For this week’s excerpt, we’ve cooked up something special. STAR WARS: RED HARVEST is centered around Hestizo Trace, a Jedi with a gift for plants. But little does she know that a rare plant she’s cultivating will be the last ingredient to a deadly virus that not only kills its victims, but reanimates them once they’re dead! Del Rey Spectra editor, Shelly Shapiro tells us more about Schreiber’s latest, terrifying Star Wars tale.

“Scary Star Wars? Well, why not? Darth Vader was pretty scary all by himself. And so many of us loved DEATH TROOPERS, so doing another Star Wars “horror” novel felt like a no-brainer. Joe Schreiber is an expert at scaring the pants off his readers, and once he proved he could do the same in the Star Wars universe, we asked him to do it again. This time, though, we decided to go in a slightly different direction. Instead of a story of zombies, desperate heroes and no Force users, we thought it would be fun to see how the zombie infection might affect Force users–from both the light and dark sides. That’s how RED HARVEST came about: a tale set in the long-ago days of the Old Republic, where Sith and Jedi both existed in relative abundance, trained in their separate academys, and kept the light vs. dark fight alive. Only now a plague has been unleashed among the students at a bastion of Sith learning, at the same time that the local dark lord’s insane ambitions bring an unsuspecting Jedi into the mix… If you like zombies, Jedi heroism against the odds, and Sith power set on having it all, grab a copy of STAR WARS:RED HARVEST, by Joe Schreiber.”

As always, feel free to give us feedback in the comments. Or let us know on Twitter via a direct message to our esteemed Twitter maven, editor David Pomerico: www.twitter.com/delreyspectra. Or write on the wall of our Facebook page: Like us at www.facebook.com/delreyspectra

Please enjoy this excerpt of STAR WARS: RED HARVEST, now in paperback!

STAR WARS: RED HARVEST by Joe Schreiber, Excerpt

What did you learn while editing Star Wars comics at Dark Horse that still informs your approach to writing in the EU?

When editor Dan Thorsland and I were assigned to develop the first Droids mini-series for Dark Horse, Dan introduced me to the Star Wars roleplaying books published by West End Games, and pointed out that they were valuable resources for information that Lucasfilm had already approved. Lucasfilm didn’t want Droids to mention the Empire or the Rebellion, so Dan and I created some new worlds for the adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO, but we also inserted occasional references to previously published Star Wars stories and characters. Although that worked well for Droids, I eventually realized that I generally preferred culling material from previously published stories and reference books for new story ideas. Unless there’s a crucial reason for inventing a new character or planet, I think it’s best to work with established material, and I think readers appreciate that effort too. Star Wars reference books aren’t just good for information, but also for inspiration.

That said, whenever I get a Star Wars fiction assignment, I always do a lot of research into the characters, locations and the continuity aspects. For the Millennium Falcon Haynes Manual, that meant digging deep into dozens of novels and reference books. The goal wasn’t to impress readers with my research, but to produce a comprehensive and entertaining book that genuinely meshed with all the other books.

You’re one of the few Star Wars authors who writes both novels and reference books. Can you compare the writing process for these two formats?

An editor might ask for a novel that’s approximately 40,000 words long, give or take several hundred words, and the layout of the body text as well as the size of the chosen font are factors in the novel’s final page count. With reference books, the page count is usually determined at the outset, before a single line of text has been written. One has to plan the contents for each spread, accommodating text along with illustrations or photos. In my experience, working on reference books is usually more time-consuming than novels. Every entry in a Star Wars reference book has to be thoroughly researched and footnoted, and also has to be written to fit a specific amount of space on the page. I’ve never been asked to “write seventeen more words to fill out this block of text” for a Star Wars novel, but that kind of request pops up frequently with the reference books. Either way, it’s important to do the research first, to sort out a lot of details in advance.

Are you familiar with Haynes’ other owner’s manuals, especially their fictional tie-ins?

The first Haynes Manual I ever bought was for an MGB that I owned years ago. I wanted to find out why my MGB consumed more motor oil than gasoline, and if there were any particular reason a company would deliberately manufacture a car that needed to be serviced by a mechanic every other week. Much as I loved the MGB when it was running well, I learned after several months that the book had more life to it. When Haynes editor Derek Smith approached me about the Millennium Falcon manual, he sent me copies of the Haynes Manuals for Star Trek’s U.S.S. Enterprise and also the Apollo 11 spacecraft. I thought those books were terrific, and they gave me a very good idea of what the Falcon book might look like.

What was your favorite part of the Falcon to explore?

Working on the first chapter, the history of the YT-series, was very interesting. It was an opportunity to weave information from an incredible variety of sources, everything from the West End Games books and James Luceno’s novel Millennium Falcon to The Star Wars Holiday Special and Hasbro’s Legacy Collection Falcon toy. But if you want to know my favorite area of the Falcon herself, I’ve always been fond of the main hold. It just looks like a great place to sit around with friends.

What did your collaboration with Haynes involve? How did they assist you in writing the book?

I worked very closely with Haynes editor Derek Smith, and also the artists Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas. I wrote a rough outline with proposed topics for each spread, and then Chris and Chris added more stuff, and then we shuffled things around until we filled 125 pages of material, including the inside back cover. All involved can correct me or beat me up if I’m wrong, but I think it was my idea to present other ships in the YT-series to help illustrate the evolution of the YT-1300. If I had a question about some part of the Falcon and I couldn’t find information in a reference book, Chris and Chris either sent me the info or gave me their own suggestions for how I might write certain bits. The project was very collaborative.

The owner’s manual has an in-universe element to it, sort of like The Jedi Path. Did you approach this in-universe manual differently from your strictly out-of-universe projects like The Complete Vader or Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle?

Yes. With out-of-universe books, my angle of approach is to write as objectively as possible, presenting facts without opinions, and it’s perfectly acceptable to make references to our own real world. For example, a picture of an old Millennium Falcon toy might read, Kenner produced this Millennium Falcon playset in 1982, and it was packaged with five die-cast mini-figures, one of which is highly sought after by collectors, etc. For the Haynes Manual, I adopted the voice of an unidentified narrator from the Star Wars galaxy, a guy who is thoroughly versed in the history of Corellian Engineering Corporation (CEC), and also has an uncanny knowledge about Han Solo’s YT-1300. The narration was meant to make the reader to feel immersed in the Star Wars universe, as if the Haynes Manual were an actual CEC publication.

Did anything that you learned about the Falcon from existing sources surprise you?

Chris and Chris sent me a file for an article titled “Secrets of the Falcon” by Christopher West, which originally appeared in a magazine called Polyhedron. I was unfamiliar with West’s article, which he illustrated with different interior configurations for the YT-1300’s interior, and I was very impressed by how much thought and effort he put into the details, his explanations for each floor plan. We included West’s name in the Haynes Manual’s acknowledgments, but I should have indicated how much I appreciated his article, how much I utilized the information he’d presented.

In general, I’m continually surprised by how much information has been written about a fictional ship. I don’t mean that in any condescending way at all. I’m genuinely amazed that so much attention is given to a ship that exists primarily on celluloid or the digital equivalent, and exists even larger in our imaginations.

You also wrote Millennium Falcon: A 3-D Owner’s Guide. Is the Falcon your favorite Star Wars ship?

Yes, the Falcon has my always been my favorite Star Wars ship. When I was a kid, I bought a Kenner die-cast Millennium Falcon, which I still own and treasure. I just love the way the Falcon looks. I’d get claustrophobic in a starfighter, and I’d get lost on a Star Destroyer. Relatively, the Falcon is just right, the ultimate getaway vehicle and motor home.

Is there anything you still don’t know about the Falcon that you’d like to find out and/or enter into canon yourself?

Scenes from the movies indicate that the Falcon is substantially taller than it appears from the outside, that there’s more space between the quad cannons in the central ladderwell, and also in the maintenance pits and bays below and above decks, Chris and Chris will be the first to tell you that the only way to build a full-scale replica of the Falcon is to fake a lot of details, but I’d still love to see the finished result.

As for entering anything into canon, no, I don’t have any personal agenda in that department. For the Haynes Manual, I proposed incorporating the mini-fighter from Hasbro’s Legacy Collection Falcon into our book as an optional extra for the YT-1300, which I thought was fun and appropriate, but not because I wanted to “canonize” the mini-fighter. When we were working on the Star Wars Blueprints project, Chris and Chris presented evidence to convince Lucasfilm that the Falcon’s previously published measurements were inaccurate. That was a significant accomplishment.

I suppose if I could revise anything about the Falcon, it would be the notion that Han won the Falcon from Lando just a couple of years before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, at least according to the novel Rebel Dawn. I don’t know whether that idea came from the novel’s author, A.C. Crispin, or from another book, or from someone at Lucasfilm. I realize I may sound silly, but I just instinctively disagree with that idea, that Han and Chewie had only owned the ship for two years before they met Ben Kenobi and Luke. The way Han and Chewie move inside the Falcon is beyond familiar territory. You can tell they know every inch of that ship, and Han loves her dearly. My take has always been that it takes longer to build a connection like that with a vehicle. The Falcon is an extension of those characters, not a recently acquired accessory. Also, if continuity allowed them to own the Falcon longer, they could have that many more years of smuggling adventures, and I think that would be a very good thing.

Let’s say hypothetically I was going to write ad copy for trailers promoting additional Haynes Star Wars ship manuals. Which vessels do you think would make great sequel material?

That’s a tough one because I like all the vehicles too much. Wouldn’t the X-wing look great on the cover of a Haynes Manual? And a TIE fighter? And a landspeeder, and an AT-AT, and a skyhopper? Yeah, they’re all great. The Executor and the Death Star would be incredible opportunities too, what with all the interior levels on those vessels. Even if you never manage to own a Death Star, you should read the Owner’s Workshop Manual so you’ll know your way around inside, just in case.

I want to thank author Ryder Windham for talking to me about his work. I thought his suggestions for sequel manuals were great, so I went ahead and wrote ad copy for some of them. Enjoy!

As a brave member of the TIE fighter pilot corps, you deserve the best in flight school instruction material. That’s why we’re teaming up with the Galactic Empire to offer expert advice and detailed troubleshooting guides at no additional cost to you. Bomber, fighter, interceptor – it doesn’t matter, we’ve got you covered. Download the right manual for you on Imperial HoloNet band 231 sub-channel 9, and get the clear, simple help and advice that have made Haynes the galactic leader in vehicle repair tutorials. If you’re chasing Rebel scum and you don’t have time to chase the answer, choose Haynes.

Hey farm boy, do you know a hydrospanner from a sonic wrench? We didn’t think so. If you’re stuck on the Outer Rim with no hope of seeing Galactic Center anytime soon, you’ll want to tinker with Dad’s old landspeeder. But what happens when you pull the wrong power conduit and fry the engines? Don’t let that happen – stay out of trouble and consult Haynes. For over 120 Standard Years, we’ve been offering help to backwater swoop-jocks like you from Tatooine to Malastare. Visit our HoloNet node today, and remember: no matter how good they think they are, they always choose Haynes.

The AT-AT: an armored behemoth that inspires feelings of terror and the desire to surrender. And that’s just from you, the confused technician. Lord Vader will have you “permanently reassigned” if you botch this repair job, and the snowtroopers inside the passenger hold are all armed and loyal to the Empire. You can’t afford any mistakes. Listen up technicians: stop fiddling with loose wires and updating your will – there’s a better way. When Imperial mechanics are flummoxed and on a deadline, they turn to Haynes, the galactic leader in technical support. For everything from a T-16 Skyhopper on up, Haynes has the answers you need. Don’t get “choked up” when you lose your way  – let Haynes relieve that pressure with the AT-AT Repair Crew’s Field Guide.

If you’re planning to assault the Death Star, you need to be sure that you have your bases covered, and we’re not talking about the hidden one on Dantooine. Freedom fighters need the best resources to complete their mission – Liberty and Justice are counting on their success. That’s where the Haynes Insurgency Collective comes in. With our step-by-step instructions you’ll sail past tractor beam stations and through detention blocks like you own the place. Our covert operations specialists combine a wealth of saboteur training with instructional expertise sliced from the databanks of that other reference manual corporation. Don’t count on an unshielded exhaust port any more. When the fate of the galaxy depends on you, you can depend on us! (The Haynes Insurgency Collective is not affiliated with the Haynes Publishing Group or any other tool of Imperial propaganda.)

As I watched A New Hope recently, I began to wonder if the ships of Star Wars really aren’t characters in their own right. Talking machines like C-3PO and R2-D2 immediately carry that recognition; the pair may be droids, but each has become a beloved character in the eyes of Star Wars fans. But lines of dialogue aren’t what create a character – they also have qualities that make them distinctive and unique, and they embody the notion of thought, even feelings. Who hasn’t attributed the characteristics like loyalty and devotion to the little silver-and-blue astromech?

As a writer myself, I find that my understanding of what defines a character depends on the intention of the storyteller, even with non-sentients such as robots or vessels. Lifeforms, alive and in varying levels of sentience, can exist in a story as nothing more than as set dressing or props. Even in real life, we might call a fickle photocopier haunted or curse out a finicky cable-box for taunting us. When a writer or director uses an inanimate object in a way that creates expectation or emotion, or even personality, that’s when a droid or a ship comes to life as a character.

The Tantive IV or a Star Destroyer, in their brief moments onscreen, may be harder to see as individual characters. But how about the Death Star, Slave I, or Millennium Falcon? Personally, my favorite ship in the Star Wars saga is the flying hunk of junk that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. From his first mention of the ship in A New Hope, Han Solo speaks of the Falcon in a way that shows his affection for her. If you’ve ever known a car aficionado or watched American Graffiti, it’s quite obvious George Lucas drew parallels to the era where young men were defined by their relationship with their cars in Star Wars, too.

Much like its real-world counterpart Haynes Manuals, which sit proudly in many garages, the new Millennium Falcon Owner’s Workshop Manual details equipment specifications and offers troubleshooting advice. It also delves into the manufacturing and ownership history of the iconic Corellian Engineering Corporation YT-1300. What makes the Falcon unique, though, are the numerous modifications added later by Han Solo and his best friend Chewbacca that transformed her from a beat-up freighter to one of the fastest ships in the galaxy.

I’m not what you’d call a car aficionado, but like Han, I do get attached to my vehicles. Even beyond that, to the brand – the last three trucks I’ve driven are all Chevys. In part, it’s because my trucks have taken me a lot of places, held together in fateful collisions, refused to start and made me late for big meetings, and also managed to eke out an extra mile to the gas station when I probably should have stopped far earlier. In sharing so much of my life with it, the truck almost becomes part of the family.

Despite the Falcon’s inability to make the jump to lightspeed in The Empire Strikes Back, Han’s faith in his ship doesn’t seem to wane. Director Irvin Kershner has talked at length about his vision of Episode V as a fairy tale more than a comic book or scifi movie. In that light, it’s easy to wonder if he hadn’t made the fantastical leap to imbuing a magical role for the big ship – a fairy godmother of sorts, helping nudge Han and Leia toward true love.

For me, the best thing about science fiction, space opera, and fantasy is that the storyteller can play with an enormous range of philosophical and mystical ideas, even the notion that a hunk of space junk run by three droid-brains might become more than the sum of her parts. Beyond the movies, Star Wars Expanded Universe authors most definitely have toyed with the idea of portraying the YT-1300 as a character. James Luceno’s Millennium Falcon uses the fabled ship as a central set-piece around which he weaves a mystery-filled tale, but I think it was the role the ship played in the storyline of the New Jedi Order and Legacy of the Force series that proved the ship had enough character and fan support to carry that book.

R.A. Salvatore’s Vector Prime opens the New Jedi Order with a bang. Streaking away from the planet Sernpidal with Han and Leia’s son, Anakin Solo, as its pilot, the Falcon whisks to safety Han, his youngest son, and many more innocents – but only after Chewbacca’s life is sacrificed to escape the destruction of the world. Rereading the scene a few days ago, it was quite evident that Salvatore used the ship as another character in the heroic rescue scene. If Han were the courage and Chewbacca were the conscience of the threesome, then the Falcon certainly played her part as the heart. It’s a gut-wrenching beginning to the series, but Chewie’s death defines what is at stake for the rest of the war.

Many of the important character dynamics in the saga exist in threes: Luke, Han, and Leia; Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padmé; Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka Tano; and the Solo children Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin. If you think about the number of character trios in Star Wars, the possibilities seem endless, and even from the beginning Han, Chewbacca, and the Millennium Falcon were always considered inseparable. For that reason, Chewbacca’s death created a void just as tragic as Padmé’s death in the Prequel Trilogy. For the rest of the NJO, on mission after mission against the Yuuzhan Vong, the Falcon fought on, shuttling Jedi children to the Maw and carrying Han and Leia across the galaxy in search of the answers they sought to defeat the new galactic threat.

As a long-time fan of books, I personally haven’t felt a need to see the rendering of a big screen adventure to round out the fabled Episodes VII, VIII, and IX that have long been spoken of within the fandom. In many ways, the Legacy of the Force series brings the Skywalker saga to a point I think is inherent to the cyclical nature of Star Wars storytelling. The series brings the powerful dynamic of twins Jaina and Jacen Solo – so alike, yet so different – and pits them in an epic conflict that symbolizes the duality of the Force. A hero rises and a villain falls, melding the themes of Prequel Trilogy against the Original Trilogy in one storyline. As the siblings are pitted against one another, the Falcon – the ship in which they spent countless hours in childhood – again becomes central to the story. In one of the most heartbreaking yet beautifully conceived scenes set in Tempest, Jacen Solo stands on the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer Anakin Solo and orders the destruction of the Millennium Falcon with his father, mother, sister, and nephew aboard. It’s a turbolaser blast at the heart of the Skywalker-Solo family. I’ll admit I cried for the Noghri bodyguards lost when the laser shot cores the Falcon, but even more I feared for Han and his family, including his ship. Somehow, once again against all odds, the old girl holds it together; she lives to fight another day, and perhaps that says it all about her potential as a character. The family showdown could have happened anywhere, but it had that extra sense of resonance, and ramped up the stakes, by including the famous ship.

Great pains were taken to design the Corellian freighter and to even give her a story, and we fans care about her. When she appears onscreen or in the pages of a book, the Falcon embodies a set of qualities that make her unique. If something were to happen to her, it would hurt, at least for me, just as much as if it were a living character. For all those reasons, I think she’s earned her place as a beloved character in the galaxy far, far away.

What are your thoughts – is she just a souped-up freighter or a part of the cast of Star Wars characters? Do any other ships stick out in your mind that could be considered a character?

Can’t see the players above? Click on a link to listen/download: MP3 | OGG

Musical credits: Cellarscape
Executive Producer: Brennan Dye

 
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When we asked Paul about working on the painting he had this to say, “It was a boy hood dream to work on a Star Wars project and I’ve had some great pieces to Illustrate over many years now; however, to get to Illustrate a cover that involved Yoda was the Jedi icing on the cake and I personally think the most interesting Star Wars piece I’ve done. It was a real pleasure working with Scott on the project. He made it very easy for me, I think we made a great team, Yoda would expect nothing less. When Scott kept asking for more books and then more books and just a few more, my words were ‘I’ll try’ only to here a voice in my head say ‘Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.’ so in the end the Jedi Master had some sort of strange influence on the outcome of the final art.”

So now, with imaginary drum roll…or should I say Twentieth Century Fox fanfare (play below), I give you the cover for Pablo Hidalgo’s Star Wars: The Essential Reader’s Companion designed by Scott Biel and painting by Paul Youll.

Click to enlarge.

Did you find all of the covers in the painting?

Star Wars: The Essential Reader’s Companion is the first Essential Guide devoted entirely to published Star Wars fiction, from the original movie novelization, to young reader’s books, short stories, eBook novellas, and the most recent adult novels. This book will cover all the fiction that has built the Star Wars Expanded Universe over the last thirty-five years. Written by Pablo Hidalgo and featuring more than one hundred color illustrations by popular Star Wars artists Chris Trevas and Jeff Carlisle, this book will be an invaluable source for Star Wars readers and fans.

Look for it on bookstore shelves August 21, 2012.

Yesterday was supposed to be a milestone day for Star Wars: The Old Republic, the newly released MMORPG from BioWare, LucasArts and EA, but fans are being asked for some patience as the first major patch, Rise of the Rakghouls, has been delayed. Shacknews reports on the delay:

Update 1.1, titled Rise of the Rakghouls, has been delayed indefinitely after players on the public test server discovered “issues requiring additional testing.”

And official word from the Star Wars: The Old Republic forums says:

We’re working hard to bring you Game Update 1.1: Rise of the Rakghouls and are working hard to ensure your overall experience with Star Wars: The Old Republic is spectacular! The maintenance window for Game Update 1.1 will be rescheduled for some time within the next few days, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. When there’s a definite time, we will post here on the Community Blog as well as on the Official Forums. Please keep your eye out for updates, and we will provide information as soon as it’s available.

Unfortunately, such rocky launches are not unusual for ambitious MMORPGs like The Old Republic, but as heavyweights like World of Warcraft and The Lord of the Rings Online have taught us, time and hard work from the development teams tends to iron out these kinks, leaving gamers open to experience the expansive game worlds without hiccups and let the early launch nightmares drift off into forgotten memories.

Star Wars: The Old Republic has been released to strong critical and commercial success, currently it sits at an impressive 85% on Metacritic. For more information on Star Wars: The Old Republic, visit the official website.

Update: And, just like that, Update 1.1 is live! Go now and watch the Rakghouls rise from, well, wherever Rakghouls rise from.

This is the second half of my interview with Mr. Luceno. You can find the first half on TheForce.Net.

————————————————

When you were writing the scene where Plagueis first meets young Palpatine, how did you get a feel for what Palpatine should do and say? Did you watch any scenes from the Prequels?

I just kept toying with different ideas, different scenarios. That’s one scenario that went through a lot of revision. Once I had a sense of who I thought Palpatine could be – this kind of spoiled scion of wealth, growing up in a world like Naboo – things started to fall into place in terms of his character and what he might be into as a young person. Little by little, my sense of him began to grow. I threw out a lot more material than I ended up using for those scenes. I didn’t want to overdo it, I didn’t want to give too much about his background, because again I felt I was running that risk of humanizing him too much. There was nothing specific in the films [that I consulted], other than the fact that it seemed to me that Palpatine had to have come from a background of wealth and nobility, just based on the way that he first appears to us in The Phantom Menace in his crimson suite and with his patrician attitude. Working from that, I kept trying to look back and back and back until I finally came up with something that I felt worked.

As I read Plagueis and Palpatine’s first few conversations, I was struck by the similarities between young Palpatine and young Anakin, especially in the sense that both of them knew they were destined for something greater.

That’s one of those things that happens when you’re writing and you make these discoveries. A lot of times, an author is not even aware of what he or she is doing until the book begins to assemble itself and you can go back and find things that your unconscious was leading you toward. There is that similarity to Anakin, and I think that at the end of the book, Palpatine really sees a younger version of himself in Anakin when Anakin is presented with Obi-Wan.

The Sith are the main characters in many of your novels. What do you find especially appealing about writing them?

It goes back to this idea that, you know, a lot of actors would rather play the villain than the hero, because the villains just tend to be more interesting, to have more depth. I think that the Sith have become that area of greater depth in the Star Wars saga. I like the Jedi Order, and I like writing about the Jedi, but I think with the way that the Jedi Order has been laid out in the saga, there’s not as much to work with. Originally, I had a different sense of them when I saw [A New Hope] way back when, but when we finally got to see the way the Jedi Order worked in the Prequels, I found there was less mystery than my own imagination had been creating for them.

And it seems to me that, at least in the Prequels, the Sith are the actors and the Jedi are the reactors. So there’s more of an opportunity to give the Sith the motivation.

That’s a good way to think about it. The Jedi are in this position where they’re reacting to what the Sith are finally doing with their grand plan.

Do you think the Rule of Two was a good idea, or do you think that Bane made a mistake?

I like the idea of it. I think it’s an intriguing idea that probably worked for the first couple of generations of Sith Lords to follow Bane. But as Plagueis himself says in the book, it was destined to be overturned at some point because of the kind of power that was generated by the Dark Side. There was going to come a time when a Sith Lord wouldn’t want to step aside ever, or would hide knowledge from an apprentice. It worked for a while, and perhaps there was some point where it should have transitioned into something different. I enjoy toying with that whole notion.

You’ve written books that fall all along the Expanded Universe timeline. Do you have a favorite era?

I guess I’d have to say the Prequel era now, mainly because I’ve been in it for several novels. I think that things have been carried out maybe a little bit too far [in the timeline]. When I wrote The Unifying Force, I was sort of writing the end of an era for myself. I didn’t want to write about Han and Luke and Leia anymore after that novel – although I did in Millennium Falcon, but there was a request that I set that book at a certain time. I just don’t find as much interest out there beyond The New Jedi Order, so I like the Prequel era now.

Do you feel that the Prequel era is more closely rooted in the movies in general?

I think you touched on something. I think it’s easier to hue to the sense of the films in that era. I don’t know how many more stories can be told about the Sith on their way up. You can deal with individual Sith Lords, but there’s going to become a saturation point. I feel that way about Star Wars in general right now – that there’s so many books, there’s so many games and tie-ins, that it’s getting harder and harder not to repeat what somebody has done. I’m constantly worried about that. I read everything, and a lot of times I come up with an idea, and I’ll be reading a book by whoever, and I’ll say, “Well, there goes that idea, somebody grabbed that one.” I suppose this problem is inherent in any franchise; eventually, where do you go for new ideas?

What do you think of Plagueis, and what do hope readers think of him after reading this book?

I would like readers to come away feeling that he was a very powerful Sith Lord who unfortunately got involved with a human. I feel that humans are the most dangerous in their  unpredictability. I think that he, as part of a species that’s not quite as emotional as humans, failed to read the signs in his apprentice. He didn’t understand false flattery and manipulation at the level where Palpatine was capable of using it as a weapon.

It’s interesting that you mention Palpatine’s manipulation, because I think that the way Sidious killed Plagueis in his sleep is a great metaphor for the way in which Palpatine, the consummate politician, operates to get what he wants.

From the very beginning, that was something that I tried to write around, because I thought that there wasn’t going to be a powerful enough ending in that business about him being killed in his sleep. But again, this was one of the times that George, as well as Howard, kept saying, “No, that’s what happened, you are not allowed to change that.” There was not going to be any lightsaber duel at the end, none of that. Just that very fact forced me to think hard about what weapon Palpatine was using to bring down Plagueis. If it couldn’t be a lightsaber and a duel to the death, it had to be this sense we always get from Palpatine that he’s the master at manipulating beings. I guess, by extension, you could think that that’s what he does to the entire galaxy – he just lulls everybody into this false sense of security.

Do you have plans for more Star Wars books in the near future?

I don’t have any solid plans. I have an idea which I’m still working with, and if it resonates for me a couple of months from now, I may pitch the idea.

Now that you’ve tackled Plagueis, are there any other characters who you think merit that kind of deep exploration, who we either don’t know a lot about or for whom there’s a gap somewhere in their story that you think should be filled in?

There is, but I don’t really want to talk about it. (laughs) I don’t want anybody else to grab it.

If you started here with part two of the interview, click over to TheForce.Net for the first half. I’d like to thank James Luceno for taking the time to talk to me about his work. Star Wars: Darth Plagueis is on sale now, and trust me, you’ll want to pick this one up!

Since these titles were released in the mid-to-late 1990s, there’s been an explosion of EU material that the compilers of the ”Tales” anthologies couldn’t possibly have imagined. Given the wide variety of eras open to exploration and the wealth of new characters, conflicts, and organizations popping up in these eras, I think it’s time to imagine what a new wave of short story anthologies might look like.

Tales from the Clone Wars

With the animated TV series on Cartoon Network picking up steam and taking things to the next level, there’s no time like the present to put together a series of vignettes about life on the front lines of the Clone Wars. Just off the top of my head, I can think of a ton of ideas for brief stories set against the backdrop of the Prequel Trilogy’s three-year war. Tales from the Clone Wars might include: covert ops commandos gathering intel on Separatist installations; a battle droid factory suffering a glitch and accidentally producing a handful of droids that can think for themselves and decide to renounce their CIS allegiance; a Jedi Master searching the ruins of a battlefield for his Padawan and being haunted by his past failures until he makes a grim choice; a senator from the Core Worlds visiting the terrorism-plagued Outer Rim on a humanitarian mission and getting caught in the middle of a hostage situation.

Tales of Black Sun

Various books have touched on the galactic criminal syndicate famously run by Prince Xizor, but in keeping with its name, this shadowy organization has never been thrust into in the spotlight. I hope that will change someday, because as cool as Black Sun is as the secretive group that gets referenced in hushed tones, I’d like to see its inner workings and explore some of the Vigo-against-Vigo drama that must be brewing at all times. Imagine a book whose short stories reveal the extent to which one underground group has affected the course of galactic history. Imagine Darth Sidious reaching out to Underlord Dal Perhi in the early days of his Empire, intent on fomenting as much unrest as possible so that his stormtroopers would be seen as peacekeepers instead of terrible oppressors. (Xizor’s appearance on the scene, seizing power from Perhi and freezing cooperation with Palpatine due to the Empire’s murder of his family, would make a great short story too.) Or what if a small group of Republic politicians secretly used Senate funds to order Black Sun hits on prominent Separatist generals and financiers? With a group as shrouded in mystery as Black Sun, the sky’s the limit (or would it be the sun?) when it comes to ideas for an anthology.

Tales from Cloud City

Before I suggest ideas for this book, it bears repeating that, in keeping with Tales anthology tradition, Lando Calrissian cannot be the main character in any of these stories –– even if he is “the administrator of this facility.” Still, the city in the clouds depicted The Empire Strikes Back offers a treasure trove of material ripe for the literary picking. In one story, Ugnaught workers uncover an Imperial plot to bug the city that would have exploited its under-the-radar reputation to catch fugitives from the Emperor’s justice. On another side of the floating landscape, a prominent carbonite salesman’s son siphons off portions of his father’s yield and sells it on the black market, only to get caught in the crossfire between two vicious groups of pirates. Meanwhile, danger strikes a class field trip below Bespin’s clouds as they encounter the planet’s native velkers. And just think of the tales you could tell about Cloud City’s famous Ice Cream Maker Guy…okay, forget that last part.

Tales from the Coruscant Underworld

Sure, it might be interesting to read a Tales from the Galactic Senate anthology, but if I’m picking one location on Coruscant to receive its own collection of short stories, it’s got to be the seedy venues and risqué establishments of the city-planet’s nightlife. Even when speeders piloted by Jedi Knights aren’t crash-landing in front of them, the clubs and bars of the galactic capital are teeming with excitement of the less-than-legal variety. One short story might follow a reformed death stick dealer who, after going home and rethinking his life, aids local law enforcement in cleaning up his city block. Another could focus on a Twi’lek dancer (I think writers are contractually obligated to make all nightclub dancers Twi’leks) looking into the mysterious death of her employer. Another riveting tale might feature a squad of stormtroopers stranded far below the comforting glow of Coruscant’s orbital solar mirrors, desperately trying to escape whatever industrially-mutated creature is stalking them in the dim, murky light of the underworld’s streetlamps. The book series Coruscant Nights offers just enough glimpses of this gritty realm to demonstrate the appeal of a full anthology.

Those are my ideas for future anthologies. If you think of other regions or aspects of the Star Wars galaxy that deserve their own short story collections, share your thoughts in the comments.

This week we bring you an excerpt from a new Star Wars story featuring the legendary character: Darth Plagueis the Wise. Mentioned only very briefly in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Darth Plagueis is a powerful dark Lord of the Sith who’s story has thus far been unexplored in the Star Wars cannon. If you don’t recall Palpatine telling Anakin about Darth Plagueis’ dark history, a video is embedded after the break. But first, let’s hear from Del Rey Spectra editor Shelly Shapiro:

“I have to admit that whenever I’m asked to write something for one of our 50-page Friday specials, I tend to draw a blank: by the time we’re ready to excerpt 50 pages of a book, I’ve moved on from that title and through at least several others. But STAR WARS: DARTH PLAGUEIS is a no-brainer for me.

First of all, it’s a story I’m just not going to forget: two powerful Sith Lords working both with each other and against each other to bring the galaxy under their control…well, that’s just memorable! And then there is the tale of the story’s conception. After the film’s delicious hints about the relationship between Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious, Jim Luceno desperately wanted to tell the story in full. After disagreements with the source caused the project to be tabled, Jim still wouldn’t give up: He went out to see the top “Lucasfolk” in person with the goal of hammering out a tale that all would be happy with. And he succeeded.

Now, at long last, the book is a reality, and everyone can experience the dark desires and Machiavellian planning of two of the greatest Sith Lords ever. It’s a must-read for anyone who saw the movies and remembers Palpatine telling Anakin Skywalker “The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise,” and it’ll be a perfect set up for those of you who are planning to head out soon to the theaters to see The Phantom Menace in 3D. And the best part is that you don’t need to have read all of the gazillion other Star Wars books out there in order to understand and enjoy this book. Give it a shot: I think you’ll find it as riveting—and as memorable—as I did!”

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As always, feel free to give us feedback in the comments. Or let us know on Twitter via a direct message to our esteemed Twitter maven, editor David Pomerico: www.twitter.com/delreyspectra . Or write on the wall of our Facebook page: Like us at www.facebook.com/delreyspectra

Please enjoy this excerpt of STAR WARS: DARTH PLAGUEIS on sale everywhere January 10th!

STAR WARS: DARTH PLAGUEIS