As audiences left theaters at the conclusion of "Return of the Jedi," few of them realized that the suspense wasn't over yet.
The three "Star Wars" films that have been released are parts four through six of a planned nine-part series. Until recently, no one knew how long it would be until the saga was continued.
As it turned out, they only had to wait until 1991.
Although the first new "Star Wars" movie is projected to be released in 1999, books detailing the further adventures of Luke, Han and Leia have been in print for six years. Though not widely publicized, these books constitute a quiet publishing phenomenon.
"Star Wars" novels are, book for book, the single most valuable active franchise in publishing," said John Seabrook in the January 6 edition of The New Yorker. There are some 25 titles in print, and many of these have been bestsellers.
"There's always a lot of interest when a new book comes out in the series," Borders employee Jean Moseley said. "All kinds of books on the (Star Wars) movies are popular, too."
The series really began with tie-in books, released at the same time as the movies; these were later reissued as a one-volume trilogy. However, Timothy Zahn's "Heir to the Empire," published in 1991, was the first sequel.
Since then, there has been a vast increase in the variety of "Star Wars" titles available. Many are novels by well-known science fiction writers like Zahn and Kevin J. Anderson. These are mostly in paperback, but Steve Perry's "Shadows of the Empire" and Kristine Kathryn Rusch's "The New Rebellion" have been published in hardcover.
For those who like a thematic approach to "Star Wars," some books focus on one character, such as "The Han Solo Adventures" and "The Lando Calrissian Adventures." There are also anthologies like "Tales of the Bounty Hunters" and "Tales from Jabba's Palace."
One of the more interesting variations on the "Star Wars" theme are the National Public Radio dramatizations of the movies, which have also been published in book form. And for those who prefer lighter reading, there are comic-book versions of "Heir to the Empire" and the movie tie-ins.
Another facet of the "Star Wars" genre is explanatory, nonfiction books. The new "Star Wars" fan might begin by flipping through "A Guide to the Star Wars Universe," a dictionary of "Star Wars"-related terms. More detail can be found in "The Star Wars Illustrated Guide to Characters," which presents pictures and information about the characters. There is also an "Illustrated Guide to Vehicles and Vessels."
Perhaps the strangest "Star Wars" book available is "The Illustrated Star Wars Universe." This book features photos of various settings in the movie, and Kevin J. Anderson's accompanying text describes them as if they were real places.
But the most unusual thing about the "Star Wars" phenomenon is how director George Lucas controls the merchandising. According to Seabrook, LucasFilms employs two continuity editors to ensure the accuracy of the "Star Wars" books. They keep track of more than "400 major and minor characters," according to "Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire." They also make sure that events and timelines don't conflict.
In addition to this, every novel must be coordinated for accuracy with other forms of "Star Wars" merchandise - CD-ROMS, comic books, role-playing and video games and the original "Star Wars" movies.
This merchandising empire was probably best summed up by Darth Vader, as quoted in "I'd Just as Soon Kiss a Wookie: The Quotable Star Wars."
"Don't underestimate the Force."
Fans may read about adventures of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars books.