The Han Solo Trilogy
Encyclopedia
The Han Solo Trilogy is a trilogy of science fiction
novels set in the Star Wars
galaxy
. The series serves as a prequel to the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
. The trilogy follows the origins of Han Solo
before the movies, and helps further establish his character. The trilogy was written by Ann C. Crispin
. The books were released June 1997, October 1997, and March 1998 respectively.
Additionally, this trilogy brings both the "The Adventures of Lando Calrissian
" and "Han Solo Adventures
" trilogies into chronological context with the Star Wars
Expanded Universe
timeline, whereas before, the time periods of these trilogies were somewhat more ambiguous, being known only to have occurred "sometime prior to" the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
. This is done by allowing for Han Solo
and Lando Calrissian
to be absent from this trilogy's main story during certain periods. Thus, it is necessary to read all three trilogies to fully appreciate the entire story arc.
With the release of the three Star Wars
prequel films starting in 1999, and of a copious and convoluted amount of "expanded universe" material which followed in its wake, some of the stated information about minor and minimal characters of the trilogy (ex: the origins of Boba Fett
) became inaccurate and as such necessitated of a retconned explanation (for example the false Boba Fett background was explained as a "smoke screen" planted by Fett himself, eager to hide his father's involvement in the Clone Wars
conspiracy).
The trilogy is set in the Star Wars
galaxy
10–0 years BBY and follows the adventures of a young Han Solo from the moment he escapes the clutches of an evil petty criminal who exploited him first as a panhandling street urchin, then as a pickpocket and thief and ultimately as competitive racing pilot, up until the very moment when he approaches the table in the Mos Eisley Cantina
where Obi-Wan Kenobi
and Luke Skywalker
are waiting with Chewbacca
to arrange passage to Alderaan, as depicted in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
.
Most of the adventures revolve around phoney "spiritual retreats" operated by a horned Hutt
subspecies named the T'landa T'il, where "pilgrims" from all over the galaxy are lured with the promise of spiritual solace and contemplation only to be brainwashed in submission, put to work in glitterstim refining labs and ultimately sold as slaves to the Hutts.
Solo arrives on one such world answering to a job offer as interstellar pilot and discovers the truth about the T'landa T'il scam, later forging a romantic bond with one of the duped pilgrims named Bria Tharen and risking his life to free her and escape together.
Bria however, though in love with Solo, can't adapt to living deprived of the euphory-inducing "exultation" ritual (a rush of feel-good vibrations generated by the T'landa T'il mating call, on which the pilgrims are hooked) and thus the pair separates...their paths will cross several time in the following years, until Bria, having become a rebel alliance operative, sacrifices her life to protect information about the first Death Star
's weak spot, thus setting in motion the events of A New Hope
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novels set in the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
galaxy
Star Wars Galaxy
Star Wars Galaxy may mean:* Star Wars Galaxies, a Star Wars themed MMORPG platform for Microsoft Windows* Star Wars galaxy, the fictional galaxy where the setting of the Star Wars saga occurs...
. The series serves as a prequel to the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
. The trilogy follows the origins of Han Solo
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
before the movies, and helps further establish his character. The trilogy was written by Ann C. Crispin
Ann C. Crispin
Ann Carol Crispin is an American science fiction writer, the author of twenty-three published novels. She has been writing since 1983...
. The books were released June 1997, October 1997, and March 1998 respectively.
Additionally, this trilogy brings both the "The Adventures of Lando Calrissian
The Adventures of Lando Calrissian
The Adventures of Lando Calrissian is a trilogy of science fiction novels set in the Star Wars galaxy 5–2 years BBY. The series serves as a prequel to the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The trilogy follows the smuggling days of Lando Calrissian before the movies and helps further...
" and "Han Solo Adventures
The Han Solo Adventures
The Han Solo Adventures, by Brian Daley, is a 1979 trilogy of science fiction novels set in the Star Wars fictional universe two years before the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope . The trilogy follows the smuggling days of Han Solo and Chewbacca before the movies. The books were released...
" trilogies into chronological context with the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
Expanded Universe
Star Wars Expanded Universe
The Star Wars Expanded Universe encompasses all of the officially licensed, fictional background of the Star Wars universe, outside of the six feature films produced by George Lucas. The expanded universe includes books, comic books, video games, spin-off films like Star Wars: The Clone Wars,...
timeline, whereas before, the time periods of these trilogies were somewhat more ambiguous, being known only to have occurred "sometime prior to" the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
. This is done by allowing for Han Solo
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
and Lando Calrissian
Lando Calrissian
Lando Calrissian is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
to be absent from this trilogy's main story during certain periods. Thus, it is necessary to read all three trilogies to fully appreciate the entire story arc.
With the release of the three Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
prequel films starting in 1999, and of a copious and convoluted amount of "expanded universe" material which followed in its wake, some of the stated information about minor and minimal characters of the trilogy (ex: the origins of Boba Fett
Boba Fett
Boba Fett is a character in Star Wars. A bounty hunter hired by Darth Vader to find the Millennium Falcon, he is a minor villain in both Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi....
) became inaccurate and as such necessitated of a retconned explanation (for example the false Boba Fett background was explained as a "smoke screen" planted by Fett himself, eager to hide his father's involvement in the Clone Wars
Clone Wars (Star Wars)
The Clone Wars are a series of fictional intragalactic battles in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. The conflict is first mentioned in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , but no details are given , and the wars themselves are not featured until the series' fifth and sixth...
conspiracy).
The trilogy is set in the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
galaxy
Star Wars Galaxy
Star Wars Galaxy may mean:* Star Wars Galaxies, a Star Wars themed MMORPG platform for Microsoft Windows* Star Wars galaxy, the fictional galaxy where the setting of the Star Wars saga occurs...
10–0 years BBY and follows the adventures of a young Han Solo from the moment he escapes the clutches of an evil petty criminal who exploited him first as a panhandling street urchin, then as a pickpocket and thief and ultimately as competitive racing pilot, up until the very moment when he approaches the table in the Mos Eisley Cantina
Mos Eisley Cantina
The Chalmun's Cantina is a fictional bar of the Star Wars universe located in the "pirate city" of Mos Eisley on the planet Tatooine...
where Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is one of several primary characters in the Star Wars series. Along with Darth Vader, R2-D2, and C-3PO, he is one of the few major characters to appear in all six Star Wars films...
and Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
are waiting with Chewbacca
Chewbacca
Chewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
to arrange passage to Alderaan, as depicted in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
.
Most of the adventures revolve around phoney "spiritual retreats" operated by a horned Hutt
Hutt (Star Wars)
The Hutts are a fictional alien race in the Star Wars universe. They appear in The Phantom Menace, Return of the Jedi and The Clone Wars, as well as the special edition release of A New Hope. They also appear in various Star Wars games, including those based on the movies, and the Knights of the...
subspecies named the T'landa T'il, where "pilgrims" from all over the galaxy are lured with the promise of spiritual solace and contemplation only to be brainwashed in submission, put to work in glitterstim refining labs and ultimately sold as slaves to the Hutts.
Solo arrives on one such world answering to a job offer as interstellar pilot and discovers the truth about the T'landa T'il scam, later forging a romantic bond with one of the duped pilgrims named Bria Tharen and risking his life to free her and escape together.
Bria however, though in love with Solo, can't adapt to living deprived of the euphory-inducing "exultation" ritual (a rush of feel-good vibrations generated by the T'landa T'il mating call, on which the pilgrims are hooked) and thus the pair separates...their paths will cross several time in the following years, until Bria, having become a rebel alliance operative, sacrifices her life to protect information about the first Death Star
Death Star
The Death Star is a fictional moon-sized space station and superweapon appearing in the Star Wars movies and expanded universe. It is capable of destroying a planet with a single destructive super charged energy beam.-Origin and design:...
's weak spot, thus setting in motion the events of A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
.
Books
- The Paradise SnareThe Paradise SnareThe Paradise Snare is the first book in the Han Solo Trilogy, by Ann C. Crispin. It was first released in 1997.-Publishers' description:...
by A.C. Crispin - The Hutt GambitThe Hutt GambitThe Hutt Gambit is the second volume in The Han Solo Trilogy, by Ann C. Crispin. It was first published in 1997.-Nar Shaddaa:One of the central conflicts of the story was the Battle of Nar Shaddaa, which was fought between the Galactic Empire and an alliance of smugglers and mercenaries.In the wake...
by A.C. Crispin - Rebel DawnRebel DawnRebel Dawn is the third volume in The Han Solo Trilogy, by Ann C. Crispin. It was first published in 1998.-Summary:Han Solo wins the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian in an intense sabacc tournament on Bespin...
by A.C. Crispin
ISBN information
- The Paradise Snare, 1st paperback printing, 1997. A. C. Crispin, ISBN 0-553-57415-9
- The Hutt Gambit, 1st paperback printing, 1997. A. C. Crispin, ISBN 0-553-57416-7
- Rebel Dawn, 1998. A.C. Crispin. ISBN 0-553-57417-5