I'm a life-long Star Wars fan.

I was first introduced to that faraway Galaxy back in 1996 (or so my parents tell me) and I've been a "faithful follower" of anything and everything Star Wars -related ever since.

I grew up reading the novels, and comic books, playing games, and, of course, collecting the all-important action figures.

Whether people like it or not, Star Wars would not exist and be what it is today without its original creator, George Lucas.

I'm of the generation, that grew up with the special editions, and the prequels, although, I saw the unaltered films first.

I liked the prequel trilogy. I liked Phantom Menace, and Revenge of the Sith.

In fact, the only film in the entire series that I have any serious problems with, is Attack of the Clones.

With that being said, I will now come to the actual point of this post: The recently announced new Star Wars trilogy. Episodes VII-IX.

What terrifies me as a hyperfan is the fact, that the writing staff made the decision to pursue an "original story" that does not draw from ANY post -Return of the Jedi media.

For well over thirty years, the Star Wars lore as accumulated thousands of new characters, worlds, ships, organization, and what have you into the canon.

The established continuity, composed from the novels, comic books, video games, short stories, and TV-series is one big, interlocking and delicate series of chronological events, that is extremely important to any ACTUAL Star Wars fan.

There actually isn't too much official media released that would not be considered canon.

From Ulic Qel-Droma to Allana Solo, from Centurion-class battlecruiser to Incom StealthX fighter, and beyond.

Throughout the years, ALL of these events, personalities, vehicles, and organizations have become too intertwined with the continuity of the films to simply gloss over, or even ignore completely in the new series of films, and yet still, that's EXACTLY what I'm afraid they will do.

It unnerves me to no-end, that they brought in a big-name Hollywood writer to script episode seven, instead of relying on someone, who is deeply immersed in the universe.

J.J. Abrams, however, I have utmost faith for.

When he was first announced as the director, I was pissed.

I never liked "Lost", "Alias", "Fringe", or any of his TV-shows for that matter.

However, earlier this year, I gave a chance for his films, and decided to do something that is considered "unholy" for a Star Wars fan: I watched the 2009 Star Trek film.

I loved it.

Then, after looking into the man himself, I found out that he is actually a big Star Wars fan, and has been ever since 1977.

I also recently saw the new sequel to the 2009 Trek reboot.

It seems to me that Abrams understands storytelling in a very visual and compelling way, which is an important trait, expected from a director of a Star Wars film. (From any film for that matter. Film is a visual medium after all, no?)

I can only hope that they keep the focus where it's supposed to be in the time-frame where these films will be set: New Republic-era and Legacy-era, with a new generation of heroes, in the form of the Solo kids, Ben Skywalker, and the New Jedi Order.