. A practical man is a 2006 short story featuring boba fett and acting as a precursor to the new jedi order series of novels. May the fourth be with you as we explore my collection of star wars expanded universe novels. The terminology of expanded universe was a careful one. Expanded universe legends in 1991, del rey books launched a new novel from author timothy zahn. While we meet them briefly in other books, the first time we really get to know the kids is when they are kidnapped by a. If youre new to star wars books in general, you might want to check out this piece by a fellow rioter on where to start, but this list is a good starting point into what i think are the best star wars books. This is the complete star wars encyclopedia published in 2008, and provides information on anything and everything to do with star wars up until that date. One of the first grownup books i read was dave wolvertons the courtship of princess leia.
It covers the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy, as well as the expanded universe as depicted in the novels and videogames. For many fans of star wars who decide to read the books, the expanded universe generally referred to as the eu can appear much like wild spacecrowded, confusing, and potentially dangerous. A reading guide to the new star wars expanded universe. The star wars expanded universe is dumb and should be. Han solo and the lost legacy 1980 one of the most fascinating aspects of the star wars expanded universe was how the early authors were kinda making up how everything worked and casually. These books were published between 1978 and 2012 and represent a massive collection of star wars stories. When disney purchased lucasfilm in 2012, they swiftly realized that they had a difficult choice to make. What is the expanded universe and why is continuity such a major issue.
Simple star wars book list timeline of star wars novels. Anders and tom veitch tell a long tale about the great sith war, which starts with an incident thats little more than an accident. Here is a brief history of the star wars expanded universe. A definitive legends clone wars timeline was never established by lucasfilm. There is a whole galaxy of books about star wars, hundreds of them, if were counting the eu expanded universe. This time, thea tackles a subject close to her heart.
The star wars expanded universe timeline home facebook. Of the approximately eleventy billion books in the original star wars expanded universe, there are the hallowed the. And if youre looking at what expanded universe legends are most deserving of further exploration, the most obvious place to start is timothy zahns novel heir to the empire. Episode i the phantom menace, lucasfilm has divided its titles by fictional era with symbols designating such. The 2003 animated series clone wars and various spinoff books, comics, and video games. How disney killed the most interesting thing about star wars. The new star wars canon has existed for four years now, but we still. Star wars might want to close the book on the past, but the expanded universe of legends is perfect for new, outofcontinuity stories. May 23, 2017 since the star wars universe spans so much time, it cant all focus on the same characters.
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