Club Jade

We got our first look at the back of Denning’s Fate of the Jedi: Vortex this afternoon, a while new look at Luke’s (temporary) replacement as leader of the Jedi, Kenth Hamner. (A previous version of Kenth resembled William Shatner; Paul Kemp thinks this one looks like Mr. Roeper.) Also along for the ride is a new, extended blurb (highlight to read the spoilery bits:

In a stunning turn of events, Luke Skywalker and his son, Ben, joined forces with members of the Sith armada sent to kill them — and turned their combined might against the monstrous being Abeloth, whose power was causing young Jedi Knights to go seemingly insane. But with Abeloth gone and the Knights sane again, the Sith reverted to form, making a treacherous attempt on Luke’s life.

Luke and Ben have no time for retaliation. A new and even more insidious threat is rising, one that endangers not only the Jedi but the entire Galactic Alliance. Unless the Skywalkers survive to sound the alarm — and to pass along the secrets they have learned about Abeloth and the Sith — the galaxy will suffer as it has never suffered before. But the reinforcements they need remain grounded on Coruscant, where the political battle of wills between the Jedi Council and Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala has reached a boiling point.

Now Luke and Ben must go on the run, taking along the inscrutable — and dangerous — Sith apprentice Vestara Khai. With a host of Sith warriors in hot pursuit, the Skywalkers soon find themselves trapped on the moon Pydyr, caught between their former allies and a mob of angry Fallanassi. A new truce may be their only hope. But can a Sith ever be trusted?

With the Jedi’s most famous father-and-son team outnumbered and outgunned, the countdown to galactic disaster has begun — and time is running out!

Vortex is due out in hardcover December 7.

Del Rey brought plenty to the table for Celebration, but the biggest EU news is without a doubt the reveal that Aaron Allston will be writing a brand-new Wraith Squadron novel. It’s too early for details, but expect a spring/summer 2012 release date.

We also learned that Thrawn will appear in Zahn’s Hand of Judgment, Drew Karpyshyn will be writing a third Old Republic novel, Jeff Grubb’s 2012 paperback will feature Hutts, and Han Solo will appear in the Dash Rendar/Holostar novel. And TFN reports that something is in the works for the 20th anniversary of Heir to the Empire, to which I say: Damn straight.

As for Fate of the Jedi, we learned that the final book will be titled Apocalypse. Cheery! Also addressed was the heightening of drama, Vestara’s role, and (sigh) the whole Jacen/Tahiri thing. Except, not really. (I do love the Mando quote, of course.)

Meanwhile, the comic fans got a surprise of their own: Crimson Empire III is a go, for real this time. The 6-issue series will begin in March with Mike Richardson and Randy Stradley scripting and Dave Dorman on covers.

Knight Errant got a big push, complete with a costumed representation, but if the EUC report is anything to go by it’s too soon for much of a reveal.

As for Legacy, there are currently no plans for anything after the War mini – Ostrander and Duursema will “will be working on something entirely different.”

The rest of the news rehashes much we’ve already heard, but a hardcover edition of Dark Empire will commemorate the comic’s twentieth anniversary. And the return of Dark Horse Presents may yield some Tales-like stories.

Also getting some love at the con (but not enough for their own entry) was The Force Unleashed (Yoda? Really? That Muppet needs a better agent.) and The Old Republic.

While Dunc is off at fashion shows or handing out orange Death Star fans, I got a chance to attend a couple panels today, and here’s the top information:

• Apocalypse was announced as the title of the ninth book in the Fate of the Jedi series.
• Pablo Hidalgo is going to be writing an Essential Reader’s Companion, helping not only to sum up all the existing novels, but also provide some behind-the-scenes, and showcasing connections between stories. It will be illustrated, and Cal Omas will be pictured at last (and not hiding behind a potted plant)
• After Fate of the Jedi, Del Rey will be staying away from long series for a while, with just one-offs and duo/trilogies.
• Wedge Antilles is apparently the only SW character allowed to retire. He’s working on his memoirs, but Aaron Allston says not to count him out yet.
• Knight Errant: comics will be released in October, novel in January, and while you don’t need one to understand the other, hopefully the new storyline will pull you in with a young female Jedi, Kerra Holt, on her own in Sith warlord space a generation before Darth Bane. This is the first time that Dark Horse and Del Rey are working together on a SW project, with a single writer: John Jackson Miller.
• The Clone Wars – Season 3: going to rock! Dooku gets mad at Asajj, and gets a new Sith villain, raised by the Dathomir nightsisters: A Steelers-colored Maul kinsman. Invisible nightsisters attack Dooku in his pajamas! Shaak Ti is coming! Kamino is under attack (with cool water, smoke and explosion effects). Asajj’s background is revealed! Jawajames explodes from awesomeness of the trailer! Dave Filoni has trouble giving evasive answers to little kids!
  

StarWars.com has posted their panel guide for book and comic fans. (Looks like we’re going to be cutting it pretty close between Del Rey and FOTJ on Saturday.) And don’t forget the author signings!

Reed warns us that the schedule isn’t totally complete just yet, but the bulk of the panels are there. A few highlights:

• Pablo’s Behind-The-Scenes Stage will host panels on Fate of the Jedi, Knight Errant (with exclusive,) ’30 Years of Lucasfilm Licensing with Howard Roffman’ and Gary Kurtz, all on Saturday.

• Author panels on writing in the Project Room & Lecture Hall from Troy Denning (Friday at 5:30), Christie Golden (Saturday at 3:30) and Aaron Allston (Saturday at 5:00)
• Get started early on the EU when ‘Star Wars Galaxy with the Essential Guides’ will take over the Behind-The-Scenes Stage on Thursday at 1:30. CJ’s own Helen Keier will be making her first Celebration apperance along with fellow writers Jason Fry, Pablo Hidalgo, Dan Wallace, and Ryder Windham, plus artists Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas and Del Rey editor Erich Schoeneweiss. Could we get an announcement or two?
• EU Cantina is hosting a Friday panel on The Essential Atlas.
• Bryan Young (The Star Wars Examiner, Big Shiny Robot) is moderating “Why We Love the Prequels,” also on Friday.
• And last but by no means least, ‘Fandom in 140 Words or Less: Social Media and Star Wars Fandom,’ hosted by TFN’s Mandy and Eric Sunday at 2:30 in the Project Room & Lecture Hall. Your humble panelists include Bonnie Burton, Meagan Finnerty, Kyle Newman, James Arnold Taylor and…. Moi. WHOO-HOO!

But wait! That’s not all!

• Celebration V apps are now available in the Apple Store and Android Market. I downloaded it on my iPhone and found it rather underwhelming: Hopefully a schedule and map is in the cards.

• The merchandise catalog has also surfaced, so make your game plan.
• Meet the tattoo artists and make appointments…

• More artists! Sign up for speed dating… If you dare!

And I still probably forgot something. You know what to do.

Sue Rostoni updated her schedule blog today, and most of 2011 is affected. A lot of the moves are only by a month or so, however, and perhaps the biggest news here is that Timothy Zahn’s Allegiance sequel finally has an official title: Hand of Judgment. (You may know it by the working title: Choices.) It’s also moved up a month to July.

The most pressing move is Paul S. Kemp’s The Old Republic: Deceived, which drops from December to March – to be closer to the release of the MMO. (Which is just now launching beta testing: I’m no gamer, so make of it that you will.) Joe Schreiber’s Red Harvest moved into the vacant late-December spot.

Also drastically pushed back were Alex Irvine’s Nomi Sunrider novel (from May to December 2011) and Pablo Hidalgo’s Essential Reader’s Companion (to March 2012.) As for the rest, check the book schedule.

Ewan spotted these summaries in the Random House Spring 2011 catalog. First up, Joe Schreiber’s Death Troopers followup, Red Harvest:

Strange things are happening in a Sith Academy, where the Dark Lord in charge has barricaded himself away, unexplained violence is on the rise, and the apprentices are growing more and more frightened. When a mercenary arrives with a delivery for the Sith Lord and a hostage Jedi
in tow, the situation reaches a boiling point. Only a Jedi Master, looking for the missing Jedi, can hope to get her and himself out alive.

The other, for Aaron Allston’s Conviction, contains some hefty spoilers for the next book, Troy Denning’s Vortex, which will be out in December. Highlight to read:

In this installment of the bestselling Fate of the Jedi series, the evil entity called Abeloth is on the run–but still not giving up it’s plans to destroy the galaxy. Despite the almost-friendship between Ben Skywalker and the Sith apprentice Vestara, the Jedi and Sith have dropped all pretenses of cooperation, and each side is making plans to rout the other.

And on Coruscant, ex-Jedi Tahiri Veila awaits sentencing for the crime of treason, and although they’ve effectively removed Chief of State Natasi Daala from power, the Jedi Council is in no position to help…

Conviction will be out April 19; Red Harvest on January 25.

In stores now is Jason Fry’s Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia and the paperback for the third Fate of the Jedi novel, Troy Denning’s Abyss.

In other book news. Paul S. Kemp has posted an excerpt of his upcoming Old Republic novel, Deceived, which is due out in December.

StarWars.com has our first look at the seventh Fate of the Jedi book, Aaron Allston’s Conviction. I guess Tahiri looks like Number 6 now.

On the boards, Sue Rostoni reports that the book has been moved back (from April 19) to a May 24th release.

Sue Rostoni announced the title for the penultimate volume of the series on the StarWars.com boards. Meanwhile, author Christie Golden talks Allies over at the EU Review.