The sheer volume of Star Wars content that’s been generated over the past four and a half decades can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when you consider the Legends continuity (also known as the Star Wars Expanded Universe or EU), a vast collection of novels, comic books, and other media that was deemed non-canonical after Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012.
That’s certainly part of the reason why in celebration of Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary, the book publisher Del Rey has announced the Star Wars Essential Legends Collection, which will guide readers to the best and most beloved Star Wars entries from the old-canon Star Wars timeline, complete with new cover art.
What’s happening:
- Del Rey has announced the Star Wars Essential Legends Collection, which will curate a selection of “essential and beloved” (though currently non-canonical) Star Wars novels from the past.
- The first wave of the Star Wars Essential Legends Collection will include the novels Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn, Star Wars: Darth Bane – Path of Destruction by Drew Karpyshyn, and Star Wars: Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover.
- Each book is being issued with a new cover with original artwork for this collection. Cover artists include Tracie Ching, Simon Goinard, and Jeff Manning.
- Star Wars: Shatterpoint will also receive a new unabridged audiobook edition narrated by Sullivan Jones.
- The collection will launch on Tuesday, June 15 of this year and new titles will be added beginning this fall.
What they’re saying:
- Del Rey: “Novels set in a galaxy far, far away have enriched the Star Wars experience for fans seeking to continue the adventure beyond the screen. 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’s Star Wars Essential Legends Collection will launch on June 15.