Almost as long as there have been star wars movies, there have been star wars books. My question is, what is a good series of star wars stories to start on for someone who has only seen the films, but is interested in reading more about the star wars universe. The newly standardized star wars canon includes all the movie episodes, the clone wars and rebels tv shows, and new books since 2014. Getting into the world of star wars outside of the films can be daunting. Resistance heroes and first order villains level 2 readers written by michael siglain. These novels were officially declared noncanon to the star wars franchise in april 2014. The rise of skywalker the epic conclusion of the skywalker story were offering exciting opportunities to experience the star wars saga firsthand on the ground, in the air and throughout our airlines galaxy.
We have listed all of these star wars series by their chronology. The three best books i would recommend that all star wars fans should read is the thrawn trilogy or the heir to the empire trilogy, written by timothy zahn. At that point, the source material for this story in particular, and the whole star wars universe in general, was still somewhat fluid. The star wars trilogy is one of the famous series of book that created such a powerful pellicle as the star wars movies.
Abrams closed out the 42yearold skywalker saga by directingwriting the rise of skywalker, but lucasfilms creative art manager, phil szostak, will get the last word with his art book. Become an operative for the resistance, pilot the millennium falcon, fight battle droids on geonosis, control an atst in. I was old enough at the time to realise that it didnt hold up. This trilogy consisting of heir to the empire, dark force rising, and the last command are three of the finest pieces of storytelling, adventure. The paperback book was first published in the us as star wars. One of the most exciting parts of disneys purchase of lucasfilm years ago has been the release of a whole new series of novels, contextualizing the vast star wars universe in a whole new way. Ask any star wars reader what book to start with, and nine times out of 10. Scan the pages of the book with your holoscanner to unlock stunning augmented reality built with cg models and materials direct from the lucasfilm archives. For star wars reads, two writers discuss their favorite star wars books and where new readers might want to jump onboard. Star wars timeline the complete chronology from phantom. Star wars is an american epic spaceopera media franchise, centered on a film series created by george lucas that includes star wars 1977, the empire strikes back 1980, and return of the jedi 1983. So ive stepped in to try and help you solve one of those problems.
I dont believe anyone asked you to, but if you would kindly point out the non star wars books instead of giving unhelpful complaints, i will remove them. Star wars was released on may 25, 1977, and first subtitled episode iv. The empire strikes back was released on may 21, 1980, also achieving wide financial and critical success. However, her feelings for a pirate captain and her reunion with a childhood love complicate the journey home, back to a betrothal with a respectable gentleman. In 1991, del rey books launched a new novel from author timothy. Whether they are canon or just legends, here are 15 star wars stories you need to read.
I would say that is a false claim regarding books before movies. Sticking to the current storytelling universe cuts the number of star wars book options down significantly, but it can still be difficult to know where. The story follows thane kyrell and ciena ree, both of whom love flying. Star wars gained many fans thanks to its numerous films, but theres more to the galaxy than just major movie releases.
Yodas secret war, by jason aaron, salvador larroca, kelly thompson, and emilio laiso. The rise of skywalker goes on sale from abrams books tuesday, march 31 j. The best star wars books to read first a getting started guide. Simple star wars book list timeline of star wars novels. Today, we take a close look at the star wars legends expanded universe, examining which books a new reader should check out, and how to start reading star wars expanded universe content including. New to star wars books and dont know where to start.
The high republic, a golden age of the jedi set 200 years before the first star wars. They eventually enroll in the imperial academy, which was a dream of both of theirs. This includes all film novelizations, novels, comics, young readers, reference books, roleplaying sourcebooks, and more. Soon he was controlled by the very assistants and bootlickers he had. The old star wars expanded novel universe that includes all star wars novels created after the legends rebranding of the old expanded universe by disney. Download the free star wars holoscanner app to use with the amazing star wars book, the galactic explorers guide. Simple list of star wars books in order of when they take place, with. Felicity joness jyn erso is reluctantly recruited by the rebellion to. In cases where series were not published in their chronological order, we have noted that as well.
The curse of exegol by fictionaddict9 captured for mistaken identity, rey teams up with swashbuckling allies to escape the fate of a dark, supernatural power. Add all the spinoffs and tv series, comics, and books, and its downright behemoth. Likewise, many of the books within the new canon add new layers of depth to beloved star wars characters and events. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Though presented as a flashback, this 2017 story is the first one to take us back to a time prior to episode i, even if just. For anybody interested in the new canon, lost stars is a must read. Give in to the power of the crafty side with these unique star wars gifts. These movies had blown up the spellings and the films top years in a row and they were an incredible production of the late 70s. Thats why all of us at youtini think that the best way to read star wars books is a method that fits your own preferences based on how you enjoy reading. The first star wars spinoff movie draws heavily on the warfilm genre to fill in the gaps of a new hopes opening crawl.
The star wars fandom is every bit as diverse as the galaxy it celebrates. With the star wars craft book, fans of all ages and skill levels can bring the best of the. No if you want to get technical, the film originally titled star wars, and later retitled star wars. The star wars series began in 1978 with splinter of the minds eye, to be followed by hundreds of novels by many different authors. Online shopping for star wars from a great selection at books store. In the decades since, dozens of books set in the galaxy far, far away have been released, stories for all ages starring the likes of luke skywalker, han and leias children, and grand admiral thrawn. And its never been a better time be a kid taking their first steps into the larger world of star wars storytelling in celebration of star wars reads this october, were shining a light on the veritable galaxy of. This book was published about six months before the original star wars movie was released, which means it was probably written some months prior. The lucasfilm story group coordinates all new stories, including the films, to prevent contradictions between them. Where to begin with star wars books emmet asherperrin. Disney and lucasfilm have announced a new publishing initiative for the star wars franchise. An unexpected offer threatens the bond between quigon jinn and obiwan kenobi as the two jedi navigate a dangerous new planet and an uncertain future in the first canon star wars novel to take place before the events of star wars. Few star wars books have managed the emotional depth of lost stars or made us sympathize so much with supposed bad guys.
The book goes into the star wars criminal underworld and fills the space empire strikes back and return of the jedi. Though the old stories are now just legends, some of them are still great reads. This star wars legends article contains information that is affected by the star wars. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. So youre looking for the right star wars books reading order, but dont know where to start.
Was star wars a book series before it was a film series. If youre new to books, and want to learn more about where to start, feel free to ask the community. I also had someone claim many years ago early 90s, that episodes existed but they only came out on betamax. The expanded universe has been a part of star wars for almost as long as the movies have, starting with alan dean fosters novel splinter of the.
Someone whos just dipping their toe into the galaxy of star wars media will likely wonder. The series depicts the adventures of various characters a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. All stories are presented here in inuniverse chronological order, as opposed to realworld release dates. As star wars fans today, through everything from films to novels to comics to animation to video games, were enjoying some of the absolute best star wars stories ever told. Many authors have been contracted to write all sorts of stories that add on to the star wars saga. Must read star wars legends books, and where to start. As stated by lucasfilm and disney, future books and novels will not be based on these stories, but since the expanded universe started. While most of them are no longer canonical and belong to the star wars legends brand, there are some that were left as canon. Im not subbing to this unmoderated list full of non star wars books. A new hope this was added for the april 10th, 1981 rerelease came out after the book b.
Star wars is an american epic spaceopera media franchise, centered on a film series. The ultimate guide to reading the star wars books reedsy. They began shortly after the films debuted in the late 1970s. This is a place to discuss any and all things about the books. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Star wars legends books represent the original star wars expanded universe which is now known as star wars legends. The star wars legend, who has spent 43 years acting as the golden droid, reflects on the end of the skywalker saga with star wars.