Del Rey, March 1994
trade paperback / 596 pages
A Guide to the Star Wars Universe is a well thought-out and
extremely well constructed sourcebook. Within its covers is a vast and varied array of
information, from main characters and technologies to minor races and outposts, mentioned
somewhere in the Star Wars books, movies and comics.
Although author Bill Slavicsek has prepared a comprehensive illustrated
reference book that any Star Wars aficionado and writer should not do without, it
appears at an inopportune time. With the arrival of Kevin Anderson’s Jedi Academy
series, Dave Wolverton’s stand-alone novel, and the start of filming on the new
movies, this new material outdates this compendium of cultures, timelines, ships, people,
places, and things.
Aside from this flaw in timing, Slavicsek has laid out his Guide in an
easy to read, easy to cross-reference reference book. Using the Guide, we can easily find
out that Derra IV was the site of the battle against a Rebel convoy, where the Empire
found information leading to the attack on the Rebel base at Hoth. And we find that this
information came from the Empire Strikes Back radio dramatization in 1980, which
concurs with Lucasfilms’ sources. The author has gone to great lengths researching
this book, culling information from references both obvious (Star Wars and her
sequels) to the obscure (the Star Wars Android Assembly Manual in the R2-D2 / C-3P0
model kits). Filled with information on devices, slang, and colloquialism, this updated
followup to Raymond Valesco’s less successful Guide provides for hours of enjoyment
and a great source of trivia answers for anyone who loves the Star Wars saga.
A solid thumbs up for Guide to the Star Wars Universe by Bill
Slavicsek, despite its obvious obsolescence.
(Check price of Guide
to the Star Wars Universe at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Charles B. Reynolds
