Star Wars: Tales from the New Republic (Star Wars (Random House Paperback)) [Mass Market Paperback]

Peter Schweighofer (Editor), Craig Carey (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Star Wars (Random House Paperback) | Publication Date: December 1, 1999

Written by some of today's leading science fiction writers, these tales sweep us into a world where the only laws are cunning, force, and power -- and only the bravest, craziest, and deadliest dare to tread. Here mercs and smugglers, gangsters and warriors fight toe to toe, side by side, and behind each other's backs in the backwaters of a universe ripped apart by war. . . .

On Zelos II a man and a woman are held prisoner in a dark cell, each fighting in their own way for survival at the hands of Imperial captors -- and a chance for escape that could cost one of them their life. On the tortured landscape of Ryloth, Fenig Nabon awaits a ship of women warriors to complete a dangerous deal: the smuggling of a troupe of dancers to the homeworld of the Hutts -- only to get more than she bargained for. And in a stunning new novella written especially for this collection by Hugo Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Timothy Zahn and Michael A. Stackpole, Senator Garm Bel Iblis, believed dead at the hands of an Imperial assassin, teams up with Hal Horn in a duel against the Empire's most dangerous agent. At stake are the plans for a terrifying new weapon called the Death Star -- and the fate of both the Empire and the New Republic.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Yet another Star Wars Tales collection, Tales from the New Republic rescues a sheaf of stories that never saw publication in West End's now-kaput Official Star Wars Adventure Journal, with the addition of a tag-team novella by Star Wars fiction demigods Timothy Zahn (Hugo-winning author of Specter of the Past) and Mike Stackpole (founding member of the Rogue Squadron). This above-average anthology delivers on the same promise as other Tales collections, fleshing out hidden details in the Star Wars universe, with notable appearances by Mara Jade, Senator Garm Bel Iblis, Hal Horn, Talon Karrde, Kyp Durron, and the book's only true heavy-hitter--Boba Fett, in a fun, comic-book style frontal assault on a not-so-invincible Imperial garrison. The stories prove to be winners for the most part, with a good mix of old-hand authors and new bloods, but the Zahn-Stackpole collaboration is undoubtedly the star of the show. --Paul Hughes

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Spectra (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553578820
• ISBN-13: 978-0553578829
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #512,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Buy With Your Eyes Open, December 5, 1999

By 

taking a rest - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Star Wars: Tales from the New Republic (Star Wars (Random House Paperback)) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you are like me when a new Star Wars book appears you buy it. There have been other "Tales From, Tales Of" all of which are better than this particular group of stories. The other collections dealt with characters that were either known to the Star Wars Fan, or could be placed in context once the story had begun. I believe this was very well done with "Tales From Jabba's Palace". Even if a specific character went barely noticed or even unnoticed, the events allowed you to re-experience familiar events from characters that were present at an event, although they played no known role in it from the point of view of the moviegoer. Previous short story collections gave you the ability to listen in through a variety of characters. And if you were not looking through another's eyes at a familiar event, the story was still tied to familiar places, known characters, and time frames. I read all of these books as they generally are quite good, and fill in bits of History that were never shown in the movies. After the book is read, the movie can again be viewed and there are a whole new group of characters you "know" from a story in their life. There is a teaser at the top of the cover that speaks of a short novel by Timothy Zahn and Michael A. Stackpole. However you only have to get to "The Foreword and Acknowledgements" to learn these stories, with the Zahn/Stackpole exception, were put together after, and primarily from contributions to "the now-defunct Official Star Wars Adventure Journal". To be fair, some stories are taken from the role-playing games, so those stories may appeal to the Role Playing Gamer. Yes there are some references to places and people that are familiar, but they are generally a few words that clue the reader as to when a particular story is happening, and in some stories, remind the reader where he/she is supposed to be. The exception to this is the short novel produced by the two mentioned Star Wars Authors. If you like to read about Star Wars and need a book to hold you over to the next full-length book, buy this with modest expectations. Actually most fans, will find something they like but will not come away thrilled. The Collection can be enjoyed, just moderate your expectations and do not let 2 familiar names guide you as to the quality of this particular collection.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More Tales for your enjoyment, May 2, 2000

By 

Simon (Brampton, ON) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars: Tales from the New Republic (Star Wars (Random House Paperback)) (Mass Market Paperback)

The "Tales" series has always been a good standby to Star Wars readers, either for those who are waiting for the latest hardcover entry to come out, or want a glimpse at what goes on at the other end of the cantina while Han shot Greedo. KJA's 1st three volumes were good, but Tales from the empire was met with mixed reviews. Tales from the new republic is no different. While I personally enjoyed the majority of the stories in Tales from the empire, the same can not be said for this edition. Simply put, the stories are not that easy to get into this time around. The alien names are getting stranger, and the more complex they are to pronounce, the less I want to get into a story with them involved. The Mara Jade and Boba Fett stories were good, but not great. Furthermore, they are all taken from various periods in Star Wars chrnology, and not just the new republic era. While I have great respect for the works of Zahn and Stackpole, I also found it rather difficult to read their 4-part mini-novel. Overall, this is another hit/miss novel, with several good stories and some mediocre ones. But, still another good way to spend an hour lost in the fantasy sci-fi world of Star Wars

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent anthology, December 2, 1999

By 

"rogue_7" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars: Tales from the New Republic (Star Wars (Random House Paperback)) (Mass Market Paperback)

This was truly a great collection of Star Wars short fiction. Each story is totally different, and yet forms a whole, of life in the Star Wars Galaxy.

Interlude at Darkknell: By Tim Zahn and Mike Stackpole, this one delivers. It is the big draw to the whole book, and lives up to that. We get to learn more about Hal Horn and Gen. Bel Iblis, against the background of some major galactic events. Good characters and some great tying together of loose threads. (similer to the Zahn/Stackpole in Tales from the Empire)

Jade Soliaire: Zahn really has some fun with this one, showing the infamous Mara Jade in action. While there are some tie ins with other stories in the universe (Hand of Thrawn especially), it stands alone by and large. Well written, and a fast read.

Gathering Shadows: Kathy Burdette does a great job with this one, showing the very real effects of tourture and imprisonment, with a healthy dose of doubt and disillousionment thrown in. Kind of heavey reading, but very emotional and well done.

Hutt and Seek/ Simple Tricks: Chris Cassidy and Tish Pahl, two non-fiction writer SW nuts, pull it off. These two stories feature Fenig Nabon and her partner in crime Ghitsa Dogder, as they swindel denizens of the Galaxy. These two stories are pure fun, but offer an interesting look into the galaxy. Simple tricks has some great scenes with Kyp revealing the depth of his anguish for destroying Carida. Well done ladies.

The Longest Fall/Uhl Eharl Khoehng: Patricia A Jackson is a Dark Jedi Nut. Both of these stories feature Dark Jedi she created. While I am sick of Dark Jedi popping up whenever you kick a rock these days, these are good stories. While the Longest Fall is not really my cup of tea, it is a bit obvious, Uhl Eharl Khoehng is a great story. It comes back to the Dark Jedi and family featured in her story from Tales from the Empier. The Emotion and writing is GOOD in this one.

No Disitegrations, Please:

Paul Danner scores with this story, featuring the only movie character in the ENTIRE book, Boba Fett. It follows Fett as he battles an Imperial garrison for a bounty. Nice to really see Fett in major action.

The other stories are- Conflict of Interest, a nice one about the morality of the individuals and their respective govornments, Day of the Sepulchral Night, an interesting exposition on Weequays, and The Last Hand, a really nice story about a great gambler with a big heart, who (gasp!) is not Lando. I would be remiss if I did not commend Paul Youl for his wonderful cover, one of his best. (I still prefer the Bacta War cover) This book is 5/5, even better than its companion.