Up until the "Phantom Menace" was released, a fan's “Star Wars” fix can only be answered by the books and comics of the Expanded Universe, which remains a cherished cult aspect long after. What was once the old Expanded Universe is today known as "Star Wars: Legends," an expansive collection of stories told in an assortment of media that added to the world-building of the "Star Wars" universe.
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| Image source: io9.com |
The Expanded Universe, as it once was, is a mix of critically-acclaimed stories that add depth to their respective trilogies and exercises in sheer lunacy. It is notable among expanded universes by being internally consistent, give or take a few snarls that were explained away in a canon tier that put the movies (and much later, the "Clone Wars" CGI cartoon) over all else.
Yes, apparently even these were canonical (really, space werewolves and a crying mountain?).
Some of my favorite books were Legends-continuity masterpieces. The triumphant trinity of writers that earned a Jedi temple's worth of adulation from yours truly includes Timothy Zahn, who brought to us the cunning Grand Admiral Thrawn, Karen Taviss, who brought to life the warrior culture of the Mandalorians, and James Luceno, whose work shed light on the machinations of the Dark Lords Sidious and Plagueis. Honorable mentions include Genndy Tartakovski, whose animated work presented the greater galaxy as besieged by the "Clone Wars," and the guys behind "Knights of the Old Republic."
What I like about the Expanded Universe was the way it gave substance to the just about everything in the "Star Wars" universe, down to the random thing that one rebel was carrying in that one scene. Although attitudes toward the old Expanded Universe were mixed to begin with, its passing with the Disney buyout was still greeted with some sadness.
There is a silver lining to the story of the Legends continuity (the bad stuff going with them notwithstanding). Much like legends in the real world, which have a grain of truth in them, aspects of the old Expanded Universe can be referenced and thus re-canonized on the whims of the writers at Lucasfilm. This has been seen in many recent entries to the new "Star Wars" canon works that reference older events and has been exceptionally useful for fan fiction writers like myself who need the extra details.
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| Image source: fanpop.com |
Hey, Wendy Eber here. For more on all things 'Star Wars,' follow me on Twitter, and may the Force be with you.
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