Updates on Knight Errant, Lost Tribe of the Sith and more from John Jackson Miller

While it has been previously announced that John Jackson Miller’s ebook novella series, Lost Tribe of the Sith will be collected in a print anthology, more details emerged about the series in an author chat hosted by Del Rey’s Star Wars Books Facebook account. Both Miller and Del Rey reps confirmed the following schedule for the (free) digital releases:

  • Part Six: “Sentinel” – Februray 21, 2011
  • Part Seven: “Pantheon” – July 19, 2011
  • Part Eight: “Secrets” – March 8, 2012
  • Print collection – August 2012, and it will contain an additional “long” story.

The concept of the overall series is that the first four form the Founders tetralogy (how the lost tribe started from some stranded “middle-managers in the cause of evil”), and the second four fit into the Darker Times, while the new material will help show how the tribe evolved from to closer to what is encountered in the Fate of the Jedi series.

And in very early phases of Knight Errant, there might have been some sort of Twilighty romance between Kerra Holt and Lord Daiman, but scrapped as the characters developed – since Daiman’s really only in love with himself, and Kerra is just way too busy trying to stay alive and help those around her. Pitched from Dark Horse to Miller as a “lone female Jedi”, Miller envisioned Kerra traveling solo like the Lone Ranger, even without a sidekick or droid Tonto.

Going back to Miller’s work on the Knights of the Old Republic, he mentioned that the charming con artist Gryph was originally supposed to be an Ortolan, like Max Rebo, before being changed to a Snivvian. Zayne Carrick’s last name connects back to Miller’s college dorm room.

New Star Wars comic revealed: It’s Qui-Gon in Jedi – The Dark Side

MTV gets the exclusive scoop that the new Star Wars comic coming out from Dark Horse in May is called Star Wars: Jedi – The Dark Side and features Qui-Gon Jinn.

Written by Scott Allie with artwork by Mahmud Asrar, it features Qui-Gon going to prevent a civil war on the planet of one of his former padawans, Xanatos. Yep, they’re bringing in stuff from the Jedi Apprentice series. The article has a full interview with Allie on the series, which will start off with a five-issue arc, and may become ongoing.

Out this week: Knight Errant, Legacy, Lost Command

Today brings our first book release of the new year, John Jackson Miller’s Knight Errant.

You might have heard of it, since John Jackson Miller has been going above and beyond for this one. There’s a three-part Q & A on his blog (Plus a LEGO look at the Diligence,) an interviews with Lightsaber Rattling, About.com and, oh yeah, one with us. I’m not sure the guy sleeps.

And because it never rains when it can pour, there are two comics out Wednesday: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #1 (which I keep reading as The Last Command, which is so not right) and Legacy: War #2. Someone has set Nyna Calixte’s makeup gun to ‘whore’ and man is she pissed!

Meanwhile, if you’re wondering what to do with that spare $3000 you have laying around and want your coffee table and your coffee table books to be an all-in-one package, Frames is available for pre-order on Star Wars Shop. And to think people bitch about buying hardcovers…

EUbits: DK’s LEGO Visual Dictionary has lengthy bestseller run

Sales. LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary is selling like crazy. It’s been on the New York Times Children’s Picture Book Bestseller List for 52 weeks. (Guess that explains all the LEGO stuff that DK has coming.) To celebrate the books’ NYT longevity, Lucasfilm and DK are donating $52,000 worth of books to charities supported by 501st and Rebel Legions.

In question. J. W. Rinzler will find out if he gets to write a Making of Return of the Jedi by the end of the month, he tweeted last night. Somehow I doubt they’re going to say no.

The blogside. Chris at EUC takes a look at the EU offerings of 2010 and 2011.

Comics. The upcoming return of Dark Horse Presents will feature details on the wildly anticipated Crimson Empire 3.

Interview. Our pal Mandy interviews comic artist Michael Golden, who drew Marvel’s Riders in the Void back in 1980.

Podcastery. The latest Jedi Journals is up.

Giveaway. Comment at Paul S. Kemp’s blog and you could win an ARC of The Old Republic: Deceived. Meanwhile, the EUCast is giving away a copy of Knight Errant.

Out this week: Fate of the Jedi #6

Today sees the release of the sixth Fate of the Jedi novel, Denning’s Vortex. People seem awfully excited that there’s a Kindle edition. I’m a book traditionalist (and too much of an Alton Brown fan to trust a unitasker, though yes, I know there’s an iPhone app) but in to their credit, it is only $6.29.

Meanwhile, because new releases only come in two speeds lately – feast or famine – comic fans have a few things to look for on Wednesday as well. There’s The Old Republic #6, The Clone Wars: Deadly Hands of Shon-Ju and a Quinlan Vos omnibus, Jedi in Darkness.