Star Wars_ The Black Fleet Crisis 02_ Shield of Lies - Michael P. Kube-McDowell [136]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael P. Kube-McDowell is the pen name of Philadelphia-born novelist Michael Paul McDowell. His prior works include the 1985 Philip K. Dick Award finalist Emprise and the 1991 Hugo Award nominee The Quiet Pools. His contributions to the extended Star Wars saga, the “Black Fleet Crisis” novels, were New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. Most recently, The Trigger, a 1998 collaboration with Sir Arthur C. Clark, was praised as “an epic thriller,” “solid, intelligent, serious entertainment,” and “what near-future SF should be: clever, thoughtful, thrilling, and human.”
In addition to his twelve previous novels, Michael has contributed stories to a variety of leading magazines and anthologies including Analog, Asimov’s, Fantasy & Science Fiction, After the Flames, and Alternate Presidents. Three of his stories were adapted as episodes of the George Romero horror-fantasy television series Tales From the Darkside (two with Michael’s own teleplays). Outside of science fiction, he is the author of more than five hundred nonfiction articles on subjects ranging from “scientific creationism” to the US space program. A former National Merit Scholar and Presidential Scholar Distinguished Teacher, Michael received an EdPress Achievement Award for his 1999 essay “Divining the Mind.”
At various times Michael has called Fairview Village (Camden), NJ; East Lansing, Sturgis, and Lansing, MI; and Goshen, IN home. He currently resides in central Michigan with his wife Gwen, three children, three cats, and “entirely too much stuff.” His publicly acknowledged passions include warbirds, following the Spartans and Phillies, making music, and natural philosophy. Further confessions can be found at his Web home: www.sff.net/people/K-Mac
ALSO BY MICHAEL KUBE-MCDOWELL
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THE TRIGON DISUNITY FUTURE HISTORY:
EMPRISE (1985)
ENIGMA (1986)
EMPERY (1987)
ALTERNITIES (1988)
THE QUIET POOLS (1990)
EXILE (1992)
STAR WARS:
THE BLACK FLEET CRISIS TRILOGY:
BEFORE THE STORM (1996)
SHIELD OF LIES (1996)
TYRANT’S TEST (1997)
WITH SIR ARTHUR C. CLARKE:
THE TRIGGER (1999)
STAR WARS—The Expanded Universe
You saw the movies. You watched the cartoon series, or maybe played some of the video games. But did you know …
In The Empire Strikes Back, Princess Leia Organa said to Han Solo, “I love you.” Han said, “I know.” But did you know that they actually got married? And had three Jedi children: the twins, Jacen and Jaina, and a younger son, Anakin?
Luke Skywalker was trained as a Jedi by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. But did you know that, years later, he went on to revive the Jedi Order and its commitment to defending the galaxy from evil and injustice?
Obi-Wan said to Luke, “For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire.” Did you know that over those millennia, legendary Jedi and infamous Sith Lords were adding their names to the annals of Republic history?
Yoda explained that the dreaded Sith tend to come in twos: “Always two, there are. No more, no less. A Master, and an apprentice.” But did you know that the Sith didn’t always exist in pairs? That at one time in the ancient Republic there were as many Sith as Jedi, until a Sith Lord named Darth Bane was the lone survivor of a great Sith war and created the “Rule of Two”?
All this and much, much more is brought to life in the many novels and comics of the Star Wars expanded universe. You’ve seen the movies and watched the cartoon. Now venture out into the wider worlds of Star Wars!
Turn the page or jump to the timeline of Star Wars novels to learn more.
Chapter 1
Three levels down from Rwookrrorro and