Splinter of the Mind's Eye was written by Alan Dean Foster, the ghostwriter for the original Star Wars novelisation, and whilst it wasn't released until early 1978 it was actually written shortly after the original novelisation was written (and was intended as a possible cheap sequel in the event that the original movie didn't do very well). It is set two years after Episode IV.

This book is being discussed in the BC&T forum here and more information about the book and its blurb can be found here.

My thoughts on this book were posted in my very early days on the boards so they are a little more limited than most, but they can be found here and a bit further down the page:

I am in the middle of reading it for the first time and I am sorry to say that it is fast approaching my least favourite EU book ... but maybe it will improve.

I am trying to take into account that it was written pre-ESB which limits chracter development considerably, but I am still not really finding it that gripping (and the Leia-Luke relationship is a little iffy too).

Ah well - I'll be back when I'm finished.

and then

well, I've finished it and it improved as it went along.

It was interesting to read something from so early in the EU - I wonder if GL was more involved with it than in recent years?

Did anyone else think that the Coway battle with the stormtroopers was reminiscent of the Ewoks battle on Endor?

Does anyone know if Halla and/or the crystal been seen anywhere else since?

...

Ah! Found the answer to my question about the crystal on page 503 of SWTLG .


My favourite comment about this book was posted only a month ago by Pabawan:

I've recently re-read this novel, and while I can appreciate it as a product of its time and not get bent out of shape due to continuity issues, the one thing that I find most jarring is the dialogue. Luke's "voice" is so strange. Imagine happy-go-lucky farmboy Luke saying some of this:

"Besides, it takes many thousands of years of advanced technological development for a society to reduce honor to an abstract moral truism devoid of real meaning."

When did Luke trade in his pilot's uniform for a black turtleneck, beret and tiny cup of espresso, exactly?

"I wish I had your confidence in aboriginal jurisprudence, Halla."

I mean, come on! This is Luke "They're comin' in too fast!" Skywalker here!

ph

Pabawan then went on to say:

One thing I did like, though, was just how frightening the idea of an Imperial regional governor was. This was before we were treated to bumbling Moff after bumbling Moff in other books. But when Leia hears a regional governor is on their case, she freaks.

Given the evidence in A New Hope -- that Tarkin commands so much power that even Vader is subservient to him, I liked that particular element.

ph


Links to all of my reviews/overview blogs can be found in this blog.