Written By: Little Kristy
Last week, Lucasfilm released a full statement making it very clear to Star Wars fans that the expanded universe, also called the EU, would not be featured in any of the upcoming Star Wars films Episodes VII-IX. Also, the studio explained that this was truly a new era for the EU because, from this day forward, Lucasfilm will have a team that will be in charge of all future Star Wars story ideas. In other words, all past EU material is not connected to any of the new EU material, nor to any of the films. Is this bad news for Star Wars fans or something Star Wars readers can look forward to?
This is where I get real. I’ve tried several times to jump into the EU, but with little to no success. For me, most of the Star Wars books are poorly written and really rub my sense of what the Star Wars universe is all about, not that there hasn’t been some well written material. The Star Wars: The Old Republic series is my favorite including the novel Star Wars: The Old Republic – Revan by Drew Karpyshyn. There are a few others I enjoy such as any of the Timothy Zahn novels. I can’t forget the recent Star Wars: Darth Plagueis by James Luceno, a very well written and intriguing book.
For me, the Star Wars universe revolves around what George Lucas and now Kathleen Kennedy provide in the form of cartoons and movies. The EU was not cannon to me and I really had no interest in bringing any of the EU characters to life on the big screen. Mara Jade is one amazing EU character, but for me she doesn’t belong in the Star Wars universe, only in the EU universe.
All this being said, I realize that many who are fans of the EU are disappointed at this news. The thought of Mara Jade on the big screen was a popular hope or dream for many fans. I also know that many EU fans have invested a lot of time in the EU and feel that it all should be connected to the movies and cartoons. This news is probably a disappointment to them. I can sympathize, but that doesn’t mean that every Star Wars book written before this announcement should be thrown away.
The statement released did say that they would continue to print the older books, and let’s face it, you have every right as a Star Wars fan to enjoy whatever EU story or character you like while reading the books. You’re viewing Star Wars in a different way and there is nothing wrong with that.
As for me, I’m thrilled by the news, I never believed that Mara Jade would show up in the new movies and I knew that George Lucas rarely dealt with anything in the EU. I’m also thrilled because I’m looking forward to the new upcoming books:
Star Wars: A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller – September 2, 2014
Star Wars: Tarkin by James Luceno – November 11, 2014
Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne – January 2015
Star Wars: Lords of the Sith by Paul Kemp – March 2015
With the restart of the expanded universe I feel that I can finally get a grip on it and start out fresh with these first four books. It also makes me feel better to know that they are approved by Lucasfilms and are part of the movies and cartoons. I also believe that it will help control the EU and keep it from spinning out of control. Though there was a system in place to keep it from doing that, it didn’t seem to work. With Lucasfilms creating a team or Story Group to keep things cannon it should also help to keep things under control.
I think Lucasfilms did the right thing by releasing this statement and making it clear that the movies are not part of the Expanded Universe. I also beleive that they are doing the right thing by creating a Story Group to help set up a new system for the EU. Though it may be a sad time for some fnas, we do have new Star Wars movies to look forward, too!
The Geek Port 