Tales from the Empire edited by Peter J. Schweighofer, Bantam Spectra
This new anthology was announced in the August '97 issue of PREVIEWS magazine and by Pat LoBrutto in his monthly letter to the fans at BDD's SWF. This is a collection of various stories written for the now-defunct SWAJ, including a novella cowritten by Michael A. Stackpole and Timothy Zahn.
The PREVIEWS blurb:
"STAR WARS: TALES OF THE EMPIRE, Bantam, $5.99 - Culled from the short fiction of the Star Wars Adventure Journal, this collection - featuring stories by Timothy Zahn, Michael Stackpole, and Kathy Tyers - expands on the Star Wars Universe with some of the best sci-fi available!"

Untitled "Shadows of the Empire prequel" by Charles Grant, Bantam Spectra
August 14: I would tend to think this will be the spring '99 hc. Absolutely no plot or any other details as yet. You can bet I'll keep everyone posted on this one! I have a few ideas of what it could be about, but I don't want to be premautre. Form your own conclusions for now, or better yet, keep an open mind and a stiff upper chin.

Untitled "Bounty Hunter Trilogy" project by K. W. Jeter, Bantam Spectra
August 14: Paberback trilogy. This set will probably be ready for the second half of '98. Anyone familiar with Jeter's continuation of Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (turned into the cult classic motion picture Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott) with The Edge of Human and Replicant Night knows Mr. Jeter is definitely the right choice for a series about everyone's favorite fringe group. I am awaiting confirmation from him on this rumor.

The Paradise Snare, The Hutt Gambit, Rebel Dawn by Ann Crispin, Bantam Spectra
Paperback trilogy. RD has been rescheduled for spring '98 to accomodate the release of TftE. This last book ends with Han Solo walking into the Mos Eisley Cantina on the day he meets Obi-wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker. Han is 19, 24-26, and 26-29 years old in the three books respectively. The series will refer to a lot of the events in the late Brian Daley's trilogy, but not rehash any of it. So I suggest that while we're waiting, go read the old trilogy so you'll know what's going on.

August 19: Ms. Crispin informed me that RD has indeed been shifted, to March 1998. Shoot, I was looking forward to reading it this year. I have changed the above blurb to accomodate one bit of info she gave me, concerning the end of RD.

Volumes #5-8 X-wing novels by Aaron Allston & Michael A. Stackpole, Bantam Spectra
August 18 and 19: Update from Mr. Allston: Paul Youll did the cover art for WS, "shows several X-wings and A-wings flying hell-for-leather into a lunar rift, leaving Folor Base (which appeared in ROGUE SQUADRON) behind them." Mr. Allston doesn't know for sure, but I would assume that Youll will do the other covers for this series as well.
I received a message from Mr. Allston on Saturday. The title of #5 and #6 are: Wraith Squadron and Iron Fist. Remember, these are *working titles,* subject to change. Here is Mr. Allston's blurb about WS:
"I've just signed contracts to write three novels in the Star Wars: X-Wing series. The series' first four books were written by Michael A. Stackpole, who recommended me as his temporary replacement when time constraints kept him from committing to another set. As with Mike's books, mine will follow the adventures of Wedge Antilles. My first X-Wing novel will deal less with Wedge's Rogue Squadron than with a new start-up unit, Wraith Squadron, which is also the title of the first book; my subsequent novels in the series will deal with both squadrons. I've also received a copy of the Wraith Squadron cover and am very pleased with the way it turned out; come see me at any of my upcoming convention appearances to take a look at it."

August 14: As you can see below, I do make mistakes. Mr. Stackpole is writing X-wing #8, not #5. Oops. Aaron Allston, whose work I have not read (so I am open-minded as to how he'll handle these), will write #5-7. No word yet on when these will be released or any plot details. If anyone gets scoops, e-m them right away!!!

July 21: Mr. Stackpole confirmed that he will write the first, and only the first, of four new Rogue Squadron novels. These would pick up where BACTA WAR left off. No one has been signed for the other three books.

(Formerly titled Blue Harvest) by Michael A. Stackpole, Bantam Spectra
August 19: Recveived a message from Mr. Stackpole a few days back. Looks like he's still talking to me. *gasp* I was correct in my assumption about The Novel formerly known as BH's placement in the the timeline. He informs me that BH runs partly concurrent with CotF (JAT #3) and also takes place *after* it. Sorry wannabe reporters from the cons, you heard KJA wrong.

August 14: There has been a title change, which I reported on the 12th, but nobody's supposed to know about it until next month. My sincerest apologies to Mr. Stackpole. Somebody should have warned me! This one takes place around the Jedi Academy Trilogy, so I arbitrarily placed it after the tril on my timeline. More on this one as I get it.

Dark Forces- Soldier for the Empire, Dark Forces-Rebel Agent, Dark Forces-Jedi Knight by William C. Dietz, Ace-Boulevard/Dark Horse Comics
July 21: Though I've received no official word from anyone in the industry, I feel it is safe to say that RA and JK will each be released one season later than what I had reported. I have made changes to the chrono accordingly. With the JK: DF2 computer game's release being pushed to mid-September, it's not even a moot point at this juncture, don't you think?

May 12: "Right now, Dietz is in the middle of a trio of novellas for LucasArts and Dark Horse Comics based on the Dark Forces CD-ROM games. They will feature characters from the games, and be published in deluxe hardcover editions on slick paper with twenty-five full-page illustrations in each volume. If the past is any indication, working on Star Wars material doesn't exactly stifle a writer's career." That was quoted from Penguin Putnam Berkley Boulevard's sci-fi/horror nl, The Plug. It's at http://www.pbplug.com. Thought I should put up the credit before the copyright police threw me in the slammer. Seems that everyone gets away with it on the net. Go here to see further details and one of the numerous graphics in the first book. I've been getting conflicting info on the release dates of the last two volumes, so sit tight while I get it staightened out.

Crimson Empire by Richardson & Randy Stradley, Dark Horse Comics
No new data on this one for ages. This is on my most-wanted list. So close to publishing time and so few spoilers.
Six-issue comicbook series. Story of one or more former Royal Imperial Guards (the guys in red robes in RotJ, for those not in the know) who try to bring back the Empire. Set after Empire's End. Sounds fairly similar to the storyline of the first arc of the YJK series. Due out in late '97. Ho, ho, ho.

Shadows of the Empire: Evolution by Steven Perry, Dark Horse Comics
Five-issue comicbook series. Involves Guri and Black Sun. No, repeat, NO resurrection of Xizor, or else Mr. Perry would have mentioned it to me. Unless he's more skulduggerous than I suspected. ;-) Due out early 1998, around February.

The Hand of Thrawn: Specter of the Past, Vision of the Future by Timothy Zahn, Bantam Spectra
August 19: Mike Beidler reports that the "The Hand of Thrawn" subtitle for this two volume set has been scrapped. Thanks to Steve Almond for sending that in! I will try to get this confirmed by another official source.

August 14: I trust everyone's read the blurb from PREVIEWS, on the net courtesy of Scott Chitwood. Hats off to ya!
"SPECTER OF THE PAST by Timothy Zahn, Bantam, $23.95. - Hugo-Award winning author Timothy Zahn returns to the Star Wars Universe! As Princess Leia struggles to hold the New Republic together, an ambitious Moff Disra leads an Imperial conspiracy to divide the uneasy Republic coalition and cause genocide and civil war. At the same time, Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, and Talon C=Karrde pursue a mysterious group of pirate ships whose crews consist of clones. But what they find is the most startling news of all: Grand Admiral Thrawn - believed to be dead for 10 years - is reported alive! (256 pages)"

July 21: One of my SW spies has informed me that Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, the Noghri, Mount Tantiss, and the Bothans will be back. We can also expect (that is, there WILL be) cameos from Stackpole's Rogue Squadron characters. Since Zahn and Stackpole have gotten together to write those cool stories for the SW Adventure Journal from WEG, it seems fitting that they use each other's characters (Karrde in BACTA WAR is a case in point).

May 12: Zahn's next Star Wars novel is running longer than anticipated, thus it has been split into two seperate projects, Specter of the Past due in hardcover in late 1997 and Vision of the Future due in late 1998 also in hardcover. The title has been changed for the second book, from HAND OF THRAWN to VISION OF THE FUTURE. You heard it HERE first!

Young Jedi Knights: Second Story Arc (five books) by Rebecca Moesta & Kevin J. Anderson, Putnam
Only two more books in this arc, Jedi Bounty and Emperor's Plague, and I haven't read any of them. Owwww!
Paperbacks. Continuation of the adventures of the Solo twins, Jacen and Jaina, Chewbacca's nephew, Lowbacca, and Isloder and Teneniel Djo's daughter, Tenel Ka. Main plot revolves around the scheme of a non-human coalition of extremist groups, the Diversity Alliance, to obliterate the human race.

Young Jedi Knights: Third Story Arc (three books) by Rebecca Moesta & Kevin J. Anderson, Putnam
August 19: An update from Rich Handley:
"Kevin Anderson will be incorporating the Archie Goodwin newspaper strips into Young Jedi Knights, starting with #12, "Return to Ord Mantell," in which the main villain is the bounty hunter Skorr, who captured Han on that world. I've been helping Kevin do research for these books (it's a 3-book arc, starting at #12), and we're currently trying to find a way for Skorr to still be alive, since he died in the strips. However, I think we came up with a dandy way to circumvent death -- and NO cloning! :) Thanks to me, Kevin will be the first novelist to mention Cypher Bos from the audio-adventure "Rebel Mission to Ord Mantell," by Brian Daley!"

August 14: KJA informs me the title of the first book in this arc is Return to Ord Mantell. He and Rebecca will have handed in the completed story by the end of next week.

July 21: Paperbacks. The rest is same as above, with exception that I have NO idea about the plot at all. Sorry Wolverton fans, you'll find he's not taking this project over. Rebecca Moesta tells me that there are not titles or plot outlines for these three yet.

The Star Wars Chronology by Kevin J. Anderson and Daniel Wallace, Bantam Spectra
Details to come as soon as there are significant developments, straight from KJA. I will have some of the interview data up real soon (like the beginning of summer, maybe, hee-hee), and it has some cool stuff on this book (when I get it on the web)! Watch for it by the end of the week (depends on which week we're talkin' 'bout here).

Galaxy of Fear series by John Whitman, Bantam
Goosebumps-like SW horror stories. I haven't really been keeping track, as I'm not into young adult horror. Oh well.
August 19: An update from Mike Beidler, courtesy of Steve Almond:
"John Whitman is wrapping up the manuscript for Galaxy of Fear #10, and starting to write #11. In the meanwhile, John and I are currently co-plotting #12 together. (For now, all we're doing is putting together plot devices and making sure they'll mesh. Within another week or so, we'll start outlining it. Hope this works out!!!) In addition, John is hoping that he'll soon receive a nice adult series contract ..."

Junior Jedi Knights (three books) by Rebecca Moesta, Ace-Boulevard
I've seen a couple of these next to the GoF seriesin the local bookstores, but I don't hang around the kiddie section for obvious reasons. Pushed back in the schedule, the first one was released about the same time as the SEs to boost expected sales. The first one, ANAKIN'S QUEST, was released a few weeks after DIVERSITY ALLIANCE. VADER'S FORTRESS will be released in mid-June.

Last modified: August 19, 1997

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