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Timothy Zahn

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Timothy Zahn
Zahn at the 2017 Phoenix Comicon
Zahn at the 2017 Phoenix Comicon
Born1951 or 1952 (age 72–73)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
EducationMichigan State University
University of Illinois
GenreScience fiction, fantasy
Notable works

Timothy Zahn (born 1951 or 1952)[1] is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy. He is known best for his prolific collection of Star Wars books, chiefly the Thrawn trilogy, and has published several other series of sci-fi and fantasy novels of his own original creation, in addition to many works of short fiction.

Early life and education

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Zahn grew up in Lombard, Illinois, and attended Glenbard East High School in Lombard.[1] He has been a fan of sci-fi since he was a child.[2]

He attended Michigan State University, before working towards a doctorate in physics at the University of Illinois.[1]

Career

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Zahn, right, during a Q&A discussion at the 2018 East Coast Comicon in New Jersey

Zahn's novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo Award.[3][2] He is the author of the Blackcollar trilogy and the Cobra series (nine novels so far), fourteen Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, including thirteen novels featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn: the Thrawn trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, Outbound Flight, Choices of One, Thrawn, Thrawn: Alliances, Thrawn: Treason, and the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy.

Lucasfilm at times used some of the more detailed Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game supplements from West End Games as references, and West End sent boxes of their sourcebooks to Zahn when he started work on a new Star Wars novel trilogy.[4]: 190–191  At the time, Zahn was writing Heir to the Empire (1991), the first book in what became known as the Thrawn trilogy, and West End in turn released sourcebooks from 1992–1994 based on Zahn's three novels.[4]: 193 

The Thrawn trilogy marked a revival in the fortunes of the Star Wars franchise, bringing it widespread attention for the first time in years; all three Thrawn trilogy novels made The New York Times Best Seller list,[5] and set the stage and tone for most of the franchise's expanded universe content.[5] Zahn also wrote the young adult Dragonback series and the Conquerors trilogy.

In 2014 Zahn collaborated with David Weber on the Manticore Ascendant series set within the Honorverse.

In 2023, Dave Filoni confirmed during the Star Wars Celebration Europe that Zahn served as a creative consultant for the Disney+ miniseries Ahsoka in order to assist the creative team in writing Thrawn correctly, as Filoni felt that only Zahn could advise them with the "right" way to adapt Thrawn as the character's creator.[6][7]

Bibliography

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Main article: Timothy Zahn bibliography

References

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  1. ^ a b c Borrelli, Christopher (May 23, 2017). "Novelist Timothy Zahn is the man who saved 'Star Wars,' according to fans". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 22, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Liptak, Andrew (2021-05-04). "How Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy resurrected Star Wars". Transfer Orbit. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  3. ^ "1984 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 26 July 2007. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
  4. ^ a b Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
  5. ^ a b Breznican, Anthony (November 2, 2012). "Star Wars sequel author Timothy Zahn weighs in on new movie plans". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  6. ^ @empiremagazine (April 8, 2023). "Dave Filoni says they have spoken – and are continuing to speak – with Timothy Zahn about Thrawn's character. "That all starts with Tim Zahn's books," he says. "When we were all kids, hungry for something else, and Heir To The Empire hit," he remembers, "it was so unique and so wonderful." Thrawn is not to be messed with. "He doesn't have the Force, but it doesn't matter. He will outsmart you," says Filoni. #StarWarsCelebration" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ @sw_holocron (April 8, 2023). "Dave Filoni consulted with Timothy Zahn on how to bring Grand Admiral Thrawn to life in the Ahsoka series. "We want to make sure we get it right." #StarWars #StarWarsCelebration #StarWarsCelebration2023" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023 – via Twitter.
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