Betrayal audiobook for free
Ostensibly for attendees of an NYCC panel, this free download of the first LOTF audiobook actually works by simply registering on the site. Be warned, it does give you some extra software to download your selection for you. (I use iTunes and an iPod, and so far it’s painless enough, but this means there’s probably some sort of DRM involved.) If you’re into audiobooks, you might be happy to know that Audible carries plenty of Star Wars books (the LOTF books, at least, and several older selections missing from iTunes.)
Thanks to TJHighlandNewark2007 on the TFN boards (warning: link goes to the Exile spoiler thread) for pointing this out.
Out this week
Today, aka Tuesday, brings us the fourth Legacy of the Force novel, Aaron Allston’s Exile. The official site has an author interview and three (three!) excerpts for the occasion. And when did Aaron get that snazzy new author photo?
For the comic readers, Wednesday sees the release of Knights of the Old Republic #14.
Librarians heart Tag and Bink
Tag and Bink Were Here, aka one of the best Star Wars comics Dark Horse has ever published (in this blogger’s opinion, anyway) has been selected by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA, a division of the ALA) by being one of their selections for the 2007 recommended list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens. Rock!
Fan Art: Ben Skywalker
Ben Skywalker by SMH-REDELK. A bit of EU, since we have Aaron’s book coming out this week and all. I could do without the extraneous photoshopping (the lens flares, text) but overall the portrait is an interesting composite for a character whose canon appearance is still fairly nonspecific.
And the Feb. ’08 hardcover goes to…
Matthew Stover will be writing Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, set not long after Return of the Jedi and detailing events previously only alluded to in certain source and guidebooks. (Do we… dare I say… Blame Anderson?)
And yes, I can feel your Harry Potter jokes percolating.
Making of Star Wars details
Hefty starwars.com feature on the upcoming book. Damn, this time I have to get the deluxe version…
Star Wars novels on iTunes
Star Wars audiobooks are now available on iTunes. Prices start at $12.95 for most of the novels, with the unbridged prequel novelizations go for as much as $31.95. There doesn’t appear to be a central storefront, however, so you have to look them up by author. (Looking up ‘Star Wars’ only gets you prequel novelizations and a handful of Trek!)
Not all the novels are there – I looked up Zahn and there’s only the Thrawn trilogy, while Betrayal is the only LOTF book up – but the list is still quite impressive, with a good number of Bantam offerings (lots of X-Wing novels) and most of the NJO.
Coming soon: New web mag for EU fans
Fandom veterans are pool their resources to create Star Wars Outsider, a PDF fanzine devoted to the Expanded Universe. The first issue isn’t up yet, and while the ‘zine is unofficial it looks like it could help to fill a hole that the official publications have been lax in exploring lately.
In the interest of fair disclosure, I ought to note that I have been asked to contribute and will have a piece (design) in the first issue…
Force Unleashed book news
Enterprising TFNers found a listing on Random House’s site for The Force Unleashed, a September hardcover by Sean Williams. A novelization of the game, or a story based on it? Furthur exploration found a mystery Amazon listing, but as it doesn’t even include a mention of Star Wars there’s a lot of straw-grasping involved. A little more likely is an Art of the Game from Palace Press.