Rating: 
Summary: All the Galaxy's a Stage...
Review: This is a neat little catalog that depicts the dozens of worlds explored in the galaxy, often the homeworlds of many of the most common races depicted in the movies and in books. It covers almost a hundred places, gives great examples of flora and fauna found on the worlds, as well as the native intelligent life, if any. It also has a handy little time line at the front. Where this book falls apart is in the black and white line art usually used to depict the natives of each world or moon-it's sub-standard, very cartoony, and no where near on par with the art found elsewhere in other "Essential Guides...". Otherwise, though, it is an excellent book.Unfortunately, it doesn't really explain much about a native race's culture or history, but rather tends to simply explain what adventures were had there. For example, the planet Bimmisaari-a world created by Zhan, the entry spends 2 paragraphs describing the world and its natives, and eight or so paragraphs on what Han, Luke and Leia did there-I read the Thrawn trilogy and don't want yet another description of what went on, but rather want detail on the world itself. Since I usually put these books to use in role playing scenarios, I might have found actual planetary information handy to have.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for Star Wars fans
Review: When it comes to science fiction, the Star Wars saga is the best. However, the films themselves give very little information regarding the locales that our beloved characters find themselves exploring. This is a shame, because the planets that occupy everyone's favorite galaxy far far away are nothing short of fascinating. Finally, a book entitled Star Wars - The Essential Guide To Planets And Moons was released! Now, fans would be able to learn about the ever-so awesome places characters in the films travelled to! Read on for my review of this book. PROS:
-If you're a fan of the Star Wars films, and you're interested in reading about the worlds explored in the classic trilogy, this book will have more than enough information to make you happy. From Luke Skywalker's desert homeplanet of Tatooine to the icy world of Hoth, they're all here.
-The book covers the expanded universe! This means places from the novels, comic books, and video games appear in this book! Even if you're just a fan of the films, the information on the expanded universe will fascinate you.
-This book is readily available in most major bookstores (B. Dalton, Barnes And Noble, Borders, etc.) You shouldn't have any trouble finding it.
-The price for this book is very good, considering all the information it has to offer. This is a worthwhile purchase if you're a Star Wars fan. CONS:
-The major problem with this book is that it was released circa 1997. This means it came out before 1999, and accordingly the locales exclusive to the prequel films, Episode I and Episode II, don't appear in here. That kind of bites, because I wanted to read up on Naboo and Kamino.
-The only pictures in the book are black-and-white sketches. I would have liked to see some more detailed pictures, preferably in color. OVERALL:
If you're a Star Wars fan, I guarantee this book will fascinate you. If you're not a fan of the Star Wars series but know somebody who is, this makes a great gift. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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