Star Wars: Heir to the Empire: Behind the Scenes: An Expanded Universe is Born

Timothy Zahn

Sep 2011 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Timothy Zahn and Betsy Mitchell

About this audiobook

Star Wars: Heir to the Empire: Behind the Scenes is a special recording that features new commentary by author Timothy Zahn and editor Betsy Mitchell, written for the 20th anniversary edition of Heir to the Empire, read by Zahn and Mitchell. Each annotation includes audio from the new unabridged recording of Heir to the Empire to enhance their comments. The biggest event in the history of Star Wars books, Heir to the Empire follows the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia after they led the Rebel Alliance to victory in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.

Five years after the Death Star was destroyed and Darth Vader and the Emperor were defeated, the galaxy is struggling to heal the wounds of war, Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting twins, and Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of new Jedi Knights.

But thousands of light-years away, the last of the Emperor’s warlords—the brilliant and deadly Grand Admiral Thrawn—has taken command of the shattered Imperial fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the New Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to create.

The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale—in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars.

Ratings and reviews

Loved this book. Great to hear the author and the editor commenting on one of my all time favorite books. More than 20 years ago, I was bored out of my mind wasting time at Atlanta Airport looking at stacks of titles when I saw: Star Wars Heir To The Empire. I devoured that book, suffice it to say I think Lucas should have made the Episode 7 movie star Grand Admiral Thrawn. This book starts with Timothy Zahn (in his own voice) telling the story of how the book went from idea to publisher.

I didmt want the extra junk. Just an audiobook. Amd google wont let me exchange it for f+×÷s sake

Way too much author commentary. He cuts in after almost every sentence.

About the author

Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars novels have more than four million copies in print. Since 1978 he has written nearly seventy short stories and novelettes, twenty novels, and three short fiction collections, and won the 1984 Hugo Award for best novella. He is best known for his seven Star Wars books, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, Specter of the Past, Vision of the Future, Survivor’s Quest, and Outbound Flight. He lives with his family on the Oregon coast.