A preliminary version of the cover for Timothy Zahn’s July novel Choices of One has gone up on StarWars.com. It’s pretty rough, but nice to see Mara get some love again.
Heir to the Empire anniversary edition to include annotations, Thrawn short story
StarWars.com has revealed that the Heir to the Empire anniversary edition will feature annotations and an exclusive short story featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn. (Naturally.)
Heir to the Empire anniversary hardcover is coming
NJOE has discovered a listing for a special reissue of Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire coming out next year. This is unconfirmed of course, but LFL has been hinting that something special is coming for the 20th anniversary of the book that jump-started the modern Expanded Universe.
Sue Rostoni confirms:
Yes, there are plans for a 20th Anniversary Issue of HEIR TO THE EMPIRE, coming out next June. It’s a hardcover — and that’s all I can reveal at this time.
Let’s hope the details emerge soon – and that they’ll include better cover art.
New Zahn novel gets yet another title change; Kemp teases Riptide on Twitter
Sue Rostoni just posted that she’s received Timothy Zahn’s manuscript for his upcoming Star Wars novel – and that the book, which we’ve known as Choices and Hand of Judgment, now has yet another title: Choices of One.
Criticizing the titles of Star Wars novels is like shooting fish in a barrel and Hand of Judgment wasn’t some great prize, but… Choices of One? Really? It just makes me think of a crossover between Wheaties and those lame army commercials. Meh.
Meanwhile, Paul S. Kemp has tweeted a brief peek at his upcoming Crosscurrent sequel, Riptide:
“Indeed,” Grandmaster Skywalker said. “The dark side is at work through more than the clones. Be careful, Jaden.”
Celebration V book and comic news: Wraith Squadron, Fate of the Jedi, Crimson Empire 3 and more
Del Rey brought plenty to the table for Celebration, but the biggest EU news is without a doubt the reveal that Aaron Allston will be writing a brand-new Wraith Squadron novel. It’s too early for details, but expect a spring/summer 2012 release date.
We also learned that Thrawn will appear in Zahn’s Hand of Judgment, Drew Karpyshyn will be writing a third Old Republic novel, Jeff Grubb’s 2012 paperback will feature Hutts, and Han Solo will appear in the Dash Rendar/Holostar novel. And TFN reports that something is in the works for the 20th anniversary of Heir to the Empire, to which I say: Damn straight.
As for Fate of the Jedi, we learned that the final book will be titled Apocalypse. Cheery! Also addressed was the heightening of drama, Vestara’s role, and (sigh) the whole Jacen/Tahiri thing. Except, not really. (I do love the Mando quote, of course.)
Meanwhile, the comic fans got a surprise of their own: Crimson Empire III is a go, for real this time. The 6-issue series will begin in March with Mike Richardson and Randy Stradley scripting and Dave Dorman on covers.
Knight Errant got a big push, complete with a costumed representation, but if the EUC report is anything to go by it’s too soon for much of a reveal.
As for Legacy, there are currently no plans for anything after the War mini – Ostrander and Duursema will “will be working on something entirely different.”
The rest of the news rehashes much we’ve already heard, but a hardcover edition of Dark Empire will commemorate the comic’s twentieth anniversary. And the return of Dark Horse Presents may yield some Tales-like stories.
Also getting some love at the con (but not enough for their own entry) was The Force Unleashed (Yoda? Really? That Muppet needs a better agent.) and The Old Republic.
Zahn’s Hand of Judgment revealed in schedule shuffle
Sue 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.
EUbits: Al Williamson, Heir to the Empire, and September comics
RIP. Artist Al Williamson, who illustrated the Star Wars comic strip and adaptions of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, passed away this weekend. He’s remembered by editor Dave Land at DarkHorse.com
We read it uphill, in the snow, with no boots. Suvudu salutes Heir to the Empire — with a little help from Tim Zahn, editor Tom Dupree and art director Jamie S. Warren — as part of their 25 years of Spectra features.
Solicitations. Look ahead to September comics from Dark Horse, with new issues of Invasion, The Old Republic: Threat of Peace, that Fett thing, and a $1 reprint of Legacy #1.
Blogside. Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff on mistakes.
For the nitpickians. A new Essential Atlas appendix – in PDF form. Prime your hole-punchers!
New schedule, new titles, new authors from Sue
We’re at JadeCon, having a blast – and I’m just taking a brief email break, and what should come up on my feed reader but a brand-spanking new book schedule from Sue Rostoni? I can’t even wrap my brain around the date changes right now, but here’s the big news:
- Fifth and final Clone Wars book (Karen Miller) is Gambit: Siege. March 2010.
- July 2010 will be a “coming attraction by well-known author.” Nothing more to be revealed. Sean Williams, maybe?
- September 2010. A book that only “might” come to be.
- A second book by Joe Schreiber (not a Death Troopers sequel) is coming October 5, 2010.
- Fate of the Jedi book seven (Allston) is titled Conviction. April 2011.
- The tentative title for Zahn’s Allegiance sequel is Choices. September 2011.
- October 2011 bring a new author: Jeff Grubb.
Our book release schedule will be updated… Uhh, soon. Soonish.
In other news, she has confirmed that the Boba Fett book and Blood Oath are both canceled.
Tim Zahn returning to Star Wars in 2011
The official site announced tonight that one of our favorite authors, Timothy Zahn, will be back with a new novel – sounds like a direct sequel to 2007’s Allegiance – in 2011. Just in time for the 20th anniversary of Heir to the Empire!
Vulcan to get Trek pre-release screening, Red Dwarf, Terminator Salvation and more…
As the geek world turns:
- The town of Vulcan, Alberta, will have a special pre-release screening of Star Trek, after Leonard Nimoy went to bat for them to the Paramount bigwigs who chose Sydney, Australia for the world premiere. But wait, Vulcan doesn’t even have a movie theater!
- Leonard Nimoy talks about being Spock one more time, and gives a spoiler as to his scene.
- Some new Red Dwarf: Back to Earth photos have popped up, as well as a postcard from Lister.
- NPR ponders: Does the end of BSG mean dividends for Dollhouse?
- Moviehole reports that the ending of Terminator Salvation has been changed since the original ending was leaked online last month. Maybe they’ll put in that line about the Salvation Army? Will this affect the prequel novel “Terminator Salvation: From the Ashes” written by Timothy Zahn that came out last week?
- And with the latest promo material showcasing the cast of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, cinematical wonders where are Ryan Reynolds and Dominic Monaghan?