…and, in praise of L. Neil Smith's Lando Calrissian novels

The second installment the Star Wars Saga, The Empire Strikes Back, was notable for two things. One, it featured a heartbreaker of a cliffhanger ending; and two, it introduced us to a suave, debonair, and thoroughly intriguing scoundrel by the name of Lando Calrissian.

For the first time, we were seeing a different breed of spacer in the Star Wars Universe. Rather than a wisecracking cynical hero, hard-bitten bounty hunter, or even an idealistic, purpose-driven rebel, Lando was something else entirely. A character introduced relatively late in the film, Calrissian not only plunges our heroes into their darkest moment (and yet he makes us almost understand why), but then turns things around in the nick of time to help Luke and the Princess and, very nearly, Han Solo. In the film's closing moments, Lando is even setting out to redeem himself on that score. A smooth-talking, self-made spacer, walking the razor's edge between cold self-interest and loyalty, between the powers of light and darkness, Lando proved to be a man capable of dealing with both and beholden to neither, but able to do the right thing in the end.

In 1984, Del Rey Books released a trilogy of Lando's early adventures, written by libertarian science-fiction author L. Neil Smith. In these three novels, Smith brought a different facet of adventure into the Star Wars Universe, chronicling Lando Calrissian's earliest exploits following his acquisition of the Millennium Falcon. Like the Han Solo books before him, Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu, followed by Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon, with Lando Calrissian and theStarcave of ThonBoka to round out the trilogy, showed readers different, unimagined aspects of the Star Wars Universe. They explored the development of a character only known to them in the films.

The Lando books provided a more sophisticated, esoteric kind of adventure. As such, they originally had trouble catching on with fans, who expected pure slam-bang, shoot-'em-up space opera. Having only a limited original released, the books have since found a niche in re-release with the old guard Star Wars fans, who often describe them as "surprisingly entertaining to read."

The books have also caught on with the new generation of Star Wars enthusiasts, who have enjoyed Lando's continued appearances in the Post-Trilogy comics and novels.

Back in '83, Smith wrote all three novels in a crunch, literally in a matter of months, as a favor, he once told me, to the now late and sorely missed, Brian Daley*

Three novels in as many months…

It's taken me nearly two years on and off, to complete a gaming sourcebook based on the worlds and concepts he created. Part of my tardiness can be attributed to conflicting work schedules, a bit more to…procrastination.

But the rest…to my desire, no, "obligation" to do justice to his unique corner of Uncle George's universe.

If you know Neil, you know what I'm talking about…those textures and irreverences that comprise the subtle, but unmistakable Libertarian flavor that are the heart and soul of, not only Neil's work, but arguably, all free spacers in science fiction.

So, I now follow his steps to keep Lando true and show that you can't keep a good scoundrel down.

—on either side of the page.

— Brian Thomas 9/6/96

[*I'm very touched by Brian's testament, but feel I must correct one minor error. I did not write the Lando books as a favor to my friend Brian Daley, but because I needed the money. I was offered the job, I'm told, because Brian (completely innocently) fell out of favor with a faction within LucasFilm. The complete story is very complicated and even more stupid, but it was Brian Daley who did me the favor, by paving the way.
—L. Neil Smith]