#michael manley

The Galaxy Guide series of sourcebooks for West End Games’ Star Wars RPG formed the backbone of what would eventually become the Star Wars expanded universe. This is the first, A New Hope (1989).

Just about every character that appears in the first movie gets a profile, full body illustration (courtesy of Michael Manley and Al Williamson) and stat block. There’s the droid that short circuits before being sold to the Owen Lars, random imperial officers whose names were previously unknown and a ton of background aliens from the Mos Eisley cantina – and that is just scratching the surface, honestly. The profiles flesh the characters out while also attempting to fill some plot holes from the movie that surface when you think about it too much (as would happen when writing a book like this). How come the Death Star gunners didn’t annihilate the rebel attack force? Because some nimrod imperial admiral broke up the crack gunner groups and assigned staff alphabetically, forming new, untested groups. It is simultaneously a thin explanation, but also one that seems like something the Empire would do.

There are tons of great stories in this book. You probably have internalized some of them without even realizing it, as they were picked up for other RPG books, comics and novels. One of my favorites is an account by Jodo Kast, inept Boba Fett impersonator, explaining how he narrowly missed capturing Dr. Evazan (the creep who doesn’t like Luke either).

AFRICANGLOBE – In 1972 the socialist left swept to power in Jamaica. Calling for the strengthening of workers’ rights, the nationalization of industries, and the expansion of the island’s welfare state, the People’s National Party (PNP), led by the charismatic Michael Manley, sought nothing less than to overturn the old order under which Jamaicans had long labored—first as enslaved, then indentured, then colonized, and only recently as politically free of Great Britain. Jamaica is a small island, but the ambition of the project was global in scale.

Aliens! Aliens, aliens, aliens. Forget the laser swords and mystic powers and starships, my love of Star Wars was always tied first and foremost to the weird aliens. Boba Fett doesn’t hold a candle to Zuckuss or Bossk, because Boba Fett is just some guy in armor.

Galaxy Guide 4 (1989) is all about aliens. Many are seen in the backgrounds of the films, and we learn more about their cultures and histories. Many others are brand new, or were introduced in West End Games’ Star Wars modules. These are…uh…a mixed bag. There are some classics that would go on to see a lot of use in the expanded universe, like the Verpine, Ho’Din, Barabel and Defel. Some are weird and don’t feel super Star Warsy, like the Star Dragons. A bunch are just what if an animal, but bipedal, as with the squirrel people called Squibs and the rat people called Ranats. Some are just straight up doofy, like the Bilars, which basically look like shaved, vaguely threatening teddy bears.

Galaxy Guide 3 (1989) applies the approach from Galaxy Guide 1 to Empire Strikes Back. If it is less successful, it is only because the movie just has less interesting background characters (read: aliens).

The bulk of the book is given over to both rebel and imperial personnel. Much of it reads like an excerpt of a book on military history focusing on the Battle of Hoth and there is plenty of info on how many of the characters (most of them now dead) got to where they were. All of that is interesting, but it isn’t as immediately inspiring as the alien denizens of Mos Eisley were in the first book. So as a tool for running a Star Wars game, maybe not so useful. But, as another brick in the foundation of the larger expanded universe, pretty essential.

Oh, and of course, the bounty hunters. Gotta love the bounty hunters, even that incompetent guy Boba Fett.