‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘The Clone Wars’ movie novelization (2008) (Book review)

Having just read Karen Traviss’ first four “Republic Commando” novels, it’s abundantly clear that she’s handcuffed on “The Clone Wars” movie novelization (2008). She tries to do what Matthew Stover did for “Revenge of the Sith” three years earlier and get into the characters’ heads more, putting more meat on the bones of the story, but this

‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel’ (2008) (Book review)

“Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel” (2008), the meaty fourth book in Karen Traviss’ five-book “Commando” saga, is an example of a story that was wiped out because of a later addition to the saga by George Lucas. The clones here receive Palpatine’s Order 66 as a military order, then carry it out (or not) because

‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Republic Commando: True Colors’ (2007) (Book review)

Karen Traviss entered the ranks of “Star Wars” authors despite lacking a deep knowledge of the saga, but by her third book, “Republic Commando: True Colors” (2007), her newcomer status begins to serve her well. Like an obsessive kid asking questions about an exciting discovery, she digs into details about the nature of the Clone Wars that

‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Republic Commando: Triple Zero’ (2006) (Book review)

Karen Traviss’ “Republic Commando” series started off with a pulpy war mission novel, “Hard Contact,” which also snuck in the notion of clones as thinking, feeling human beings – something that most prior novels and the people of the fictional GFFA ignored. In “Triple Zero” (2006), Traviss ratchets up her game by bringing the action to Coruscant

‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Republic Commando: Hard Contact’ (2004) (Book review)

Watching the clone troopers arrive with Yoda on Geonosis in “Attack of the Clones” in 2002, it was easy to think of them as organic robots. “Star Wars” fans now see clones as human beings in every meaningful way, and the EU began to shape that sentiment even before George Lucas addressed the issue in

‘The Clone Wars’ Season 7 is here! (sort of) (TV commentary)

Season 2 of “Star Wars Rebels” recently kicked off in our universe, but in an alternate dimension where George Lucas did not sell “Star Wars” to Disney, fans are currently reflecting on the conclusion of Season 7 of “The Clone Wars” and looking forward to Season 8, probably the epic final season of the show.