Timothy Zahn

Updated Thursday, 18 October, 2012

I have read the books from three of Zahn's series. I enjoyed them all immensely. Zahn is credited with being possibly the best of all the Star Wars writers, and in comparison to the other Star Wars books I've read, I must heartily agree. His trilogy takes place after the battle of Endor, as the Rebel Alliance tries to defeat the Empire (the Emperor may be dead, but there are lots of loyal troops left, along with at least one very canny admiral). The Conquerors' Saga deals with humans as they encounter a new alien race that seems to shoot first and ask questions later. Cobra has men who have had their bodies heavily modified and reinforced on the inside, while remaining normal in appearance externally. Such features as bones that are extremely hard to break, lasers shooting from their fingertips, and great strength are just the start. Great stuff. I highly recommend all of Timothy Zahn's work.

Books I've Read by Timothy Zahn

Jordan McKell has a problem with authority. Unfortunately for him, the iron-fisted authority of the powerful Patthaaunutth controls virtually every aspect of galactic shipping. In order to survive, Jordan ekes out a living dabbling in interstellar smuggling for outlaw concerns that represent the last vestiges of free trade in the galaxy. So when Jordan and his partner, Ixil--an alien with two ferret-like "outhunters" linked to his neural system--are hired by a mysterious gentleman to fly a ship and its special cargo to Earth, they jump at the job. Caution has never been one of Jordan's strong suits. But this time he may have taken on more than even he can handle. The ship, Icarus, turns out to be a ramshackle hulk, the ragtag crew literally picked up off the street, and the cargo so secret, it's sealed in a special container that takes up most of the cramped and ill-designed ship. As if that weren't bad enough, it looks like the authorities already suspect something is afoot, there's a saboteur aboard, and the Icarus appears to be shaking apart at the seams. It doesn't seem as if things could get any worse. That is, until a beautiful crew member helps McKell uncover the true nature of the cargo he's carrying. With his enemies closing in on the lumbering Icarus, the unknown saboteur still aboard, and authorities on Earth pressured to turn them in, McKell and Ixil become fugitives. Their only chance is to stay one step ahead of their pursuers as they try to make it home. (book description)

Star Wars

• Tales From the Empire (edited by Peter Schweighofer)
  

  Culled from the pages of the Star Wars Adventure Journal, one of the most popular Star Wars magazines in the field today, comes this exciting new short-story collection. Here are stories from such award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors as Timothy Zahn, Michael A. Stackpole and Kathy Tyers as well as exciting newcomers, including Erin Endom, Laurie Burns, and Patricia A. Jackson. From the desperate flight of a civilian mail courier carrying vital Rebel intelligence through an Imperial blockade, to a suicidal commando raid on an impregnable Imperial prison, to a Corellian smuggler mysteriously hired by an actor turned Jedi Knight turned Imperial assassin for one final transformation, these tales capture all the high adventure, imaginative genius, and nonstop action that are the hallmarks of the Star Wars saga. What's more, the centerpiece of this magnificent collection is the short novel Side Trip, the first-ever collaboration between Timothy Zahn and Michael A. Stackpole, in which a freighter smuggling arms for the Rebels is commandeered by an Imperial Star Destroyer led by a mysterious helmeted figure who claims to be the notorious bounty hunter Jodo Kast. It is all part of a devious plan that includes Hal and Corran Horn, who are working undercover to nail the infamous Corellian warlord Zekka Thyne. But one slip-up can get them all killed. (From an Amazon.com review)

Most of Timothy Zahn's Star Wars work is a little tricky to put in order, because Mr. Zahn has written two books that are really a duology. Yet one happens before any of the others and the other happens after all the others. So, chronologically, his books would be in the following order: Outbound Flight, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, Specter of the Past, Vision of the Future, and Survivor's Quest.

Outbound Flight

1. Outbound Flight (Mass Market Paperback) or (Hardcover edition)

   It began as the ultimate voyage of discovery—only to become the stuff of lost Republic legend . . . and a dark chapter in Jedi history. Now, at last, acclaimed author Timothy Zahn returns to tell the whole extraordinary story of the remarkable—and doomed—Outbound Flight Project. The Clone Wars have yet to erupt when Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth petitions the Senate for support of a singularly ambitious undertaking. Six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights, and fifty thousand men, women, and children will embark—aboard a gargantuan vessel, equipped for years of travel—on a mission to contact intelligent life and colonize undiscovered worlds beyond the known galaxy. The government bureaucracy threatens to scuttle the expedition before it can even start—until Master C’baoth foils a murderous conspiracy plot, winning him the political capital he needs to set in motion the dream of Outbound Flight. Or so it would seem. For unknown to the famed Jedi Master, the successful launch of the mission is secretly being orchestrated by an unlikely ally: the evil Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, who has his own reasons for wanting Outbound Flight to move forward . . . and, ultimately, to fail. Yet Darth Sidious is not the mission’s most dangerous challenge. Once underway, the starship crosses paths at the edge of Unknown Space with the forces of the alien Chiss Ascendancy and the brilliant mastermind best known as "Thrawn." Even Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, aboard Outbound Flight with his young Padawan student, Anakin Skywalker, cannot help avert disaster. Thus what begins as a peaceful Jedi mission is violently transformed into an all-out war for survival against staggering odds—and the most diabolical of adversaries. Timothy Zahn’s unique mix of espionage, political gamesmanship, and deadly interstellar combat breathes electrifying life into a Star Wars legend. (book description)

2. Survivor's Quest (Mass Market Paperback) or (Hardcover edition)

   Sometimes it seems a Jedi's work is never done, and Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker know this only too well. Despite the bond they share in the Force, after three years of marriage the Jedi Master and his wife are still learning the ropes of being a couple—and must pool their exceptional skills to combat an insidious enemy . . . and salvage a part of Jedi history. It begins with a message from a surprising source: Nirauan, the planet where Thrawn, dangerous disciple of Emperor Palpatine, once held sway . . . and from which Luke and Mara barely escaped with their lives. The message itself is shocking. After fifty years, the remains of Outbound Flight—a pioneering Jedy expedition viciously destroyed by Thrawn—have been found on Nirauan. Now, the fiercely honor-bound aliens who reside there wish to turn over the remnants of the doomed mission to the New Republic. Accepting the gesture will mean a long voyage into the treacherous cluster of stars where the thousands of souls aboard the Outbound Flight vessel met their grim fate. But it may also mean something more . . . something that has stirred an inexplicable sense of foreboding in Mara. Whatever may await, the Skywalkers will not face it alone. Joining them on the strange and solemn journey are an officer of the post-Palpatine Empire, escorted by a detachment of Empirial stormtroopers; a party of diplomats from a gentle alien species that reveres the fallen Jedi for saving them from bloodthirsty conquerors; and a New Republic ambassador who harbors his own mysterious agenda. Soon enough, suspicion, secrecy, and an unknown sabateur run rampant aboard the isolated ship. But it is within the derelict walls of Outbound Flight itself, buried for half a century on a desolate planetoid, where the gravest danger lies. As the marooned hulk yields up stunning revelations and unexpected terrors to its visitors, Luke and Mara find all they stand for—and their very existence—brutally challenged. And the ultimate test will be surviving the deathtrap carefully laid by foes who are legendary for their ruthlessness . . . and determined to complete the job Thrawn began: exterminating the Jedi. (book description)

The Thrawn Trilogy

1. Heir to the Empire (Mass Market Paperback) or (Hardcover edition)

   It's five years after Return of the Jedi: the Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven out the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting Jedi Twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights. But thousands of light-years away, the last of the emperor's warlords has taken command of the shattered Imperial Fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the new Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build. The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale--in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars. (book description)

2. Dark Force Rising (Paperback) or (Hardcover edition)

   The dying Empire's most cunning and ruthless warlord -- Grand Admiral Thrawn -- has taken command of the remnants of the Imperial fleet and launched a massive campaign aimed at the New Republic's destruction. With the aid of unimaginable weapons long hidden away by the Emperor on a backwater planet, Thrawn plans to turn the tide of battle, overwhelm the New Republic, and impose his iron rule throughout the galaxy. Meanwhile, Han and Lando Calrissian race against time to find proof of treason inside the highest Republic Council -- only to discover instead a ghostly fleet of warships that could bring doom to their friends and victory to their enemies. But most dangerous of all is a new Dark Jedi, risen from the ashes of a shrouded past, consumed by bitterness... and thoroughly, utterly insane. The Dark Jedi schemes to use his awesome mastery of the Force to summon young Skywalker allay his misgivings, cunningly enthrall him, and ultimately corrupt him to the Dark Side. (book description)

3. The Last Command (Paperback) or (Hardcover edition)

   The embattled Republic reels from the attacks of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who has marshaled the remnants of the Imperial forces and driven the Rebels back with an abominable technology recovered from the Emperor's secret fortress: clone soldiers. As Thrawn mounts his final siege, Han and Chewbacca struggle to form a coalition of smugglers for a last-ditch attack against the empire, while Leia holds the Alliance together and prepares for the birth of her Jedi twins. Overwhelmed by the ships and clones at Thrawn's command, the Republic has one last hope -- sending a small force, led by Luke Skywalker, into the very stronghold that houses Thrawn's terrible cloning machines. There a final danger awaits, as the Dark Jedi C'baoth directs the battle against the Rebels and builds his strength to finish what he had already started: the destruction of Luke Skywalker. (book description)

The Hand of Thrawn

1. Specter of the Past (Paperback) or (Hardcover edition)

   The Empire stands at the brink of total collapse. But they have saved their most heinous plan for last. First a plot is hatched that could destroy the New Republic in a bloodbath of genocide and civil war. Then comes the shocking news that Grand Admiral Thrawn--the most cunning and ruthless warlord in history--has apparently returned from the dead to lead the Empire to a long-prophesied victory. Facing incredible odds, Han and Leia begin a desperate race against time to prevent the New Republic from unraveling in the face of two inexplicable threats--one from within and one from without. Meanwhile, Luke teams up with Mara Jade, using the Force to track down a mysterious pirate ship with a crew of clones. Yet, perhaps most dangerous of all, are those who lurk in the shadows, orchestrating a dark plan that will turn the New Republic and the Empire into their playthings. (book description)

2. (I haven't read this book, yet) Vision of the Future (Mass Market Paperback) or (Hardcover edition)

   VISION OF THE FUTURE The Empire's master plan is under way. The New Republic is on the verge of civil war and the rumor that the legendary Admiral Thrawn has returned from the dead is rallying the Imperial forces. Now Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and their allies face the challenge of their lives. They must infiltrate a hidden fortress filled with Imperial fanatics, rendezvous with a double-dealing Imperial commander, and journey into enemy territory to learn the identity of those responsible for an act of unthinkable genocide. But most important of all is the truth about Thrawn. In his hands—alive or dead—rests the fate of the New Republic. (book description)

The Conquerors' Saga

1. Conquerors' Pride (Mass Market Paperback)

   A long era of peace and prosperity in the interstellar Commonwealth has suddenly come to an end. Four alien starships of unknown origin have attacked, without provocation, an eight-ship Peacemaker task force, utterly destroying it in six savage minutes. The authorities claim there were no survivors. But Lord Stewart Cavanaugh, a former member of Parliament, has learned through back channels that one man may have survived to be captured by the aliens: his son, Commander Pheylan Cavanaugh. A large-scale invasion appears imminent, and the strictest security measures are in effect . . . measures that Lord Cavanaugh has no choice but to defy. He recruits Adam Quinn, who once flew with the elite Copperheads--fighter pilots whose minds are literally one with their machines--to rescue his son. Quinn assembles a crack force of Copperheads to steal out of the Commonwealth security zone and snatch Pheylan Cavanaugh from the conquerors. Depending on the outcome, Quinn and his men will retum home as heroes or as the galaxy's most despised traitors--if they come home at all. (book description)

2. Conquerors' Heritage (Paperback)

   The Zhirrzh have won a temporary respite in their war with the barbarians. But the Human captive Pheylan Cavanaugh has escaped, and for that Thrr-gilag, the young Searcher, finds himself disgraced, his bond-engagement to a female of a rival clan imperilled. Soon he becomes a target of hidden and powerful forces seeking to remake Zhirrzh society in their own merciless image. His only hope is to prove that the overclan authorities are wrong: that it was not the Humans who started the war. But time is short. The forces of the Zhirrzh are overextended and face swift retaliation. The Zhirrzh have learned to conquer death itself -- but even that awesome power will be no match for the devastating might of the Human Conqueror armadas. Thrr-gilag soon comes to realize that his people face a two-fold threat: destruction by Human technology. . . or destruction from within. (book description)

3. Conquerors' Legacy (Paperback)

   As both humans and the alien Zhirrzh prepare for all-out galactic war, a handful of individuals from both sides are stunned to discover that the explosive catalyst for the impending battle is a misunderstanding both tragic and profound. Determined to avoid mutual extinction for both their races, this band now becomes the focus of the subtle and dangerous force whose goal it is to annihilate and destroy. (book description)

Soldier . . . The colony worlds Adirondack and Silvern fell to the Troft forces almost without a struggle. Outnumbered and on the defensive, Earth made a desperate decision. It would attack the aliens not from space, but on the ground?with forces the Trofts did not even suspect. Thus were created the Cobras, a guerilla force whose weapons were surgically implanted, invisible to the unsuspecting eye, yet undeniably deadly. But power brings temptation . . . and not all the Cobras could be trusted to fight for Earth alone. Jonny Moreau would learn the uses?and abuses?of his special abilities, and what it truly meant to be a Cobra. Mercenary . . . If anyone had told Jonny Moreau the Cobras would one day take orders from the alien Troft, he would have laughed without humor. He?d lost too many friends during the Troft war, though the Cobras triumphed in the end. Now, though, the Troft were trading partners?and they feared what might be a mutual danger: A new race, ruthless and tenacious, that threatened human space as well as Troft. And the offer was five new planets for the overcrowded Cobra worlds. Jonny?s son Justin would carry the Moreau name to danger . . . and learn that it takes more than a Cobra father to make a Cobra son. Governor . . . Corwin Moreau is governor of Aventine, but the fact that the Moreau family has held power for so long is beginning to generate bad feelings in the Cobra Worlds Council. But Corwin?s niece, Jasmine, faces the greatest challenge. Her only ambition is to become a Cobra?but no woman has ever been accepted to the Academy or ever will be, if her opponents have their way. Until a mission arises that demands her expertise, and requires that she be given the deadly Cobra implants. Because the enemy, too, knows that there are no female Cobras, and Jasmine can infiltrate without being suspected . . . she thinks. . . . The Complete Cobra Generational Saga, by the New York Times Best-Selling Author (book description)

1. Cobra (Mass Market Paperback)

   The Dominion of Man creates the COBRAS, an elite fighting force with superhuman abilities to help win the war against the Trofts, who have invaded and occupied two human worlds. When the war ends, the returning Cobras have difficulty reintegrating into mainstream society, and now face discrimination, fear and loathing from those they faught to protect. (book description)

2. Cobra Strike (Paperback)

   Cobra Srike continues the story of Cobra Johnny Moreau and introduces Justin who has followed in his fathers footsteps and become a Cobra fighter. The Trofts, who were once enemies of the Dominion of Man, tell the Cobra Worlds of a potentially dangerous race and ask them to nutralize the threat in exchange for more worlds to colonize. A reconnaisance mission is sent to investigate this threat and is stunned to encounter a paranoid human society. (book description)

3. Cobra Bargain (Mass Market Paperback)

   The story of the Johnny and Justin Moreau continues with Justin's daughter Jasmin becoming a Cobra and being sent on a covert mission to Qasama to investigate a suspicious building discovered from spy satellite photos. After a crash landing on the planet, Jasmine finds that she is the sole survivor and must find a way to survive and solve the mystery of the compound her mission was sent to investigate. (book description)