Roqoo Depot

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Fate of the Jedi author, Christie Golden

Fate of the Jedi: Ascension comes out Tuesday, August 9th, and to get readers warmed up we’ve got an exclusive interview with Ascension’s author Christie Golden. Christie was kind enough to speak with Roqoo Depot’s own Dancelittleewok, and questions ranged from Boba Fett to upcoming projects.

Q: You’ve written tie-in novels for World of Warcraft and StarCraft.  Have you played any Star Wars video games? Are you interested in writing Star Wars game tie-in novels (such as Star Wars: The Old Republic)?

A: I’m certainly looking forward to the game, although it will be the first one I’ve played!  And yes, it does seem a logical fit, doesn’t it?  Media tie-in work does have special challenges to an author and those challenges do vary with the medium.  So I think that my familiarity with working the the living, breathing entity that is World of Warcraft would help me if I were to write a novel set in the world of a Star Wars video game.

Q: How does The Lost Tribe of the Sith Grand Lord Garish Vol compare to previous Sith Lords?

A: I think he epitomizes the entire Lost Tribe mentality that makes them different from what we’ve seen before.  This is a functional culture that survives not by dominating and crushing but by shrewd strategy and, yes, cooperation.  It’s been doing pretty well for 5,000 years.  Lord Vol is no one’s fool but he does listen to other opinions and doesn’t necessarily punish those who differ from him.  Granted, of course, he does keep control, and I am sure he’s eliminated more than a few obstacles in his path, but that’s not his first or only choice.

Q: In a 2010 Club Jade interview, you said “characters speak to me as I write.”  What did the Star Wars characters whisper to you this time?

A: I know, it sounds a little crazy, but I do have the “ear”.  When a character is well-defined to me, be its one I’ve created or someone else’s, they do speak pretty clearly.  Especially the banter.  Here’s a situation:  Hey Ben?  What do you think about this?  And hey presto, I’ve got a wisecrack.  Wynn?  Something dry and witty.  Jaina?  Blunt.  The dialogue is always the easiest and most fun part for me.  I particularly thought Ben and Vestara and Han and Leia wanted to be very chatty in this book.   Han’s got a lot of great lines, and there’s one exchange between him and Leia that I adore.

Q: Can you tell us more about Boba Fett’s appearance in Fate of the Jedi: Ascension?

A: It’s briefer than many fans would like, unfortunately, but it is very necessary due to the pacing of the book and the role he plays in it.  It was great to get to work with such a well-known character, and anyway, Boba Fett isn’t one to overstay his welcome.  The scene is between him and Daala, and it’s quite key and I think goes into a lot of depth of the characters and their connection to one another.   Both Shelly and Sue took the time to remark to me on how much they liked that scene, and I certainly hope readers feel the same.

Q: What can Star Wars EU fans expect to read in Fate of the Jedi: Ascension? Tease us, please!

A: Um….let’s see.  Vestara makes some big choices.  The Lost Tribe suffers more than one setback.  Wynn Dorvan gets more than he bargained for.  We’ll find out just who is behind the Freedom Flight.  You’ll see some characters who first appeared in one of Troy Denning’s books a long time ago who were just a joy to write.  Several someones aren’t who he or she seem to be.  The conspirators are featured prominently.  Yeah, I think that’s enough teasing.

Q: What impact do you see Fate of the Jedi making on the Star Wars universe and fandom?

A: Huge.  The introduction of the Lost Tribe is going to have an enormous impact.  Abeloth is a lot more than just another scary being.  I feel like we took a snow globe and shook it wildly.  I really can’t wait to see what happens after this series, where things are going to go.

Q: Has writing for Star Wars impacted you in any way?

A: It’s almost impossible to describe.  The process of working with two other authors on such a huge storyline was very challenging and exciting.  I’ve learned so much.  The fan base is enormous, so to have such a huge segment of the fantasy/science fiction populace familiar with my name is tremendous.  And considering how deeply I love this world, to be able to actually touch and shape it in a way that matters is an enormous honor.

Q: For our readers interested in exploring your writing more, what are your upcoming projects?

A: I’ve just finished a StarCraft novel, Secret Missions, and am about to plunge in to another Warcraft novel, focusing on Jaina Proudmoore(I love that both of my projects these days feature strong women named Jaina!).  That’ll keep me busy for the rest of the year at least.   Also, I’ll soon be releasing two of my original fantasy novels, Instrument of Fate and King’s Man and Thief, as e-books.  Really excited to see these be available again!

We want to send out a big thanks to Christie for taking the time to answer our questions. Fate of the Jedi: Ascension comes out in hardback on August 9th. If you’d like to learn more about Christie Golden, you can visit her website here.

Interviewed By: Dancelittleewok for Roqoo Depot.