Expanded Universe is being cleaned up

[Blackferne]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/ ... -universe/

The mouse and the chainsaw

Word began trickling out over Twitter last week that Disney will be drastically redefining the state of the Star Wars lore, eliminating the bifurcated mainline/EU arrangement and in its place constructing a single official canon. All things that are part of the canon are "real," as far as Star Wars is concerned; all things not in the canon are "not real." This eliminates the quasi-real EU tier—going forward, things will either exist officially, or not at all.

Lucasfilm employee Leland Chee, who currently maintains the internal Lucasfilm database that tracks the different elements of the canon, will be one of the folks making this decision. He tweeted that "Star Wars Canon is now determined by the Lucasfilm Story Group," which he and fellow Lucasfilm employee Pablo Hidalgo are part of. When asked specifically whether the group's goal was to eliminate the mainline/EU canon arrangement and its tiers of official-ness, Chee responded with a definitive yes. "More so than ever," he said, "the canon field will serve us internally simply for classification rather than setting hierarchy."

Now, no longer will there be a complex multi-level hierarchy of canonicity—there will simply be canon, and not.

This is an excellent decision, and one that a certain other science fiction franchise whose name also includes the word "Star" made long ago. For Star Trek, the tie-in novels and other ephemera have always been non-canonical. At times, this has been a good thing, because some of the novels have been truly terrible, although at other times it's prevented Star Trek from going down what might have been some truly wonderful paths (like an on-screen exploration of John M. Ford's beautifully poetic take on the Klingons, or a far less idiotic tale of Human-Vulcan first contact).

[Dodd Formeianna]

For Star Trek, the tie-in novels and other ephemera have always been non-canonical. At times, this has been a good thing, because some of the novels have been truly terrible, although at other times it's prevented Star Trek from going down what might have been some truly wonderful paths (like an on-screen exploration of John M. Ford's beautifully poetic take on the Klingons, or a far less idiotic tale of Human-Vulcan first contact).

What about the time the Enterprise crew time-travelled back to 1996 San Francisco, to save the whales? LOL. Joking aside, I actually enjoyed ST4.

I'm excited about the shift in approaching Canon.

[Fynn]

I'm a fan of post-E6 EU (and, of course Bane!) be it 'cannon' or not. This is certainly nice, and I'm interested to see where it goes.

[Staris]

I'm still up in the air. I understand why they did it but I think they could have used quite a few of the books / trilogies that where in canon to bases off of for movies pretty easily.

The one part I completely disagree with is trying to suggest that following Star Trek on novels always being non-canonical is a smart thing, because the books where written to be in canon they had to go through a lot of vetting and approve process to remove pretty much all of the bad ones.

The thing I'm really hopeful for is if they aren't using the existing books or trilogies is that they pull in some of the authors, Zahn jumps to mind to write or help write the movies.

[Blackferne]

I discussed this with Furiel and said that I didn't think that the Thrawn Trilogy was the best of the EU. Furiel informed me that I was dead to him.

[Furiel]

Of the books that have been written Zahn did some of the best work IMO. Not just with the Thrawn trilogy but some of the short stories he wrote too were really good.

I also hope that with the new movies they might at some point use or adapt some of the books from the X-Wing Rogue and Wraith squadron series, I really enjoyed those books and think they could be pretty epic on the big screen.

[Staris]

I also hope that with the new movies they might at some point use or adapt some of the books from the X-Wing Rogue and Wraith squadron series, I really enjoyed those books and think they could be pretty epic on the big screen.

I totally agree would love it see them done as movies or would even be a good section to do as a Battlestar Galactica style tv series, my only concern is they scrap a lot of the earlier books just to make what they do in 7 easier with the time gap that is suppose to happen between 6 and 7 in if they remove them all remove any preconceived expectations as to what should be happening by then.

[Fynn]

I also hope that with the new movies they might at some point use or adapt some of the books from the X-Wing Rogue and Wraith squadron series, I really enjoyed those books and think they could be pretty epic on the big screen.

I totally agree would love it see them done as movies or would even be a good section to do as a Battlestar Galactica style tv series, my only concern is they scrap a lot of the earlier books just to make what they do in 7 easier with the time gap that is suppose to happen between 6 and 7 in if they remove them all remove any preconceived expectations as to what should be happening by then.

I'm okay with this, solely because while reading them I believed I was reading non-canonical material. If I had read them believing I was reading a canon chronology, I assume my disposition would be different (read: I'd be pissed). I do hope EU is, at the very least, used as inspiration.

[Jimer Lins]

It's interesting to see this discussion going on here and elsewhere. I've never really read much of the EU stuff, I think the last Star Wars novel I read was Splinter of the Mind's Eye. As a non-initiate into the EU, though- I think a simplified canon/non-canon concept can only be to the overall good.

[Dood]

Did you know there's an Alvis forum? Funny.

Anyway, totally late to the game, but I'm here to become dead to Furiel as well because, as I have stated many times, the Zahn books were one good character wrapped in dogshit.

Thrawn, the character, was great. INTEGRATE IT!

Thrawn, the trilogy, was shit. EXPUNGE IT!

[Furiel]

Did you know there's an Alvis forum? Funny.

Anyway, totally late to the game, but I'm here to become dead to Furiel as well because, as I have stated many times, the Zahn books were one good character wrapped in dogshit.

Thrawn, the character, was great. INTEGRATE IT!

Thrawn, the trilogy, was shit. EXPUNGE IT!

Who are you and do you talk about these books?

[Dodd Formeianna]

http://www.starwars7news.com/2014/01/sp ... -have.html

Rumours and/or potential episode 7 spoilers, therein. Fair warning. But it looks like according to the latest round of rumours (which seems to be growing in credibility), at least some EU characters and elements will be incorporated into the Sequels, and Rebels TV show.

[Bulwark]

I am hereby (for the first and probably only time) using my Cardinal powers to ban any talk of Star Wars spoilers. Excommunication will not be good enough for those who fail to heed this edict.

Spoiler:

liberal use of the of the spoiler tag is acceptible

[Blackferne]

I am hereby (for the first and probably only time) using my Cardinal powers to ban any talk of Star Wars spoilers. Excommunication will not be good enough for those who fail to heed this edict.

Spoiler:

liberal use of the of the spoiler tag is acceptible

Point of Clarification by Space Pope Juicy Fruit Smoothie of the 7 Flavors of Fun

What is currently prohibited from spoilage?

Like the Thrawn Trilogy is 25 years old, do I need to tag that, or are you talking about the movies coming out? Deceived is 3 years old is that tag needing?

[Bulwark]

New, unreleased content. Everything else is fair game.