Two months ago I picked up a new book dedicated to the Star Wars Universe.  A universe that, over the last 32 years, has taken up an inordinate amount of my free time.  Free time spent learning trivial facts about planets that do not really exist, trade routes that are  mentioned once in a  movie and then never mentioned again, and locations that are playable levels in games like Knights of the Old Republic.

Star Wars:  The Essential Atlas is a wonderful book for the Star Wars fan who loves backstory, maps, and trivia.  Daniel Wallace and Jason Fry have assembled a 256-page guide to every planetary system ever mentioned in the Star Wars universe.  Curious where Mandalore is located?  It’s in there.  Curious what kind of life-forms inhabit the planet Duros?  It’s in there.

The book is filled with beautiful maps of the Star Wars galaxy, profiles of the major planets, and historical summaries of major historical eras.  If you have never read any of the Star Wars novels set after Return of the Jedi, but want to know the major plot twists, then this is a great place to look.

My only gripe about the book is also one of its strong points:  it is only available in paperback.  Will it fall apart sooner than a hardback?  Probably.  Is it’s initial cost lower because of this?  Yes.  It has a retail price of about $30.00, which in my opinion is not a bad deal.  You can pick it up online cheaper– I paid about $20 at Amazon.com for mine.

If you are a hardcore Star Wars fan, you need this book.  If you know a hardcore fan, this would make a great gift.

By Sci-Guy-Mike