The trilogy also reflected the Real Life movement into the Information Age, with Thrawn (and Karrde opposite him) being able to connect esoteric and obscure bits of data together into a much larger picture. Thrawn himself (the aforementioned alien Big Bad) was certainly a Magnificent Bastard of the highest caliber, one whom the reader did not hesitate in respecting.
In movie terms it is somewhat closer to Admiral Piett and Captain Needa than Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin. Ironically given the Big Bad is an alien, this trilogy introduced a slightly more human Galactic Empire - still certainly villainous but no longer a 0% Approval Rating organization. Many fans consider them to be the honorary Episodes VII, VIII and IX.
This trilogy is one of the cornerstones of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, being the first major work set after Return of the Jedi (five years after to be exact), the first popular member of the franchise since Return of the Jedi, and introducing some of the most beloved figures in Star Wars EU canon, like Grand Admiral Thrawn, Mara Jade, Gilad Pellaeon and Talon Karrde. A trilogy of novels written by Timothy Zahn that form part of the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
