Scoundrels

AUTHOR: Timothy Zahn
COPYRIGHT: 2013
TIME FRAME: Rebellion

Scoundrels was released about a year ago, which makes it the most current Star Wars novel I have read or reviewed so far. And boy is it a welcome change from the short story anthologies. Nothing too serious or political in this one, it's just pure fun. Essentially, it's about Han Solo organizing a sort of Ocean's Eleven team to help him pull off a heist. The book has a cinematic feel to it with all the sort of spy tricks and escapes you'd expect from that type of story.

Lando Calrissian is brought in, and the novel does a good job of, if not answering, at least referencing the event(s) that caused the rift between him and Han. It's a good bit of set-up for Empire Strikes Back. From just a few lines in that movie ("That was a long time ago, I'm sure he's forgotten all about that", "You've got a lot of guts coming here after what you pulled"), Timothy Zahn has managed to craft story turns and character moments that work well but never undercut the lighter feel of the novel. And of course the title itself is a nod to Empire Strikes Back.

What I most appreciated at first is that the book makes a point of addressing one of my biggest criticisms of the original trilogy: why doesn't Han pay off Jabba? We know he didn't leave immediately at the end of the first movie because he saved Luke at Yavin. And then Empire starts with him leaving because, "If I don't pay off Jabba the Hutt, I'm a dead man." But I never understood why he hadn't already paid them off before the Rebels all moved to Hoth. And when we factor in now the in-universe notion that just like in the real world three years went by between movies, WHY didn't he go already? He hasn't paid off Jabba in three years? Zahn neatly finds a way to explain away these discrepancies and I am grateful for it. It turns out that Han lost the reward money from the end of A New Hope to pirates. So right away that gives a nice in-universe explanation so I'm not lead to believe it's been sitting in a cargo hold for three years. That also provides Zahn with the impetus for this novel's story, with the promise of a take so large that when split eleven ways Han could still pay off Jabba and to spare. And if that wasn't enough, Zahn works events into the story that lead Jabba to increase Han's debt exponentially, making it understandable why it would take longer for Han to scrounge up that amount of money, and why he would turn back to the Rebels for it.

It's nice to see Han back to his more independent rogue self, not quite fully tied to the Rebellion as he will be later. Zahn has a lot of practice now in writing the character, and you can really hear Harrison Ford in the way he's written.

Scoundrels is full of the kind of twists, double-crosses, and secret agendas that I've now come to expect from Zahn's work. And yet for all the fun, there are some very nice character bits from the other members of Han's team. Winter is still recovering from the destruction of her homeworld Alderaan. She remembers Princess Leia and hasn't heard yet if she survived. I very much enjoyed the relationship between the twin sisters Talia and Bink, each of whom has very reasonable explanations for the way they live their life, even if the other sister can't see it. These are little moments in the book, but the add a nice flavor of depth to the proceedings, just enough to humanize and keep things relatable. The book certainly could have proceeded without these few quiet moments, but they are wonderful enhancements.

I don't want to spoil the story too much, as that would detract from the joy of reading it. But it's the most fun I've had reading Star Wars in awhile. My only criticism is a reveal that comes at the very end of the book which I consider completely unnecessary. It's not enough to sour me on the entire book, though I was left wondering why it had to be there. It's the sort of thing that might have seemed really cool back in 1997, but now elicits an eye-roll from me.

Scoundrels is all the fun of a heist movie with all the fun of Star Wars. It's Han Solo, Chewie and Lando, what more could you ask for? I highly recommended it.

GRADE: A

Tales From the Empire

EDITOR: Peter Schweighofer

COPYRIGHT: 1997

SERIES: Tales From... (well, sort of)

TIME FRAME: Rebellion through New Republic -- covers stories from shortly after the Battle of Yavin to after the Thrawn trilogy

Unlike the other short story anthologies in the Star Wars "Tales From..." series, the stories published in this volume all originally appeared in Star Wars Adventure Journal. This publication is a tie-in to the officially licensed Star Wars role-playing games put out by West End Games. Given its association with role-playing games, some of the stories included are by first-time freelancers and some stories have an RPG feel to them as if based on personal game campaigns. Because these expanded tales do not revolve our the series' classic protagonists, sometimes we instead get carbon copies of these "types" which isn't always enjoyable by comparison.

Other stories are from established authors in the Star Wars expanded universe, like Timothy Zahn and Michael Stackpole, who use the Adventure Journal as opportunity to tell more stories with their own Star Wars characters who appear in later novels.

I do wish the book had more of a chronological organization to it, as stories jump all around the timeline. The current "official" timeline that is being published at the start of Star Wars novels now lists both Tales From the Empire and Tales From the New Republic shortly after Episode IV, and that is lazy and inaccurate. At least half of the stories here are set after Jedi. There is a certain logic to some of the organization, ending with a short story that finally includes Darth Vader, the only original series character to appear in the anthology. But when we have one story where a character is one age and then later one about his childhood, it's sometimes hard to keep straight where they are.

I would recommend reading these stories only after reading some of the other works referenced in them. Or perhaps alongside them, for example the short story that sets up the X-Wing series with that series. Reading this anthology on its own, especially before reading the other works, has far less of an impact.

While the anthology is sometimes a mixed bag, I found it more consistently enjoyable than Tales From the Mos Eisley Cantina, and some of the freelancers tell very good stories. I wonder why these stories specifically were chosen out of the many the Adventure Journal had published, and whether other stories were never anthologized.

"FIRST CONTACT"

AUTHOR: Timothy Zahn

The first story in this collection is fittingly from the man who almost single-handledly began the Expanded Universe as we know it today. "First Contact" is about a smuggler, Talon Karrde, and his dealings with a weapon smuggling operation fronted by a big game safari. While there is a sort of mystery at the heart of the story that slowly unfolds, I didn't get the sense that Zahn really cared about most of that. The notion that the beasts hunted are actually sentient is never fully explored to any sort of conclusion. It's just a fact introduced and then ignored. What is the "First Contact" of the title? It would seem to be the ending of the story, when Karrde leaves with a female smuggler by the name of Mara Jade. These are characters who figure prominently in Zahn's other Star Wars books, but the reveal of Jade's name at the end is only going to matter to people familiar with these later stories. It's a good story, but a bit unfocused for me.

GRADE: B

"TINIAN ON TRIAL"

AUTHOR: Kathy Tyers

"Tinian on Trial" addresses an issue in the Star Wars universe that has been bothering me for some time now: what good is the Stormtroopers' armor? It seems to provide no defense against blaster fire at all! So Kathy Tyers posits that the armor has weak points that are being targeted, and builds her story around characters who have developed a kind of shielding which would make Stormtroopers impervious to blasters. Tinian is a young woman whose parents created the weapon, and is in love with a man who is in tune with the Force. But when the Empire double-crosses them to take the device as their own, Tinian is forced to defend herself against the Empire she thought she could trust in the name of those she loves. I liked the idea that the Empire has been working on some way to improve Stormtrooper defenses. This was a good story in that vane of nice people realizing just how corrupt the Empire is, and the things that lead people to turn on their government. The title is somewhat deceptive though, since Tinian is never actually "on trial". 

GRADE: B

"THE FINAL EXIT"
AUTHOR: Patricia A. Jackson
Here we have a story that definitely seems to have begun as a home game. And unfortunately, that's to its detriment. There are a lot of Star Wars-y things like the Force and smugglers and Jedi but it never feels to me like it belongs here. The characters all seem to be pale imitations of actual characters. The plot concerns a Corellian smuggler (Han Solo knock-off) who is transporting a Jedi (sound familiar?). Only this time, the Jedi is a "dark Jedi" (whatever that is) who also happens to be a famous actor and is on some secret mission for the Emperor or something. Oh, and we meet his kid who wants to be just like him when he grows up, so there are shades of Anakin Skywalker too. This story just doesn't make any sense to me. It's one thing to suppose there are a few other Jedi in hiding like Kenobi and Yoda who weren't killed by the Empire. But to then suggest that one of them is being groomed by the Emperor, I just don't buy it. I understand this was published before we learned of the rule of two with the Sith and all, but even given that, I don't understand why if Palpatine has Vader, he would be screwing with some other Jedi's head instead of just killing him. And the whole "oh, and he's an actor" bit doesn't really add to the story either. The actual writing of the piece is fairly good, but I just can't get past some of these elements.
GRADE: D

"MISSED CHANCE"
AUTHOR: Michael A. Stackpole
Forgive me, as it's been about a month since I read some of these and don't remember them well. "Missed Chance" is a sort of prequel to Stackpole's X-Wing series of novels. It follows Corran Horn as he gets involved with a rag-group of characters and finally is convinced to help the New Republic. Like I say, some of these run together in my head and I don't remember all the particulars, but it was a good read. As I mentioned in my review of the first Star Wars novelization, sometimes the space battle scenes don't read well or are hard to visualize. That did make a little tough for me on this story (though I'm sure there are other readers who love that stuff). That was really my only criticism, though.
GRADE: A

"RETREAT FROM CORUSCANT"
AUTHOR: Laurie Burns
The fun part of reading or writing stories in an existing universe is imagining the everyday workings of the society. Several of the stories collected here involve working-class people in some Star Wars version of a regular job. Set after the reign of Grand Admiral Thrawn, "Retreat From Coruscant" is about, well, the Rebellion's retreat from Coruscant after it is surrounded. What makes it stand out is that they escape by booking transport on a mail courier. It's a fun escapade that balances the mundane of the world (mail delivery) with the fantastic.
GRADE: B

"A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW"
AUTHOR: Charlene Newcomb
Peter Schweighofer tells us in the introduction that this story was inspired by a painting done for one of the games. You would never know it; it's a masterfully executed piece that explores those things that caused people to rebel against the Empire. It's shortly after Alderaan has been destroyed. Celia's brother was serving in the Imperial forces and had been killed by the Rebels. What follows is a fascinating look at the universe from Imperial sympathizers and how the nature of right and wrong is not necessarily about galactic politics, but personal. It's quite moving at times, and I hadn't really expected much from the cute Star Wars title. But that title ends up packed with symbolism. One of the standout pieces of this collection for me.
GRADE: A

"BLAZE OF GLORY"
AUTHOR: Tony Russo
A rollicking adventure following a band of mercenaries as they take down a slave trade operation. Most of the characters get their own little moments of exploration, and as you'd expect from the title, one of them goes out in a blaze of glory. Again, I no longer remember the particulars, but a perfectly serviceable story. Nothing sticks out as bad, nothing jumps out as memorable, so I'm going to give it a solid grade in the middle.
GRADE: C

"SLAYING DRAGONS"
AUTHOR: Angela Phillips
From the title and the opening paragraphs, I thought I was going to hate this story. I thought it would just be crazy fantastical nonsense with dragon-slaying. Instead, it refers to an old story from Alderaan with a dragonslayer, but that is not the focus. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the story of nine-year-old hacker Shannon and her cousin Deen. Deen has been working with the Rebels, which the family does not support. It's a nice little family dynamic story. Shannon sneaks off to join Deen and the story ends with a great moment where family have to decide where their loyalties lie.
GRADE: B

"DO NO HARM"
AUTHOR: Erin Endom
Another story from a certain point of view. "Do No Harm" is about a young doctor who is assigned to a team breaking into an Imperial prison to free an aging Rebel leader. Over the course of the story she's quite adamant that she is a healer not a killer, reluctant even to be involved if the objective is more about slaughter than rescue. If they can't get him out, she's asked if she can euthanize him so he can't be interrogated. She initially refuses this, but along the way finds herself put to the test in her role as healer; to save a life, will she take one? (boy, this is good stuff; I should write copy!) I really enjoyed this one, as it's an adventure told by someone who doesn't want to be on one, and reluctant heroes are always fascinating.
GRADE: A

"SIDE TRIP"
AUTHOR: Timothy Zahn and Michael A. Stackpole
This "short novel" as the front cover calls it is broken up into four sections, with Zahn and Stackpole splitting duties between them. Working together, they craft a tale that brings Stackpole's Corran Horn character together with Zahn's Thrawn and it makes for a great read. It's a sort of origin story for Corran, as he's a young boy working with his father in Corellian Security. It begins with some smugglers running guns for the Rebellion who get caught up with the Imperials, drafted to transport cargo to Corellia. To protect their own cargo, they agree.

The other catch is that they are provided with a guide on this mission: a bounty hunter named Jodo Kast in Mandalorian armor. This must be why the cover image is one of Boba Fett, though Fett never appears in this book. Even if the cover is meant to be Kast and not Fett, Fett's ship never appears either. So it's a bit of false advertising there, but I'm sure it helps sell books.

Zahn covers the first part of the story and the last part, while Stackpole takes over for the middle portions which focus more on the smuggler's dealings with Corran Horn when they get to Correlia and the whole situation gets crazy. The plot picks up speed with shifting loyalties, drugs, and the Black Sun criminal underground. I can't do it justice, but each "chapter" as it were ends with a rousing cliffhanger.  The story is full of surprises, such as the fact that "Jodo Kast" is really Admiral Thrawn. In the end, Darth Vader himself makes an appearance, having orchestrated the whole episode himself to wipe out Correlia's arm of Black Sun. And Thrawn got something from Vader in return: command of the Noghiri.

The whole story is intricately plotted, well-paced and fun on its own, but it's ties to other novels in the expanded universe give it an extra punch. You'd expect no less from these authors. I can't grade it as four separate pieces, but as one.
GRADE: A

OVERALL ANTHOLOGY GRADE: B

Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker

AUTHOR: George Lucas (but likely ghost-written)
COPYRIGHT: 1976
SERIES: movie novelization
TIME FRAME: Rebellion -- up to and including Battle of Yavin

To my knowledge this is the very first Star Wars book. While attributed to George Lucas, it is likely to have been ghostwritten by a science-fiction writer from a draft of Lucas' script. Similiarly, the novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture was attributed to Gene Roddenberry. Who is the true author of this novelization? A possible culprit is Alan Dean Foster, who went on to write the Star Wars novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye. Much of the vocabulary, especially toward the beginning, is rather verbose. The author uses words like "loquacity," perhaps to make the story feel more like a serious science-fiction tale.

This book is unlike other novelizations that have come in recent years. It contains photos from the movie, like many novelizations do. In fact, I seem to recall the paperback edition having different pictures, but perhaps my memory is faulty. This book dates back to an earlier version of the script, and obviously predates the "Episode IV: A New Hope" title. There is no opening crawl, though we are given a prologue which explains the state of galactic civil war. Unlike the film, it does not tell us about the stolen Death Star plans right away; we learn this from dialogue later. Much of the dialogue in the book differs from the final version onscreen. Sometimes explanations are much longer. For example, Kenobi explains to Luke that Jedi scientists have determined the Force to be some sort of energy field, but that science has not been able to fully explain it. For those who complain about midichlorians in the prequels, it's clear the Lucas always intended there to be an extent of scientific knowledge about the Force, but that the rest is taken on faith. At times the dialogue is a bit more expository. For example, we learn that Darth Vader explicitly allowed the Falcon to leave the Death Star because he deduced the droids they were tracking on Tatooine must be aboard. When Luke suggests that Han Solo help the princess because she's rich, Solo counters that her planet just blew up and all her riches with her. Luke then suggests that she still has powerful friends. Some of this is unnecessary, but an interesting look into how much the dialogue in the film was pared down to its basics. The now-familiar Leia transmission to Ben Kenobi is almost entirely different.

What makes the book valuable are the details which the movie's visual medium just can't convey. We are told more about moisture farming and life on Tatooine. We learn some about the Jawas and the Tusken Raiders (who were never identified as such on film until The Phantom Menace). There are even descriptions of how the blaster fire melts through people's heads and such. Some of the visceral descriptions are quite fascinating. Though these descriptions only lead me to further wonder why anyone in this universe wears armor if it does nothing. Ever think about that? Why do the stormtroopers wear those uniforms if they cannot protect them against blaster fire?

As it's based on an earlier draft, the book's description of the final Death Star run differs. Luke is in Blue Squadron, not Red, and the Red group is basically what the Gold Squadron is in the film. Actually, the book mentions four groups: red, blue, gold and green, but we never really hear from the other two. One failing of the book, but this is perhaps a flaw in the medium, is that space-bound action sequences generally read as boring. Luke and Han shooting down the TIE fighters is great onscreen, but in print is limited to descriptions of colors and readouts and explosions.

A benefit to the novel is its inclusion of scenes which would ultimately be deleted from the final film. For thirty years, before the Special Edition, the appearance of Jabba the Hutt at Mos Eisley could only be read about here. There are those who argue it's redundant in the film and they are correct. The movie scene essentially reiterates information we already got in the Greedo scene. But in the book, half of that information is saved for the Jabba scene. So Greedo doesn't go into Solo dropping his cargo; he just shows up ready to kill or take Solo's ship. It's so refreshing to read that exchange without any hint of Greedo firing. The other significant portions of deleted material deal with Luke and his friend Biggs. Lucas has said he always wanted to follow the droids until they get to Luke, and that the scenes with Biggs were insisted upon by the studio. Which is why the scenes on Tatooine were not reincorporated into the Special Edition or subsequent releases. They are still fascinating to read, however, and have a sense of nostalgia for teen hangouts and fast cars that clearly comes from the same mind that gave us American Graffiti.

Lucas has said that Star Wars was heavily influenced by Kurosawa's film The Hidden Fortress. This connection is made much more explicit in the novel, as the secret Rebel base is referred to over and over as their "hidden fortress". Perhaps Lucas ultimately decided this was too on-the-nose, as the final film uses simply "Rebel base" almost exclusively.

Some of the divergent elements are fascinating as well. Chewie is described as having "glowing yellow eyes". The description of Jabba seems intentionally vague. It mostly seems to work as applied to his eventual form, but it seems to also refer to the actor the scene was originally shot with. "A great mobile tub of muscle and suet" sounds about right, but then it's said to be "topped by a shaggy scarred skull." So Jabba has hair? Also of note is that Hutt has only one T in this book. The opening prologue is said to be taken from The Journal of the Whills, From the First Saga. The notion of the Whills is something I wish had not been abandoned from the early screenplay; I'm curious what Lucas had in mind. I like that it contributes to the sense of the story as an ancient tale being told. The prologue describes many things that eventually play out in the prequels, showing just how much Lucas had in mind this far back. We learn of the rise of Senator Palpatine who elects himself President of the Republic (ultimately Lucas would change the title to Chancellor) aided by "the massive organs of commerce". This explains why Episode I deals with matters of taxation and trade routes. We are then told that he declared himself Emperor and had the Jedi wiped out "through treachery and deception". The strangest thing about all this is that the prologue strongly implies Palpatine as the only Emperor, but later dialogue between Luke and Obi-Wan suggest there have been multiple Emperors. In discussing Anakin Skywalker, Kenobi says, "Vader used the training I gave him and the force within him [the Force is never capitalized in the novel] for evil, to help the later corrupt Emperors." This is the only suggestion of there being more than one, and it's clear Lucas quickly abandoned the idea, if it was even his to begin with. It does seem very inconsistent. Also of note is that Vader is described as "a boy I was training," perhaps suggesting even then that Lucas believed Jedi training began at a very young age. In the movie all we get is that he was "a pupil of mine."

While this early novelization of Star Wars is not without its flaws, it is a remarkable time capsule and overall a good read. The extent of Lucas' imagination regarding the world of the film is seen more clearly than even the film can show at times. The subtitle From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker, with it's use of a plural suggests there are more stories to come, which indeed there were. But perhaps my favorite element of this book is that the prologue closes with a quote attributed to Princess Leia:

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Naturally they became heroes."

GRADE: A