Well....DUH!

{Note from Kath: This post is by the husband. Not me. THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT ME WRITING HERE, YA DIG?}

Robbo seems to be one of those lost souls who has yet to discover the Expanded Universe.

And how about the other Imperial fleets? And all the legions and garrisons scattered all over the galaxy? And the bureaucracy? There must be dozens of regional governors left, even after Tarkin got whacked. Not to mention all their staff, civil servants, toadies, etc., all of whom are out of a job if the Empire collapses.

The link above goes directly to the Ultimate Timeline page on TheForce.net. If it's Star Wars related, you'll find it, or a link to it, on TFN (as we call it). (Note: there is a particular affinity in 'The Community" for initials and acronyms. Always be wary when speaking with true geeks, because EU could just as easily refer to the Star Wars Expanded Universe as it does European Union.) Outside of the films (now 6) written and produced by George Lucas (referred to as 'The Canon'), an entire universe concerning the universe inhabited by those beloved characters has taken shape. From comic books, to graphic novels, to childrens literature to works of serious adult fiction; the world of Star Wars grows year in and year out.

For a more direct answer to Rob, I will reccomend a couple of books that are decent reading for adults (some of the teen fiction is truly horrendous) and follow immediately in the timeline after RotJ (Return of the Jedi). (Another Note: The SW chronology all centers around Episode IV: A New Hope - specifically the Battle of Yavin - and as such, timeline entries are placed as occuring in years + or - ANH. i.e. RotJ is ANH +4.)

The first novel concerning the main characters and the state of the falling empire after RotJ is "Truce at Bakura" by Kathy Tyers. It is actually the last of the novels to take place in the Rebellion Era, as it begins just days after the destruction of the Emperor.

There is a series centered around the adventures of Rogue Squadron (Luke's old outfit) by Michael Stackpole (Xwing #1: Rogue Squadron, Xwing #2: Wedge's Gamble, Xwing #3: The Krytos Trap, #4: The Bacta War, #5: Wraith Squadron) that spawned a whole series of graphic novels from Dark Horse Comics. These books begin to really flesh out what's going on away from the central characters in the movies, and deal with a lot of the actual fighting going on as the Imperial Governors, Admirals and other parts of the government are dealt with militarily. These bridge the Rebellion and the New Republic Eras 5-7 years after the Battle of Yavin.

Then we have "The Courtship of Princess Leia" (ANH +7) by Dave Wolverton. Don't let the title fool you, there's action a-plenty for both boys and girls. We know who she ends up with, but the journey is at least amusing, if not all that interesting to everyone.

The revered Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn is next. Admiral Thrawn is a tactical alien genius, returning to the known galaxy after having been on a mission for the emperor that kept him away for most of the events known to now. These books are great reading and cover quite a lot of the struggles Leia and Mon Mothma experience while trying to establish the New Republic. Lukes struggles with his emerging Jedi powers and lack of a teacher are also explored and these novels set up many character and story lines that are explored in dozens of novels out there.

The New Republic era goes out to ANH +24 and really wraps up any remnants of the Empire and what can be known about the Jedi...from this galaxy anyway. After that, we begin the era of The New Jedi Order, and threats anew once again bring chaos to our heros and the New Republic that is just getting on its feet.

If you want to jump right in, and aren't so interested in some of the flotsam and jetsam concerning ancillary characters, just pick up the first of the Thrawn Books: "Heir to the Empire" and you'll be hooked. Start there, Robbo, and you'll be well on your way to "taking your first step into a larger world".

{Kath here again. To answer the question that's undoubtedly running through your mind right now: no, I most assuredly did not have any idea of the depth of the geek pool I was diving into when I married this man. I had an inkling the pool was deep, but this deep? Nope.}

Posted by MRN aka "The Husband" at April 21, 2005 11:23 AM