Random housekeeping. With two months to release date, Random House has put out an excerpt from Karen Miller’s Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth. In other news, Fate of the Jedi: Backlash has been moved back to the original release date of March 9.
Interviews.Paul S. Kemp talks Star Wars and Forgotten Realms with Stomping on Yeti, while Knights of the Old Republic’sJohn Jackson Miller is over at CBR.
Comics. StarWars.com has an excerpt from Dan Wallace’s Insider article about Dark Horse bringing back Star Wars comics. (The very same article from which the ‘prequel infinities’ confusion arose from. Turned out that the article is a multi-parter and the next installment will include the original Infinities and the prequel era.)
NJOE spotted a blurb for Fate of the Jedi: Allies – the fifth book in the series, and second by Christie Golden – on Amazon.co.uk. The second half sounds like it could be a bit spoilery for Backlash, so highlight to read.
In the middle novel of the bestselling nine-book “Star Wars” series “Fate of the Jedi”, an uneasy – and unprecedented – coalition of Jedi and Sith enter the dark and treacherous area of space known as the Maw to search out the strange being that has been reaching out to Luke Skywalker during his journey to retrace the travels of his late nephew, Jacen Solo. Forced to wait on the planet Klatooine for reinforcements from Lando Calrissian, this already fragile alliance is threatened by the presence of the Hutts, and while Leia, Han, Jaina, and Jag walk a fine line between obeying the law of the Galactic Alliance and supporting Luke, Jedi Ben Skywalker and Sith Apprentice Vestara Khai may be the ones to lead the mission to triumph – or disaster.
Sue Rostoni says today: “…The Fate of the Jedi paperback reprints will NOT be published in the premium size, but in regular paperback size at the paperback price. Your bookshelves will now not suffer.”
Comics of an upcoming nature. StarWars.com has Dark Horse’s February 2010 solicitations, including the final issue of Knights of the Old Republic. People also seen to be awfully excited about seeing The Old Republic webcomic in print, but let’s not forget Legacy #45, the Dark Times: Blue Harvest TPB, and a Boba Fett omnibus. Okay, feel free to forget that last one. (I kid. Maybe.) Want a taste of something coming out a little sooner? Darkhorse.com has previews for Knights of the Old Republic #47 and Legacy #42.
Street date shuffle. SWBooks.co.uk spotted that April 13, 2010 is the new date for Fate of the Jedi: Backlash. That’s just a little under a month from the last date of March 9th.
Sue Rostoni said Saturday that Aaron hasn’t finished Backlash yet, so it may need to be pushed back a month to April.
In other 2010 release date changes, the Random House online catalog is now listing Karen Miller’s Clone Wars Gambit: Siege for June 22 instead of May 25. But the good news is that Gambit: Stealth is now set for February 23 – and Miller finished up the rough draft of Stealth earlier this month, so things should be on track.
I’ve added a few new dates – no real surprises, just specifics – to our release schedule, but will wait on for additional details on Backlash.
StarWars.com has revealed the back cover of Fate of the Jedi: Backlash, featuring an extremely flattering image of the sixtysomething Admiral Daala. Sue says: “She’s now sporting an artificial eye — her left one. She has been taking excellent care of herself over the years.” Or, this is just a cover, can we please stop overthinking it?
Oh, and there’s a blurb:
Repercussions from the dark side’s fatal seduction of Jacen Solo and the mysterious plague of madness afflicting young Jedi continue to wreak havoc galaxy-wide. Having narrowly escaped the deranged Force worshippers known as the Mind Walkers, and a deadly Sith hit squad, Luke and Ben Skywalker are in pursuit of the now Masterless Sith apprentice Vestara Khai. It is a chase that leads to the forbidding planet Dathomir, where an enclave of powerful dark-side Force-wielders will give Vestara the edge she needs to escape — and where the Skywalkers will be forced into combat for their quarry and their lives.
Meanwhile, Han and Leia Solo are on their own desperate mission, shuttling madness-stricken Jedi from Coruscant to safe haven in the Transitory Mists — and beyond the grasp of Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala. But the bold maneuver only intensifies Daala’s fury, and she is determined to shatter Jedi Order resistance once and for all.
Yet, no greater threat exists than that which still waits in the depths of the distant Maw Cluster: A being of pure, ravenous dark-side energy named Abeloth calls out across the stars to Jedi and Sith alike. For some, it may be the ultimate source of answers crucial to their survival. For others, it could be the ultimate weapon of conquest. But for all, it is a game-changing — and life-altering — encounter of untold magnitude, and a tactical gambit with unimaginable consequences.
Backlash is the fourth Fate of the Jedi novel and the second by Aaron Allston. It’s due out in March.
There’s been a flurry of interviews with Expanded Universe folks coming out in the last few weeks. Joe Schreiber of Death Troopers fame is the man of the hour, appearing at StarWars.com and LAist. But he’s not the only one: There’s Leland Chee, Aaron Allston, and Abel G Peña, too.
When we first heard that the Fate of the Jedi paperbacks were coming out in the (newish) premium paperback format, a lot of people seemed to think that meant trade paperbacks; Not so. Above and to the right, photos I took last week comparing the trade, premium, and standard mass market formats. They were originally stuck in the comments of the original post; However, I’m still seeing questions about this out and around, so perhaps some top-leveling is in order.
The Fate of the Jedi paperbacks will be in the same ‘premium’ format as the Stephen King book shown here. The Clone Wars: Wild Space is a trade paperback, while Dark Force Rising is a mass market.
Meanwhile, Sue Rostoni confirmed today that only the Fate of the Jedi paperbacks will be in the new format for the foreseeable future:
re: Premium Paperbacks — I found out that only the Fate of the Jedi reprints will come out in the premium size. For now, anyway…..
So, if you truly object? Vote with your wallet and utilize your local library. She goes on to say:
The pages are a little bigger, enhancing readability, and the paper quality is better.
Better paper? That might soften the blow for some… Though I still think you people freaking out about your bookcase symmetry are a little weird. (Sorry.)
It’s worth noting larger softcovers – like any of the Essential Guides – are also called ‘trade paperbacks.’ Why they play fast and loose with that term and not ‘mass market’ is beyond me.
In other news, StarWars.com treats us to the Fate of the Jedi: Allies cover. It also lacks females, if one ignores Christie Golden’s byline. We can, however, be fairly sure the book involves some. (And Sue Rostoni has already revealed that the ‘mystery man’ here is Vestara’s father.)
Someone asked a question about the higher price ($9.99) listed for the first Fate of the Jedipaperback reprint over at StarWars.com, and today we get an answer from Sue Rostoni:
They’re making the books a little larger and calling them “premium” paperbacks — they’re 3/4″ taller and a touch wider. Seems to be the trend in paperbacks now. I don’t know yet whether this change is for all our paperbacks, or just the FotJ ones…
The format has been around for a while, but I can’t recall seeing it on any SF/F before…
UPDATE: See the comments for pictures of a premium format paperback with a trade and mass market.
Random housekeeping. With two months to release date, Random House has put out an excerpt from Karen Miller’s Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth. In other news, Fate of the Jedi: Backlash has been moved back to the original release date of March 9.
Comics of an upcoming nature. StarWars.com has 
StarWars.com has revealed 
