Characters. Events. Authors. There are many things about the Expanded Universe that draw fans in and keep them there, but only ten are great enough to make it on the list. These are the main reasons why the EU is great, and why it's still going strong.

#10 Shadows of the Empire

It might seem little more than a practice run for the Clone Wars today, but Lucasfilm's first EU multimedia extravaganza was huge and came at a time when OT interest was peaking with the impending Special Editions. From the novel to the comic, videogame to action figures, this was a great celebration of the EU.

#9 The BCaT Forum

For me, visiting the Books, Comics & Television forum is part of the complete EU experience. Many of us don't know avid Star Wars fans or EU fans personally, but with this forum we have a playground to discuss and disseminate the elements of the EU for hours in a fan community.

#8 Great Authors/Great Illustrators

The EU wouldn't be the same without the people who bring it to us, from authors of books, illustrators, to contributors to EU gaming and Star Wars Insider. These great folks are too numerous to name, but they have my thanks. They are the one who keep the EU alive.

#7 Star Wars Insider Articles

Insider has many great EU articles which explore things ranging from background on creatures in ROTS to an exploration of the Senators on the Petition of 2000. Great articles of recent note include the History of the Mandalorians and Inside the Grand Army of the Republic.

#6 The Thrawn Trilogy (Heir To The Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command)

Let's be honest. If the books that really kickstarted the EU phenomenon had sucked, there just might not be an EU. Grandmaster Timothy Zahn weaves a compelling original story that begins the adventures of our heroes. Things such as Coruscant, Mara Jade, and the twins Jacen and Jaina, things that continue to impact the EU to this day, all stem from this great trilogy.

#5 Continuity

Despite many griefs by some, the EU tries very hard to maintain continuity in a universe constantly changing and conflicting itself. I can only imagine what Dan Wallace went through in organizing the New Essential Chronology. The EU fits well, and strings of one EU source carry over and are referred to in others.

#4 The Clone Wars

The monumental EU experience spanned nearly three years and included scores of books, comics, toys , games, and of course a great animated serial. The way this was engineered made us feel like the Wars were occurring for real, as we saw them unfold. Phenomenal.

#3 The New Jedi Order

Though I despise the death of Chewbacca and to this day am in a state of denial, the NJO changed the game and upped the ante. We got an entire interrelated bok series that expanded on everything the EU had to offer. Plus, we got to see many Jedi in epic action, just like the days of the old Republic. A great ride, and a great read.

# 2 Karen Traviss

Call me crazy, but a get a huge thrill out of being able to interact and discuss the EU with someone who actually writes it! To me, this is the equivalent of discussing the films with George Lucas or Rick McCallum. Ms. Traviss has shown an extraordinary dedication with her blog and regular forum participation. She has gone beyond the call of duty and can't be thanked enough. Not to mention she's a great author as well, her story on Vader was undoubtedly my favorite piece of Insider fiction since my subscription began in early 2003. I can't wait for her upcoming books.

#1 Fan Appreciation

Face it, the creators are the ones who keep the EU alive, but we're the ones that let them do their job. The EU can't die as long as fans support it, demand it, buy it, and appreciate it. The EU is alive because of the strength of the Star Wars fan community. Of all sagas of fiction, the fan base for Star Wars and the fan base for its spinoffs is among the strongest and most diverse. So do your part to keep it alive, and march down to your local bookstore!