Starwars.com revealed the cover for the highly anticipated Canto Bight book that will feature four short stories told by authors Saladin Ahmed, Rae Carson, Mira Grant, and John Jackson Miller. The four interconnected stories, that will likely take place right before TLJ, will centre around new characters in the casino-city of Canto Bight.
Saladin Ahmed - “Rules of the Game”
Rae Carson - “Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing”
Mira Grant - “The Wine in Dreams"
John Jackson Miler, “The Ride”
Canto Bight will be available on December 5th, 2017 and joins Star Wars: Phasma, Leia: Princess of Alderann, The Legends of Luke Skywalker, and Cobalt Squadron in the Journey to The Last Jedi line of books.
Artist: Matt Taylor
The four authors also released some insights into their stories via starwars.com.
Saladin Ahmed, “Rules of the Game”
“‘Rules of the Game’ is a quiet drama about work and crime and corruption and pecking order, but it’s also an alien buddy comedy with explosives. Interplanetary contract criminal Anglang Lehet and Vaporator Salesbeing Kedpin Shoklop have led very different lives. They have one thing in common: Each of them has spent more than a century following the rules of his trade. But one night in the glittering casino city of Canto Bight their paths will cross and, beset by gangsters, corrupt cops, and overpriced drinks, they will have to rely on each other to have any hope to survive.”
Rae Carson, “Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing”
“No one is better placed to overhear key information than Lexo Sooger, the star masseuse at an elite spa. But Lexo never gets involved, no matter what. In a dangerous city like Canto Bight, it’s the only way to keep his family safe. But vile gangster Big Sturg Ganna will stop at nothing to acquire him as an asset, and when Ganna kidnaps Lexo’s daughter, Lexo must call on secret, long-unused abilities to save her. The gangster doesn’t know it yet, but he has messed with the wrong masseuse.
I spent a big chunk of my childhood in poverty, so I know that even the most beautiful, lavish places have an underclass, people barely scraping by in a system stacked against them. When I saw Lexo, a fantastically realized alien creature doing hard labor, surrounded by luxury that’s never truly his, I just had to know more. For me, Lexo is Canto Bight’s everyman, and I’m so glad I got to write his story.”
The eclectic patrons of Canto Bight, the casino-city featured in The Last Jedi.
Mira Grant, “The Wine in Dreams”
“There’s nothing better than a good con game, except for maybe a con game that takes place in the Star Wars universe. My story takes you to the glamorous night life and the glittering world of Ubialla Gheal, whose club is the place to see and be seen in Canto Bight. A lot of business happens there. A lot of deals. But when Derla Pidys, one of the most renowned liquor traders in the galaxy, shows up to purchase a bottle of wine that may or may not come from another dimension, things get complicated, fast. It was a joy to write, and I think you’re going to enjoy it.”
John Jackson Miler, “The Ride”
“What do you do when everything you think you know is upended at precisely the wrong time? ‘The Ride’ is some of the best fun I’ve had writing a Star Wars story, combining a look at gaming within the Star Wars universe with an adventure loaded with humorous moments. It’s a chance to wallow in casino life, surrounded by memorable characters. The Lucky Three (Plus One) is more than a starting pazaak hand — it’s a formula for a wild ride!
With statistics as his Force and card combinations as his lightsaber, Kaljach Sonmi fancies himself a Jedi Knight of the gambling halls, making short work of all who oppose him. Until, that is, he encounters something none of his knowledge and experience can help him with: The Lucky Three, a notorious trio and terrors of the casino.
Suddenly, with fearsome members of the Canto Bight underworld breathing down his neck, Kal launches upon the craziest — and possibly last! — night of his life, a frenetic odyssey during which fortunes are lost, won, and lost again. He’s drawing dead with a deadline, and his only outs may be three diminutive lunatics named Dodi, Thodi, and Wobi!”
Thank you for reading,
Tim