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Star Wars Alien Archive Species Guide
Wookies, wampas, and Weequays; Biths, banthas and bogwings; porgs, puffer pigs and Pau'ans. This is the ultimate species guide for Star Wars fans!
This comprehensive collection will tell you all you need to know about the culture, history and legends of the aliens of the galaxy.
Featuring detailed illustrations of the fascinating aliens and creatures that fill the Star Wars universe, this collectible gift book is a must-have for fans across the galaxy.
This in-world guide is the follow-up to Star Galactic Maps .
This comprehensive collection will tell you all you need to know about the culture, history and legends of the aliens of the galaxy.
Featuring detailed illustrations of the fascinating aliens and creatures that fill the Star Wars universe, this collectible gift book is a must-have for fans across the galaxy.
This in-world guide is the follow-up to Star Galactic Maps .
160 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2018
6 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 10, 2020
Did You Know There is A Speiceis called Chiss This book has it all
October 18, 2018
+ Colorful
+ Lay-out
+ Cool artwork
+ A lot of species
+ Includes lesser-known species (Tarnab, Leffingite, ...)
+ Fun to read
+ Content from the new movies (Ep VII, Rogue One, Solo)
+ Contains new lore
+ Useful index
- Too many homeworlds remain 'unknown'
- Sometimes too much focus on an individual member instead of the species
- Classification system can be confusing sometimes
- Lacks full credibility as an in-universe document
- It could easily have named more unnamed species (a lot of them are still unnamed from Ep VII, VIII and Solo)
- Where are the two extra creatures from Solo in Dejarik?
- Where are the species from Canto Bight (except for fathier)?
+ Lay-out
+ Cool artwork
+ A lot of species
+ Includes lesser-known species (Tarnab, Leffingite, ...)
+ Fun to read
+ Content from the new movies (Ep VII, Rogue One, Solo)
+ Contains new lore
+ Useful index
- Too many homeworlds remain 'unknown'
- Sometimes too much focus on an individual member instead of the species
- Classification system can be confusing sometimes
- Lacks full credibility as an in-universe document
- It could easily have named more unnamed species (a lot of them are still unnamed from Ep VII, VIII and Solo)
- Where are the two extra creatures from Solo in Dejarik?
- Where are the species from Canto Bight (except for fathier)?
June 5, 2020
Dieses Buch ist einfach nur super niedlich. Brauch man es als Star Wars Fan? Nein, aber ich sage trotzdem, kauft es euch. Es ist wirklich gut und super schön illustriert. Wir lernen Kreaturen kennen die auf heizen Planeten Leben, auf kalten Planeten etc. Ein paar kannte ich aus den Filmen, einige kannte ich aus verschiedenen Büchern und andere waren komplett neu für mich.
Vielleicht kommen sie nochmal in anderen Büchern vor. Wir lernen den Namen der Kreaturen kennen, ihren Heimatplaneten, besondere Merkmale und es gibt auch ein paar Anekdoten des Verfassers. Ich hatte sehr viel Spaß mit dem Buch und kann es nur jedem empfehlen!!
Vielleicht kommen sie nochmal in anderen Büchern vor. Wir lernen den Namen der Kreaturen kennen, ihren Heimatplaneten, besondere Merkmale und es gibt auch ein paar Anekdoten des Verfassers. Ich hatte sehr viel Spaß mit dem Buch und kann es nur jedem empfehlen!!
November 27, 2018
Fun, but disappointing.
Here's the thing: There have been a ton of new aliens introduced since our last take on any kind of guide to alien species. And this book covers some of them. But what there is here is bare-bones to say the least. Many are "unknown" species, many more have "unknown" homeworlds… For this kind of tome, this is really really underwhelming in terms of the information presented. I hope that we eventually get back to the in-depth guides we were getting before the Disney purchase, but this isn't much of a stop-gap. Honestly, wookieepedia is probably more worth your time (and I say that as someone who absolutely loves physical book guides and would choose them over the internet 99 times out of 100). There's just so little new information here that it doesn't seem worth the coin.
Also, as a lover of in-universe writing, this one fails in a big way on that front. The "narrator" who pops in to leave small comments seems inane and devoid of any real character. He comes across as a dullard who also somehow has had access to everywhere in the galaxy... These comments are often written at the level of a four year old. I am so confused by who thought that this "character" was a good idea. It just comes off as unbelievable and boring.
The artwork is colorful and well done, I will say that. It was nice to see some new images of races we've seen in the sequel trilogy and anthology films. I just wish that there was more.
Here's the thing: There have been a ton of new aliens introduced since our last take on any kind of guide to alien species. And this book covers some of them. But what there is here is bare-bones to say the least. Many are "unknown" species, many more have "unknown" homeworlds… For this kind of tome, this is really really underwhelming in terms of the information presented. I hope that we eventually get back to the in-depth guides we were getting before the Disney purchase, but this isn't much of a stop-gap. Honestly, wookieepedia is probably more worth your time (and I say that as someone who absolutely loves physical book guides and would choose them over the internet 99 times out of 100). There's just so little new information here that it doesn't seem worth the coin.
Also, as a lover of in-universe writing, this one fails in a big way on that front. The "narrator" who pops in to leave small comments seems inane and devoid of any real character. He comes across as a dullard who also somehow has had access to everywhere in the galaxy... These comments are often written at the level of a four year old. I am so confused by who thought that this "character" was a good idea. It just comes off as unbelievable and boring.
The artwork is colorful and well done, I will say that. It was nice to see some new images of races we've seen in the sequel trilogy and anthology films. I just wish that there was more.
November 21, 2019
Star Wars: Alien Archive, illustrated by Tim McDonagh, 151 pages. Disney, 2019. $25. 9781368027359
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
I wish this book had a table of contents to go with the great index. The creatures are separated by the planet in which we encounter them – and each alien has at least a paragraph of information with their picture. I recognize many of the aliens (human-ish and creature-like), but I feel the urge to re-watch all the movies so that I can see the creatures that I didn’t notice during my watchings.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
I wish this book had a table of contents to go with the great index. The creatures are separated by the planet in which we encounter them – and each alien has at least a paragraph of information with their picture. I recognize many of the aliens (human-ish and creature-like), but I feel the urge to re-watch all the movies so that I can see the creatures that I didn’t notice during my watchings.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
October 13, 2019
I'm a sucker for SW related visual guides and the like so this was a no brainer for me (especially at the bargain price of £3.99 at a local HMV).
It's a nice in universe written guide to pretty much most of the alien species we get to see on screen (including Clone Wars and Rebels and up to Solo from a film perspective) detailing everything from Rodians and Twileks to Porgs and Zabraks, all with a nice hand drawn style colour picture of the said being.
A nice addition to the bookcase for any diehard SW fan.
It's a nice in universe written guide to pretty much most of the alien species we get to see on screen (including Clone Wars and Rebels and up to Solo from a film perspective) detailing everything from Rodians and Twileks to Porgs and Zabraks, all with a nice hand drawn style colour picture of the said being.
A nice addition to the bookcase for any diehard SW fan.
July 21, 2019
Very detailed and interesting book, though the layout is strange and confusing. As others have pointed out, though it’s a good size, there are a lot of creatures/aliens still missing.
August 9, 2019
If you want to learn more about the aliens of the Star Wars Galaxy from the viewpoint of someone in-universe, this is a must!
January 1, 2022
Anyone else remember the "Star Wars Essential Guides" series? Those were a lot of fun and gave hardcore Star Wars nerds as well as casual viewers new insight into the various characters, creatures, and technology of the films. "Star Wars: Alien Archive" feels like an attempt to hearken back to those guides... but while the archive does include an extensive look at the alien races and creatures of the Star Wars universe, it feels like more of a case of "quantity over quality," and feels rather superficial next to the old guides.
I do commend this book for the excellent artwork, and for covering a wide variety of alien creatures -- from the classic trilogy to the prequels to the new films. Creatures from newer releases such as "The Mandalorian" are absent, but then, perhaps a sequel or an updated edition will cover those.
The decision to cover every alien in the series works against the book, however. I think it would have been better suited had it focused either exclusively on the sentient aliens, or on the creatures and wildlife. As it is, the decision to pack in every single non-human race from the films means that there's not enough page space to give any but the most prominent aliens an in-depth look, and some are lucky to get more than a sentence or two. Also, many of the entries focus less on the creatures themselves and serve more as mini-biographies for prominent members of their species.
The book also wants to be treated like an in-universe historical document... but this adds little to the work, and the journal entries and blurbs added to the text feel superficial and don't really add anything to the text. And the organization method makes no sense -- there's no rhyme or reason to how the various races are sorted throughout the book, and even the attempts at dividing them between "dry planets" and "wet planets" are haphazard at best. The book would have been better served listing the creatures in alphabetical order.
This isn't necessarily a bad book, and it will appeal to a lot of Star Wars fans. It just feels like a lackluster attempt to ape the old "Essential Guides," and feels like a superficial treatment of the many rich and varied races of Star Wars.
I do commend this book for the excellent artwork, and for covering a wide variety of alien creatures -- from the classic trilogy to the prequels to the new films. Creatures from newer releases such as "The Mandalorian" are absent, but then, perhaps a sequel or an updated edition will cover those.
The decision to cover every alien in the series works against the book, however. I think it would have been better suited had it focused either exclusively on the sentient aliens, or on the creatures and wildlife. As it is, the decision to pack in every single non-human race from the films means that there's not enough page space to give any but the most prominent aliens an in-depth look, and some are lucky to get more than a sentence or two. Also, many of the entries focus less on the creatures themselves and serve more as mini-biographies for prominent members of their species.
The book also wants to be treated like an in-universe historical document... but this adds little to the work, and the journal entries and blurbs added to the text feel superficial and don't really add anything to the text. And the organization method makes no sense -- there's no rhyme or reason to how the various races are sorted throughout the book, and even the attempts at dividing them between "dry planets" and "wet planets" are haphazard at best. The book would have been better served listing the creatures in alphabetical order.
This isn't necessarily a bad book, and it will appeal to a lot of Star Wars fans. It just feels like a lackluster attempt to ape the old "Essential Guides," and feels like a superficial treatment of the many rich and varied races of Star Wars.
November 14, 2020
The art and the paper quality are, of course, stunning. I know I shouldn't expect too much from a kids' book, but here are a few pieces of food for thought:
1) Why call everyone who is not human an "alien"? Some of the "aliens" are "humanoid", but overall, the SW galaxy is divided into "humans" and "aliens", despite the Republic having been a supposedly equal union of all. That has always irritated me, since on the one hand, SW presents itself as this "diverse galaxy", but on the other hand, it doesn't even attempt to escape the default POV, which here is the human POV, but can of course be construed as a broader metaphor on the modern cultural-centric narrative.
2) Where is the limit between a "being" (supposedly someone who deserves a seat in the Galactic Senate?) and a "pet/beast/creature/animal grown for food" or similar? JKRowling explored this question in a humorous way in Fantastic Beasts. I lack such a dilemma in the SW universe, although it should definitely be there. Ok, I'm sure it's somewhere out there in the EU :)
3) I get it why the whole thing is framed as a "we found this in the archives" story, but it's annoying, because the "mysterious traveller" who is being quoted throughout the book jumps around in time - some of the quotes can only be post-Empire, some pre-Empire... it's a mess.
4) Besides, one of the aspects that drives SW stories forward is that many planets and species seen in the films are supposed to be little known, forgotten corners of the galaxy. So it annoys me e.g. when Tattooine, originally an obscure little known planet, is suddenly portrayed as the centre of it all. Same for Hoth or Kamino - they are almost positioned as tourist destinations.
1) Why call everyone who is not human an "alien"? Some of the "aliens" are "humanoid", but overall, the SW galaxy is divided into "humans" and "aliens", despite the Republic having been a supposedly equal union of all. That has always irritated me, since on the one hand, SW presents itself as this "diverse galaxy", but on the other hand, it doesn't even attempt to escape the default POV, which here is the human POV, but can of course be construed as a broader metaphor on the modern cultural-centric narrative.
2) Where is the limit between a "being" (supposedly someone who deserves a seat in the Galactic Senate?) and a "pet/beast/creature/animal grown for food" or similar? JKRowling explored this question in a humorous way in Fantastic Beasts. I lack such a dilemma in the SW universe, although it should definitely be there. Ok, I'm sure it's somewhere out there in the EU :)
3) I get it why the whole thing is framed as a "we found this in the archives" story, but it's annoying, because the "mysterious traveller" who is being quoted throughout the book jumps around in time - some of the quotes can only be post-Empire, some pre-Empire... it's a mess.
4) Besides, one of the aspects that drives SW stories forward is that many planets and species seen in the films are supposed to be little known, forgotten corners of the galaxy. So it annoys me e.g. when Tattooine, originally an obscure little known planet, is suddenly portrayed as the centre of it all. Same for Hoth or Kamino - they are almost positioned as tourist destinations.
October 26, 2019
There's some enjoyable Star Wars weirdness in Alien Archive and plenty of perfectly serviceable artwork, but you can feel the Disney-brand limiters strangling the life out of this book. Only a handful of the dozens of species in Alien Archive are new - most feature a line or two describing a "notable example" of the species, typically a character from the movies or TV series. It's obvious that an editor put a hard line on creativity, instead focusing on brand tie-ins. For a book that's designed to be an in-universe document, it feels awfully produced.
And the organization is dreadful - dry habitats vs wet habitats? Planetary headings are called out at random, with many species in the planet's category hailing from a different world. This all could have been much better - Alien Archive doesn't hold a candle to the old Essential Guides.
And the organization is dreadful - dry habitats vs wet habitats? Planetary headings are called out at random, with many species in the planet's category hailing from a different world. This all could have been much better - Alien Archive doesn't hold a candle to the old Essential Guides.
May 4, 2023
Read this during slow times at work for May the 4th! It was a pretty interesting guide! Loved seeing several species I haven't heard of before as well as my favorites from the series :))
I took a good bit of notes about several of them throughout it, despite me skim reading through some of the book.
I may update this to include some of those about each species that caught my eye later on! Warning there will be quite a bit listed xD So many intriguing creatures! May even include some pics of them if I feel like it haha But I definitely recommend for both casual and hardcore Star Wars lovers looking to learn a little more about the different species in the SW universe!
I took a good bit of notes about several of them throughout it, despite me skim reading through some of the book.
I may update this to include some of those about each species that caught my eye later on! Warning there will be quite a bit listed xD So many intriguing creatures! May even include some pics of them if I feel like it haha But I definitely recommend for both casual and hardcore Star Wars lovers looking to learn a little more about the different species in the SW universe!
March 7, 2021
A delightful kids book with lovely illustrations which I am dying to read to my grandkids.
October 22, 2020
A species based encyclopaedia.
Do you want to learn about lots of different species, their environments and just the most minor canonized features and intricacies? Well, this is the kind of book for you. I'm sure there's been plenty of books done like this already, and there will be plenty more of them in the future. The book is big, it's expansive and it's full of great illustrations, showing us how rich and vast the Star Wars universe is. Funnily enough, when you read through something so information heavy as this, it feels like you're almost studying the Star Wars universe, so naturally its not going to be for everyone. For me? I found some parts more interesting than others, but because I was taking in so much information that I'd never heard anything about before, sometimes it was quite hard to retain what I was reading. But because of how expanded Star Wars is on the page and the screen these days, this could be used as a great reference point to find out more and more information on this brilliant universe.
Do you want to learn about lots of different species, their environments and just the most minor canonized features and intricacies? Well, this is the kind of book for you. I'm sure there's been plenty of books done like this already, and there will be plenty more of them in the future. The book is big, it's expansive and it's full of great illustrations, showing us how rich and vast the Star Wars universe is. Funnily enough, when you read through something so information heavy as this, it feels like you're almost studying the Star Wars universe, so naturally its not going to be for everyone. For me? I found some parts more interesting than others, but because I was taking in so much information that I'd never heard anything about before, sometimes it was quite hard to retain what I was reading. But because of how expanded Star Wars is on the page and the screen these days, this could be used as a great reference point to find out more and more information on this brilliant universe.
June 30, 2023
A really great guide to the various alien species of Star Wars! Whoever the artist was, I really liked the illustrations. (Yes, they're all hand-drawn, not images from the media, but still really good!) And I liked how they would mention any prominent characters of that species. And not just big names from the movies, but even minor characters, and from the tv shows as well! They even had a whole bunch that I'd neve really seen/noticed before! One of the few encyclopedias/dictionaries that I might actually pick up a copy for myself.
December 28, 2020
A nice compilation of creatures found throughout the Star Wars galaxy!
I enjoyed seeing figures from not only the main Skywalker Saga films, but from the animated shows The Clone Wars and Rebels.
Learned some interesting facts about some creatures great and small.
It would be good to know what species and planet Yoda and Grogu come from...
I enjoyed seeing figures from not only the main Skywalker Saga films, but from the animated shows The Clone Wars and Rebels.
Learned some interesting facts about some creatures great and small.
It would be good to know what species and planet Yoda and Grogu come from...
June 12, 2022
Good gift for Star Wars fans. It is not much on the details/aspects of the species though. Definitely more of a little kids book.
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