Ryder Windham

Ryder Taylor Windham (born June 19, 1964) is an American author known for his extensive work in science fiction, particularly within the Star Wars universe. He has authored over 60 books related to Star Wars, encompassing novels, comics, and reference books, as well as junior novelizations of the Indiana Jones films. Since 1993, Windham has contributed to Star Wars literature, collaborating with other authors and working independently. His reference book, Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide, was listed on the New York Times Best Seller list for three weeks in 2005.

Career

Star Wars

Windham began his involvement with Star Wars projects in 1993 while employed at Dark Horse Comics. His role extended beyond writing, as he also oversaw the editing of comics in series such as Heir to the Empire, Jabba the Hutt, and Dark Empire II. His collaboration with Allan Kausch and Sue Rostoni at Lucas Licensing helped ensure continuity across Star Wars comics and novels. In his efforts to maintain narrative consistency, Windham worked alongside Leland Chee, the continuity database administrator for Lucasfilm, ensuring that his contributions to the Star Wars series remained coherent with the established universe.

Recent years

Since 2004, Windham has served as an instructor and certificate advisor for comic and sequential art classes at the Rhode Island School of Design Continuing Education. He resides in Providence, Rhode Island, with his family. Ryder Windham also works closely with the publisher becker&mayer! and Lucasfilm's publishing licensees, including Dark Horse Comics, Del Rey, DK Publishing, Grosset & Dunlap, HarperCollins, Random House, and Scholastic Inc. His work with the latter of these has included production of the Bionicle reboot novels and graphic novels.

Novels

Comics

  • "Star Wars Droids: Artoo's Day Out" in Star Wars Galaxy issue 1 (1994)
  • Star Wars: The Mixed-Up Droid (1995)
  • Star Wars Droids: The Kalarba Adventures (1995)
  • X-wing Rogue Squadron: Apple Jacks Special Bonus Story (1995)
  • Star Wars Droids (1995)
  • Shadows of the Empire Galoob Micro-Machines Mini-Comic (1996)
  • "This Crumb for Hire" in A Decade of Dark Horse issue 2 (1996)
  • "The Rebel Thief" in Star Wars Kids issues 1-5 (1997)
  • Shadow Stalker (1997)
  • Star Wars Droids: The Protocol Offensive (1997)
  • Battle of the Bounty Hunters (1998)
  • Episode I: Qui-Gon Jinn (1999)
  • Episode I: The Phantom Menace ½ (1999)
  • Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan: Last Stand on Ord Mantell (2000)
  • "The Death of Captain Tarpals" in Star Wars Tales issue 3 (2000)
  • "Thank the Maker!" in Star Wars Tales issue 6 (2000)
  • Podracing Tales (2000)
  • Jedi Quest (2001)
  • The Clone Wars: Strange Allies (2011)
  • LEGO Bionicle: Gathering of the Toa (2015)
  • LEGO Bionicle: Battle of the Mask Makers (2016)

Reference books

  • Star Wars Who's Who (1998)
  • Star Wars Episode I Who's Who: A Pocket Guide to Characters of the Phantom Menace (1999)
  • Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Movie Scrapbook (1999)
  • Aurra Sing: Dawn of the Bounty Hunters (2000), co-written with Josh Ling
  • Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Movie Scrapbook (2002)
  • Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Movie Scrapbook (2005)
  • Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide (2005)
  • Star Wars: The Comics Companion (2006)
  • Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force (2007)
  • Star Wars: The Complete Vader (2009), co-written with Peter Vilmur
  • Star Wars Blueprints: The Ultimate Collection (2008)
  • Star Wars Blueprints: Rebel Edition (2010)
  • Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle (2010)
  • Millennium Falcon: A 3-D Owner's Guide (2010)
  • Imperial Death Star: Owner's Workshop Manual (2013)
  • Ultimate Star Wars (2015), co-written with Tricia Barr, Adam Bray, and Daniel Wallace
  • Star Wars: Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor (2017)

Short stories

  • Deep Spoilers (2000)

Awards and honors

In 2005, Winham's book Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide spent three weeks in the top 10 of the New York Times Best Seller list. This comprehensive reference book is known for its detailed exploration of the Star Wars universe, catering to both new fans and long-time enthusiasts alike.