Yes, it’s true – I’m writing the adult novelization of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
No, I can’t tell you anything else – that will come from Del Rey and Lucasfilm in good time. (Patience, young Jedi.)
But needless to say, I’m really excited. I mean, just look at that picture!
In the summer of 1977 I read the novelization of the original Star Wars (ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster) so many times that it fell apart – the one you see there is a replacement copy. I devoured everything, from the Journal of the Whills prologue and the revelation (in the photo insert, of all places) that Tarkin burned to be Emperor to the weird stuff, like Luke remembering a dog he once owned and wondering what a duck is.
I saw the Donald F. Glut novelization of Empire in my local WaldenBooks (in the Smith Haven Mall on Long Island) a couple of weeks before the movie came out, gasped, and started reading it while walking through the corridors. (Not recommended.) The back cover promised STARTLING REVELATIONS, and they weren’t kidding. (I also ran with Han calling Hoth “deader than a Triton moon,” using that as the seed for my first Star Wars short story.) I dug into James Kahn’s Jedi novelization with the same fervor, loving Jabba’s boast about killing Jedi when the name meant something and the comparison of the rebel and Imperial fleets to seagoing armadas.
For the prequel era, my first assignment for the Star Wars Insider was to interview Terry Brooks about his Phantom Menace novelization; while I was the Insider book columnist I also interviewed Bob Salvatore and Matt Stover, as well as Foster and Glut. Three Celebrations ago I found myself next to Foster for an impromptu tour of the TFA costumes and props; and it’s been a pleasure getting to know Alexander Freed as a fellow author at Lucasfilm meetings.
So Star Wars novelizations have been a part of my fandom from the very beginning – and now I get to write one. I’ve had a lot of pinch-me moments, but that’s near the top. And I can’t wait to share this book with you.
If you’re new to my writing, this is the place where I share links to the latest things I’ve done, as well as photos and some random thoughts. Besides Star Wars, I co-write a blog about the New York Mets and write about travel, storytelling, movies, music and anything else that moves me. (You can also follow me on Twitter, but be aware you’ll have to put up with a lot of baseball agita and some politics.)
Want more Star Wars from me? I’ve written 40-odd books and short stories, so there’s plenty. Try the four-volume Servants of the Empire series (start here), which ties in with Star Wars: Rebels. It’s marketed to kids, but the storytelling works for readers of any age. Check out The Weapon of a Jedi, my Luke Skywalker adventure, or the crazy-geeky The Essential Atlas, co-written with Dan Wallace.
I’m also the author of the Jupiter Pirates series, which includes three books with two more to come. It’s not Star Wars, but it’s about space pirates and it’s got battles, lost treasures, family secrets and all sorts of other stuff that I’m pretty sure you’ll like.
That’s it for now – if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a book to write!
