2018: A Year in Review

When I first started my Blog “The Road to Episode VII” back in 2012 one of my friends told me to slow down. He said I would run out of Star Wars content to talk about. Well… almost 200 posts later that has not proved true.

Though I have never struggled to think of Star Wars content, this Blog has focused on many projects over the years. In the Fall of 2013, I started to review Star Wars comics. In the summer of 2017 I focused on book reviews. So a year ago, when I wondered what I would do in 2018 I thought of something new… What would this blog look like if I posted every single week? Could it even be done. Could I continue to think of stuff to write about if I posted once a week for a whole year? Or would my friend turn out to be correct?

A year later I am confident that there is no end to my interest in blogging about Star Wars. In 2018, I published a blog every week plus some. Some of those posts were read by 1,000 people and some were read by no one but myself. But I don’t write because I always want people to read my posts, sometimes I write because I have no other choice, because I have all these thoughts inside of me that need to escape.

Going into 2019, my Blog is going to be a much smaller thing, with a much smaller audience. I’m not going to post once a week. I might post once or twice a month, but maybe not. With Episode IX a year off, I'm going to take a much-needed break from that Galaxy Far Far Away.

January
Week 1- Top 10 Tie Fighters
Week 2- Corellia & Kessel: What we Know
Week 3- The Last Jedi Box Office
Week 4- How to Speak Star Wars

February
Week 5- Han Solo Trailer
Week 6 Part 1- Luke Skywalker: You Are Not The Jedi That I Used To Know
Week 6 Part 2- The Other Luke Skywalker
Week 7- The Other Princess Leia
Week 8- The Other Han Solo

March
Week 9- Star Wars at the Oscars
Week 10- The End of “Rebels”
Week 11- Who is Quinlan Vos?
Week 12- Who is Asajj Ventress?

April
Week 13- Boldly Going…
Week 14- The Voices of Star Wars
Week 15- Who is Agent Narre / Valeria?
Week 16- Who is Camie?
Week 17- Who is Jaaxon?

May
Week 18 Part 1- Polls (Best Films)
Week 18 Part 2- Polls (Best Characters)
Week 18 Part 3- Polls (Expanded Universe)
Week 19 - What’s new in TV
Week 20 - TV series Ranked
Week 21 - Solo: A Star Wars Story

June
Week 22 - Aliens of the Cantina
Week 23 - Maul Scene + Future of Franchise
Week 24 - The Strange Story of Snaggletooth
Week 25 - Aliens of The Empire Strikes Back

July
Week 26 - Solo Box Office
Week 27 - Aliens of Jabba’s Palace
Week 28 - Doubling Down on the Prequels
Week 29 - Episode IX Casting

August
Week 30- The Mystery of Max Reebo’s Arms
Week 31- Aliens of Max Rebo’s Band
Week 32- Thrawn Alliances
Week 33- The Blu-Ray versions of Star Wars
Week 34- Aliens of the Battle of Endor

September
Week 35- Who is Vuffi Ra?
Week 36- Who is Willrow Hood?
Week 37- The Many Voices of Marc Thompson
Week 38- Flipping Heads

October
Week 39- Cloud Riders Unmasked!
Week 40- This Halloween: Darth Vader’s Fortress
Week 41- Star Wars: Resistance
Week 42- Aliens of The Phantom Menace

November
Week 43- Tales from Darth Vader’s Fortress
Week 44- Han Solo: At Stars End
Week 45- The Last Jedi: Defeminized

Week 46- The Court Marshall of Poe Dameron

December
Week 47- Fan Wars: The Politics of Star Wars
Week 48- Aliens of “Attack of the Clones”
Week 49- Aliens of Revenge of the Sith
Week 50- 2018 Book Review
Week 51- Aliens of The Expanded Universe

Week 52- A Year in Review

10 Species from the Old Expanded Universe

Lasat
(1988)

The Lasat were a tall species known for their impressive strength (which rivalled that of a Wookiee). They were also distinguished by their purple or grey fur, large ears, and yellow eyes.

The Lasat evolved on the planet of Lira San, but many immigrated to a planet called Lasan. Most of the galaxy believed that the Lasat had originated on the planet Lasan, including the Lasat there. The Lasat living on Lira San, however, remained hidden. During the age of the Empire, Lasan was demolished and millions of Lasat were killed.

The Lasat species originated from the 1988 role-playing game “Tatooine Manhunt”. The species was based on an early Ralph McQuarrie concept drawing for Chewbacca. The Lasat species was obscure and largely unknown to fandom until “Star Wars: Rebels” introduced Zeb (Garazeb Orrelios) as one of its main characters.

Anomid
(1989)

Anomids, from planet Yablari, vaguely resemble humans, but were distinguished by their fin-like ears and their metallic face masks. Many people assume that the masks that Anomids wore were breathing filters but, in fact, Anomids used these masks to vocalize. Without the masks they were incapable of speech.

Anomids originated from a 1989 Star Wars roleplaying game called “Riders of the Maelstrom”. They were further popularized “The Old Republic” video game. It is said that the “Rogue One” background character Silvanie Phest is an Anomid, but it is hard to tell under her heavy robes and bulky helmet.

Chiss
(1991)

The Chiss are a mysterious race from the Unknown Regions of the galaxy. Chiss were highly secretive and virtually most of the Galaxy. Anyone who chanced to see one would be surprised by their red eyes. Chiss also had Blue Skin and were sometimes mistook for Pantorans.

It is said that Chiss referred to The Force as “Third Sight” which gave the user precognitive powers. This ability was very rare, but when it did show up it was almost exclusively among the young females. Unfortunately this “Third Site” would diminish as the individual aged.

Grand Admiral Thrawn is the most famous Chiss in fandom and was created by Timothy Zahn for the 1991 book “Heir to the Empire”. In 1998, the name of Thrawn race (Chiss) first appeared in the novel “Visions of the Future”.

Noghri
(1991)

The Noghri were a short, fearsome species proficient in stealth and hand-to-hand combat. They had a keen sense of smell and could use their natural claws or teeth in a fight. The Noghri could walk upright, but ran on all-fours. They could also leap great distances.

The Noghri were created for the 1991 novel, “Heir to the Empire” by Timothy Zahn. Traditionally they were heavily muscled with long faces. However this version of the species was erased from Canon after the Disney merger.

The Noghri were redesigned for the television series “Rebels” where the character “Rukh” has a more humanoid face and a sleeker build. Rukh used a personal cloaking device to render himself virtually invisible to his attackers.

Sith
(1994)

The Sith were an ancient species from the planet Korriban. They could be identified easily by their red skin and facial tentables. Many Sith were Force users and many tended to use the Dark Side. They were a warlike species with strict caste systems. One delicacy in Sith culture was bloodsoup. The Sith also tended to be left-handed.

Long after the Sith species disappeared from the Galaxy, dark side users appropriated the term “Sith” to establish an Empire. Eventually the Sith Empire crumbled and the term referred to a small order of dark side force users.

The Sith species first appeared in “Tales of the Jedi” by Kevin J. Anderson in 1994. The species is no longer considered Canon under the Disney universe.

Falleen
(1996)

The green skinned Falleen were often associated with the Black Sun crime organization. The Falleen were able to produce powerful pheromones to attract their mates and it sometimes worked to attract other species as well.

The Falleen were thought to have evolved from an aquatic species on the planet Falleen in the mid-rim. The species could hold their breath underwater for long periods of time. It was rumored that Falleen skin would change pigment based on their mood and that some Falleen possessed the ability to command this color change.

Prince Xizor is the most famous Falleen in fandom and was created by Steve Perry for the 1996 novel “Shadows of the Empire”.

Yuzhan Vong
(1999)

The Vuzhan Vong were a race that originated from outside the known Galaxy. The Vong were notable because their religion shunned mechanical technology. Instead the Vong used organic genetic engineering to produce weapons, armor, and planets.

In the old Expanded Universe, the Yuzhan Vong launched a full-scale attack against the New Republic and the Galaxy at large. The Yuzhan Vong were not able to be sensed through The Force, which meant that even the knights of the New Jedi Order were weak against the Vong. Though the Galaxy was able to rid itself of the Vong invasion eventually the War resulted in the deaths of 365 trillion sentient beings.

The Vong first appeared in the 1999 book “Vector Prime” by RA Salvatore, the first in the New Jedi Order series. Although, Nom Anor a character from the 1998 comic “Crimson Empire II” was eventually revealed to be a Vong. Though the Yuzhan Vong are no longer Canon they almost appeared in “The Clone Wars” series. A species called the “Grysk” appared in the 2018 novel, “Thrawn Alliances” are quite similar to the Yuzhan Vong.

Feeorin
(2001)

The Feeorin were a blue-skinned species noted for their head and face tendrils. They hailed from the jungle world of Odryn. The species was tough and grew stronger as they aged due to their odd metabolism. Feeorin also had very simple names, which contained very few letters

The Feeorin species originated in the 2001 game “Starfighter” in which the pirate Nym is a Feeorin.

Selkath
(2002)

Selkath had large broad faces and originated from the aquatic world of Manaan. Selkath who ventured out of the water wore specialized armor to keep their skin moist. The Selkath were regarded as a peaceful species, many of whom dedicated themselves to preserving the oceans of their homeworld or taking care of the sick. However, the Selkath also had natural defenses, including retractable claws which produced venom. Some Selkath were known to work as bounty hunters during the Clone Wars.

Selkath originate from an official Star Wars website called “Holonet News”, which was designed to promote “Attack of the Clones”. In the May 2nd 2002 issue, a fishy creature is spotted behind Count Dooku. The creature would show up again in the video game “Knights of the Old Republic” in 2003 where it was identified as a Selkath. The Selkath were further popularized in third season of “The Clone Wars”.

Lepi
(1977)

The long-eared buck-tooth Lepi species were native to the planet of Coachelle Prime where they lived in subterranean burrows. Lepi were known to have large birthrates which resulted in the overpopulation of their planet. Fortunately, the Lepi developed space travel and were able to colonize the other planets, moon, and asteroids in the Coachelle system.

The Lepi were also associated with a droid manufacturing company known as Coachelle Automata which produced the LEP servant droid, commonly seen in “The Clone Wars” TV series. Notably, the LEP servant droid has long upward-facing “ears” that bore a resemblance to the Lepi species.

Jaxxon, the most famous Lepi, was created for the 1977 Star Wars comic “Eight for Aduba-3”. Though Jaxxon was originally panned by fans and ignored in canon, he eventually became a beloved oddity. Jaxxon was reintroduced into Star Wars canon with the 2018 “Star Wars Adventures” comic “The Lost Eggs of Livorno”.

Star Wars Aliens

The Aliens of the Cantina

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-aliens-of-cantina_1.html

The Aliens of “The Empire Strikes Back"

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-aliens-of-empire-strikes-back-what.html

The Aliens of Jabba’s Palace

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/07/aliens-of-jabbas-palace.html

The Aliens of Max Rebo’s Band

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-aliens-of-max-rebos-band.html

The Aliens of the Battle of Endor

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-aliens-of-battle-of-endor.html

Flipping Heads

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/09/flipping-heads.html

The Aliens of the Phantom Menace
https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/10/aliens-of-phantom-menace.html

The Aliens of Attack of the Clones

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/12/aliens-of-attack-of-clones.html

The Aliens of Revenge of the Sith

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/12/aliens-of-revenge-of-sith.html

Expanded Universe Aliens
https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2018/12/10-species-from-old-expanded-universe.html

Aliens of Podracing

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/01/boonta-eve-classic-20th-anniversary.html

Aliens of Ralph McQuarrie

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/01/one-1970s-ralph-mcquarrie-painting.html

Aliens of  The Force Awakens
https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/02/aliens-of-force-awakens.html

Aliens of  Rogue One

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/02/aliens-of-rogue-one.html

Aliens of  The Last Jedi

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/03/aliens-of-last-jedi.html

Aliens of  Solo

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/03/aliens-of-solo.html

Aliens of  Endor

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/08/aliens-of-endor.html

The Most Obscure Aliens of the Original Trilogy

http://roadto7.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-most-obscure-aliens-of-original.html

Aliens of the Mandalorian

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/12/aliens-of-mandalorian.html

Bonus Aliens

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/04/bonus-aliens.html

The Five Subspecies of Nikto

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-five-subspecies-of-nikto.html

151 Aliens
https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/05/151-aliens-how-many-do-you-know.html

Aliens of Star Trek

https://roadto7.blogspot.com/2019/04/aliens-of-star-trek.html

2018 Books & More

It’s the end of December and time for me to reflect on the Star Wars books that I read in 2018 (fourteen this year).

Last Shot by Daniel José Older

Adult Fiction - 2018

“Last Shot” is a book that takes place over 3 timelines. The main timeline takes place sometime after “Return of the Jedi” when Ben Solo is still a toddler. Another timeline features Lando and L3 in the months prior to her death in “Solo”. The final timeline features Han and Chewie in the years after “Solo”. The audio version of this book features 3 narrators, one for each of these timelines. Though not the strongest “Star Wars” book this year, there were some fun characters including an Ewok named Peekpa and a Gungan named Aro.

Most Wanted by Rae Carson
YA Novel - 2018

“Most Wanted” features Han and Qi'ra prior to the events of the film “Solo”. They are both scrumrats living with Lady Proxima’s White Worms and they are both competing for “head” of the orphans or whatever. During their competition they fall into a world of troubles and they also fall… in love. This novel is a stronger story than “Last Shot” and is good for anyone who wants more Qi’ra adventures.

Lando’s Luck by Justina Ireland

Middle-Grade Fiction - 2018

Justina Ireland gained fame this year for her Zombie apocalypse book “Dread Nation”. Her Lando and L3 book released late this year as part of the “Flight of the Falcon” line. I haven’t actually read this yet, but I did read her Zombie book, which was pretty good.

The Mighty Chewbacca and the Forest of Fear!
by Tom Angleberger

Young Readers Fiction - 2018

Chewbacca and Han are sent on a mission to the planet Ushruu where they meet a young bounty hunter and a cargo droid (who is really K-2SO, rebel spy). This one is written for younger kids, but is a solid novel and quite fun.

The Mindharp of Sharu by L. Niel Smith

Adult Fiction - 1983

This trilogy is from the early days of the Expanded Universe and the novels are a bit weird. The Mindharp was referenced in “Solo”, so I thought I would read the book. “The Mindharp of Sharu” contains more Sci-Fi elements than is usually found in Star Wars including characters shrinking. Though the novel is short, it took me a while to read through, because I am used to Audio books and no audio version of these exist.

The “Thrawn Trilogy” by Timothy Zahn
1991 - 1993

After reading “Thrawn” last summer (Zahn’s entry into the Disney “Star Wars” canon) I thought I would re-read the original “Thrawn Trilogy”. The novels still hold up even though they are no longer canon. They remain some of the highest quality Star Wars novels ever written, and the number of EU characters that came out of these books is staggering. Besides Thrawn we get introduced to Mara Jade, Borsk Fey’lya, Gillad Pellaeon, Jaina and Jacen Solo, Garm Bel Iblis, Tallon Karrde, and Joruus C'baoth. Overall an amazing trilogy, that all fans should revisit.

“Thrawn Alliances” by Timothy Zahn

2018

This novel is both a prequel and a sequel to the 2017 novel “Thrawn”. The first timeline shows interaction between Anakin and Thrawn where the second timeline stars Vader and Thrawn. Padme is also featured and is a stand-out character under the pen of Timothy Zahn. One interesting note is that this novel features planet Batuu which is the setting of “Galaxy’s Edge” the upcoming Star Wars theme area of both Disneyland and Diseny World.

“Razor’s Edge” by Martha Wells

2013

Martha Wells has gained fame this year for her “Murderbot” novella series, so I thought I’d check out her Star Wars novel. The Empire and Rebellion Trilogy takes place between “A New Hope” and “The Empire Strikes Back” and each focuses on one of the Key Three (Leia, Han and Luke). Leia’s story may be the strongest of the three. “Razor’s Edge” features Leia facing down the crew of the Aegis, a group of pirates made up of Alderaanian refugees.

“Honor Among Thieves” by James S. A. Corey

2014

“Han Solo goes on a mission with Chewbacca”… was the plot of half-a-dozen Star Wars books I’ve read this year, which is one reason why I can’t remember much about the book “Honor Among Thieves” even though I read it only a couple of months ago. There is a new character named Scarlet Hark, but the character is a kind of cookie-cutter version of the all the other girlfriends that Han has dated over the years. Oh well….

“Heir to the Jedi” by Kevin Hearne

2015

This book was planned to be the third installment of the “Empire and Rebellion Trilogy”, however Lucasfilm was sold to Disney before it was published and the novel was reworked so it could fit into the new Disney Canon. “Heir to the Jedi” features Luke Skywalker between “A New Hope” and “The Empire Strikes Back” trying to come to grips with his new Jedi powers and advance his journey to become a Jedi without aid from the recently deceased Obi-Wan Kenobi. It’s good stuff.

“Leia, Princess of Alderaan” by Claudia Gray

YA Novel – 2017

Claudia Gray has become a super star in regards to Star Wars novels. Her first 2015 YA book “Lost Stars” is a fan favorite and her 2016 Novel “Bloodline” tells of Leia’s time in the New Republic Senate and the public learning the identity of her biological father. “Leia, Princess of Alderann”, however, features a much younger Leia training to become a senator. In the book she meets, Amilyn Holdo, who becomes a lifelong friend. The book is another strong entry into the growing library of Claudia Gary’s Star Wars books. Gray returns to Star Wars in 2019 with her Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan book “Master & Apprentice”.

“The Legends of Luke Skywalker” by Ken Liu
Young Readers Fiction – 2017

This book is a collection of tales featuring the mysterious Jedi known as Luke Skywalker. Many are set between “Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens” a time period still mostly unexplored in regards to Luke’s character. One story recounts how Luke recovered a compass from Palpatine’s observatory on Pillio. After reading a draft of this tale, the Lucasfilm story group wanted to include the compass in “The Last Jedi”, so the prop department quickly 3D printed the compass overnight, so that it could be included in the film.

“Moving Target” by Cecil Castellucci and Jason Fry

Young Readers Fiction - 2015

“Moving Target” was one of three novels I read this year centered on Leia. Though short, it notably featured the Sullustan Nien Nunb and a Dressillian (prune face) named Lokmarcha. The book was a part of the “Journey to the Force Awakens” line along with other Young Readers books such as “The Weapon of a Jedi”, “Smugglers Run”, and “Before the Awakening”.