Steve Perry

Steve Perry is a writer most famously known for penning the novel called Shadows of the Empire. He also has collaborated with Michael Reaves on several projects.

Biography

When Steve Perry was about twelve years old, he discovered science fiction. He owned a suitcase-sized computer in his youth, which could only perform basic calculations. He now feels like he is "living here in the future" when he thinks about how much smaller such devices have become.

Perry resided in Louisiana in his late twenties, where he worked as a physician's assistant. However, he says he was "stricken with the writing bug." He made a firm decision to relocate to the Northwest and start a career as a writer, concentrating on stories set in space and fantasy worlds. Upon seeing the lightsabers in Star Wars, he had the impression that it was a "samurai movie" incorporating elements of fantasy and adventure.

Perry had authored a number of movie novelizations, including one for the 1994 film The Mask. He took on the project as a favor to Bantam Spectra senior editor Tom Dupree, as it was a rushed job with minimal compensation and no royalties. Dupree then offered him the chance to try his hand at a Star Wars book to return the favor.

He stated, "I had never considered writing a Star Wars novel before, because I assumed it would be extremely difficult to get the opportunity and that you would need to have extensive knowledge of the universe to write one." "But Tom explained, 'here's the situation: it will take place between Empire and Return of the Jedi, and no one else has had the chance to explore that period.' I found that to be fantastic because I enjoy the characters. It would be enjoyable to work on. I wouldn't have to be familiar with everything that occurred after Jedi. At this point, Darth and the Emperor are still alive. And I have the usual group, with the exception of Han."

The task would be challenging because the Shadows of the Empire project would involve collaboration with numerous Lucasfilm licensees. Perry received this information immediately. He recounts, "Before I started writing the novel, I went to Skywalker Ranch." "It was wonderful; it's a remarkable place. Someone commented that it resembled a massive Methodist Youth Camp, which it does. It's like a collection of Victorian buildings situated in the middle of nowhere." This meeting, which took place in November 1994, established the foundation for the entire Lucasfilm Shadows publishing strategy. Perry remembers, "It was a lot of fun." "I didn't get to meet George Lucas, but I did meet with the individuals in charge of Lucasfilm Publishing: Howard Roffman, Lucy Wilson, Allan Kausch, and Sue Rostoni. Several of the artists were present. About 12 or 15 of us gathered around a large conference table and discussed what we wanted to see in this book. They had developed a one-page springboard. Just a broad concept, some character names, and a sense of the direction they wanted to take."

Perry was amazed to receive a 112-page collection of Star Wars planets via email while preparing for the project.

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