So I posted this in the RPF's Rocketjock Eatery from my weekend stay at StarFest 2013 in Denver, Colorado and since it involves Timothy Zahn, I figure it belongs here and maybe you all can help me figure out what Zahn is saying about Walt Disney.

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With that said, I'm in the elevator with no other but my favorite Star Wars author, Timothy Zahn. We have a short conversation (I didn't get a photo,I regret that) and he was very nice, polite, and a gentlemen; I told him his work was great and I'm a huge fan. I shook his hand...yes, I'm never washing my hand again. With that said, Zahn dropped a bomb shell regarding the Expanding Universe in the elevator I think is worth hearing:

• A freeze has been put on any, at least for him, books for the Expanded Universe beyond Return of the Jedi.
• When I asked him why (see bullet above), he simply said that with Walt Disney taking over LucasFilm, no one (I'm assuming he means the other SW authors) knows what will happen with the EU and was frank in saying that Walt Disney may completely do away with the EU in light of the new SW movies coming out in 2015.
• He (Zahn) also said that he wants to do a book(s) that explores Grand Admiral Thrawn on a deeper level (as he did with Mara Jade I assume), but until Walt Disney lifts the author EU ban, there is nothing he can do.

 

There's no news here.

He's just speculating on the options, like the rest of us who aren't in the know.

The only thing that might be news is a temporary freeze, but that's not that big.

We're not sure if Zahn actually said any of this either.

 

Well, the temporary freeze is interesting, as it implies that the publishers don't know what the situation is, and it tells us that their response is to go tentative on expanding the universe any further or investing any more in the post-ROTJ, and focus on pre-ROTJ stories instead.

 

It would of course be mostly speculation, though I doubt the post-ROTJ era being frozen is; that certainly seems like something he'd be aware of.

Not that I'm advocating rioting in the streets (well, maybe just a little), but I wouldn't be surprised if this means the Sword of the Jedi series is dead in the water. Who knows, though, perhaps it's far enough in the development process that it's getting a pass, as Crucible most likely is.

 

The freeze is interesting and while our conversation lasted a whole 2 minutes or less, Zahn was extremely nice and non-opinionated towards any extreme involving the future of the EU. Even when Mara Jade's death was brought up, while he agreed with my statement that he would of liked to be the one to write her death and not someone else, he didn't seem to have any hard feelings towards the situation.

And while I know that this news is dependent on the trustworthiness of my statement, I find personally that this news is as truthful as it can get since it wasn't done on an official panel known to the public, rather to my fiancee and the two people that were with Zahn (assistants maybe?) that he was talking to while he got aboard the elevator. But, even if I was at a panel, without video evidence of what he said, the truthfulness of my statement would be just as questioned. It is what it is: I talked to him, I know what he said (my fiancee can back me up), and whether people want to take it as the truth or not, that's their right. My only evidence that I talked with him can be that he was on the guest list for StarFest 2013: link.

 

Keep in mind that he said he wasn't given any contracts beyond ROTJ yet. That could just mean Zahn or not. I am assuming when Zahn said he wasn't given a contract yet beyond the ROTJ timeline and that he and the other authors were not given any official news yet on what would happen with the EU, that that would mean a freeze. Anyone can take what Zahn said and translate it the way they want to. But considering he's one of the top SW authors and he hasn't been given the green light to produce a book for after the ROTJ timeline, then I would assume that the freeze would imply to all SW authors.

And like Jello said, even if he was given any official word from Walt Disney, I doubt he would tell me or anyone else for that matter. Walt Disney isn't stupid: they know in order to make Star Wars work in 2015 and beyond, they will need the staple SW Expanded Universe authors, comic writers, etc. in their corner. Without them, Walt Disney has a uphill battle against a loyal fan base with whatever they do. And that means, there are some "staple" authors, etc. who know more then the average joe and Zahn is probably one of them.

 

Thrawn on a deeper level

And how was Mara explored on a deeper level

 

Forget just a book, Tim, you should be pushing for Disney to release a STAR WARS: MITTH'RAW'NURUODO spin-off.

Yes, the full name. Stuff pandering to people who can't handle Cheunh. It should become the new Elvish or Klingon.

 

so you will be called from now on: Zor'ri'xor... or in short.. Rrix

 

I wouldn't be surprised that what he says about a freeze is true, but books currently on the go seem to contradict that. Is the Leia book that was recently named not set post ROTJ? Crucible most certainly is.

 

Not surprised in the least that there's a freeze on post-ROTJ material for the time being - there would have to be, no? I think that's actually good news for EU fans, believe it or not. If Disney didn't care at all, they'd let the possible contradictions with the new films pile up without thinking twice.

 

That's probably too far along to stop Robi.

To me, this says there is no plan, which is dumb. It's logical for the publishers to be cautious but not for Disney, they should know what they're doing as if they want to lead up to the Ep 7 release in 2015, those plans need to start midway through 2014 and to get people on-board, that needs to start now!

 

Empire and Rebellion: Razor's Edge (the Leia novel) is set between ANH and ESB. No worries there.

ARCs have already gone out for Crucible (I have one), so it's definitely coming out.

The only other post-RotJ books on the schedule are Sword of the Jedi. I hope it's not cancelled, but wouldn't be surprised if it is.

 

If they cancel Sword of the Jedi I'll be outraged, not because I'm a Golden fan (I refuse to rate her until I've read something that is entirely her own narrative as opposed to three ninths of a series) but because I've been waiting for a novel that focused on the next generation rather than the big three since the NJO started, to finally get not just one but a whole trilogy and have it cancelled at the last moment leaving it unclear if we'll ever get one would be too frustrating.

 

I wouldn't be anymore, because
1- Golden is still a rookie
2- We have THREE NEW MOVIES to deal with the next generation now, not a maybe-mediocre book trilogy

 

Disney sure is working hard to alienate their investment. At the rate they're going I might pass on their dumb movies.

 

Big deal, I give possibly sensitive insider info on what my company is doing to people in elevators all the time regardless of whether they asked or not.

I hope by "freeze" he means they're going to freeze the writers in cryogenic storage and lock them in the Disney Vault.

 

Someone should ask Jen Heddle about the freeze on Twitter. I imagine she'd deny it either way, but her tone could be enlightening.

 

And the Kemp duology. Or did I miss that cancellation?

 

This (unconfirmed) freeze could also mean that they are going to try to incorporate the post-ROTJ EU into the new movies... but only if it stops changing first.

Example: FOTJ ends with Ben still single, and a Jedi Knight. The Sequel Trilogy and the SOTJ trilogy are basically being written at the same time, and will be released close to each other (if they keep with the schedule). If the ST writers want Ben to start as a single Jedi Knight, but SOTJ ends with him as a Sith infiltrator married to Vestara and expecting twins ... that could be hard to reconcile.

If they didn't care about the canon of the post-ROTJ EU at all, then wouldn't they allow more books/comics to keep coming?

 

They're just preparing to gather all the EU authors together for one last project, in which Darth Mickey is redeemed from the Dark Side by his true love Minnie, with Pluto for extra comic relief. Who's this Looke Skywokky anyways?

It will go down much like Daala's conference; only writers who agree to sell their souls for the project get gas masks.

 

Del Rey has never given specifics about the Kemp Duology, so we don't know yet when it's supposed to be placed.

 

I am really sorry, but I do not believe Zahn actually said that. Otherwise, why do they keep publishing comic series such as Legacy and novels such as SOTJ?