Star Wars: Vision of the Future [Hardcover]

Timothy Zahn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

Vision of the Future is the second book in the epic two-volume series The Hand of Thrawn from Timothy Zahn, the bestselling, Hugo Award-winning author of the original landmark trilogy based on George Lucas's legendary Star Wars(r) films. Now the story begun in Specter of the Past comes to an explosive conclusion as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo are thrust into the middle of an impending civil war--and discover the shocking truth behind the rumored resurrection of the dead Admiral Thrawn.

For a beleaguered Empire, desperate times call for desperate measures. Sowing discord among the fragile coalition of the New Republic, remnants of the once powerful Empire make one last play for victory. Having implicated the Bothans in an act of genocide, they now plan an attack on Han and Leia that is also to be blamed on the Bothans. If they are successful, the New Republic will be torn asunder. To prevent inevitable disaster, Luke, Leia, Han, and their friends must prove the Bothans innocent and reveal the Empire's treachery. But time is running out.

The cunning Major Tierce has joined with the ambitious Moff Disra in the Empire's master plan. At its heart lies the most elaborate con of all: the rumor that the legendary Grand Admiral Thrawn, long believed dead, has returned to lead the Empire to a prophesied triumph. The news of Thrawn's return is already rallying Empire forces against the New Republic.

As Leia travels to a secret rendezvous with an Imperial commander who claims towant peace, Han and Lando Calrissian journey into enemy territory to learn the truth of Emberlene's destruction. Meanwhile, Luke and Mara Jade infiltrate a hidden fortress where Thrawn's most fanatical followers await his call to arms. And Talon Karrde returns to his underworld past and a brutal crime lord whose knowledge may save the Republic. But it is the truth about Thrawn that is most important. In his hands--alive or dead--rests the fate of the New Republic.

Vision of the Future is the magnificent finale to one of the most suspenseful, action-packed, and thought-provoking Star Wars(r) stories yet. It is a masterful re-creation that captures the magic and adventure of the greatest science fiction saga of all time.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Timothy Zahn finishes the two-part Hand of Thrawn series with Vision of the Future. In the first book, Specter of the Past, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo battled the minions of the evil Grand Admiral Thrawn, long presumed dead. In the sequel, our heroes must prevent civil war and ensure that Thrawn's plans for a triumphant Empire are thwarted. Intergalactic intrigue, space battles, and heart-pounding action will thrill Star Wars fans in this eagerly awaited novel. Zahn is one of the most popular interpreters of the Star Wars universe with good reason.

Review

Praise for the Star Wars(r) novels of Timothy Zahn:

Specter Of The Past:

"Zahn returns splendidly to the ranks of Star Wars authors...absorbing reading. Label this one 'not just for Star Wars fans'--for sure!"
--Booklist

Heir To The Empire:

"Moves with a speed-of-light pace that captures the spirit of the movie trilogy so well, you can almost hear John Williams's soundtrack."
--The Providence Sunday Journal

Dark Force Rising:

"Zahn has perfectly captured the pace and flavor of the Star Wars movies. This is space opera at its best."
--The Sunday Oklahoman

The Last Command:

"Filled with characteristic Star Wars technology and cosmic battles...the detail and plot development far exceed what are possible in a two-hour movie."
--The Indianapolis Star

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Spectra; First Edition edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553100351
• ISBN-13: 978-0553100358
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (339 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #283,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Timothy Zahn is the Hugo Award-winning author of more than a dozen original science fiction novels and the bestselling Star Wars trilogy Heir to the Empire, among other works. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Force is Strong with this One, December 6, 1999

By 

John (Cambridge, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars: Vision of the Future (Hardcover)

Some of these reviews are great; they really are. Almost as good as reading the book itself. Its good to see that so many readers get so emotionally attached to the characters; emphasised particularly well with the war of words between Mara and Callista fans. And to think that the two women didn't even feature in the movies. People seem to either love or hate the outcome, and that is always a sign of a great novel. Personally, I loved the outcome!

As with any good SW novel, there is plenty of sci-fi action and plot enhancement here, but it does however take a back seat to character development. Yes, this is very much a character-driven novel; in particular with Jade and Skywalker (still can't get over how cool this name is!). OK, so the issue of the dynamic duo getting married is perhaps the worst kept secret on the Internet, but what makes this such compelling reading is down to the way in which Zahn executes this theme. There were so many barriers existing between the two, not to mention the emotional turmoil and personal demons which needed to be overcome before they could establish a relationship.

I also loved the way Zahn resolved the Lando/Mara issue without making Lando come across as the bad guy. For all his faults, Lando is a key figure in the SW universe and deserves positive attention, and it was nice to see him lead the Republic forces at the end against those nasty Imperial Star Destroyers.

It was also interesting to note that one or two readers felt too much of the novel was taken up by Luke and Mara. I wonder why they thought this; I for one would not have minded in the slightest had the entire book only consisted of these two characters. And lets face it people, we would have even willingly seen the Empire win if it meant Luke and Mara getting together in the process.

There is not much I can say to fault this novel, but there is one little aspect which affected me on a purely personal level and one which I felt we could have done without. I am referring to the smuggler's tale of the titanic battle between a dark Jedi and Yoda. I have always believed that Lucas depicted Yoda as the apotheosis of all that is Jedi with the exception of using the force to do battle. We did not see the little master fight in any movie and I firmly believe we will not do so in episodes 2 and 3, because to do so would degrade the single most unique character of the Star Wars universe. Therefore I felt Zahn could have easily omitted this part without detriment to the quality of the story. However this is just one minor flaw on a purely personal level.

On another personal level, as a huge Mara fan (who can never again watch "Return of the Jedi" in the same manner!), I thoroughly enjoyed the new insights we got to see in Mara. For example, other peoples' opinion of her matters greatly to her (such as Han's impression when seeing her wearing Lando's shirt). Moreover, the fact that (and why) she has never been in a relationship before was shrewdly fabricated and written. Its amazing how much a person can change in ten years. And she "highly respected and cared" for Luke during all those years (a fact which is also emphasised in Stackpole's "I, Jedi"). Needless to say, Zahn executed this character development flawlessly (I still think she is his best creation; better even than Thrawn - and that's saying something!). While on the subject, I'm very troubled by the comments referring to Mara's death in the future. It is blatantly obvious (from the word "forever" among other things) that Zahn intends both Mara and Luke to have a long, happy and prosperous future together and I hope other authors will respect his wishes when writing subsequent novels. Incidentally, there have been very few comments made about the picture of Mara on the cover art of this novel. There are so many disparate images of her around these days; however this is the one I like best and if this is how Zahn invisaged his enchantress turned Jedi Knight, then its good enough for me.

Apologies for using the term "Mara" 9 times (now 10!) in this review. What can I say? I'm just a humble fan!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Star Wars Book so far!, December 7, 1999

By 

M. Gray (Justin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star Wars: Vision of the Future (Hardcover)

Mr. Zahn has outdone himself. The conclusion of the exciting "hand of Thrawn" series is just about perfect. It reads quickly, has plenty of action, great dialogue, and even good romance. An additional bonus is just about every character related to Star Wars is in this book. From Corran Horn, Karrde, Mara, Wedge, Lando, the droids, Luke, Leia, Han, the Noghri, Pellaeon, etc... The only exception is that Chewbacca is away throughout the entire series, but you really don't miss him because there is too much going on. Everything from an emminent civil war, secret Imperial raids, secret fortresses, undercover espionage, and the usual space battle keeps you glued to the book until the last page is finished. Luckily, there aren't even any really slow or boring parts that unfortunately creep into most of the recent Star Wars novels. Welcome back, Timothy Zahn!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great enhancement to the universe [no spoilers], July 17, 2004

By 

Oscar "DaRK KNighT" (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

"Vision of the Future" is the final second novel in "The Hand of Thrawn" series approximately ten years following "The Thrawn Trilogy". It concludes the story in the tradition of creativity and intrigue from the prior novels.

Although the preceding novel has more political developments dominating the storyline, this book returns to creative battles and stunning revelations. The Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker duo along with Major Tierce and Admiral Pellaeon sections of the storyline are interesting. In addition, the use of High Councilor Leia Organa Solo's Jedi skill is exciting.

I was aggravated when I found New Republic characters heading in four different directions searching for the same thing without consulting each other. Considering the closeness of the group such behavior is peculiar. A couple loose ends are available for future stories whereas one piece of information regarding Grand Admiral Thrawn could have been left alone to leave a greater mystery.

I recommend this series to any fan of the Star Wars universe.

Thank you.