Turning Point

Star Wars Disney Canon Short Stories

by Jason M. Hough, Carsten Bradley (Illustrator)

"Turning Point" is a canon short story written by Jason Hough, with art by Carsten Bradley. The story, set just after Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, is about a tracker named Gorlan who lived peacefully on the edge of the galaxy until the Galactic Empire sought to hire him to track down a group of escaped Rebels. It was published in Star Wars Insider 169 on October 26, 2016.

Genres: Star Wars

4 pages, Paperback

First published October 26, 2016

About the author

Jason M. Hough (pronounced 'Huff') is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dire Earth Cycle and the near-future spy thriller Zero World. In a former life he was a 3D artist, animator, and game designer (Metal Fatigue, Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction, and many others). He has also worked in the fields of high-performance cluster computing and machine learning.

The Darwin Elevator began life in 2008 as a project for National Novel Writing Month.  The book released on July 30th, 2013 and reached the New York Times Bestseller list the following week. Darwin was Jason’s first published fiction. The subsequent books in that trilogy were released that same summer, along with a prequel novella, The Dire Earth, in 2014.

Jason's latest novel, Zero World, released on August 18th, 2015 from Del Rey Spectra (US) and Titan Books (AUS/NZ). Publishers Weekly called it “a thrilling action rampage that confirms Hough as an important new voice in genre fiction.”

He lives near Seattle, Washington with his wife, two young sons, and a dog named Missbuster.

Reviews

[Jim C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is part of a series of short stories. For the most part all the stories are separate of each other and can be read as a stand alone. In this one we visit a planet where rebels have escaped from the Empire. The Empire recruit a local guide to help them trek a dangerous part of this world.

I really do not expect much from this series. I read them when I have several minutes to kill and I do not want to pick up my full length novel. I would like to be entertained from these stories. For the most part this book did not do that. I liked the concept of this book but I felt that the author did not portray it the way I would have liked. It felt more like an outline than a story. Maybe this could be attributed to the short story length and the author could not flesh out like he wanted. I just never got a sense of the looming danger. Why were the characters apprehensive? I have no idea. What saved this book was the final act. I loved this. We have a cameo from a beloved character and the whole scene caught me by surprise. It made me say "huh?" It is a nice introspective look at what do characters do at this particular turning point of a war.

For the most part I was going to give this one star. I was not interested in the action at all and I had no connection to any of the characters. Like I said I don't expect much from these offerings but this was not even meeting those expectations. The finale saved this story. Is it enough for others to read? Probably not.

[Ahdom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely a cool story set during the events of The Battle of Endor. This compliments Life Debt in a way, but doesn't add nor take away from the book. It does a great job of standing on it's own as well as getting you involved in very few words and finally leaving us with a unique perspective on the fall of the Empire.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strong story. It takes the universe of Star Wars, subverts it a bit by making technology useless, and populates it with characters on both sides of the war. It's also (I think) the first Star Wars story in the EU I've read that's written in the first person. I'd rate it higher, but it ends so abruptly that it disappoints. This is a story that begs for a part two.

[Richard Eyres · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short story in Star Wars Insider 169.
Imperials need to track down some escaped rebels. They 'recruit' a guide to help them navigate a strange forest were energy attracts lightning from the trees.
Quick, well paced and enjoyable.

[Joss · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well crafted short story with a solid ending.

[Alternate Lore · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent standalone short story. Bit of a slow burn but well worth checking out.

[Mayumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ótimo conto! Apesar de curtinho, como todos os contos da revista Star Wars Insider, estabeleceu muito bem os personagens e nos dá motivos para nos importarmos com eles. Além de muito bem escrito, nos faz indagar o que faríamos se a nossa razão de viver de repente ~acaba~. Quando moldamos nossa vida em torno de um único objetivo, estamos preparados para ~perdê-lo~?

[Marcin Kowalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actualy was going to give it a 4 in 5, but the ending, but as a father myself, not knowing what happens next might just have robbed me of at least one hour of sleep.
I really liked this short story, as it took its time to establish the setting and the characters. It did not through me right into the action, or right into the plot, but allowed me to take my time and start to care for what was happening. And to do that within just 6 pages is quit an achievement, as none of the characters or places are established ones, only the conflict itself was as old as our most favorite franchise. As this ties into the second Aftermath book, I will be be eagerly awaiting the fate of Gorlan the tracker (and I have not yet started the first Aftermath book).