For some fans, the Star Wars movies are enough - they are content to watch their video copies, perhaps imagining what might happen to the characters 'off-camera'. But for many of us, this is not enough. Call us greedy. Call us obsessive. We don't care; we just want to read about that galaxy far, far away. A few novels were published when the Classic Trilogy hit the theatres between 1977 and 1983, then nothing happened for eight long years. In 1991, Lucasfilm Ltd. authorized novels to continue George Lucas's story from the original trilogy - Timothy Zahn's novel 'Heir to the Empire' was the first. Lucasfilm and Bantam Press then decided future novels in the series should be interconnected; so the various authors cannot contradict what has happened in previous books. There are now well over a hundred novels, many continuing the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han and the gang, as well as books aimed at children and teenagers, anthologies of short stories, and even a series based on the pilots of Rogue Squadron. After the release of Zahn's trilogy of books, Dark Horse Comics released the 'Dark Empire' comic series, which continued the timeline; the comics and graphic novels are now both seen as an integral part of the expanded universe.
The publishing franchise is now held by Del Rey Books, who publish several hardcovers and paperbacks every year. Their novels are set throughout the Star Wars timeline, from pre-TPM to post-RotJ (their 'New Jedi Order' series is set up to 26 years after RotJ). Scholastic Books hold the franchise for so-called 'junior novels,' aimed at younger fans - most of their books are set during the prequel era. Darkhorse Comics still hold the franchise for comics and graphic novels - their output is also set throughout the timeline, including a series set some 5000 years before ANH!
So - take your pick! There are books for every age-range, set pre- and post- the movies, starring the main SW characters, minor characters from the movies, or even new characters. If you don't consider yourself a comic fan, consider having a look at a comic or trade paperback the next time you're in the bookshop - you may be pleasantly surprised.
And remember - unlike almost every other 'Expanded Universe' genres, Star Wars
books, comics, and even the video games generally don't contradict each others'
plotlines.