Coming 2011: 20 Years of Heir to the Empire

In 1991, the long-dormant Star Wars franchise -- which had been quiet since the mid-1980s -- got a spike of attention with the release of the hardcover novel, Heir to the Empire, book one in a three-book cycle by Timothy Zahn. Star Wars fans hungry for more adventures of the classic heroes Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia quickly propelled the book to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. The subsequent two books, Dark Force Rising (1992) and The Last Command (1993) were also huge hits, and launched a Star Wars publishing program that continues to this day.

Next year, Del Rey Books will celebrate the 20th anniversary of this landmark novel with an anniversary edition of Heir to the Empire. The hardcover release will include insightful annotations on the text, as well an exclusive short story by Timothy Zahn featuring his most famous Star Wars creation, Grand Admiral Thrawn. The book is slated for release in June 2011.

Heir to the Empire is set five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. The heroes of the Rebel Alliance are now pivotal figures in the newly formed New Republic government, which struggles to keep worlds aligned in the face of threats from the dwindling Empire. Grand Admiral Thrawn, a brilliant tactician, takes the reins of the disorganized Imperial fleet, and leads a cunning plan to reclaim galactic power. The novel marks the original appearance of major Expanded Universe characters, like Mara Jade, Talon Karrde, Captain Pellaeon, and Borsk Fey'lya.