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<Urza> the chronology is done I believe =)

<Urza> anyways let's get started..

<Urza> --------------------

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<Urza> MosEisley.Com welcomes Dan Wallace tonight.

<DanWallace> Thanks for the offer!

<Urza> If you didn't know he's the author of The Essential Guide to Droids, The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons, The Great Herdship Heist, and co-author of the upcoming Essential Chronology!

<Urza> people that have question for Dan should message them to me so they can come in an orderly fashion.

<Urza> So Dan... besides Essential Chronology do you have any other Star Wars projects in progress?

<DanWallace> The Essential Chronology is pretty much finished. But I've got more things planned down the road.

<DanWallace> Small things like magazine articles, and hopefully larger projects as well.

<DanWallace> But honestly, I haven't heard anything official yet on most of these so I'm prevented from discussing them until everything becomes public.

<DanWallace> But hopefully more projects over the next year or two. Sorry for being so vague, but I'm still in discussions on some of it.

<Urza> How'd you go from the average Star Wars Fan guide author to Essential Guide author?

<DanWallace> About four, five years ago LFL contacted me and asked me if I'd be interested in trying out for

<DanWallace> their latest project, the EG to Planets. Coincidentally I had been doing a great deal of work on SW planets just on my own, as part of an online database

<DanWallace> I was putting together just because I really dug the subject. So I had a bit of an advantage, but the audition

<DanWallace> process had me a bit nervous. Basically I wrote a word spec piece on the Planet Hoth and then waited by the phone.

<DanWallace> The good news came through a month later. Since then I've been fortunate enough to work on other projects. GA

<Urza> Grrrr... What I'd give for that to happen to me. Someone must have gotten their hads on your Planet Guide . =)

<Urza> hads= hands

<DanWallace> Actually, it's only up to .! And that update was, oooh, in or so. Bad.

<DanWallace> I'd love to update it but I don't have time. And every month that goes by makes it even more of a daunting task.

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<Urza> Hehehe.... ok couldn't remember. Had to start using Bob Vitas's Unofficial Encyclopedia because I needed updated info. =)

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<DanWallace> So it's just gathering dust.

<g> Hey, I've seen Bob's stuff and he's a great researcher.

<Urza> Yeah he is. I was lucky enough to get a hold of him when he was having webspace trouble and convince him to move to MosEisley =)

<Urza> SIL woud like to know if you'll have anything to do with Episode .

<DanWallace> I sympathize with all fans who try to catalogue SW into timelines & the like. It gets harder every year.

<Urza> Definately.

<DanWallace> I don't know anything about Episode yet. I did write "Episode One What's What," which meant I was able to go out to California to read the script early, the high point of . But

<DanWallace> considering that the script isn't even finished for Episode , I doubt anybody has started on writing tie-ins yet.

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<DanWallace> And I have no way of knowing if I would be writing anything, or if Lucasfilm would even be interested in hiring me. I can only hope, and look forward to seeing Ep. like everybody else.

<DanWallace> GA

<Urza> Del Rey has announced that Greg Bear will be working on a post-Episode story, hear anything about that?

<DanWallace> I know just about as much as everybody else, which is -- not much! I think it's exciting that there will be a novel in that time period, and I hope

<DanWallace> that it doesn't end up looking odd in retrospect the way Splinter of the Mind's Eye did in . (I still love Splinter, though).

<DanWallace> I kind of doubt that would be the case today, since Lucasfilm has a much tighter handle on continuity issues.

<DanWallace> And I like Greg Bear. So I can't wait to see his take on SW characters. GA

<Urza> Yeah.. it was good to see that Ann Crispin novels tiein the original Han and Lando books.

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<Urza> Will the Essential Chronology be a first person book or will it follow the traditional Essential format?

<DanWallace> The Crispin trilogy was great in terms of tie-ins. Not only the Daley trilogy and L. Neil Smith's Lando trilogy, but also Dark Empire, the Corellian trilogy, The Crystal Star, etc.

<Urza> Oh yeah... it's always nice to see Dark Empire tie-ins. =)

<DanWallace> The Essential Chronology will not be a first-person story, as in "Luke tells his version of history." That was an early concept, that framing stories would show Luke building a Holocron and recording things into it, but

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<DanWallace> it eventually morphed into the current format, which is basically a sort of New Republic history textbook.

<DanWallace> So it's an in-universe document.

<DanWallace> But naturally it covers all the Del Rey & Bantam & Dark Horse publishing projects.

<Urza> Hehehe... is it in a Rebel bias history textbook or will it be like an encyclopedia, straight to the facts?

<DanWallace> Well, it's New Republic historians writing it, so while there's no blatant bias, I'd have to say the Empire doesn't come out looking too well.

<g>

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nWallace> History is written by the victors, you know.

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<Urza> Oh course.

<Urza> Oh= of

<DanWallace> Actually, that would be an interesting project. A history of the New Republic as written by a fanatic Imperial loyalist.

<Urza> That'd be cool, but I'd really like to see a Jedi book... but Mr. Lucas already said there'd never be one because he doesn't want cults poping up.

<Urza> Robert_Fett and JediKnife would like to know, How much time did you spent researching the Chronology and if you consulted anyone for information?

<DanWallace> Regarding cults -- too late!

<g>

<DanWallace> The thing about researching the Chron is that every previous project essentially helped out with that. Planets and Moons, Droids, etc.... all forced me to back and re-read lots of old esoteric sources, and

<DanWallace> that helped in setting the general framework. Then when it came time to do the actual writing, I went back and re-read EVERY book. Just to keep it straight.

<DanWallace> You should see my bookshelf.

<Urza> Probably looks a lot like mine. =)

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<Urza> A mess of star wars source books ;-)

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<DanWallace> I consulted people along the way for help, both authors and fans. Everyone was extremely helpful and friendly, and the final book would have been impossible without their input.

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<Urza> Was there time to include Vector Prime information?

<DanWallace> Yes, and no. Let me explain that a bit

<DanWallace> I think you'd agree that it would be silly to include Book of an ongoing, unfolding saga in the Chron -- talk about your loose ends!

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<DanWallace> So it ends before that. That's when the New Republic historians are writing their chronicle. It's the final bookend to the previous era of history.

<DanWallace> But we were aware of Vector Prime, so we made sure nothing we had in there would be contradicted by what Salvatore and the other authors had up their sleeves for later. GA

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<Urza> Have you gotten a copy of Vector Prime yet or are you waiting in anticipation like the rest of us? =)

<DanWallace> Nope, I haven't received my copy yet. I hear it's out there, though, so I don't think it'll be long now...

<Urza> Before the Essential Guides did you have anything published?

<DanWallace> The Essential Guide to Planets & Moons was my first SW book, but I had some stuff in sci-fi publications published before that. And before that I had written for newspapers and literary magazines.

<Urza> I actually hadn't noticed you'd writen in Star Wars Adventure Journal until I reread #. Did West End approach you on writing The Great Herdship Heist or was that something you had in mind?

<DanWallace> I approached them. I wanted to try a "caper" story, and Steve Miller (the editor of the Journal at the time) got me into issue .

<DanWallace> As it turns out, that was the last issue!

<DanWallace> Good timing, or bad timing depending how you look at it.

<DanWallace> I finished a sequel to Herdship called "The Most Dangerous Fame" which was a takeoff on Richard Connell's classic short story "The Most Dangerous Game." It was

<DanWallace> scheduled for Journal # before WEG ran into financial difficulties.

<DanWallace> But I had fun writing those.

<Urza> Yeah...

<Urza> There were some authors already writing stuff for issue and now they'll have the work appearing in Tales from the New Republic will you have anything in it?

<DanWallace> No, nothing from me in Tales from the New Republic.

<Urza> Nuts. =)

<DanWallace> I know there will be new Zahn & Stackpole stuff, and I believe Patricia Jackson has some Journal stories in there. Beyond that I'm not sure what the final lineup is.

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<Urza> You've been a fan since the beginning right?

<DanWallace> Peter Schweighofer & Craig Carey are the editors, however, which is nice for Craig since he was hired as editor of the Journal months before WEG went under and had done quite a bit of work planning the "lost" issues.

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<DanWallace> I've been a fan of SW since . I was just a wee lad. But everyone was caught up in the excitement, and for me as well as many others it never really went away.

<DanWallace> Hi Amy!!

<Urza> Well then I gotta ask... what was the releases of A New Hope, The Phantom Menace, and Heir to the Empire like for you?

<DanWallace> Heir to the Empire was exciting -- it wasn't the first SW novel, but it was the first post-ROJ SW novel, which meant it could "continue the trilogy" as it were. A great book, too.

<DanWallace> The Phantom Menace was amazing to watch as a phenomenon. The pent-up demand was astonishing, and the pitch of the media hype was unbelievable.

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<DanWallace> I know George Lucas had to keep telling folks, "it's only a movie."

<DanWallace> But I was happy with TPM, and majorly geeked to see a new SW movie after a twenty year drought.

<Urza> And do you remember how you felt during/after ANH was the first time? And then again for ANH Special Edition?

<DanWallace> What I'm really looking forward to is Episodes & , since Lucas can make these as chapters as opposed to standalone movies, which has all sorts of implications for how things might develop.

<DanWallace> ANH was the pure feeling of pleasure you get as a kid after the circus or a pony ride. ANHSE was different because it was years later,

<DanWallace> and I was all grown up seeing it with my wife and another married couple, but we were still so geeked! The movies still bring out the feeling of innocence and wonder, and that's partly why ANH has always been my # favorite of the SW movies.!

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nWallace> It's the simplest and the most pure in terms of the hero's journey.

nWallace> And it's the original. That gives it double points.

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<Urza> ArtyEwok wants to know if there's any chance for an essential guide to rogue/wraith squadron?

<DanWallace> I suppose there's always a chance, though I haven't heard anything about it. But if LFL and Del Rey think there's enough demand, you never know! I know Rogue fans are some of the most dedicated fans in all of SW fandom!

<g>

<Urza> There's a lot of demand for Rogue stuff.

<DanWallace> In the absence of an Essential Guide, Dark Horse has published an X-Wing Handbook that's a good start.

<Urza> Espically more books and comics. I know a lot of people mad & sad to see them gone.

<Urza> I've heard talk of there being a Technical Journal for The Phantom Menace in the tradition of the original ... any inside info you can share?

<DanWallace> It was a good series, I agree. And it helped a lot in terms of the Chronology regarding early history of the post-ROJ Empire.

<DanWallace> I've heard that too, but so far I haven't seen anything official yet from Del Rey so I'm going to have to plead the fifth.

<Urza> Not to mention it saved the expanded universe at the hands of ROTJ Special Edition.

<Urza> big questions for you...

<Urza> What did you think of the added Coruscant revolt at the end of ROTJ SE?

<DanWallace> Yes, but I've never seen the ROJSE ending as a problem. In terms of the movies, it wraps everything up nicely. And in terms of the expanded universe, you just figure that the Empire quickly stomped out the celebration with a couple AT-ATs. In fact, I think that was retrofitted into a novel recently. One of the X-Wings? Anyone remember?

<Urza> What did you think of Jar Jar Binks.

<Urza> It was in one of Aaron Allston's Xwing novels I believe.

<DanWallace> I like Jar Jar. He's in the movie to fill two roles the reluctant hero and the comic sidekick.

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<Urza> Hello Darion.

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<DanWallace> And other characters are in there to play off him -- Obi Wan, for instance, with his "pathetic life form" worldview. And Qui-Gon grabbing his tongue.

<Urza> MosEisley.Com welcomes Darion Blade, host of the ONLY Star Wars Internet Talk Show as Guest Host of the chat.

<Darion> hey all

<Darion> cant be here to long

<DanWallace> You're *supposed* to find him a little irritating. He's loud & clumsy. But I have a feeling he's going to develop over the course of the three episodes. Remember this is only act .

<DanWallace> I think he has more story roles to fill.

<Darion> pleasure to meet you Dan spent many an hour read the guides

<DanWallace> Thanks, Darion.

<Darion> reading that is

<Urza> JediKnife would like to know what you did as your original profession and were you get your ideas.

<Urza> were= where

<DanWallace> But Jar Jar can't hold a candle to the supreme Gungan, Captain Tarpals. If Tarpals has a fan club, I'm the only member.

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<DanWallace> JediKnife, I worked, and still work, in the advertising industry. Which incidentally gave me tons of ideas, particularly for the EG to Droids regarding manufacturing and promotion.

<DanWallace> And other ideas come from all around -- nature shows, National Geographic, parties you go to, stories your relatives tell you.

<DanWallace> The tough thing about SW is that there's SO much history, often you can't just come up with ideas. You have to research a bunch of sources and piece together the facts from what has already been published.

<DanWallace> The SW universe seems to have more history than REAL history.

<g>

<Urza> Yeah. =)

<Urza> Any idea how old RD is? =)

<DanWallace> Older than Threepio!

<Urza> LOL... ok. =)

<DanWallace> But I don't know when Industrial Automaton started to manufacture the R, and I don't know if I'd want to pin it down. I'd say one thing and then something else would come up showing an R in the

<DanWallace> Tales of the Jedi era, and then there'd have to be a continuity fix.

<Urza> hehe

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<DanWallace> I can't imagine the R series is more than - years old, though. But that doesn't mean Artoo is that old.

<DanWallace> Keep in mind I'm just speculating. LFL has never given a date for Artoo's age.

<Urza> Indeed... That would be an interesting book. A book in RD's prospective starting at his activiation. =)

> Did you like that lucas targeted TPM for younger viewers?

<DanWallace> I don't think it's so much that it was targeted for younger viewers, but that the tone was so light. But that's been a matter of record for years.

<DanWallace> An interview I read with Lucas a year or two ago said that Ep. One would be the lighthearted episode, where he'd set the stage. Ep. Two would be tricky and Machievellian. Ep. Three would be the "dark" one, so much so that Lucas expects it to do iffy at the box office.

<DanWallace> Since these are being planned as three acts in a single play, I think it's important to not jump to conclusions about the tone.

<DanWallace> I fully ancicipate that things in TPM will be seen in a weird, ironic way when all three are finished.

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<Urza> How'd you decided that the R unit would be a modernized/upgraded version of the R unit? Because essentially that's what it appears to be.

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<DanWallace> There's already the stunningly ironic ending in which the Emperor and Darth Vader-to-be stand triumphantly before all the duped heroes while a children's chorus belts out "The Emperor's Theme" from ROJ.

<DanWallace> That's evil, man.

<g>

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<DanWallace> I can't take the credit for R, or R, or R, or any of the "R"'s. All of that information is based on an article by Pablo Hidalgo in Adventure Journal #.

<DanWallace> It's an excellent article called "The History of R-Series Astromech Droids," and I was only able to summarize the high points in the EG to Droids.

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<Urza> Yeah.. why do the R and R share a page in EG to Droids?

<DanWallace> If you have the resources, try to track down Journal # so you can get this article. It's also got a good Zahn short story if I remember.

<DanWallace> We wanted to cover all the R-series droids, but we had an entry limit of . So we decided

<DanWallace> to combine a couple of the R entries so we could put more droids in the book overall. The P and R also share a page.

<Urza> Actually that Adenture Journal has Zahn's story about Thrawn joining the Empire and a Stackpole storie about Corran Horn when he becomes a fugitive.

<Urza> It's one of the better Adventure Journals if you ask nWallace> That's right, now I remember. Good stuff. I don't think any of the short stories therein have been reprinted.

<Urza> Not to many. Only the stuff in Tales of the Empire and that doesn't cover any of Zahn's Thrawn stories... only the story with Mara Jade jointing Talon Karrde.

<Urza> jointing= joining

<DanWallace> Well, maybe Tales from the New Republic.

<Urza> I hope. I'm killing my Adventure Journals rereading them all. =)

<DanWallace> Hang on to them! I hear the early ones go for a bundle on ebay.

<Urza> I know... I never got issue .. I saw it selling for $ on ebay!!

<DanWallace> Dang. I should have bought two back in the day.

<Urza> Yeah... I'm kicking myself for not subscribing earlier on. =)

<Urza> So are you excited about Star Wars Union The Marriage of Luke Skywalker and Vector Prime?

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<DanWallace> Very excited about both. I know VP pretty well and I know it will rock. I know much less about Union so I'm looking forward to it just from a surprise standpoint.

<Urza> I just hope Mara doesn't go the way of all of Luke's other love interests (epsically the ones from Marvel Star Wars comics). Being an Imperial Spy trying to kill him is unlikely at this point.... but I hear some things about the New Jedi Order series regarding Mara that's bothering me. =)

<DanWallace> Well, Luke's gotta be in his 's now, right? About time he settled down.

<Urza> Settle down? LOL! The dust jacket of Vector Prime implies he's going to rebuild the Jedi Council.

<Urza> That's hardly settling down. =)

<DanWallace> Settled down and got married. Which as all married people will tell you, doesn't really mean settling down at all.

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<Urza> Yeah... well I don't see Luke settling down to the degree that Han did. =)

<DanWallace> Sitting around and hanging out as a bachelor, THAT'S settling down. Luke just made his life even busier. Such responsibilites for the son of Vader.

<Urza> Aron_Farr would like to know what you find most intriguing about Star Wars?

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<DanWallace> Intriguing...it's a mishmash of things. The technology and spaceships, lasers and stuff -- that's the WOW factor, and the fun side.

<Urza> Darion would like to know if he contacted you via email if he could arrange to have you as a Guest on his interview talkshow, Jedi Talk?

<DanWallace> But there's also the character driven, spiritual side, and it's all encapsulated well in the Hero's Journey as laid out by Joseph Campbell and other obsevers.

<Urza> Aron Farr wants you to know that he likes the Jedi.

<DanWallace> Darion, sure, just let me know and we'll work something out. I'm going to have to scoot in about five minutes, so if there are more Qs, fire away!

<DanWallace> The Jedi are fundamental to SW, just as the Knights of the Round Table are fundamental to Arthurian legend.

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<Urza> When can we plan on seeing Essential Chronology in stores?

<DanWallace> The official word I've heard is April , which usually means you'll see it March-ish.

<DanWallace> It's finished, however, and is just going through the art stage and the layout stage now.

<DanWallace> It's a nice-looking book.

<Urza> Cool. The cover is complete correct?

<DanWallace> I think so, but I haven't received samples from Del Rey.

<Urza> Hmm interesting.

<DanWallace> Any more Qs?

<Urza> JediKnight wants to know if you think we'll reach Star Wars technology and how soon?

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<Urza> Angel would like to know if it'd be alright if she used the star-system names from your Essential Planets/Moons for a map she's making for her league?

<DanWallace> Talking droids? In a hundred years. Hovering cars? In two hundred. Lightsabers? In a thousand.

<DanWallace> Angel, I can't see why not.

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<DanWallace> As long as it's just for a private gaming thing and not for selling, you should be OK.

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<DanWallace> Well guys, I've got to run!

<DanWallace> Thanks a million to Urza for having me here, and to all of you for showing up and asking such great questions.

<Urza> Ok

<Urza> Dan check out this images..

<Urza> http//www.moseisley.com/mos/pics/currentnews/swtec-front.gif

<Urza> http//www.moseisley.com/mos/pics/currentnews/swtec-back.gif

<Urza> they're "supposively" the covers to the Chronology =)

<Urza> Thanks for coming Dan.

<Urza> It was a great chat and we hope to have you on in the future.

<DanWallace> Thanks again, and just let me know! Have a good night, all!

<ravskel> night

<Urza> Goodnight

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<Urza> May The Force Be With You.

<Urza> (everyone say goodnight) ;-)

<Aron_Farr> good bye

<CMa_QS> Goodnight

<Aron_Farr> Keep up the good work Dan

<Nob> nite nite and keep the good work

<JediKnife> bye

<Angel> Good night Mr. Wallace.

<Angel> --where are you that it's nighttime?

<Urza> Everyone check out Jedi Talk

<DanWallace> Thanks guys! Good night! (Angel Detroit)

<Urza> http//www.jeditalk.com/live/index.html

<Urza> the only star wars talk show on the internet

<Urza> every sunday night at pm EST (in minutes!!)

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<Urza> Hope to see everyone at our next author chat.

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<Urza> Keep your eye on MosEisley.Com for more chats and the latest in Star Wars news.