EU Completist Poodoo

Some EU Completists have, in desperation, apparently resorted to outright lies.

In a recent blog, I noted that I needed to find the Heir to the Empire inside flap blurb because someone on ForceCast referred to it has having a quote that might be noteworthy in reference to canon stuff.   I came across it (I thought) the other day.

Quoting from the forums at DarkHorse.com, as quoted from Wookieepedia:

Here is the science fiction publishing event of the year: the exciting continuation of the legendary Star Wars saga. Picking up where the movie trilogy left off, Heir to the Empire reveals the tumultuous events that take place after the most popular series in motion-picture history—masterfully told by Hugo Award-winning author Timothy Zahn.

{...}

The three Star Wars films form a spectacular saga of bold imaginations and high adventure. But the stories of its characters did not end there. Now for the first time, Lucasfilm Ltd., producer of the Star Wars movies, has authorized the continuation of this beloved story. In an astounding three-book cycle, Timothy Zahn continues the tale of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the other characters made world famous by Star Wars, as he brilliantly expands upon George Lucas's stunning vision, "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away."

Heir to the Empire, Lucas's authorized canon sequel, begins five years after the end of Return of the Jedi {...}  The tale that emerges is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale—in short, a story that is worthy of the name Star Wars.

"Egad", a purist might say, "Lucas's authorized canon sequel!?!?!?"

But that purist would be wrong.   I found it odd that I'd never heard that quote before, what with my whole exhaustive research thing going on.  Heir to the Empire was from 1991, after all, which would mean that I and every EU Completist I've dealt with had been missing it basically the whole time.

And, of course, I found the quote odd anyway.  At best it was an inadvertent misrepresentation . . . at worst, a dead quote.

But then the truth came to light.

It turned out that this quotation was a complete fabrication, a tweaked version of the original. 

Here is the original:



Huh . . . nothing about Lucas authorizing anything or anything being canon at all.

I'm very curious to know who falsified that . . . I'll skim through the Wookieepedia history when I have time. But for now, the point is moot. 

Desperation, along with fear, is a path to the Dark Side, it seems, but this example of wicked deception has been defeated.

Hat tip and thanks to Weechee of the DarkHorse.com forums, who originally posted that flap scan.