‘Star Wars’ novelist Timothy Zahn is grateful for the fans
For 35 years, Michigan State University alumnus and New York Times best-selling novelist Timothy Zahn has been synonymous with his most famous creation: Grand Admiral Thrawn from “Star Wars.”
Just who exactly is Thrawn?
A blue-skinned, red-eyed member of the alien race called the Chiss, Thrawn is a brilliant yet calculating leader in the Galactic Empire, on par with Darth Vader.
“I wanted someone who wasn’t like the Emperor and who wasn’t like Vader, who could inspire trust and loyalty in the troops,” Zahn, 75, explained. “That wound up being someone who cares about his people and generally will not waste them in any failed attempts. They would win almost every battle Thrawn led them into. Vader led by fear, Thrawn led by loyalty.”
An Illinois native, Zahn earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from MSU and a master’s degree in physics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He began to pursue doctoral studies in physics but decided to become a full-time writer instead. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.
The deluxe edition of Zahn’s 2017 novel “Thrawn” (Random House Worlds, $50), released Oct. 28, features a white slipcase with a triangular cutout shaped like a Star Destroyer, a wrap-around cover with special foiling and artwork of Thrawn, blue-and-gold sprayed edges, endpapers illustrated with Star Destroyer schematics and a satin ribbon bookmark.
Zahn’s last book about Thrawn was 2021’s “Lesser Evil,” the final installment in the “Thrawn Ascendancy” trilogy.
“It’s about Thrawn before he joins the Empire. It explores the origins of Thrawn and his rise through the military ranks of the Chiss Ascendancy, located in the chaotic and uncharted Unknown Regions of the galaxy,” he said. “I got to create the entire Chiss culture. It was an exercise in world building, along with having Thrawn in it. What more could you ask for?”
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Since his debut more than 35 years ago, Thrawn has proven to be one of the “Star Wars” franchise’s most popular characters. Several action figures of him have been made over the years, and he appeared in two seasons of the animated TV series “Star Wars Rebels,” in which he was voiced by Lars Mikkelsen (“House of Cards,” “The Witcher”).
“A writer tries to make the best characters he or she can. It’s up to the readers who they particularly grab on to,” Zahn said. “I’m very grateful to the fans for keeping Thrawn and his legacy alive all these decades. It’s great to see him on the little screen. He might even appear on the big screen — who knows?”
Thrawn first appeared in 1991’s “Heir to the Empire,” written by Zahn. Hard as it is to believe, the “Star Wars” franchise — which debuted in 1977 with visionary filmmaker George Lucas’ “A New Hope,” — was in a period of lethargy.
At the time, the last movie released in the franchise was 1983’s “Return of the Jedi.” The long-awaited prequel films didn’t debut until 1999, starting with the commercially successful yet fan-maligned “Phantom Menace.” Marvel Comics lost its license to create “Star Wars” comics in 1986.
Timothy Zahn, courtesy
“Heir to the Empire” debuted in the Top 10 of The New York Times’ best-sellers list and rose to No. 1, remaining there for several weeks. In its first week alone, the novel sold 70,000 copies and was sent back to press for an additional 70,000. Dark Horse Comics, which acquired the rights to create new “Star Wars” comics in 1991, later adapted the “Heir” trilogy.
However, Zahn refuses to take credit for revitalizing “Star Wars.”
“The books sold not because of my name, but because it was ‘Star Wars.’” he said. “It was a risky venture. In 1991, no one knew if anyone even cared about ‘Star Wars.’ The interest was still out there, but there was really nothing new. People say I revived ‘Star Wars.’ Not true. I just stuck a fork in the pie crust to see if any steam would come out, and it did.”
Fellow “Star Wars” author John Jackson Miller disagreed with Zahn.
“Timothy Zahn helped prove that people were still interested in ‘Star Wars’ long after the original films had ended, and everyone benefited, from readers to future writers,” Miller said. “He’s been a part of the scene ever since. I don’t think the ‘Star Wars’ tie-in scene would be anything close to what it is today were it not for his contributions.”
