Club Jade

• Preview: Take a peek at the first issue of the new Star Wars Adventures digest. Apparently some have found it in the UK, but there’s been no sign of it on Diamond so I wouldn’t go looking just yet.

• The Blogside: Paul S. Kemp has thoughts on writing Crosscurrent, while Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff has two updates in her Padawan’s Journal series: Protocol Droids and Velveteen Bunnies and Mistakes Were Made.
• The Clone Wars: Don’t expect to see a paperback of Karen Traviss’ Clone Wars novel anytime soon – There are no plans to release one, says Sue Rostoni. If you absolutely must have a paperback, look to the UK version.
• Comics: DarkHorse.com has a new From the Editor, about Invasion. (Nothing we don’t already know, but we can expect an announcement in a week or so.)
• Webcomics: Third and fourth updates in The Old Republic‘s Threat of Peace.

Ewan at swbooks.co.uk spotted yet another blurb at Amazon.co.uk. This one is for Karen Traviss’ Imperial Commando: 501st. And in related news, Random House is now giving the book a release date of October 27, moving back from September 29.

Once again, remember these Amazon blurbs are unconfirmed information! And it looks like this one contains spoilers for Order 66, so it’s black-barred under the cut. (more…)

Great things on the Wookieepedia: Gizmodo has blogged the Wookieepedia’s galaxy map (originally appeared in Star Wars Insider #65) thus making it legitimately cool on the internet. Or something. Not that I’m saying you kids still don’t have some work to do.

• Comics: Randy Stradley has an update at Dark Horse’s Star Wars Zone. Big news is that The Clone Wars comic will go on (monthly!) for six more issues. And there will be two big announcements at New York Comic-Con.
  
• The Force Unleashed: The game is a nominee for the WGA’s award for 2008′s best videogame writing. (via)

• Magazines: Could the Star Wars Insider be on the road to improvement with a new editor?
• Authors: Karen Traviss is up for the Philip K. Dick award for the final book in her Wess’har series, Judge.

Tonight’s episode is ‘Lair of Grievous,’ which sounds kinda like a Scooby Doo episode. I’m not sure what that makes Kit Fisto, but considering who was present at Grievous’ debut it’s probably at least a little appropriate.

• Last week: I’m doing this earlier than usual, so ‘Cloak of Darkness’ isn’t up yet, but you’ll find it here when it does. In the meantime, watch the Takeuchi video!

• Webcomic: ‘The Dreams of General Grievous’ features all four artists and a peek at Grievous’ backstory.
• People: StarWars.com has Matthew Wood (Grievous) and Phil LaMarr (Kit Fisto.)
• Novels: Cover, blurb for book #3, Karen Traviss’ No Prisoners.
• Podcasts: EUC talks clones, while the Forcecast had Paul Dini and Kyle Newman.
• Spoilers: Guess who’s coming to The Clone Wars?

StarWars.com has the cover summaries for The Clone Wars: No Prisoners and Fate of the Jedi: Outcast. The Outcast blurb is quite intriguing and gives us a few more plot details! Check it out at the link or under the cut. (more…)

• Fate of the Jedi: The second book, Christie Golden’s Omen, has appeared on the Random House online catalog with a release date of June 23, 2009. (Please remember the page count is probably a placeholder number.)

• Imperial Commando: Karen Traviss talks about the fate of Sev on her blog.
• The Force Unleashed: Kotaku interviews Haden Blackman. (via)
• Comics: Preview Knights of the Old Republic #34.

Behold, the next three years of Star Wars publishing, ranked by CJ readers. Most of you seem to be looking forward to Fate of the Jedi: This poll also got more votes than the second, 172 to 143. Of the second poll, which asked you to choose from among the rest of the new contract’s fiction (at least those that we have some detail on) the clear winners were those that have established fanbases: Cunningham’s Blood Oath, featuring charter member of the Jaina Solo harem, Zekk; Irvine’s Knights of the Old Republic novel, set just before the popular games; Traviss’ Imperial Commando; and Drew Karpyshyn’s third Darth Bane novel. The rest are certain to see their stock rise as we get more details.

The response to our Fate of the Jedi poll was pretty clear: Most of you (58%) are sure to be reading it, 24% are waiting to hear more before you decide, and only 19% have given up entirely (and/or were never big EU readers to begin with.) I’ll make a pretty pie chart after we finish our latest poll, though: Which of the other upcoming novels tickle your fancy the most? Vote below the cut or on the sidebar. (more…)

More new contract fallout: Alex Irvine details the timing of his ‘ancient Jedi’ novel on his blog:

…Yours truly is going to be writing a novel set just before the Knights of the Old Republic storyline. Since I am one of those guys who saw the movie (you know, The Movie; you know the one I mean) a dozen times the summer it came out, this is kind of a dream come true. Viva la Geek! Plus, there are some interesting open spaces in the continuity from that period, which give me a lot of room to work.

Isn’t that what the comics are doing? Oh well: I won’t even pretend to be an expert on that time period. (Some have speculated that this could be related to the still-rumored KOTOR MMO, but aren’t direct game tie-ins handled by separate contracts?)

• Young adult: Eddie spotted a couple new YA titles on Amazon.
  
• Interviews: Karen Miller talks briefly about Star Wars on Davebrendon’s Fantasy & Sci-Fi Weblog; Karen Traviss was on Fictional Frontiers yesterday. Presumably the episode will be up on their podcast archive at some point; Henry Gilroy is talking The Clone Wars comics at Newsarama again. (via)

• Previews: The Clone Wars #2.

Well, after starting an avalanche of reveals last week, StarWars.com gives us a lowdown of the new publishing contract (so far.) Some of it we already know: Fate of the Jedi, Blood Oath, The Clone Wars. As for reveals…

• Blood Oath features… Zekk! Still not dead.

• Christie Golden’s Star Wars debut in summer ’09 will be titled Fate of the Jedi: Enigma.
• Karen Traviss’ Imperial Commando series will be in paperback, and the first book is 501st, also due next summer.
• Winter ’09 brings another (horror!?!) standalone from a new author, Joe Schreiber.
• And a guide to Vader published by Becker & Mayer, who handled last year’s Vault.
• Drew Karpyshyn’s third Bane novel (hardcover, natch) will appear in early 2010, as will Kemp’s standalone.
  
• Fall 2010 bring a Star Wars craft book by Bonnie Burton.

• And another new-to-us author, Alex Irvine, tackles the ancient Jedi.
• For 2011 expect Traviss’ Boba Fett standalone in paperback.
• And another PB from Michael Reaves and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff.