New Details Regarding The Force Awakens EU Books.
Recently Viral Hide reported a list of planned Expanded Universe books that are being released to coincide with next years ginormous film release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Today we have some new details regarding the book series which, keep in mind, are all officially part of the Star Wars canon. Find out after the jump . . .
Our friends from the German website jedi-bibliothek.de are at it again this time uncovering some more juicy details. I ran their article through the translator and deciphered what they’re saying . . . mostly. Well, it actually wasn’t that hard — they referenced the site Edelweiss, specifically a very early page that details the book “Journey to Episode VII: The Fall of the Empire/The Rise of the Jedi.” You can see the Summary and “Key Selling Points” in the following pics:
Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed that the book is written by New York Times best-selling author Claudia Gray of such popular books as “Evernight,” “Firebird,” and “Spellcaster” series. Ms. Gray is an author who targets young adults and, as you no doubt can tell, female readers. This, coupled with the fact that Daisy Ridley is playing one of the leading characters, suggests Disney is intensely targeting the largely untapped female audience. However, first and foremost it should probably be noted that Ms. Gray is a seriously hardcore Star Wars fan. IF you doubt this statement, consider the following quote from her own website:
A few weeks ago, I posted a comment on Twitter saying that, if the internet had been around in 1980 (the year “Empire Strikes Back” came out), we’d all be Team Luke or Team Han. Some guy took it upon himself to inform me – to explain to me, like I was not alive and aware during that year – that “girls didn’t like Star Wars.” He insisted that we were, in 1980, only interested in Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy, the heartthrob stars of “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.” (Surely some girls also liked Pamela Sue Anderson as Nancy Drew, but we shall let the heteronormative side of this slide for now.)
Let’s try to count everything that’s wrong with that, if we can:
Go here to continue reading her awesomely epic verbal smackdown of some forgettable internet troll! Needless to say, Disney didn’t hire Claudia to write Star Wars books to lure girls in as the more cynical and jaded of the world would surely surmise. The whole fabricated and contrived “Star Wars is sexist” argument is dead. Long live the Queen, er, Princess as in Leia! No. Ms. Gray is going to bring a fresh voice to the world of Star Wars literature [canon] as well as the unique experience of seeing the story of Star Wars told through veiw-points on differing sides of the war:
DUAL NARRATIVE: Chapters alternate perspectives between our two protagonists–one a Rebel pilot, the other an Imperial officer. By exploring these two different worlds, readers will experience many of the major moments in the original Star Wars trilogy–from the destruction of the Death Star, to the battle of Hoth–through these two characters’ eyes.
Should be very intriguing. Be on the look out for the Episode VII merchandising bliztkrieg to begin around August/September of next year!
You can be assured, the talents that be are busy working on post CT pre ST books as well. Many of whom have worked on prior (now non-canon) books. Ironic.
So much Star Wars awesomeness on the way! Hopes are high…just don’t make it kiddy kiddy stuff…we from the 1970’s and 80’s have waited since 1980 for our next Star Wars movie. ROTJ, weak dialogue and the Ewoks began the downward spiral and we’ve not been the same since then. So, 35 years later, to me, Episode 7 is really looking to be my 3rd Star Wars film. Plus, all of these books and spinoffs…could it be…could it be real? We love you Kathleen and JJ!
SW has always been kiddy stuff. The studios just started treating kids as pussies at some point.
The ‘new’ canon isn’t supposed to be superior by nature, simply a new stab at defining a shared universe fiction without being beholden to the stories beyond the movies and TCW. I did hope for a slate of brand new writers because the pre-existing continuity was becoming long-winded, labyrinthine, overly serious and mired in its own history. ‘A New Dawn’, a novel which I found dreadfully boring, IMO got the ‘new’ Star Wars off to a profoundly anticlimactic start. In hindsight, seeing as the first generation of ‘new-continuity’ novels read exactly like EU, there doesn’t really seem like much defense for sidelining what has gone before – the ‘new’ EU is the ‘old’ EU re-branded?
Not rebranded, transfigured. It also a wonderful opportunity for said prior authors to reinvent themselves alongside the new canon. Look for announcement about Zahn soon.
My preference would be for a return to faster, lighter, brighter stories – more Flash Gordon and less Dune or Battlestar Galactica (Ron Moore remake). Not keen on these ‘grim n’ gritty’, (some) borderline horrific and very long sagas that eventually began to permeate the SW novels. That was a sign to me that the central steering mechanism was off, and the EU was becoming the tail wagging the dog. Am very glad to see the films back in action to try to set the course right and rediscover Star Wars’ pulp space fantasy origins and not weighted too far in the direction of aspects of the ageing fan-base (including some SW authors) who thirst for ever deeper and darker tales.
Exactly. If I want a dark and grim movie, I can always check out a DC movie. SW should be fun.
When I first saw the OT as a kid I immediately started playing Jedi Princess Leia – which means my friends and me had duels with out plastic light sabers. I did NOT want to play ex-polititian who watches her sons die.
There is no more EU. The Expanded Universe referred to material not done directly by George Lucas. Basically everything outside of the movies and TCW.
The plan now is that there is no distinction with everything overseen by the story group. There is only Star Wars so all the new era books, comics, TV series will tie in with the movies.
“Hopes are high…just don’t make it kiddy kiddy stuff…we from the 1970′s and 80′s have waited since 1980 for our next Star Wars movie. ROTJ, weak dialogue and the Ewoks began the downward spiral and we’ve not been the same since then. So, 35 years later, to me, Episode 7 is really looking to be my 3rd Star Wars film.”
Man that is so sad! I’m from the 70’s and 80’s and I’m going to get my 7th Star Wars film while you are only maybe but not likely going to get your third. If you didn’t like the last 4 chances are very low you are going to like this next one. What are you going to do then I wonder? I also don’t quite understand why you would like IV either as it is kiddy, kiddy stuff as well.
“I also don’t quite understand why you would like IV either as it is kiddy, kiddy stuff as well.” What?
Nothing in A New Hope like the Ewoks, Han Solo in ROTJ is so weak, Leia is quite strange, all caused from weak dialogue/script…nothing like in A New Hope. No, sorry, you are wrong, The Empire Strikes Back proved that A Star Wars sequel can out do it’s predecessor. ROTJ and the Prequels were simply weak film productions. Plain and simple.
Oh, and also, where have you guys been? The prequels and the Ewoks and other things about ROTJ have been complained about by millions of Star Wars fans for a very long time. It’s the top ongoing problem fans have had with the Star Wars films. UHH, Hello?
You mean Jawas 3.0. Rose-tinted glasses…
I was born in 1991 and have hopes for the new film, I enjoyed Star Trek 2 a lot. I do have doubts about 8 and 9 however.
Rian Johnson is a 7/10 director at best in my opinion, I don’t see what advantages his films have aside from beer commercial cinematography. Looper stinks and lost way too much momentum, his hiring is a mistake.
“Beer commercial cinematography”
Thank you for that.
His hiring was purely circumstantial. He just as easily could have been given a spin-off gig. What you should know is that his hiring for an Episode film wasn’t for qualitative reasons.
If you can recall, Disney was scraping the under 50 barrel for directors for 7 and all (but one) turned them down. I happen to think JJ is the best choice for this movie (and fck its a great story) due to many factors, most important of which is what it will do for him as a director.
WHY would they assume that girls don’t like Star Wars?!?
It’s a perfect mix of they guy stuff (explosions and fighting) AND girl stuff (HELLO! Am I the only one who noticed all the relationship drama??)
And I TOTALLY disagree that it could even possibly be sexist. So there.
Why do those things have to continue to be defined by genders?
I’m a guy, and I enjoy a good romantic subplot. And I’m sure tons of women love action.
Don’t judge Rian, I’m sure people were thrilled about Irvin Kershner
He directed Ep V.
The great thing about star wars movies is that with the good ones you don’t really care who directed it. Ep V felt like it was directed by the Force. Unfortunately we don’t talk about Irvin.
Wait, wasn’t this article about books or something? I don’t remember.
George Lucas picked Irvin Kershner for that job. Disney corporate on the other hand….
Picked another director. Neither Kirschner not Johnson have done a lot of other famous stuff.
Why can’t I edit my own comment? I meant to write “Kershner nor Johnson”, btw.
I trust pre Return of the Jedi George Lucas a lot more than Disney corporate.
No doubt about it now…Disney has officially killed the Star Wars that I loved! Hoping JJ will bring it, but with the story group that they have in charge…it’s not looking good. They pretty much give the original fan base the middle finger. Now they are just going to milk the franchise by completely catering to the age group of 8-10. A fresh writer, whatever! A romance writer that will try to bring in the women. Blahhhh! And believe me when I tell you that this site is overseen by Disney. I had comments removed based yesterday due to my view of the evil empire that Disney is, to the star wars universe!
Did the tall man in the black suit tell you these things? Or, was it that thing with the red eyes that lives in the forest ?
amazing what you find out with a little homework and mad “IT” skills. Disney has their full PR department managing all communication, in all blogs and such. I have seen several items removed and deleted from sites. Several of us had this happen while posting comments about bringing back EU stories for the 30+ year fans of it. And all content was being deleted in real time. Look into who is on the story group. There is no hope for the franchise there. And Filoni…blahhhhh. what a sell out! Disney is looking at the wrong guy to lead that team…or maybe he is the right guys, since he is a “yes” man.
Ummm, What?
It’s a bit ironic. The titles Lucas had thought of for episodes 1 & 2 in the early 80s were “The Fall of the Republic” and “The Rise of the Empire”. Now with these books it’s almost the other way around.
I seriously doubt these new books even exist. Look, if they are planning to launch these in conjunction with TFA then they would still be well off completion. Note the page number reference as 304 pages. Fake. As somebody who knows a thing or two about creating stories, no publisher can promise an exact book length like that which tells me this is fake. And also sorry to all the ROTJ negative comments. This movie was proven by and large the most popular of all films with the wider public. And the ewoks the most beloved creatures of the entire saga
Disregarding sexism and star wars. Using the word blitzkrieg in context of something coming from Germany surely ain’t that politically correct. But leave that to others for I don’t mind.
I dont care about the ‘new’ books,i already read enough about the star wars EU,like i said in previous posts.I Agree with Chris W..Disney is just milking this to death…Of course they want a return on the 8 billion whatever dollar investment. I read alot of the EU novels and comics,thats good enough for me,i wont be buying any of the new EU novels. enough is enough.
There is no more EU. It’s all U now.
Bet them two are Ezra for Rebels and Zare for the Empire.