"Vision of the Future,"

By Timothy Zahn. Bantam.

352 pages. $24.95.

In 1991, Timothy Zahn launched the first new book in a saga that had been dormant since the mid-1980s.

His "Heir to the Empire" reintroduced science-fiction fans to the wonders of the "Star Wars" galaxy with a thrilling tale about Luke Skywalker, his sister Leia Organa and her husband Han Solo. Zahn's book, the first in a trilogy, jumped onto best seller lists, as fans' wishes for the re-emergence of "Star Wars" tales came true.

"Vision of the Future" (Bantam, 352 pages, $24.95) picks up where "Specter" (now a Bantam paperback) left off. Luke and his Jedi companion Mara Jade are stranded on a desolate planet where enemies of the New Republic have set up an outpost and are preparing for a galactic attack.

JTC Zahn does a stellar job of holding everything together, though he is burdened by having to conform to ideas and plot lines that have been created by authors since his first "Star Wars" series.

Don't expect anything deep and moving as the characters develop, especially the familiar ones. Still, Zahn spins a rollicking good tale.

Pub Date: 10/11/98