It's the End of the Universe! Or, I Post Again: Heir to the Empire

You thought the universe would end before I got another post up. You were right.


As of yesterday, the EU is dead. Dark Horse Comics has released its final Star Wars comic, and Del Rey, their final Legends/ EU books (NuEU books still to come). So what better time to revisit that Expanded Universe, with its Thrawn and Vong, it's Abeloth and Knights Errant?
And where better to begin than the beginning? Well, not the first original novel, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, nor the Star Wars novelization or comic adaptation, but the beginning of the EU-as-we-know-it, Timothy Zahn's iconic Heir to the Empire, the first book of the Thrawn Trilogy, so well-loved, it alone of the novels received a special (20th) anniversary edition.
Zahn's three-book cycle is the Sequel Trilogy that could-have-been. Set five years after Return of the Jedi, it chronicles the fledgling New Republic in its struggle to create a legitimate government while facing the Imperial Remnant, not yet defeated and under the leadership of the brilliant tactician Grand Admiral Thrawn. All the (still living) iconic film characters are here, as well as new characters who fit seamlessly into the universe of Lucas' films: Talon Karrde, who has taken over much of Jabba's old holdings; Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand; Captain Pellaeon, elder officer in the Imperial Navy; Borsk Fey'lya, Bothan politician, Joruus C'Baoth, mad Jedi Master, and of course, Thrawn himself.
The plot is brilliant, and I'd rather spoil as little as possible. Suffice to say, there's action, mystery, intrigue, and (not overdone) romance. As the Providence Sunday Journal puts it (and the back cover proudly proclaims), the book "moves with a speed-of-light pace that captures the spirit of the movie trilogy so well, you can almost hear John William's soundtrack." And you'll just as easily hear Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and Billy Dee Williams in the dialogue.
The presentation of the 20th Anniversary Edition is equally superb. The dust jacket is a simple, classy, metallic silver, with the Imperial Crest emblazoned upon the front. Underneath, the original (perhaps slightly dated) cover, rendered in gorgeous black and white, can be found. The text itself features a new foreword and an introduction by the author, and annotations by both Zahn's and his editor, Betsy Mitchell. These are placed conveniently in columns in the outer margins, next to the text to which they refer, avoiding the irritation of having to turn to the end of the chapter or the work, while avoiding pages with only a few lines of actual text to the annotations. These annotations provide interesting insights into the writing and editing process, and the thoughts behind certain narrative decisions, such as the Imperial opening of the book (done to be reminiscent of the original trilogy). The text itself is complete and has not been altered (beyond perhaps corrections of typos), and contains a few unfortunate apparent contradictions of later works, including a scene which implies that the Clone Wars were (Old) Republic versus the clones. Instead, a note appears explaining why these in-hindsight confusions appear, a far better option than revising or abridging. As a bonus, the book also includes a novella, Crisis of Faith, featuring a younger Thrawn. Not essential, but certainly entertaining.
On the whole, this edition is definitely worth purchasing. It is not merely a reprint with the words "20th anniversary edition" printed on the top, but is full of intriguing new content. A great way for newcomers to enter the Expanded Universe, yet with much to interest long term fans.