Timothy Zahn is an American author that writes science fiction; though, he also dabbles in fantasy. Best known for his work on the Star Wars series of novels, Zahn was born in 1951 in Chicago, Illinois. He spent some time at Glenbard East High School, Michigan State University, and the University of Illinois.
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Having attained a Bachelor of Science Degree and an MS Degree in physics, the author eventually abandoned his scholarly efforts in favor of pursuing a career in writing. He was fortunate enough to write the Thrawn Trilogy which attracted considerable interest from Star Wars fans.
Some people have argued that the franchise was dead for years before Zahn’s work revived it. The stories he told gave the Star Wars universe a lot of heft, forming a foundation that other writers used to explore the franchise’s untapped potential in the literary arena.
Like most people, Zahn wasn’t happy when Disney eliminated the storylines he had developed when it acquired LucasFilm. The studio was determined to build a new canon, one that would complement the direction they wanted future movies to go. As such, they had no room for the wealth of stories his novels had generated thus far.
Fortunately, Zahn’s time with Star Wars wasn’t over. Disney eventually tasked him with writing new Thrawn novels. But his time, his stories would become embedded in Disney’s new canon, making Zahn’s work a permanent fixture within the Star Wars franchise.
As a child, the notion of writing Star Wars novels never crossed Timothy Zahn’s mind. He never intended to pursue publishing as a career. The author knew fairly early on that he enjoyed creating interesting stories. But that did not compel him to write, not at first.
It was during his time at the University of Illinois that Zahn began to experiment with the activity. The author was working on his Ph.D. when he started writing science fiction. Initially, it was just another hobby.
Zahn was occupied with a mathematical project that was supposed to advance plasma physics. However, he was making no headway. Zahn wasn’t opposed to giving up but his adviser was determined to keep pushing forward.
Unfortunately, he was always out of town. This created gaps in the writer’s schedule which he used to pen his stories while he waited for the man to return. When he finally sold his first story in 1978, Zahn wasn’t convinced that publishing could support him as a viable career.
But it definitely gave him the confidence boost he needed to keep writing, so much so that Zahn considered taking a break from his studies to write. When his thesis advisor passed away, the development gave the author the kick he needed to give his hobby the attention it deserved.
Zahn wasn’t willing to start a new project with a new professor. The fact that he successfully sold nine stories within the months that followed told him that he was definitely on the right path. Zahn eventually made a name for himself as a masterful storyteller responsible for some of the most engaging science fiction novels in publishing.
Timothy Zahn Awards
Zahn won the Hugo Award (Cascade Point).
Best Timothy Zahn Books
Besides writing, Zahn’s passions include martial arts, classical music, and crossword puzzles. Some of his best novels include:
Heir to the Empire: The Empire is gone. The Rebel Alliance was victorious. But maintaining peace in the galaxy won’t be easy. Han and Leia will do what they can but the married couple has a pair of Jedi twins to raise. Meanwhile, Luke has become aware of a new threat.
The remnants of the imperial fleet have fallen under the control of a warlord, a dangerous figure with the power to destroy the New Republic.
Dark Force Rising: The New Republic expected resistance as it attempted to exert its control over the galaxy. However, it did not expect that resistance to take the form of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a powerful figure that is hellbent on using the remnants of the Empire’s forces to annihilate everything Luke, Han, and Leia fought so hard to achieve.
Han and Lando, for their part, are on a mission to uncover a traitor within the New Republic’s ruling arm. Meanwhile, Luke must contend with a dark Jedi that will stop at nothing to corrupt him.
When Does The Next Timothy Zahn book come out?
Timothy Zahn doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Chaos Rising and was released on October, 6th 2020. It is the newest book in the Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy Trilogy Series.
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