Karen Traviss

What other author can claim having created an entire culture and language from scratch,incorporating them into their books with such effectiveness that it becomes second-nature to the readers? No, not J. R. R. Tolkien, we’re talking about Star Wars Legends author Karen Traviss. 

Known for her military science fiction such as Halo and Gears of War, she started her Star Wars run with Republic Commando: Hard Contact in the tie-in novel to the video game for the original XBox and Nintendo GameCube. From there, she more than doubled the cast of its series, deepened the characters in truly remarkable ways, and established herself as a force to be reckoned with when it came to writing Star Wars. 

For the mid-to-late 2000s, Traviss was a staple among Legends authors. She wrote her own 5-book series set during the Clone Wars, featuring a Mandalorian who adopts a squad of Clones as his sons. From there, she was one of three authors selected to collaborate on Legacy of the Force alongside Aaron Allston and Troy Denning—which she used as a golden opportunity to incorporate elements of the Mandalorian culture she had created in Republic Commando and to continue the tales of a few key characters. 

In fact, Travis holds the illustrious honor of being one of only a handful of authors whose work has reached number one on the New York Times Bestsellers List, with Legacy of the Force: Revelation (though it was the Mass Market Paperback list)!

Her time in a galaxy far, far away was ultimately cut short as she went out in a blaze of glory. As George Lucas, Dave Filoni, and crew were developing Mandalore for the Clone Wars animated series, they chose to go in a different direction. Thus she chose to depart from writing for Star Wars. That being said, we at Youtini think both versions of Mandalorian lore are incredibly strong and equally enjoyable! They overlap and dovetail in key ways, challenging your imagination to tie them together. 

Her impact on the Legends universe as well as the fandom of the armor-clad was massive, making her a fan-favorite among many. In this guide you’ll find all five of her Commando books, her Legacy of the Force books, as well as Clone Wars: No Prisoners. 

Beyond her books, Traviss wrote a significant amount of short stories, a novella, and a handful of articles for Star Wars Insider. “Boba Fett: A Practical Man” being the most substantial of the lot. Boba Fett made his long-awaited return to Legends after an extended absence, bringing in an army of Mandalorians to repel the Yuuzhan Vong It is included in the paperback edition of Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice. 

“Targets” is paired with Republic Commando: Triple Zero. “Odds” is included with Republic Commando: True Colors. Both of her Republic Commando short stories are excellent inclusions in the series and are referenced within the subsequent novels, making them well worth the read (especially considering that the series was cut short). 

Although writing Star Wars books again looks to be a long shot, Karen Traviss graced the galaxy with impactful characters and made the Mandalorians into a culture that felt as real as any to ever exist in fiction. For that, she’s royalty to us.