Ugh you say, it’s only May 2003 and I’m about to go stir crazy. Well fear not good citizens of Outpost10f.com for I come forth with glad tidings and news relating to the Star Wars Expanded Universe! Is it enough to buy trinkets and watch the movies repeatedly until you’ve memorized the entire layout of the Outlander Club? Heck no! To fully immerse yourself in all things Star Wars, one must indeed venture into the depths of novels, comic books, Role Playing Games and PC/Console games. So grab a cup of coffee or Mountain Dew, the official substances of any self respecting geek and read on.

Oh before I get started rambling on, I’d like to share with you the most stupid Star Wars question I’ve ever read at starwars.com, "Does Padmé Skywalker become Mon Mothma?" Please ponder the sheer idiocy of the question then shake your head and mutter something about the Star Wars databank and how that person would have saved themselves the embarrassment if they had only used their mouse for which it was intended... clicking.

First up we have…tada! The new official gaming site of the upcoming Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, w00t!!! These are the stats given at the official website. Dudes... I’m still recovering from my utter shock and happiness that resulted in a rather embarrassing foetal position on the Cantina floor as witnessed by the both shocked and horrified Acronyms, CT and JJ...

Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy - http://www.lucasarts.com/products/jediacademy/

Game Information

Availability: Fall 2003
Genre: Action
Platforms: Windows PCs and XBox

"As a new student of Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy, follow an ancient tradition and learn the powers - and dangers - of the Force. The Force is a powerful ally; use it wisely. Star Wars® Jedi Knight®: Jedi Academy™ allows players to immerse themselves in the classic Star Wars universe as they take on the role of a student eager to learn the ways of the Force from Master Luke Skywalker. Players will interact with famous classic Star Wars locations and characters while facing the ultimate choice: fight for good and freedom in the light side or follow the path of power and evil to the dark side."

Next up we have Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and this is perhaps the most interesting game I’m looking forward to playing especially the screenshots of Kashyyyk!! Get’cher wookie cookies here, I said get’cher wookie cookies here!!

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – http://www.lucasarts.com/products/swkotor/index.html

Game Information Availability: Xbox July 2003 / PC Fall 2003
Genre: Role Playing
Platforms: Windows PCs and Xbox

"Long before the Galactic Civil War, an epic drama begins.
Engage in this saga set in the Golden Age of the Republic - over 4,000 years before the first Star Wars film, when both Jedi and Sith number in the thousands. With the Galaxy reeling from a recent conflict with the Dark Lords, the ongoing battle between the Jedi and the Sith rages on. Your actions determine the outcome of this colossal galactic war - and your destiny as a Jedi."

No doubt you’ve all heard about Star Wars Galaxies, a game in joint partnership between Lucas Arts and Sony. So without further adieu, here is the scoop! I know it’s not much but trust me, go to the site and read the FAQ, it’s huge and time consuming but definitely worth your time in the end.

Star Wars Galaxies - http://starwarsgalaxies.station.sony.com/index.jsp

"Immerse yourself in Star Wars® in a way you've only dreamed! Find your place during the epic galactic struggle between good and evil, and shape your own destiny. Star Wars Galaxies™ is the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the Star Wars universe that lets you live the movies with thousands of other players from around the world"

Speaking of Role Playing Games, if that’s your thing then I highly recommend the Rebellion Era Sourcebook by Bill Slavicsek, Steve Miller, Owen K. C. Stephens. This book fully explains every nitpicky detail regarding the Star Wars universe timeline during the Rebellion including some of the novels such as the Thrawn trilogy. You can find hella more information on Star Wars role playing books on amazon.com or amazon.ca. Even if you don’t play RPGs, the books are so invaluable to the expanded universe experience and may even be helpful at winning the glorious yet elusive Star Wars Trivia Master title, hehe...

Ahh yes, every summer, the few but dedicated comic book geeks fancy turns to Star Wars and in particular DarkHorse Comics. I have to admit to not reading the comics so I will not pretend to know anything about them other than their importance to the Star Wars timeline. Auww don’t fret because at http://www.darkhorse.com/products/zones/z_starwars/index.html you can get your fix and read up on this summers upcoming SW comics and check out their really schweet chronology!

Lastly for you book lovers, I have found some upcoming release dates for new novels in most of the important eras. To make this article shorter rather than any longer I will list the major titles along with estimated release dates, beauty!

Mace Windu – Shatterpoint by Matthew Woodring Stover (June 2003)

The New Jedi Order - Force Heretic III: Reunion by Sean Williams and Shane Dix (July 2003)

Jedi Quest #7 by Jude Watson (July 2003)

The Legacy of the Jedi by Jude Watson (August 2003)

The New Jedi Order: The Final Prophecy by Greg Keyes (October 2003)

The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels by Haden Blackman (October 2003)

Boba Fett #4 - Hunted by Elizabeth Hand (October 2003)

The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force by James Luceno (November 2003)

Survivor's Quest by Timothy Zahn (February 2004)

Escape from Dagu by William Deitz (March 2004)

The Cestus Deception by Steven Barnes (June 2004)

Medstar I: Battle Surgeons by Steve Perry and Michael Reaves (July 2004)

Medstar II: Healer by Steve Perry and Michael Reaves (October 2004)

Jedi Trial by David Sherman and Dan Cragg (November 2004)

Legacy of the Jedi #2 (March 2005)

Episode III Novelization (April 2005)

Well there you have it folks! If you made it to the end of this article, I salute you. I hope I’ve done my duty as a die-hard generic humanoid carbon unit of the Star Wars kind and brought you a small but rather important list of upcoming Star Wars goodness I scoured off the internet while we wait on to experience the fate of our poor beloved Anakin Skywalker and crew in Episode III.