In 2021, Lucasfilm launched their Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
The High Republic Era was a time when the light of the Jedi shone brightly across the galaxy. But it's also becoming clear the seeds of the Jedi's eventual downfall were sown centuries before Palpatine became Chancellor of the Republic; the story is thrilling precisely because the end point is known, and it's unlikely to be a pleasant one for the Jedi. That's certainly become clear in Claudia Gray's The Fallen Star, a novel that deals with the destruction of Starlight Beacon, the Jedi outpost on the Outer Rim. This has been something of an open secret, with the destruction of the space station teased in promotional images and even on a stunning variant slipcase cover for The Fallen Star, and yet that foreknowledge doesn't damage the dramatic impact of the book at all.
Claudia Gray is generally considered one of the best authors currently writing Star Wars, particularly notable for two novels that dive deep into the character of Carrie Fisher's legendary character Princess Leia Organa. The Fallen Star is the first time she's written one of the flagship novels set during this era, and it transforms the status quo in the High Republic. Screen Rant had an opportunity to speak to Claudia Gray ahead of the book's publication.
Screen Rant: Starlight Beacon has made a tremendous base of operations during the first phase. I think it's an open secret that Starlight is about to fall - why have you chosen to do this so early on in the High Republic Era?
Claudia Gray: …I guess it does feel early for the readers! We started planning so long ago that it’s jarring, sometimes, to everyone else has just ed us. More seriously—it’s Starlight’s symbolic power that makes it a target. There’s no chance that Marchion Ro and the Nihil wouldn’t attack it — and bring everything they’ve got.
I love the breakneck pace of The Fallen Star. How do you create such a strong sense of narrative momentum?
Claudia Gray: If I knew exactly how it worked, I’d get it on the first draft. Honestly, pacing is largely a matter of editing, at least for me. You get the core of the story down, you see how it flows, and then streamline for the pace you want.
Also, we very consciously wanted to model some of this on the big disaster movies of the 1960s and 70s: The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure, etc. Those all take place within tight time frames, which is very much an element we wanted to carry through.
How did you choose which viewpoint characters to use during The Fallen Star?
Claudia Gray: Whose story was necessary? Whose story gave us the vantage points we needed? And, honestly, which characters were fun?
Who was your favorite character to write in The Fallen Star?
Claudia Gray: I always enjoy writing the crew of the Vessel, but my favorite character to write in TFS was Stellan Gios. This was my first time writing him, and I got to know him so much more than before.
One of the most interesting aspects of the High Republic is how each Jedi perceives the Force in subtly different ways. How do you give each Jedi such a distinctive "voice" so they stand out from the rest?
Claudia Gray: We actually had to have some repeating takes on Force perception in this one—otherwise the metaphors would become strained. I didn’t want to get three years out with some new Jedi seeing the Force as, like, a charcuterie plate. And some of their individuality comes from the fact that you have five authors creating the cast, not just one, and we respect each other’s creations, visions, etc.
I know there's a phrase sometimes used among fiction writers - "Kill your darlings." How do you decide which characters to kill, and what was it like writing those scenes?
Claudia Gray: Nobody decides alone; we always ask each other first! Beyond that, it varies. Whose story seems to be reaching a natural conclusion? Whose death would be most meaningful here, if anyone’s? I never kill a character purely for effect; it has to mean something in the greater story.
I'd like to move on to asking a few questions about the overall approach with the High Republic. How do you decide which writers handle which parts of the overarching narrative?
Claudia Gray: It’s a balancing act: Who is most interested in a particular part of the narrative? Who has done the most worldbuilding in that area? Who’s available to work at that particular time? We all have individual careers we have to balance with THR, which means we have completely separate deadlines, publicity commitments, etc. In the end it all comes together.
How do you coordinate stories across multiple mediums, ensuring everything ties together?
Claudia Gray: That requires a lot of time and care from us, from the Lucasfilm side of things, from the editors of each book or comic, etc. Honestly, we coordinate reasonably smoothly on the big things, but the smaller stuff can trip us up. One author changes something that to them is very minor, not realizing another is playing up that minor thing in their own work in the belief it’s free. Most of it still gets caught in the end, thank goodness.
One spoiler question simply because my heart was in my mouth reading this... Is Burryaga's story really over or will it continue in other mediums? I'll understand if you can't answer!
Claudia Gray: My lips are sealed!
