Abstract

This chapter opens with a discussion on the mechanics of canon in the Star Wars universe. The practice of dividing a fiction into canonical and noncanonical parts is not merely an exercise in fanboy/girl esoterica. Once a fiction is massive enough, and the Star Wars fiction is certainly quite massive, the canon/noncanon divide can play a practical role in pointing to which portions of the story are required knowledge for understanding and interpreting the overall universe. Canon/noncanon distinctions make massive fictions like Star Wars accessible. A particular work will not be eternally canonical or eternally noncanonical. The canon/noncanon divide does not merely tell us that some stories count as genuine parts of the Star Wars fiction while others do not. It also dictates which version of a particular story counts as genuine when there are multiple versions from which to choose.