Fate of the Jedi follow-up still not more than 3 books; Scourge also Apocalypse excerpt

Del Rey’s Erich Schoeneweiss followed up his previous comment on Facebook today, announcing that a Scourge excerpt will join Mercy Kill in the back pages of Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse.

What will sooth more fan’s fears, however, is his response in the comments:

No worries folks, we’re on the record several times as saying we want to focus on 2 or 3 book series after FotJ and currently have no plans for any big nine part epics.

With the term ‘series’ being thrown around by some materials, some fans have been worried that LucasBooks and Del Rey were reconsidering earlier promises for shorter arcs.

EUbits: New covers for Phantom Menace, Lost Tribe

Covers. Knight’s Archive found the new cover to The Phantom Menace novelization earlier this week. Shockingly, it looks just like the poster. Like the last TPM-centric rerelease, Shadow Hunter, this one contains a new James Luceno short story and may be a bit difficult to find because both editions share the same ISBN. It’s due out on the 31st.

In other cover reveals, StarWars.com has the covers for eighth Lost Tribe of the Sith installment and the paperback compilation. They look pretty much the same as all the Lost Tribe of the Sith stuff.

Fate of the Jedi. The mini-excerpts for Denning’s Apocalypse begin with – who else? – Saba.

Interviews. In a two-parter, James Luceno talks Darth Plagueis at TFN and Suvudu, while John Jackson Miller chats with CBR’s Tim O’Shea.

Looks like Mercy Kill is Apocalypse sample chapter

Del Rey’s Erich Schoeneweiss tweeted the above tonight, which appears to be confirmation that the “extensive excerpt of book one of the next Star Wars series” in Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse will be from X-Wing: Mercy Kill. Though, given how far ahead that exact wording from the Spring catalog was written, I wouldn’t take it as gospel that Mercy Kill will be the first of a new X-Wing series. (After all, technically it’s not a book 1… Is it?!?) Stay tuned…

Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse is due out on March 13, while X-Wing: Mercy Kill is currently on the schedule for August 7.

EUbits: Celebrating the ‘regular’ people, Apocalypse page count, peek at Stover’s Insider short

Listage. Lane over at Roqoo Depot gives the regular folks of the GFFA their due with his list of the top ten non-Force sensitive Expanded Universe characters.

Fate of the Jedi. Lightsaber Rattling reports on Troy Denning’s comments about the likely Apocalypse page count.

Short stories. Get a peek – though not a particularly readable one – at Matthew Stover’s Insider short story, ‘The Tenebrous Way.’

Interview. Writer John Ostrander talks Agent of the Empire with Nerd World News.

Artists. Five contributers to Star Wars Art: Comics share their thoughts on the franchise and comics at CBR.

Excerpts. Two more from Darth Plagueisa mini on Facebook, and a larger one at Random House’s online catalog.

Pretties.Concept art from Genndy Tartakovsky’s traditionally animated Clone Wars cartoon. It graced Cartoon Network in the gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and I’m sad to hear that the DVDs have apparently gone out of print, because it was an amazing series of shorts.

NYCC: Back covers for Apocalypse, Plagueis, plus additional Fate of the Jedi teases

Jaina Solo, Jag Fel, and Darth Maul are spotlighted in the back cover art for Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse and Darth Plagueis. The art was revealed at the Del Rey panel at New York Comic Con yesterday, and posted online today by editor Erich Schoeneweiss. The Darth Plagueis cover is by Torstein Nordstrand while the Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse cover is by Ian Keltie.

Suvudu has more details from panel at NYCC. In addition to the announcements of two new novels, Drew Karpyshyn’s untitled The Old Republic tie-in for fall 2012, and Timothy Zahn’s untitled Han Solo novel, there was also this teaser from Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse:

“Perhaps they feared Luke Skywalker just that much.

And that was a mistake.

Luke Skywalker was not the Sword of the Jedi. Jaina was, and now the Sith had trapped themselves inside a locked Temple with her.”

And for those waiting for a picture of Abeloth from Fate of the Jedi, Erich has mentioned that there will be a scene of her confronting “Luke, Ben, Vestara,” and the Sith in Allies in the Essential Guide to Warfare.

EUbits: Two new-to-us authors bringing Han, Chewie and the Falcon to Insider; Gear up for Kemp’s Riptide

Short stories. Two brand-new authors have a story coming to the Insider in January. David J. Williams and Mark Williams’ ‘Maze Run’ is a “classic Han & Chewie adventure aboard the Millennium Falcon,” to tie into the release of The Millennium Falcon Owner’s Workshop Manual. Fittingly, the ship is “the star of the story.” Will we see the Williams doing anything more lengthy for the franchise?

Riptide. With Paul S. Kemp’s latest only weeks away, Suvudu has a excerpt, while Kemp himself is doing an e-signing.

More excerpts… This week’s Facebook mini-excerpt is from Drew Karpshyn’s Revan; There’s another from the audiobook as well.

Fate of the Jedi. The manuscript for the final book, Troy Denning’s Apocalypse, is in the hands of Del Rey. In case you were wondering.

Press. Timothy Zahn in the Lansing City Pulse.

EUbits: Apocalypse blurb, Myri’s with the Wraiths

Fate of the Jedi. For those still on board with the most tedious series since the nigh-endless New Jedi Order, there’s finally a blurb for the final volume, Troy Denning’s Apocalypse. I haven’t the slightest idea how spoilery it is since I have yet to make it past the first chapter of Ascension, so head on over to the link to check it out.

X-Wing. In happier news, Erich Schoeneweiss confirms EUCantina’s report that Face Loran will be back – and Myri Antilles will be flying with the Wraiths – in Aaron Allston’s Mercy Kill.

Interviews. Roqoo Depot has an interview with Jeff Grubb, who’s writing next year’s Scourge.

Staffing. Editor Frank Parisi has moved from Lucasfilm to Del Rey.

Review. Our own JawaJames reviews Dark Times: Out of the Wilderness #2 at Big Shiny Robot.