Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

With Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith coming out in May, there are suddenly tons of new books about the movie appearing at the bookstores and in libraries. I am trying to avoid them. I want to have no knowledge of what they reveal about the plot. I like my movie surprises.

If you are like-minded but still want read a Star Wars book, let me recommend to you Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, a collection of short stories inspired by the cantina scene in the very first Star Wars movie, now known as A New Hope. This scene with its bouncy music and its intergalactic cast of ruffians is one of my favorite parts of the movie, which I have seen many times. I always watch closely to see each scaly and furry character, many of whom get only seconds of screen time. If you are like me and have wondered who these characters are, you should read this book. Each story, written by a different author, tells how a character or couple of characters comes to be in the cantina that day and what each sees. Stories of the band member Doikk, the Tonnika sisters, the Hammerhead, a Jawa, a storm trooper, the moisture farmer Ariq Joanson, and the bartender are included. The longest story is “A Hunter’s Fate: Greedo’s Tale,” which every fan should read to learn why the bounty hunter confronts Han Solo in his booth. As soon as Greedo says “Oona goota , Solo?” you know his fate.

If you need more books before the movie debut, also read Tales of the Bounty Hunters and Tales from Jabba’s Palace. They are all entertaining.

Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina. New York: Bantam Books, 1995. ISBN 0553564684