REVIEW OF 'SPLINTER OF THE MIND'S EYE' BY ALAN DEAN FOSTER

Graphic Novel adaptation pic for our Alan Dean Foster Star Wars Interview

Alan Dean Foster is the first author to provide an "expanded universe" novel based on George Lucas's characters.

 In fact, he also ghostwrote the STAR WARS tie-in (which is fantastic) and did this story as a possible sequel if STAR WARS was only a moderate success.

The plot centers on Luke and Leia and the droids but without Han Solo (as Harrison Ford hadn't signed up for a sequel at that time, pre-Star Wars) crashed on a murky muddy swampy planet, much like Dagobah in the latter EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, wherein they must find a jewel which provides an abundance of the Force.

Cover of the classic original BOOK SCORE: ***1/2

With just-enough battles and a nice climax with Darth Vadar fighting not only Luke, but Leia, within a temple mileau liken more to Lucas's future Indiana Jones world than Star Wars...

And remember, this was before we learned Luke and Leia were brother/sister and their flirtation could be seen as not following the Star Wars canon...

Then again, they flirted in Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back as well and, overall there are some corny moments, like Leia being described as a "steel kitten", and some annoying characters, particularly Hallah, a female version of Obi Wan, who keeps referring to Luke as "Luke Boy" (grunt!): But all in all it's a nice adventure written by a really cool sci-fi author who really knows his stuff even when created by somebody else. The opening chapter is tops as it takes many pages for Luke's X-Wing to crash-land.