Many different authors have written Star Wars books over the years, in both the current canon and the older Legends continuity. The very first Star Wars novel was actually published before the 1977 film came out.
First Star Wars novel
The first Star Wars book was the novelization of the original 1977 film, published as "Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker" in 1976. It was credited to George Lucas but actually ghostwritten by science‑fiction author Alan Dean Foster, based on Lucas’s screenplay.
Notable Star Wars authors
Across canon and Legends, some of the best‑known Star Wars novel authors include Timothy Zahn, James Luceno, Claudia Gray, Michael Stackpole, Drew Karpyshyn, Delilah S. Dawson, Alan Dean Foster, Matthew Stover, and others. These writers have created famous stories such as the Thrawn trilogy (Zahn), Darth Bane trilogy (Karpyshyn), character‑focused novels like "Lost Stars" and "Leia: Princess of Alderaan" (Gray), and many more.
Canon vs Legends writers
In the current Disney-era canon, prominent authors include Claudia Gray, Delilah S. Dawson, Alexander Freed, Cavan Scott, and others writing for projects like the High Republic and movie‑era tie‑ins. In the earlier Expanded Universe (now Legends), key names include Timothy Zahn, Michael Stackpole, James Luceno, Drew Karpyshyn, and Alan Dean Foster, who shaped much of the post‑film storyline.
George Lucas’s role
George Lucas created Star Wars and wrote or co‑wrote the screenplays, but he did not actually write any Star Wars novels himself. When his name appears as the author of the first movie novelization, it reflects credit for the underlying story and screenplay rather than him writing the prose book.
Finding specific authors
If a particular Star Wars book is in mind, the author is listed on its copyright page, on the publisher’s site, and in online databases or lists of Star Wars books. Checking by title (for example, "Heir to the Empire" or "Lost Stars") will quickly show which writer created that specific story.