Star Wars the Essential Guide to Alien Species The Essential Guide to Alien Species

THE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK Much of the information included here was taken from the collection of the much-lauded Senior Anthropologist Mammon Hoole, a member of the Shi'ido species. The Shi'ido are able to change form at will, and utilizing this natural ability, Hoole has been able to study a great many alien species from the inside. And in a less covert fashion, he has solicited commentary from many prominent members of the galactic community, including explorers, adventurers, members of the military, representatives of the New Republic, and even of the Empire. The wealth of material he has amassed is truly mind-boggling. During most of his years of study, Hoole has worked alone, taking on an occasional assistant or two. But when the planet Alderaan was destroyed, he was thrust into the role of surrogate parent when he adopted his orphaned niece and nephew, Tash and Zak Arranda. Hoole tried to continue his work as he had before, but the trio inadvertently angered key representatives of the Empire by foiling an important and destructive scientific experiment, and found themselves on the run. After a number of harrowing escapes, Hoole settled with his niece and nephew in a private home on a world whose location he has kept strictly secret. At this home-based laboratory, Hoole shifted from field exploration to the assembling of the wealth of data he'd already gathered. Tash and Zak reached the age at which they began their own advanced education, and as the pressure of Imperial discovery eased, both were able to attend university. Left to his own devices, Hoole quickly compiled enough material to produce a general overview of the key species he had encountered in his travels. In-depth, technical data would be reserved for the advanced journals and texts. More researcher than raconter, Hoole enlisted the aid of a professional writer whose job it became to present the information in a form accessible to the general public. The Essential Guide to Alien Species was written and sent to a reputable galactic publisher on Coruscant. Recognizing the value of such a volume, the publisher snapped up the opportunity, leading to the edition you hold in your hands. Senior Anthropologist Hoole wishes to acknowledge all those who have been kind enough to work with him over the years, and especially those who have shared material from their private journals, diaries, and letters. Everything that was provided has helped add new depth to this book and, as such, will provide insight into the nature of life in our galaxy. ABOUT THE ENTRIES Sentience Designation Each species is designated as sentient, semisentient, or nonsentient. Usually this designation is based on a species' ability to reason, use tools, and communicate. A panel of multicultural scientists from the University of Coruscant approves the formal designation for each species only after a government-approved research team has conducted an extensive field study or has made some significant finding regarding the sentience of the species in question. The formal designations are defined as follows: * Sentient: A species given the sentient designation is considered able to reason and understand abstract metaphysical or philosophical concepts and ideas, make and use tools, and communicate with written or spoken language. As most primitive tribal species receive this designation, it does not imply a species must be civilized to the point of space travel. * Semisentient: The semisentient designation implies that a species has some reasoning ability but cannot grasp elevated or abstract concepts. In many cases, a semisentient group has not yet formed a written or spoken language. These species are considered to be moving up the evolutionary ladderon their way to achieving sentience. Under the Empire, these species were not entitled to land ownership, but this prohibition is now being reconsidered iLewis, Ann Margaret is the author of 'Star Wars the Essential Guide to Alien Species The Essential Guide to Alien Species', published 2001 under ISBN 9780345442208 and ISBN 0345442202.