Expanded Universe

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For the Robert A. Heinlein short story collection, see Expanded Universe (Heinlein).

Expanded Universe is the fictional universe/world inhabited by various fictional characters, which includes details of the fictional universe that do not appear in the original material (itself often referred to as canon). For example, the Star Wars universe is shown in the six movies. The expanded universe includes these movies, as well as details from various novels, comic books, role-playing games etc. outside of the original movies. Nearly every series with a committed fan base has such additions, usually in the forms of comics or novels based within the same setting as popular movies or television shows.

This is not the same as an adaptation, which is a retelling of the same story, usually on a different medium. Most often, Expanded Universes are not canon but instead 'apocrypha'.

Star Wars is unusual since George Lucas/Lucasfilm outlined four levels of canon, which includes the Star Wars Expanded Universe, effectively canonizing the continuity established by Star Wars novels and resulting in strong efforts to maintain continuity between the books and the films (see Star Wars canon for details). Many elements created in the Star Wars Expanded Universe have made it into the films, such as the planet Coruscant and the character Aayla Secura.

Expanded Universe

See also