The first draft of STAR WARS: THE ESSENTIAL ATLAS (working title? I'm still not sure) has been submitted to Del Rey.

This book, written by myself and Jason Fry, will be the deepest look Lucasfilm has ever allowed into the geography of our favorite galaxy far, far away. There's lots more still to do on this project -- and our draft could still undergo heavy rewrites -- so take everything with a grain of salt at this early date. But I thought it would be a good idea to address some of the questions that I've been getting:

Q: Is this a star charts book, or is it a new version of The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons?

A: Yes! The Atlas will combine extensive star charts/maps with planet profiles like the ones in the original EGPM (though almost certainly laid out differently).

Q: Will the book be light years better than the original EGPM?

A: Yes, light years. I can say that because I wrote the original, and realize that I spent way too much time recapping plots instead of actually describing planets. Hey, it was my first book.

Q: When's it coming out?

A: 2008. More than that I can't say, but certainly no earlier than next summer.

Q: So what's in it already?

A: We're still at first-draft stage, so full caveats, but in broad strokes the book is equal parts cosmology, planet profiles, political structure, colonization, history, the sweep and scale of wars, and bulleted lists presenting miscellaneous items of kewlness. I mean, I like Star Trek: Star Charts, but it's just charts. By contrast, the Atlas will hopefully feel closer in spirit to classic, meaty RPG resources like Platt's Starport Guide or Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook.

More to come!

Dan
(writing projects and current releases)