Splinter of the Mind's Eye

Another stunning Ralph McQuarrie painting.

by Alan Dean Foster

Del Rey Books

February 1978

The first work of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The genesis of this book is now a fairly well-known story amongst those familiar with Star Wars literature. It goes something like this. Alan Dean Foster was originally contracted to write two Star Wars novels – the original film’s novelization and a second book. Before the first film’s debut, before George Lucas knew that Star Wars would be a smash hit and a financial success, he instructed Foster to write a story that could serve as a sequel of sorts to Star Wars. If Star Wars was a success, Lucas would be able to go on with creating and completing the rest of his planned saga. If the film turned out to be unsuccessful, his thinking was that he would still be able to make a sequel, but not with the resources that, say, a The Empire Strikes Back would necessitate. Thus Foster was told to construct his story in a certain way. It had to feature a setting that could be easily replicated using low-budget film techniques (a fog-shrouded swamp world would do nicely). It could not feature any space battles (which would be too costly for a low-budget movie). And it could not feature Han Solo (as Harrison Ford had yet to sign on to do more Star Wars films). In this way, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye was born.

The plot of the book couldn't be simpler. Luke and Leia are aboard separate Y-wings (along with R2-D2 and C-3PO, respectively) flying to a meeting of underground resistance leaders on Circarpous IV. Leia’s starfighter experiences a sudden and unexplained malfunction and she is forced to crash land on one of the other planets in the system – Circarpous V, or as the locals call it, Mimban. On the surface, Luke and Leia’s prime motivation is to get off the planet and make the meeting on the next planet over. However, they are seriously waylaid when they agree to help a mysterious old woman named Halla find a powerful Force artifact known as the Kaiburr crystal, which is located in an ancient temple somewhere on the planet.

Unfortunately, the characters we’re familiar with don’t feel particularly familiar here, and Luke and Leia in particular make absolutely bone-headed, out-of-character decisions that get them into the exact trouble they so desperately needed to avoid (such as the “fight” between Luke and Leia outside the diner, although this is but one of many examples). Luke’s crush on Leia can be a bit cringe-inducing at times, but they never kiss, and it really isn't as bad as it is often made out to be (it’s perfectly understandable given when this book was written). Darth Vader is mostly recognizable from his film counterpart, although he talks far too much during his scenes, and even lets loose an evil laugh once or twice, as if Vader were just another pulp villain. As far as new characters go, Grammel is a joke, once again exhibiting all the worst traits of a pulp villain, and it is a wonder that, despite the lure of the Kaiburr crystal, Luke and Leia trusted and followed Halla, who was clearly insane and more unlikable than otherwise.

Vast stretches of time elapse off-screen, but the effect is not handled well. For example, after driving for several days through the swamps of Mimban, a character will ask “are you sure this is the way?” conversationally, as if they’d been travelling for twenty minutes. Because of this, I couldn't have cared less about the supposed meeting of resistance leaders that Leia and Luke so desperately needed to get to, even though Leia kept reminding Luke of the fact during their stay on Mimban. Considering how much time they spent on Mimban, it was quite clear that they weren't going to make this meeting, unless Leia’s original intention was to arrive weeks early. Of course, it is implied at the book’s end that they do make this meeting, so what was with the rush in the first place? Ultimately, it doesn't matter, as this is the same book that decided Luke, quite conveniently, would be fluent in the Yuzzum language because he studied languages while living on Tatooine.

Conclusion

This is a low-budget, simple, and inconsequential story set in a likewise low-budget setting, marred by Alan Dean Foster’s awkward prose. It might have ignited the imagination in 1978, but the only reason to read this book today is if one were a completionist.

4 / 10