Latest street date shuffle: Choices of One, Ascension, Heir to the Empire and Riptide

Del Rey announced a few schedule tweaks on Facebook today. The changes are due to “an adjustment to the book schedule as dictated by our publisher.”

Moving up are Zahn’s Choices of One (from July 19th to July 12th – the same day as one of the year’s most anticipated fantasy) and Golden’s Fate of the Jedi: Ascension (From August 23 to August 9.)

The pushbacks are just a tad more dramatic, sadly. Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary Edition moves the most, from June 28 to September 13 — the same week as the Blu-Rays. Kemp’s Riptide goes almost a full month, from September 27 to October 25.

Our release schedule has been updated.

Street date shuffle: Realigning the novels for 2011/2012

We got a number of schedule updates from Sue Rostoni today. There were a few notable delays – Riptide, Shadow Games and (sigh) Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse have all been pushed back a few months. There were also a number of additions: Drew Karpyshyn’s contribution to The Old Republic tie-ins set for October. Looking forward into 2012, Luceno’s Plagueis novel is up for January, and Allston’s new Wraith book for July.

We also got what is perhaps our first conformation that John Jackson Miller’s Lost Tribe of the Sith is set for print. Head on over to our book schedule for all the details.

EUbits: Zombies and other overexposed undead

Zombies? Zombies! StarWars.com has posted the first chapter of Joe Shreiber’s Red Harvest as a PDF. Hopefully that will hold you zombie fans off until the tail end of December.

Let it go. There was much discussion late last week on Twitter over the appearance of a character in a Clone Wars preview clip who had been previously killed off in some minor video game several years ago. Y’all might have a case with the Mando stuff (though I still can’t bring myself to care, because Mandos) but this? This is why the phrase ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’ exists.

Interviews. Going back a bit, EUC has summarized some notable bits from an interview that the Fictional Frontiers podcast did with Del Rey’s Shelly Shapiro. She talks about Fate of the Jedi and links to Legacy. Also, Daniel Wallace talks The Jedi Path with StarWars.com.

Street date shuffle. I made a few tweaks to our book release schedule this weekend… Nothing particularly noteworthy, just a few minor adjustments in mid-2011.

EUbits: Tenel Ka’s lightsaber, Riptide peek, Legacy cover, John Jackson Miller and more

Fanmade. Check out this version of Tenel Ka’s rancor tooth lightsaber by Heather (@hexterah) who dressed up as the character at DragonCon.)

Riptide. Paul S. Kemp broke out another brief excerpt from his Crosscurrent sequel on Friday.

Comics. Dark Horse has revealed the cover to Legacy: War #2; Writer John Jackson Miller talks Knight Errant at The Sci-Fi Block.

Further reading. EU Cantina has a new column by Chris (@VileZero) and so far he’s addressed the Darth Plagueis novel and upcoming comics as well as some gaming/Clone Wars stuff. Check it out.

Street date shuffle. It was a slow news week, so Random House moving Denning’s Fate of the Jedi: Vortex up a week got a lot of ink. Still months away, but I did update our book schedule.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter (@clubjade) for updates and discussion.

Zahn’s Hand of Judgment revealed in schedule shuffle

Don't get excited, it's just the Japanese Allegiance coverSue Rostoni updated her schedule blog today, and most of 2011 is affected. A lot of the moves are only by a month or so, however, and perhaps the biggest news here is that Timothy Zahn’s Allegiance sequel finally has an official title: Hand of Judgment. (You may know it by the working title: Choices.) It’s also moved up a month to July.

The most pressing move is Paul S. Kemp’s The Old Republic: Deceived, which drops from December to March – to be closer to the release of the MMO. (Which is just now launching beta testing: I’m no gamer, so make of it that you will.) Joe Schreiber’s Red Harvest moved into the vacant late-December spot.

Also drastically pushed back were Alex Irvine’s Nomi Sunrider novel (from May to December 2011) and Pablo Hidalgo’s Essential Reader’s Companion (to March 2012.) As for the rest, check the book schedule.

Sue reveals two new Essentials, updated schedule

So I finally do an EUbits and then we get more news? Such is the life. But Sue Rostoni posted an updated book schedule today – and revealed two new reference/nonfiction books – so no sitting on/twittering this, thank you very much. Here’s what’s new:

  • Jason Fry is taking on The Essential Guide to Warfare – previously known as The Essential Guide to the Military. Folks have been clamoring for this for a while, so good to see it finally get pinned down. It’s due in June 2011
  • Meanwhile Internet Rockstar/Man Who Never Sleeps Pablo Hidalgo will be penning The Essential Reader’s Companion. And I am forced to devolve into aged memes. (I hate you, Pablo. Okay, not really.) Seriously now, Sue describes this as “a non-fiction guide to fiction, with side-bars calling out related comics and events.”
  • We also get a timeframe for Visions: November!

Meme or no meme, our schedule is updated, so go check out a new sneak peek at The Making of The Empire Strikes Back. (Holy heavy metal!)

EUbits: Inside The Making of The Empire Strikes Back

Nonfiction StarWars.com offers up a peek at J.W. Rinzler’s The Making of The Empire Strikes Back. The book’s release was recently pushed back to October, but there’s little doubt that it will be worth the wait.

Street date shuffle. On that note, our book release schedule has been updated. The most notable change: A double shot of Fate of the Jedi paperbacks as Omen and Abyss are moved up to spring.

Podcastery. Star Wars Action News talked to Paul S. Kemp earlier in the month, while the ForceCast caught up with John Jackson Miller at C2E2.

The blogside. Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff on the end game and the last period.

Morsel. Sue Rostoni says that Joe Schreiber’s Black Orchid is getting a new title because some people thought it sounded like a romance novel. Personally I think old school Neil Gaiman/Dave McKean

Toys. Rebelscum reports that the Legacy Collection’s Expanded Universe action figures (the wave that includes Jacen and Jaina) have begun showing up at Toys “R” Us stores.

EUbits: Gambit excerpt, Kemp, Miller and comics

Gambit: Stealth cover teaseRandom 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’s John 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.)