The Han Solo Trilogy

The Han Solo Trilogy

The cover of The Han Solo Trilogy omnibus edition.
The Paradise Snare The Hutt Gambit Rebel Dawn
Author	Ann C. Crispin
Genre	Science fiction
Publisher	Bantam Spectra
Published	1997-1998

The Han Solo Trilogy is a trilogy of science fiction novels set in the Star Wars galaxy. The series serves as a prequel to the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The trilogy follows Han Solo's origins and his life before the events depicted in the original Star Wars trilogy. The trilogy was written by Ann C. Crispin. The books were released June 1997, October 1997, and March 1998 respectively.

Additionally, this trilogy brings both the Adventures of Lando Calrissian and Han Solo Adventures trilogies into chronological context with the Star Wars expanded universe timeline, whereas before, the time periods of these trilogies were somewhat more ambiguous, being known only to have occurred "sometime prior to" the events of A New Hope. This is done by allowing for Solo and Lando Calrissian to be absent from this trilogy's main story during certain periods.

With the release of the three Star Wars prequel films starting in 1999, and of a copious amount of Expanded Universe material which followed in its wake, some of the stated information about minor and minimal characters of the trilogy (ex: the origins of Boba Fett) became inaccurate and as such necessitated a retconned explanation (for example the false Boba Fett background was explained as a "smoke screen" planted by Fett himself, eager to hide his father's involvement in the Clone Wars).

The trilogy begins 10 years before the events of the first film, and follows the adventures of a young Han Solo from his childhood as a street urchin picking pockets to survive to his days as a competitive racing pilot, up until the very moment when he approaches the table in the Mos Eisley Cantina where Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker are waiting with Chewbacca to arrange passage to Alderaan, as depicted in A New Hope.