Well, I’ll be a bantha’s uncle. The 1979 Han Solo Adventures and the 1983 Adventures of Lando Calrissian — both part of the very beginning of the Star Wars Expanded Universe — are being reissued this Fall with all new introductions and covers!

With Disney taking over the franchise, you knew it was only a matter of time before they opened their metaphorical vault and introduced a new generation to some great reading. I read (and reread) these books as a teen and I will admit that I was more of a fan of the Lando series by L. Neil Smith than I was of Brian Daley‘s Han trilogy. Not that the latter was bad, but I just really enjoyed the Lando books…the books really gave some depth to his character. I saw him in a whole new light after reading these. Everyone already loved Han; it was Lando that really needed a backstory.

Now I know there is a lot of talk about LucasFilm, under Disney’s umbrella, is doing away with the well-established Star Wars Expanded Universe and is changing its banner now to Legends (you’ll see the new covers are under the Legends banner), but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the books. Everything that’s out there has value. Sure, purists might decide to throw out their EU novels and comics, but I find that ridiculous. Many of these rebranded Legends books are noteworthy and really helped push the boundaries of what we knew the Star Wars universe to contain.

Along with the new covers the reissues will also feature new introductions by Pablo Hidalgo from the Lucasfilm Story Group.

I urge you to read these two trilogies if you haven’t already, canon or not. These are fun stories that really helped define these two adventurers early in the franchise’s history. To disregard that entirely would be a travesty. Below is a list of the novels in each of the re-releases. I hope you’ll join me in embracing the reissuing of these classic Star Wars novels and read them for what they were intended…as entertainment. And May the Fourth be with you!

STAR WARS: THE HAN SOLO ADVENTURES

Han Solo at Stars’ End
Han Solo’s Revenge
Han Solo and the Lost Legacy

STAR WARS: THE LANDO CALRISSIAN ADVENTURES

Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu
Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon
Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka

[Source: Star Wars Facebook]