Episode 2 - A Legendary Discussion

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1. Who are we?  (Personal backstories)
1. Deacon Andrew Kinstetter
2. Sean Heller
2. Why are we doing this podcast and what’s it all about?
1. Keep in touch
2. Talk Star Wars
3. Share our random thoughts with the world.
4. Learn more about Star Wars
5. Experience the Fandom in a unique way.
3. Addendum from Episode 1
1. Han and Leia were married.  The Force Awakens novel and the Visual Guide to the Force Awakens confirm this.
2. Maz has force abilities - confirmed in the Visual Guide as well.
4. (Not So) Brief History of Legends (Thanks to the Barnes & Noble Blog by Andrew Liptak for researching this topic!)
1. Ballantine Books
1. Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker (1976 - before the movie debuted in theaters) was ghost written by Alan Dean Foster (who also authored The Force Awakens)
2. The first official novel of the Legends universe, however, was Splinter of the Mind’s Eye (Also Alan Dean Foster) in 1978 and NOT Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire (which wouldn’t be written until May 1, 1991).
3. Han Solo books by Brian Daley (1979-1980)
4. Lando Calrissian books by L. Neil Smith (1983).
2. Bantam Books
1. 1989 Lucasfilm approved the idea to begin writing novels again, with the stipulation, the books had to be well-written, they had to be written post-ROTJ, and none of the main characters could be killed or resurrected if already dead.
2. Timothy Zahn (who originally was studying Physics when Star Wars came out in Theaters and only started writing as a hobby)  was approached in November of 1989.
3. Timothy Zahn is, of course, noted for his inspired creation of the master tactician, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Mara Jade, a former imperial agent, and the smuggler, Talon Karrde, in his debut Star Wars novel: Heir to the Empire (published 1991).
4. Needless to say, Timothy Zahn’s trilogy of books were a hit.  Heir to the Empire hit the New York Times bestseller list.
1. Side Note: The idea behind these novels was that these stories moved the main characters forward in time, as opposed to other Science Fiction novels, such as Star Trek, which were episodic in nature where each novel left the characters in the exact same place as they started.  Star Wars novels were pushing the characters forward to unexplored places.
5. Kathy Tyers wrote The Truce at Bakura telling the story of the immediate post-ROTJ events.
6. Kevin J. Anderson wrote the Jedi Academy Trilogy in 1994 moving the characters farther forward.  Han and Leia’s kids, Jacen and Jaina, were older and Luke Skywalker was rebuilding the Jedi Order.
7. David Wolverton wrote The Courtship of Princess Leia in 1994 (Deacon Andrew’s first read novel in the Star Wars EU!) telling the story of how Han and Leia finally got married.
5. Disney buys Lucasfilm
1. Storygroup “resets” the universe going forward on April 25, 2014.
1. Deacon Andrew was on the road with Fr. Brian Hess to a diaconate ordination at St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana when this news broke.
6. Comics (Deacon Andrew)
1. Legacy Comics (Cade Skywalker)
2. 130 years after Return of the Jedi
7. Favorite Legends Material
1. Deacon Andrew
1. Most all novels post-ROTJ
1. Timothy Zahn’s novels, Jedi Academy Trilogy, Courtship of Princess Leia, New Jedi Order series, Legacy of the Force series, and Fate of the Jedi series.
2. Video Games
1. Knights of the Old Republic (and KOTOR II)
2. Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
3. Star Wars: Dark Forces
4. Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
5. Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers (not Star Wars, but the whole Space Quest series is Star Wars related)
2. Sean Heller
1. Video Games first
1. Jedi Power Battles
2. Pod Racer
3. Rogue Squadron
4. Knights of the Old Republic(still play on PC today) 1&2
5. The old republic
6. Never really played battlefront but getting into it
7. Dark Forces
2. Then the books,
1. Andrew got me interested in them
2. Have read a few from Legends and EU
3. Revan, The ultimate companion book
4. Bane, Rule of two,
5. Really like the sith of the Old Republic
6. Tales Of Bounty Hunter  
7. Xwing
8. Why you should get into the Expanded Universe (Legends) AND the Canon books.
1. What is the purpose of stories?  Entertainment?  Sure.  Reflection on life?  Absolutely.