UGO writes: "Since A New Hope was first released back in 1977, the "galaxy far, far away" has blossomed into something that is far too large for three or even six films to fully capture it. Books, comics, video games and television programs have all done their part in adding to the rich lexicon that is Star Wars' Expanded Universe. It is now standard practice to insert a "dramatis personae" into the front of any EU novel so that readers can know who among the hundreds of possible characters will be appearing. Until recently, the novels also opened with a timeline, situating the larger picture of the EU in relation to the canonical films."
