The New Essential Guide to Alien Species

The New Essential Guide to Alien Species is a 224-page reference book published by Del Rey, the thirteenth book in the Essential Guide series. It was written by Ann Margaret Lewis, who authored the original Essential Guide to Alien Species, and Helen Keier, a new-comer to Star Wars authorship. The book was released on October 31, 2006 in America. It is noteworthy in that, though no species name or homeworld was given, the guide is the first to include information on Yoda's species.

As with its predecessor, The New Essential Chronology and the Galactic Phrase Book and Travel Guide, this book "exists" also as an in-universe publication, written by Mammon Hoole.

Publisher's summary
Discover who's who and what's what in the Star Wars universe with this beautifully illustrated guide - now in full color for the first time.

''When it comes to extraterrestrial life-forms, there's more to science fiction's most famous galaxy than just Jawas, Wookiees, Ewoks and Hutts. From the skylanes of Coruscant to the worlds of the Outer Rim, an untold number of species populate those planets far, far away. And if you confuse Gungans with Gamorreans, or don't know a bantha from a tauntaun, you'll definitely need the in-depth data that only this revised, expanded and updated guide can deliver.

''This comprehensive overview includes beings from all six of the classic movies - plus the novels, cartoon series, comics and video games. It's an even bigger cross section of species that you'll find in the Mos Eisley cantina. And each entry, from acklay to Zabrak, from amphibians to vacuumbreathers, features everything you need to know, including'':


 * complete physical description and official designation, so you can tell your sentients from your nonsentinents, and your humanoids from your insectoids
 * homeworld: from dry and dusty Tatooine, stormy and waterlogged Kamino, to arctic Hoth, and countless other strange and varied worlds
 * phonetic pronunciation; Askajian, H'nemthe, Iktotchi, Ssi-ruu, Xexto and Quermian aren't as easy to say as they are to, er, spell
 * notable appearance: a listing of one of the more significant appearances of each species in the teeming Star Wars storyline

''Plus, this brand-new edition includes a glossary of crucial descriptive terms and a completely original, full-color illustration for each of more than one hundred individual species. It's a big galaxy, and someone has to organize it. Count on Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Alien Species - and don't leave your homeworld without it.''