Behind ‘Star Wars: Timelines’, From ‘Star Wars Insider’ #217

The upcoming book Star Wars: Timelines from DK Publishing features five talented writers that some of you may have heard of already: Kristin Baver, Jason Fry, Cole Horton, moderator Amy Richau, and Clayton Sandell. The book will cover everything in the Star Wars universe, from the formation of the Jedi Order to the Battle of Exegol.

 

For Star Wars Insider #217, Amy Richau sat down to speak with all five writers involved in bringing the book together, and discussed with them how each writer approached their particular timelines. It’s an ambitious endeavour; how can you combine these different stories from every part of the Star Wars universe into one book? Here are some excerpts from that conversation, but we recommend reading through the whole thing if you pick up this issue of Star Wars Insider.

 

Kristin Baver wrote the book’s first chapter, covering the galaxy’s early history, and about the New Republic and the Rise of the First Order. The former is an extensive period to write about, from the founding of the Jedi Order around 25,000 BBY to Yoda’s first year as a Jedi Master and teacher, which is roughly 800 years before he meets Luke Skywalker.

 

KB: “I foolishly thought it was going to be much simpler than it turned out to be (the entire group laughs). When I initially heard about Timelines, I was really excited because it was such a fantastic idea.

I couldn’t believe that a book like that didn’t already exist”.

 

Star Wars: Timelines - Battle of Naboo

 

Star Wars: Timelines will feature essential details about different areas of the Star Wars universe, such as how long a specific part of a timeline might last. An example is the timeline for the sequel trilogy, which occurred over one year. It feels like it may have been longer than that when you watch the films.

 

Jason Fry discussed his work on Princess Leia Organa’s timeline:

 

JF: “I wrote the Leia Organa timeline before Beth Revis’ novel The Princess and the Scoundrel was released, but I watched that story unfold from the point at which it was still a book concept. Throughout, I had to keep in mind that I would need a couple of moments from it for the Leia spread, without having read the finished manuscript. That was fun”.

 

The writers also discussed the challenges of bringing so much detail into one book. One of those challenges relates to balancing current content that aligns with possible or future stories yet to tell. Jason Fry talked about how he approached writing about the Clone Wars era and the Fall of the Jedi, which started around 100 years before the Battle of Yavin right up to Revenge of the Sith. This period was vast, so he had a lot of content to cover.

 

Meanwhile, Cole Horton’s era was the High Republic, and he says we’ve only seen about one per cent of everything going on in that era. The High Republic era runs from 500 BBY to 100 BBY and will soon expand in audiovisual form thanks to Young Jedi Adventures and The Acolyte.

 

Clayton Sandell discussed the Age of the Rebellion, the era that fans are most familiar with:

 

CS: “Age of Rebellion begins with the Battle of Yavin and ends at the Battle of Jakku (5ABY) – a relatively short five-year span that is nonetheless intensely rich with tales of our favorite heroes hoping to sustain the momentum of victory against the Empire while encountering truly non-stop adventure and all-manner of galactic scum and villainy along the way”.

 

Star Wars: Timelines - Emergences

 

And Amy Richau talked about the Reign of the Empire:

 

AR: “The Reign of the Empire starts in 18 BBY during the early years of Palpatine’s reign and ends right before the Battle of Yavin begins. I loved that this chapter included some of the oldest official-lore content as well as information from new productions like the Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) series. This is my favorite era of Star Wars because I’m so inspired by the characters who created and fought for the Rebellion, and never let hope die”.

 

Star Wars: Timelines will include content from so many sources that fans will be spoiled for choice — everything from books to comics to TV and film. Star Wars fans, particularly those who love delving into the facts and deep history of Star Wars, will love this book.

 

Star Wars: Timelines will be available on April 25 in the United States and April 27 in the United Kingdom. Pre-orders are now available wherever books are sold.

 

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Meet Julie Gray, a passionate pop culture writer from Aotearoa, New Zealand. A lifelong Star Wars fan, her love for the franchise runs deep, with Luke Skywalker being her all-time favourite character and Anakin Skywalker coming in as a close second. Her outlook on the Star Wars universe is simple yet powerful - "All Star Wars is good Star Wars", a true testament to her undying love for this iconic franchise.

Julie Gray

Meet Julie Gray, a passionate pop culture writer from Aotearoa, New Zealand. A lifelong Star Wars fan, her love for the franchise runs deep, with Luke Skywalker being her all-time favourite character and Anakin Skywalker coming in as a close second. Her outlook on the Star Wars universe is simple yet powerful - "All Star Wars is good Star Wars", a true testament to her undying love for this iconic franchise.

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