While we have been busy celebrating the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire here at Jedi News, we could not let another significant anniversary pass us by.
Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn is now 30 years old. This makes many of us gasp in horror at how quickly time has flown, but I wanted to look back at the significance of this book. I am sure that if Heir to the Empire had not been a major success, many projects that we love today, like Shadows and the LucasArts video gaming projects would never have got off the ground. That may have meant that no further Star Wars projects would see the light of day and the franchise may well have disappeared. For so many of us, this book was the catalyst for our connection with Star Wars and rekindled the passion within us.
I can remember the events of Wednesday 1st May 1991 like it was yesterday…
While on a lunch break from work I walked through WH Smith in Telford as a shortcut to pick up something to eat. Out the corner of my eye, I saw a new Star Wars book and decided to stop and take a look at it. The illustration on the front cover drew me in instantly. There were all my heroes, but wait, there were characters I had never seen before. I quickly read the synopsis on the back cover and checked the price, £9.99 and I knew I had to have it. Without a second thought, I was soon at the counter handing over the money and walked out of the shop excited to have a new Star Wars story to read. All my spare time over the next few days was spent between the covers of Heir to the Empire. I was hooked and my love for Star Wars that had been suppressed since 1983 was on the rise once more.
Timothy Zahn brought us new characters and worlds for the first time in what had seemed like, forever!
All the usual faces were there. Luke was in search of hidden Jedi artifacts, trying to expand his knowledge by learning the history of the Jedi Order. Han and Leia were now in a relationship and Leia was pregnant with twins. Chewbacca was still co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon and the droids were still part of the team. Lando had moved on from his demise at Cloud City and had setup in business again in another mining venture. But the events to come would throw their status quo into turmoil once more.
He gave us answers to some of our questions about The Clone Wars mentioned by Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope. This was in the guise of a cloning station buried deep in Mount Tantiss on the planet Wayland. Mount Tantiss was guarded by an insane clone of Jedi Master, Jorus C’baoth who wanted to teach Luke the ways of the Jedi. Luke on his mission to trace the origins of the Jedi Order, sees an opportunity not to be missed and partners with the mad Jedi Master.
Talon Karrde and Mara Jade were introduced as a smuggler and his companion. Mara Jade had a hidden past, she had previously been one of the Emperor’s Hands. A confidant, enforcer and assassin reporting directly to Palpatine himself during the time of the Rebellion. The events that unfold would see her have to operate alongside her mortal enemy, Luke Skywalker.
Not only this, but Zahn would also bring us the twist of the Noghri’s plight at the hands of the Empire. Their planet had suffered as the Empire tore all the precious natural materials from their planet Honoghr and left it poisoned, with large swathes desolated. Now, locked in a pact of servitude to the Empire they continue to do their bidding for Thrawn.
We would also get Force blocking animals called Ysalamiri. Reptile like creatures that were void in the Force and could impede anyone wielding the Force. This made them a potential shield against Force users and render their powers useless.
But the true testament to Zahn and his work on Star Wars has to be introducing us to Grand Admiral Thrawn. He is still a prominent character with fans today and many will have been exposed to Thrawn for the first time in Star Wars: Rebels. Thrawn is a master tactician and has style, dignity and panache that has rooted his persona into the tapestry of Star Wars. I call him the “Sherlock Holmes of a galaxy far, far away” because like Holmes, he is always 3 or 4 steps ahead of everyone else.
I crave new Thrawn material constantly, whether that be via new literature, collectables, or animated appearances. There is also the almost certain prospect of a live action appearance in the not too distant future. That is something I could only dream of all those years back while reading Heir to the Empire.
There was one major downfall to the release of Heir to the Empire. We were going to have to wait a full year for the release of Dark Force Rising, the second book in the trilogy. The current Thrawn Ascendancy series will be concluded later this year, with all 3 books being released in less than 18 months. This 1-year wait meant that I would reread Heir to the Empire on numerous occasions in the following months while I eagerly awaited the next chapter.
Last year, alongside my colleague James Burns, I had the privilege of interviewing Zahn for Jedi News. To be able to talk to him and discuss his creations was one of my proudest moments as a Star Wars fan. I took the opportunity to thank him for all his work, but especially for Heir to the Empire and for relighting the flame within me.
Next month will see Star Wars: Heir to the Empire released once more, with an all-new cover to celebrate The Essential Legends Collection of literature. So, if you have never read Heir to the Empire, this is the perfect opportunity for you to grab a copy and see why it caused such a stir 30 years ago!
I may just go and dust off my copy and start to read it all over again!
Star Wars: Heir to the Empire is available now from online and high street retailers, including Amazon UK and Amazon US.
