Recently, Lucasfilm and Disney announced a huge publishing initiative called Journey to the Force Awakens, that would encompass some twenty different Star Wars books and comics, including Marvel’s upcoming event series Shattered Empire. Now we’re getting out first details of the first major novel to explicitly go into the events immediately following the end of Return of the Jedi, called Aftermath, set to come out this September.
Star Wars: Aftermath will be written by Chuck Wendig, author of Blackbirds, Mockingbird, and Under the Empyrean Sky. The new book from Del Rey will take place in the immediate, well… aftermath of the destruction of the second Death Star and the deaths of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. Marvel’s Shattered Empire seems to be treading similar ground, so I’m curious to see how the novel and the comics link up in the larger tapestry that Lucasfilm is creating. Aftermath will be the first book in a whole new trilogy that will cover the thirty year period between the Battle of Endor and the beginning of The Force Awakens.
According to the official description, “The second Death Star has been destroyed. Rumors are flying that the Emperor and his enforcer, Darth Vader, are dead. A new government is forming to replace the Empire. But the galaxy is a big place, and the fallout of this cataclysm will affect different worlds in different ways. Does everyone accept the fall of Imperial rule? Has everyone even heard the life-altering news? What rushes in to fill the vacuum the Empire has left? And who will try to stop them?” Many new characters, worlds and ships that we’ll see in the new films are set to be introduced here first, along with characters we already know from the classic films.
It will be interesting to see how different the post-Jedi period differs from the old Expanded Universe version of the story, beginning with Timothy Zahn’s much loved Heir to the Empire and its sequels. I’m sure many, many comparisons will be made by hardcore fans once the new novel hits in September. In the meantime, check out the cover for Star Wars: Aftermath below:
HT: StarWars
I prefer to think that when they said they’re throwing the EU out, actually means, “We’re throwing it out as you know it.” I think they’ll incorporate some bits and nods here and there to the old EU, but I don’t think they’ll completely disown/discount it.
I would tend to agree. I think they’ll cherry pick the bits that they like or were really popular. Like Boba Fett surviving the sarlacc pit (though how he did it might be different).
I was mad when they flushed the EU. But then i went back and started reading the books again, and realized how much of it didn’t even fall in line with the prequals, so they pretty much had to get rid of the EU. but I do hope they figure out how to bring MAra and Thrawn back.
uh, wasn’t there the Thrawn Trilogy book series that was ALREADY published that is set in the time after Return of the Jedi? To my knowledge, it has Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command. I’ve yet to read these, I confess, and (if you nerd your pants over Star Wars before the prequel trilogy release), it was published BEFORE the prequel trilogy. so….why do this?
All of the previous books are now out the continuity window. Very little that wasn’t in movie and certain TV shows is now considered part of the ‘real’ storyline.
HOW DARE THEY!!!!!! *tries force-choking Disney, fails because they’re too big!* ….uh, a little help here?…..
You might need Starkiller’s help. Didn’t disney play a part in the force unleashed games? Perhaps we can finally get another…? Please? 😀
careful darth mickey is all powerful and its wallet has aligned with the dark side of the force.
Yeah, the only things that are officially canon are the movies and the Clone Wars cartoon. Everything else can be rewritten or disregarded as they see fit. And the book that took place immediately after Return of the Jedi was The Truce At Bakura. It happened right after the battle at Endor, before the Thrawn trilogy.
But the Holiday Special is still canon, right??
Because everything from the EU was removed from the StarvWars canon when Disney bought it.
Because Disney has said that the Expanded universe didn’t happen, none of the books stand, neither do the comics, they’re rewriting everything… which kind of makes me not want to read this because what’s the point if they’re just able to blow away all those books and start again.
How is it not general knowledge by now that the old EU is no longer canon? It was announced long ago.
The thing with that is if Disney uses Timothy Zahn’s book as a movie they have to pay royalties and they don’t want to do that. Even though all real star wars far thought that his book was FRACKING AWSOME. 🙁
My guess is that the books and comics will cover the same time frame, just with different factions/locations. For example, Shattered Empire is from the Empire’s standpoint, Aftermath being from the Rebel Alliance’s standpoint.