What was the title of the first Star Wars novel published after the original film?

Splinter of the Mind’s Eye was the first Star Wars novel published after the original film.

Written by Alan Dean Foster, the novel was published in 1978. It follows Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia on the planet Mimban, where they search for the Kaiburr crystal while facing Darth Vader and other dangers.

The book was commissioned as a possible low-budget sequel story if the first film did not receive a large theatrical continuation. Its smaller cast and limited locations reflected that practical purpose. The success of Star Wars eventually led to much larger cinematic sequels instead.

Splinter of the Mind’s Eye was later classified as part of the expanded universe, now known as Legends, after Lucasfilm reorganized Star Wars continuity in 2014. It remains important as an early example of licensed Star Wars publishing and is not the same work as Timothy Zahn’s later Thrawn trilogy.