Stackpole’s Rogue Squadron standing by for unabridged audiobook
As celebration of the 50th anniversary of Lucasfilm continues, Del Rey is expanding their curated collection of essential and beloved Star Wars novels from the past.
The vast “Expanded Universe” of Star Wars novels that were de-canonized when Disney bought Lucasfilm have stuck around, rebranded as “Legends” that have sometimes found their way back into the mainstream. This month, three examples were republished with new cover artwork as part of the Star Wars “Essential Legends Collection”: Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire, Drew Karpyshyn’s Darth Bane: Path of Destruction and Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover.
On Sept. 7, the collection expands with a new batch of trade paperback editions: Dark Force Rising and The Last Command, completing Zahn’s groundbreaking EU trilogy, plus Karpyshyn’s Sith sequel Darth Bane: The Rule of Two and Rogue Squadron by Michael A. Stackpole.
Each new Star Wars Essential Legends edition will again have a new book cover with original artwork. Tracie Ching is the cover artist of Dark Force Rising and the Last Command, Simon Goinard is the cover artist of The Rule of Two, and Doaly is the cover artist of Rogue Squadron. In addition to the new cover, Rogue Squadron will also receive an all-new unabridged audiobook edition, read by Star Wars narrator Marc Thompson.
“Novels set in a galaxy far, far away have enriched the Star Wars experience for fans seeking to continue the adventure beyond the screen,” Lucasfilm said in a statement. “When he created Star Wars, George Lucas built a universe that sparked the imagination, and inspired others to create. He opened up that universe to be a creative space for other people to tell their own tales. This became known as the Expanded Universe, or EU, of novels, comics, videogames, and more.
“To this day, the EU remains an inspiration for Star Wars creators and is published under the label Legends. Ideas, characters, story elements, and more from new Star Wars entertainment trace their origins back to material from the Expanded Universe. This Essential Legends Collection curates some of the most treasured stories from that expansive legacy.”
Del Rey says it will continue to add classic titles to the Star Wars Essential Legends Collection, with the next additions coming in spring 2022.
