The first Star Wars novel to be set after Return of the Jedi, Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire was released in hardcover on May 1, 1991. It was the first major step out of what’s now called ‘the Dark Times,’ when Star Wars was (mostly) a dormant franchise. The book was immensely successful and helped prove there was still an audience for Star Wars
Although now classified as non-canon ‘Legends’, along with the rest of the pre-2014 Expanded Universe, Heir remains an important part of franchise and fandom history. Hell, we wouldn’t exist without it.
Also it’s a damn good story and you should read it (along with ’92’s Dark Force Rising and ’93’s The Last Command) if you haven’t already. Though note I am totally biased.
A huge event for me and many of my friends when it came out. I dealt with motion sickness to read the second half in the back of my parents’ car during a trip to Yosemite. Still my favorite all these years later. Joruus C’baoth forever.
But all sources says that “Heir” was released not in May but in June 1991.
In the book world, they sometimes say books are ‘released’ the month after they actually are. I don’t know why, probably some ancient relic of the days before effective shipment tracking, but it’s not unusual. The official Star Wars app said the release was May 1, though.
Superb book (and trilogy) — I recently re-read them after almost two decades and they still hold up so well.