Books
11 Books Anyone Who Loved ‘The Last Jedi’ Needs To Read
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas came up with the idea for Star Wars, an epic space opera film trilogy that has grown into a sweeping multi-media franchise that includes movies, television, comics, book, and so much more. Forty years after the original film's release, the series is still wildly popular, and luckily for fans, there are plenty of books to read if you loved The Last Jedi, the most recent movie installment, and just can't get enough of the special kind of high-flying galactic adventure Star Wars delivers.
It has been four decades since the original Star Wars movie hit theaters, and in that time, the series has grown from a nerdy kid's dream come true into a multi-billion dollar franchise that draws fans of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. The series' most recent film addition, The Last Jedi, has been so popular in its first week in theaters that it has already made $500 million at the box office and shows little signs of slowing down.
The high-action space offer has something in it for every viewer, sci-fi fan or not. Throughout the Star Wars series, the is of course high-flying action and plenty of adventure, but there is also nail-biting will-they-won't-they romances, dark family secrets, evil corrupt governments, unbelievably adorable animals, hilarious machine sidekicks — the list goes on and on, but the bottom line is this: we just can't get enough of Star Wars.
If you already saw The Last Jedi and are already excited about the next installment in the Star Wars series, here are 11 books you'll love to read while you wait.
'Star Wars Aftermath: Empire’s End' by Chuck Wendig
One of the most unique parts of the Star Wars series is its timeline: each new trilogy jump back and forth in time, leaving viewers with plenty of questions about what happened when they weren't looking, and writers with plenty of space to answer them with new stories. Set mainly on Jakku, Aftermath: Empire's End describes the years between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens and follows the adventures of Norra Wexley, a one-time rebel pilot determined to seek vengeance on the Empire for turning her husband into an evil pawn, and Rae Sloan, an Imperial Grand Admiral who will stop at nothing to find Gallius Rax, the true evil mastermind of the Empire. An action-packed page-turner, this Star Wars novel will make you want to watch the newest trilogy over and over again.
'Thrawn' by Timothy Zahn
Thrawn may not appear in any of the official Star Wars movies, but ask any true fan and they will tell you the Grand Admiral is one of the most evil and intriguing villains in the galaxy. In Timothy Zahn's origin story, readers get to follow the diabolical antagonist's violent rise from an exiled Chiss warrior to an Imperial navy leader who eventually gains control of the Galactic Empire's forces following the destruction of the second Death Star and the events of Return of the Jedi. A true treat for Star Wars fans who loved Zahn's original trilogy about the character, Thrawn is a must-have in every Rebel's library.
'Provenance' by Ann Leckie
One of the year's most talk about sci-fi books, Ann Leckie's Provenance returns to the familiar universe of her Imperial Radch trilogy to tell the standalone story of Ingray, an impulsive young girl determined to secure status and power within her political family. Her plan: to steal back precious artifacts of her people with the help of an infamous thief she has to break out of prison first. A fast-paced space heist thriller, Provenance is the kind of high-flying caper Han Solo would love.
'Communications Failure' by Joe Zieja
Speaking of Han Solo, the hero of Joe Zieja's Epic Failure Trilogy is a man after the smuggler's own heart. In Communications Failure, Captain Rogers has become the reluctant acting admiral of the 331st Meridan fleet, and he is about to face his first major challenge: an ill-advised invasion from the rival Thelicosan fleet. A smart and fun sci-fi novel with plenty of laughs, Communications Failure is the perfect read for fans who enjoy the light(er) side of Star Wars.
'Beyond the Empire' by K.B. Wagers
If you're a fan Rey and Leia, you're going to to love the heroine of K.B. Wager's The Indranan War Trilogy. Hail Bristol was a gunrunner in her past life, but now that her family has been murdered, she is forced to become the Empress of her home planet. As you can imagine, things are a lot more complicated than they seem, and Hail must find the strength within herself to save her home, her people, and herself. Beyond the Empire is a stunning conclusions to an action-packed series Star Wars fans will love feeling a part of.
'The Collapsing Empire' by John Scalzi
No, not that Empire. John Scalzi's new novel isn't about the setting of Star Wars, but it does kick of a new space-opera series fans of The Last Jedi will love. In The Collapsing Empire, the world has discovered The Flow, an extradimensional field that allows people to travel across the galaxy to other planets and star systems, and Earth is all but forgotten. As a new empire rises to power, and while they claim to want to protect all humans across space, their rule is more about control than anything else. Meanwhile, The Flow is rapidly changing, and it is up to a scientist, a starship captain, and a leader of the new empire to save humanity from the end. An thrilling and intriguing read that will have readers at the edge of their seat, The Collapsing Empire is a must-have for true Star Wars lovers.
'Barbary Station' by R.E. Stearns
When two engineers decide to steal a spaceship and become space pirates, they never imagined being caught in the middle of a conflict with a deadly artificial intelligence. But in order to fulfill their goal and get a job at the infamous Barbary Station, and in order to survive, they must stand up to the station's AI and destroy its control of the ship. A fun and exhilarating space adventure, Barbary Station might make Star Wars fans think twice about their dreams of space travel.
'Sungrazer' by Jay Posey
In the distant future, there is a Cold War going on, this time between the people of Earth and the colonies on Mars. The weapons on each side are devastatingly dangerous, and when a fully-autonomous one with the capabilities of orbital strike goes missing, a team of super-soldiers are called in to locate them. When this near-immortal special operations unit, known as the Outriders, traces the weapon to the Martian People's Collective Republic, their case goes from dangerous to deadly as they are thrown into the middle of an interplanetary conflict that could destroy the galaxy. A heart-pounding adventure, Sungrazer will have readers on the edge of their seats.
'Artemis' by Andy Weir
Like Han Solo, Jasmine Bashara didn't mean to become a hero — she was just a smuggler in the wrong place, at the wrong time. When the chance to get rich of off a big heist comes her way, Jasmine can't pass up the opportunity, even if the task is way out of her wheelhouse, and quickly ends up in the middle of a conspiracy that is way over her head. A clever and cunning techno-thriller, Artemis will get Star Wars fans excited for the upcoming Star Wars caper movie about Han solo.
'The Will to Battle' by Ada Palmer
In the third installment of Ada Palmer's Terr Ignota series, an era of peace and prosperity of the Hives, nations without affixed locations, has come crashing down and given way to corruption, violence, and treachery. Behind the scenes, there has always been corruption in the form of carefully plotted political murders, but it was a secret tactic meant to preserve order. Now, the world is left to fend for itself as everyone — members of the Hive and outsiders, the rich and the poor, the warriors and the everyday citizen — fights to survive the unavoidable war of the future.
'Raven Stratagem' by Yoon Ha Lee
Despite what Luke and Rey would have you believe, you don't need the force to communicate with dead people, apparently. In Yoon Ha Lee's Raven Stratagem, young spaceship captain Kel Cheris is able to do so when she summons the ghost of General Shuos Jedao and asks him to help her stop a rebellion. But after centuries of imprisonment, the General has other plans and quickly possesses Kel and takes over her fleet. A fascinating sci-fi story about trust, faith, control, and loyalty, Raven Stratagem is an intriguing read you won't be able to stop thinking about.
