Editing Timothy Zahn

{{short description|American science fiction author (born 1951)}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| image            = Timothy Zahn by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| caption          = Zahn at the 2017 [[Phoenix Comicon]]
| name             = Timothy Zahn
| birth_date       = {{Birth based on age as of date|65|2017|May|24}}
| birth_place      = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date       = 
| death_place      = 
| occupation       = [[Author]]
| genre            = [[Science fiction]], [[fantasy]]
| period           = 
| movement         = 
| notableworks     = {{Unbulleted|[[Thrawn trilogy]] (1991–1993)|[[Star Wars: Thrawn|Thrawn Trilogy]] (2017–2019)|[[Thrawn Ascendancy]] (2020–2021)}}
| influences       = 
| influenced       = 
| education        = [[Michigan State University]]<br>[[University of Illinois]]
}}
'''Timothy Zahn''' (born {{Birth based on age as of date|65|2017|May|24|noage=1}})<ref name=":0" /> is an American writer of [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]]. He is known best for his prolific collection of ''[[Star Wars]]'' [[List of Star Wars books|books]], chiefly the [[Thrawn trilogy|''Thrawn'' trilogy]], and has published several other series of sci-fi and fantasy novels of his own original creation, in addition to many works of short fiction.

==Early life and education==
Zahn grew up in [[Lombard, Illinois]], and attended [[Glenbard East High School]] in Lombard.<ref name=":0" /> He has been a fan of sci-fi since he was a child.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Liptak |first=Andrew |date=2021-05-04 |title=How Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy resurrected Star Wars |url=https://transfer-orbit.ghost.io/star-wars-timothy-zahn-heir-to-the-empire-thrawn-trilogy/ |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Transfer Orbit |language=en}}</ref>

He attended [[Michigan State University]], before working towards a doctorate in physics at the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign|University of Illinois]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-timothy-zahn-star-wars-ent-0523-20170522-column.html|title=Novelist Timothy Zahn is the man who saved 'Star Wars,' according to fans|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|first=Christopher|last=Borrelli|date=May 23, 2017|access-date=May 23, 2017|archive-date=May 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522193621/http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-timothy-zahn-star-wars-ent-0523-20170522-column.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:4.29.18TimothyZahnQ&AByLuigiNovi8.jpg|thumb|Zahn, right, during a Q&A discussion at the 2018 [[East Coast Comicon]] in New Jersey]]
Zahn's novella ''Cascade Point'' won the 1984 [[Hugo Award for Best Novella|Hugo Award]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/?page_id=35|title=1984 Hugo Awards|work=The Hugo Awards|date=26 July 2007|access-date=29 August 2008|archive-date=25 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225194510/http://www.thehugoawards.org/?page_id=35|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Zahn novels also won five [[Dragon Awards]][https://www.sfadb.com/Timothy_Zahn]. He is the author of the ''[[The Blackcollar|Blackcollar]]'' trilogy and the ''[[COBRA (Timothy Zahn novel series)|Cobra]]'' series (nine novels so far), fourteen [[Star Wars Expanded Universe|''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe]] novels, including thirteen novels featuring [[Grand Admiral Thrawn]]: the [[Thrawn trilogy|''Thrawn'' trilogy]], the ''[[The Hand of Thrawn|Hand of Thrawn]]'' duology, ''[[Outbound Flight]]'', ''[[Choices of One]]'', ''[[Star Wars: Thrawn|Thrawn]]'', ''[[Star Wars: Thrawn: Alliances|Thrawn: Alliances]]'', ''[[Star Wars: Thrawn: Treason|Thrawn: Treason]],'' and the ''[[Thrawn Ascendancy]]'' trilogy.

Lucasfilm at times used some of the more detailed ''[[Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game]]'' supplements from [[West End Games]] as references, and West End sent boxes of their sourcebooks to Zahn when he started work on a new ''Star Wars'' novel trilogy.<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}</ref>{{rp|190–191}} At the time, Zahn was writing ''[[Heir to the Empire]]'' (1991), the first book in what became known as the ''Thrawn'' trilogy, and West End in turn released sourcebooks from 1992–1994 based on Zahn's three novels.<ref name="designers" />{{rp|193}}

The ''Thrawn'' trilogy marked a revival in the fortunes of the ''Star Wars'' franchise, bringing it widespread attention for the first time in years; all three ''Thrawn'' trilogy novels made [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller list]],<ref name="insidemovies.ew.com">{{cite magazine|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/11/02/star-wars-sequels-timothy-zahn/|title=''Star Wars'' sequel author Timothy Zahn weighs in on new movie plans|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|first=Anthony|last=Breznican|date=November 2, 2012|access-date=July 21, 2016|archive-date=May 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516110755/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/11/02/star-wars-sequels-timothy-zahn/|url-status=live}}</ref> and set the stage and tone for most of the franchise's expanded universe content.<ref name="insidemovies.ew.com" /> Zahn also wrote the young adult Dragonback series and the [[Conquerors trilogy|''Conquerors''  ''trilogy'']].

In 2014 Zahn collaborated with [[David Weber]] on the Manticore Ascendant series set within the [[Honorverse]].

In 2023, [[Dave Filoni]] confirmed during the [[Star Wars Celebration#Celebration Europe 2023|''Star Wars'' Celebration Europe]] that Zahn served as a creative consultant for the [[Disney+]] miniseries ''[[Ahsoka (TV series)|Ahsoka]]'' in order to assist the creative team in writing Thrawn correctly, as Filoni felt that only Zahn could advise them with the "right" way to adapt Thrawn as the character's creator.<ref name="ZahnsCollaboration1">{{Cite tweet |user=empiremagazine |number=1644660148198055940 |title=Dave Filoni says they have spoken – and are continuing to speak – with Timothy Zahn about Thrawn’s character. “That all starts with Tim Zahn’s books,” he says. “When we were all kids, hungry for something else, and Heir To The Empire hit,” he remembers, “it was so unique and so wonderful.” Thrawn is not to be messed with. “He doesn’t have the Force, but it doesn’t matter. He will outsmart you,” says Filoni. #StarWarsCelebration |url=https://twitter.com/empiremagazine/status/1644660148198055940 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408124058/https://twitter.com/empiremagazine/status/1644660148198055940 |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |access-date=April 22, 2023 |via=[[Twitter]]}}</ref><ref name="ZahnsCollaboration2">{{Cite tweet |user=sw_holocron |number=1644658007383461894 |title=Dave Filoni consulted with Timothy Zahn on how to bring Grand Admiral Thrawn to life in the Ahsoka series. “We want to make sure we get it right.” #StarWars #StarWarsCelebration #StarWarsCelebration2023 |url=https://twitter.com/sw_holocron/status/1644658007383461894 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408122554/https://twitter.com/sw_holocron/status/1644658007383461894 |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |access-date=April 22, 2023 |via=[[Twitter]]}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
{{main|Timothy Zahn bibliography}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://us.macmillan.com/author/timothyzahn Timothy Zahn's page] at [[Tor Books]]
*{{ISFDB name}}
*{{Comic Book DB|type=creator|id=2141}}
*[http://roqoodepot.com/2012/05/07/mara-month-roqoo-depot-interview-with-timothy-zahn/ Timothy Zahn interview with RoqooDepot.com for Mara Month], May 7, 2012
*[http://roqoodepot.com/2012/12/31/scoundrels-interview-with-timothy-zahn/ Timothy Zahn 'Scoundrels' interview with RoqooDepot.com], December 31, 2012

{{Timothy Zahn}}
{{Hugo Award Best Novella}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zahn, Timothy}}
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[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
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[[Category:American science fiction writers]]
[[Category:Hugo Award–winning writers]]
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[[Category:Michigan State University alumni]]
[[Category:Grainger College of Engineering alumni]]
[[Category:American male short story writers]]
[[Category:American comics writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American short story writers]]
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[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:People from Bandon, Oregon]]
[[Category:1950s births]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]