"Are these boards dying?" "It must suck that Star Wars is dying." "Do you think Star Wars is dying?"

If you have seen any of these lame thread titles, you are not alone. Many people, especially those that have been members only since the release of ROTS are shocked that the boards are slower than the once were. Many people also lament on the future of Star Wars, and claim it to be in its death throws. Many think that with the final film out the gate, the collapse of Star Wars fandom at its current levels is inevitable.

These people are WRONG. And I am not among them.

There are plenty of reasons why Star Wars is not dying, but I will focus on one in particular due to the fact that it is an issue both dear to my heart as well as an issue I have experience in: The Expanded Universe.

Many people take a holier than thou view of the Expanded Universe. Many decry it as inaccurate and inconsistent. Yet, how can the EU be consistent with Lucas' vision when Lucas himself is constantly changing his vision and contradicting it, thus being inconsistent with his own creations. Some people believe the EU is just not their cup of tea. These opinions are fine, as the EU is not for everyone.

But in my opinion, by limiting yourself to the films you're getting only half the story. Flashback to the mid 90s. Back then, prequels were just bare rumors and unclear facts. Back then, there were only 3 films, though they were greatly celebrated with the special editions. Back then, the EU WAS Star Wars. They were the adventures I clung to, the stories that continued the saga, filled in the gaps, and sparked my imagination.

These days, it's even better as the EU has several distinct eras being heavily explored (ROTS-ANH) (post-NJO) (KOTOR era). It's also great because there's coherent and consistent planning between Lucas Books and the authors, ensuring cooperation on a level not seen in the 90s. And the best authors continue their work, folks such as Timothy Zahn, the original EU grandmaster, as well as great returning authors such as Troy Denning, Karen Traviss, and James Luceno, just to name the tip of the iceberg.

I don't get depressed about the coming year, I relish it! It's almost as if we're going back to the basics, when the EU was all that held up the Star Wars tradition. We're revisiting the old days, but at the same time making them better than they originally were. So hit your local bookstore and go for it!

I've got Dark Lord and the Dark Nest series on my shelf, and I'm finally going to delve into them and get back into the EU after a break of a few months. So get back into it too, and get set for the upcoming Outbound Flight and Legacy of the Force Series. And if you're hitting the EU for the first time, try the Thrawn Trilogy or Shadows of the Empire.

Happy reading!