Zahn's Han Solo novel has a name: Scoundrels

Timothy Zahn's much-anticipated Han Solo novel has a title: Scoundrels. EW. com has the cover art for all to see. The cover art features Han, Chewbacca and Lando.

EW.com

The release still stands at Dec. 26, as mentioned in the Random House catalog.

Han Solo book blurb and Troy Denning Suvudu interview

The Random House Fall catalog is up and lucky for us, there's some information about the much anticipated Han Solo book penned by Timothy Zahn.

From the catalog:

Ocean’s Eleven meets Star Wars in this classic adventure set just after Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. From #1 New York Times bestselling author Timothy Zahn.

The Death Star has just been destroyed and Han Solo still needs the money to pay off the bounty on his head. Now the opportunity to make that money and then some has walked into his life in the form of the perfect heist. With nine like-minded scoundrels, he and Chewbacca just might be able to pull it off and live to tell the tale!

Sounds like a fun read!  The listing states Dec. 26 as the release date. That, of course, can change at a moment's notice. The only question I have thus far is about Lando's participation (see Key Selling Points). Is Zahn going to create a different "swindle" than what we read about in the Han Solo trilogy?

In other news, check out Eric Geller's Troy Denning interview on the Suvudu blog regarding Apocalypse. It contains many eye-brow raising remarks regarding Abeloth (no real explanation), Ben, Vestara and an illogical look at Jaina (this is Star Wars. Stories happen all over the place. Not an excuse to keep her and Jag apart).

Han Solo book hitting shelves Winter 2012 and other book news

According to the Star Wars Books Facebook page, Timothy Zahn's Han Solo book will hit shelves in Winter 2012. Dare I say that 2012 is going to be a good year for EU fans?

In addition to that, Drew Karpyshyn is working on another SWTOR novel title Annihilation.

From the Facebook page post:

Republic agent Theron Shan and his Twi’lek compadre, Teff’ith (from Dark Horse Comics’ STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC: THE LOST SUNS) must contend with a Sith Empire counter-attack against the Republic, spearheaded by the lethal apprentice of Darth Malgus. Satele Shan and Jace Malcolm co-star in what will be a fast-paced and tension-fraught tale based on the award-winning video game from BioWare and LucasArts.

 Unfortunately, the book news isn't all good. The Nomi Sunrider novel was cancelled, ruining a fantastic opportunity to see a woman lead.

Timothy Zahn announces Han Solo book details

Via Timothy Zahn's Facebook:

While most of the details (including the title) will have to wait until an official announcement is made (which I'm told will be sometime next month), I *have* been authorized to release a few tidbits concerning my now-officially-approved upcoming Star Wars novel.

First, it will be be set in the classic movie era.
Second, it will be an Ocean's Eleven-type heist caper.
And third, it will star everyone's favorite smuggler, Han Solo.

Um, yes please. This sounds fantastic!

Where's the love? A look at the lack of romance in the EU

Romance is a fickle thing in writing. Too much will make the story seem too soppy or distract from the main plot while too little leaves readers unsatisfied. Finding that balance is one that many writers struggle with. When it comes writing romance, I shy away from the long, love-filled speeches. I prefer to use actions and gestures, like a touch or favor. There’s no set formula, though, about how much or how little a story needs.

Romance plays a vital role in so many stories we love. Think about Empire Strikes Back. The love story between Han and Leia was phenomenal. It wasn’t drippy or character killing (go Harrison Ford’s improvising). It wasn’t awkward. It was believable. Their actions made sense for the characters, making their love easy to see. It was a vital chain in the story, not some silly side plot.

Take Harry Potter as another example. While love is a major theme of the book, it’s not romantic love. The romance in Harry Potter is much less than some fans wanted to see. Hermione and Ron don’t have grand, loving moments. In the books, we don’t even see their first kiss. The movie handled that scene well. It was the moment we were all waiting for—and expressed the same amusement as Harry did about the situation. 

Romantic pairings come into play in Harry Potter. The Ron and Lavender incident caused severe friction between the three. And who can forget about the Yule Ball fiasco? Bill and Fleur’s wedding and the pairing of Remus and Tonks added not only a touch of romance, but hope to the latter books. 

Even Harry’s crush on Cho and feelings for Ginny were rather muted. He pined for them, but it wasn’t as if they were the focus of the books.

When it comes to Harry Potter, I don’t think that the books needed more romance. It wasn’t about Harry’s relationship with Ginny or Remus learning that he can have love too. The romance added a bit of flavor to the book, the topping if you will.

Romance is something severely lacking from the Star Wars EU. It didn’t used to be. The best example of this recent problem is the Fate of the Jedi series. It started with great romantic interactions with Jaina Solo and Jag Fel. These continued through the series until Backlash. There was nothing in Backlash. No real Jaina and Jag or Han and Leia. Allies? Yeah right. Vortex, a sliver. Conviction? Not really. Ascension? I’ve already expressed my feelings on the “romance” in that book. 

What doesn’t make sense with FotJ is that there was a love story right there to work with and expand upon. Jaina and Jag were prominent characters in Outcast, for one. After that, their roles dwindled. It’s important to maintain some type of character balance in a long series, but it was lost along the way.

When I think of romance in Star Wars, I don’t think of chats in the starlight or candlelight dinners. It’s more action orientated and animated. It’s possible to have a romantic interaction without gooey language or even a kiss. It’s all in the wording and the character point of view. A person’s reactions are more telling than anything else is. Look at the Hunger Games trilogy when Katniss thought Capital was going to torture Peeta. She wanted to kill him to save him. Even though she didn’t realize it, it was clear she loved him.

The EU books need romance to balance out the story. Think about a book or story. Now categorize what is going on in the book. Each piece acts as a building block to make the perfect tale. Too much of something and the story feels odd. 

Romance is something that most can understand. Most people want to love someone or already do. It’s an emotion we can understand, even if we don’t have any experience with the situations or emotions the characters are feeling. I’ve never been hunted, or as good as dead, but I understood Peeta’s need to keep Katniss alive in The Hunger Games, for example. 

Star Wars is a space opera. Love plays such a vital role in the overall Saga. Anakin’s obsessive love for Padme influenced his decisions to go to the Dark Side. Would Anakin have fallen had he not fallen in love and married Padme? It’s very possible, but the story wouldn’t have been the same.

Romance also appeals to everyone. We all know the arguments about romance novels and “chick flicks.” They’re for “women.” Plenty of men enjoy these types of stories. The concept that romance is only for women is a pointless, old stereotype.

One of the many questions I’d love to ask the editorial team and writers is where the romance went. Including some aspect of it would not only make the books feel more “Star Wars,” but would also make the stories more appealing to a wider audience. Without Mara and Luke, the content falls mainly on Han and Leia’s and Jaina and Jag’s shoulders, yet we don’t see too much of either. 

When writing, I can’t put the number of pages or romantic interactions into a calculator to determine how much more or less I need. Reading the story and finding feedback is the only way to accomplish this. Receiving feedback from multiple sources is even better. That way, it’s possible to see multiple views of the scenes in question. Some stories only need three or four romantic moments or bits while others need a chapter’s worth of content.

The argument for balancing romance is similar to angst, tragedy, comedy and other genres. Each has a place in a story—and a certain amount called for. While not every story needs romance, that factor was established as a key factor of Star Wars during the OT. It’s time for it to come back.

We're more than ready for Zahn's Han Solo book

As I mentioned earlier this week, Timothy Zahn will write a book featuring Han Solo. A late 2012/early 2013 release, character choice and classic-era timeframe will make for a much-desired tale.

The Fate of the Jedi series ends in the spring of 2012. In July, Aaron Allston’s Mercy Kill, featuring the Wraith Squadron, will hit shelves. Should Zahn’s Han Solo book see a late 2012 release date, then fans of the non-SWTOR novels will have quite a bit to cheer about next year.

Quite frankly, we need it. Fans who aren’t the fans of later books can enjoy a new title in the OT era. I can honestly say that I’ve never met or spoken to someone who didn’t like Han Solo. He’s a great pick for a non-Jedi lead. Given the character, this book has the potential to draw in fans from all eras of Star Wars.

The Han Solo book and Mercy Kill have the potential to be a fun, exciting trip to a galaxy far, far away. Knowing Allston and Zahn’s kills, I’m sure they will be more than worth the cost.

A Han Solo book and Jaina/Jag on Apocalypse?!

Yesterday’s DelRey panel at New York Comic Con brought two pieces of fantastic news.
1. Timothy Zahn is writing a Han Solo book.
2. Jaina Solo and Jagged Fel are on the back cover of Apocalypse and
"Perhaps that feared Luke Skywalker just that much. And that was a mistake. Luke Skywalker was not the Sword of the Jedi. Jaina was, and now the Sith had trapped themselves inside a locked temple with her" – Apocalypse

The classic era Han Solo book goes along great with Allston’s Mercy Kill cast, but more on that later this week.

The Back Cover
As a long time (well, since Jag’s appearance in Dark Tide II: Ruin), I’ve been a fan of that pairing. Jaina’s appeared on very few covers overall and Jag on none of the U.S. versions. As the “Sword of the Jedi,” logic argues that Jaina should appear more often. Logic, however, isn’t the winner in this case.

Unfortunately, their presence on the back cover doesn’t mean that they will have a large role in the book. Look at Tenel Ka. She was on the back of Conviction and hardly appeared in the book. Same with Boba Fett on the back of Ascension. The above quote indicates that Jaina will have a role, but Jag is unknown.

The back cover looks pretty good based on photos taken by those in attendance. Hopefully DelRey will show the completed image soon.