"Expanded Star Wars: Is it Real?"

  These days, most fans of the Star Wars trilogy will also ask you such things as "Do you think Davin Felth was ever discovered to be a rebel spy once he realized his stupidity in joining the Imps?" And of course, you answer, "Nah, then what's the point of that story." or something like that. But is this really Star Wars? Did IG-88 ever really become the central computer of the second Death Star? Did Bib Fortuna actually become one of the B'Omarr monks? Most people would say yes. But after much consideration, I must admit that I would probably say no.

      It is true that I read and enjoy all of the Star Wars novels, comics, etc that have been produced since even the early 80's. I read them because they are familiar with me. I am comfortable with the environment and setting because I saw it up on the big screen. I can relate to them because I loved the Star Wars films and want to know about what happened afterwards and before, and even during. But when I think about it, I realize that I don't really believe these extra stories. Simply because some well known writer who happens to get in touch with Lucasfilm Ltd. writes about a powerful blue alien named Thrawn that commanded as Vice Admiral and then Grand Admiral to the Imperial Fleet doesn't mean it really is Star Wars. First of all, we all know that Lucas intended the Emperor to be obviously bias against non humans. And yet, somehow Thrawn became an exception? That is an interesting concept, and it does make for a good bunch of stories, but in my mind I do not really believe it as Star Wars.

      By the opposite logic, I could just as easily write a fan fiction story in which I create my own characters. The only difference would be that I wasn't commissioned by the merchandise franchise section up at Skywalker Ranch. Why? Simply because I havn't published other books before, and because I have no way of contacting the Ranch. One might include that I may not be as great a writer as some of the Star Wars novelists (although I have come to realize that there are one or two Star Wars novelists out there that really don't know how to write a good dialogue between Luke an Han, etc). One might also say that Lucasfilm has decided that story that story to be acceptable. But the truth of the matter is, as long as the novelist isn't writing about things that Lucas himself already has geared up for a Prequel or two, it's acceptable. The writer could just as easily make Jabba the Hutt be cloned, or Wedge Antilles find out that he has a twin, or some silly way of getting more merchandising out of that character, thing or place. So because this person has been paid by Lucasfilm to come up with yet another way to make some extra cash on the side, does that mean that the story and characters that they write about are automatically part of what Star Wars really is? I don't think so.

      Once again I would like to point out that I DO read these stories, and I do enjoy most of them. Plus, I CERTAINLY have nothing against Lucasfilm for their methods of making extra money, simply because all companies like that do the same thing; it works, and why shouldn't they? More power to Lucas; he at least gives loads of cash to charity and education. But still, when I think of Boba Fett, I don't think about his adventures after he was swallowed by the Sarlacc, I think about his adventures previous to that event. Lucas destined his fate to lie within the Great Pit of Carkoon at the hands of Han Solo, and I don't believe in taking that tale away from the man who invented Star Wars.

      Perhaps it is better to imagine what happened instead of reading about it from someone you never met. Like Jeremy Bulloch told me at a convention once, Fett probably runs a nightclub down there.