"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.