So I went into the used bookstore yesterday hoping to pick up at least the first few in the series when I realized, I don't even know what the first few are. So I thought this would be the best place to come for help. Basically, where do I start, what's the first book I should get and how many are there in total?
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
As I tell everyone I recommend SW books to, start at the beginning: A New Hope, Empire, and Jedi. There is a book right after Empire but before Jedi called Shadows of the Empire. I thought that book explained a lot of the character's behavior in Jedi.
Immediately following Jedi is The Truce at Bakura. Next I believe is The Courtship of Princess Leia. I'd also recommend reading anything by Timothy Zahn.
Hope this helps!
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
Yeah -- get to the Thrawn trilogy by Zahn (I read those first, and they got me hooked). I'm also fond of the X-Wing series, though moreso the books by Allston (5,6,7,9). Some books it matters what order you read them in (because they reference things in previous books), and some it doesn't. I'd read the after-the-movies books first, regulars before New Jedi Order, then the before-the-movies if you really want to. I haven't read but a few of those, and wasn't too impressed. Except Rogue Planet relates somewhat to the NJO.
Of course, everyone is welcome to their own opinions.
--Pop
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Read the X-Wing books!!!!!!! Don't read the NJO if you don't want to get depressed by the evil suckiness. Avoid the two by Barbara Hambly. Also, the Jedi Academy Trilogy is optional; it's nice background for I, Jedi, but really painful in places.
Of course, I may be biased, being completely in love with Corran Horn.
Oh, and Hand of Thrawn duology = good stuff if you're a romantic. Snap up anything you find by Zahn, wonderfully written. For SW books.
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
There really were some terrible books mixed in with the good ones.
I'd recommend this order, since they manage to collectively play off of each other and tell an interesting story overall.
The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn X wing series by Michael A Stackpole Jedi Academy series by Kevin J. Anderson I, Jedi by Michael A Stackpole Specter of the Past Vision of the future by Timothy Zahn
After that, there are some other good star wars books worth reading that don't significantly effect anything outside of their own series. I would strongly recommend the Han Solo trilogy. but make sure you read the one that is three separate books (there was a completely different single book han solo adventures trilogy).
in no particular order: Shadows of the Empire Dark Empire comics Wraith Squadren series Truce at Bakura Courtship of Princess Leia Han Solo Trilogy by A.C. Crispen
I stopped reading star wars books after the start of NJO. I was very unimpressed with what I saw, especially after the amazing setup that Timothy Zahn provided in Visions of the Future. Had they followed the storyline implied there, the books could have had some promise.
Posted by tern (Member # 7429) on :
Um. I'd really recommend reading none of the Star Wars books as they've basically gone down the same line as the Dragonlance/Forgotten Realms books - hack writers churning out dreck under a known brand so that it sells. If they had any imagination they'd be writing books set in their own imaginary universe. Sure, they've got a few good writers. Zahn, Stackpole, and Salvatore come to mind. But even most of these seem to not have the same spirit as the movies.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
quote:hack writers churning out dreck under a known brand so that it sells.
Yet:
quote:even most of these seem to not have the same spirit as the movies.
??
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Read the Zahn books. The rest are pretty much trash.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
The Zahn books are great, though I haven't read his new ones.
I would definitely recommend his Heir to the Empire trilogy above all the others.
Also of note, I would throw in Tales of Mos Eisley Cantina, which was very well put together apart from one story about Dr. Evazan (which blew chunks).
For a guilty pleasure, I'd throw in the Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton, though the ending wasn't the greatest.
Most of the rest are pretty poor... though I've heard good things about the X-Wing books by Stackpole, even if I haven't read them.
And the Han and Lando books are fun if you're into backstory... and Splinter of the Mind's Eye if you want to be squicked out by Luke/Leia action (Book was written between ANH and ESB).
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
I agree with Tom that most of the rest aren't much to talk about, except for the Zahn books. The first is a trilogy, the second is a pair.
I still loved them, though, because I'm a SW ubernerd:)
Posted by lonelywalker (Member # 7815) on :
Shadows of the Empire is ace. The X-Wing series is also ace, except I got very annoyed as a result of a late on plot point. Oh well.
The rest of them I didn't like so much, although I READ a huge amount. Wish I'd saved my money...
Oooh, oooh, oooh, BUT I did love the "Tales From The Mos Eisley Cantina" and "Tales From Jabba's Palace".
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I've read pretty much every Star Wars books, even all the NJO books (Which did have, well, maybe one or two shining moments amidst a sea of utter crap).
First and best, The Thrawn Trilogy by Tim Zahn. It'll get you hooked and out of all the books, these have the best feel to them, the best connection to the original movies. And the characters introduced here are all rich and real.
After that I'd suggest moving ahead with the X-Wing books, read the Rogue Squadron books by Mike Stackpole.
After that it's pretty much up to you. Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry is a fun read, it takes place between ESB and ROTJ and explains what happens inbetween, and introduces Xizor.
The books full of short stories are fun, but I don't like them as much. Same with the Bounty Hunter Trilogy, it explains a lot about Boba Fett's background, but I never read it more than once.
The Han Solo Trilogy by AC Crispen are fantastic, I really liked those. Tells you all about Han before he met up with Obiwan and Luke. Crispen captures Han really well I think, and I like the explanations on his past.
Truce at Bakura is a fun read, but you can skip it and not miss a lot (unless you read the Corellian Trilogy, then you really should have already read TaB). Courtship of Princess Leia likewise is a fun read, but you don't need it to know what happens in the series.
The Wraith Squadron books by Allston are a very fun read, and I'd probably read them next. Or the Jedi Academy books, but only so you have a background to read I, Jedi, which is possibly my favorite all time Star Wars book about my favorite all time character, Corran Horn.
The Black Fleet Crisis is also a fun read, all three of those books. Though it isn't my favorite.
Don't read the Crystal Star, Children of the Jedi, or Planet of Twilight. You will forever wish you could have the time spent reading back in your life, but you can never, ever, have it back. It's GONE. Save yourself the sorrow.
The Hand of Thrawn Duology is also fantastic, and I would suggest that as well.
The YJO books are neat and fun, very fast reads too, but that's a bit out there, and some people don't like them. I never read the Junior Jedi Knights books, but they looked a little silly to me.
That takes you up to the New Jedi Order books. Read Vector Prime, if you don't like where it is going, stop right there, it only gets worse until about 10 books into the series. The Mike Stackpole books are cool in there, but really, the whole thing is depressing, and you may not like it.
I skipped all the prequel books except Rogue Planet. I never really felt an attachment to any of those characters.
The Adventures of Han Solo and the Adventures of Lando Calrissian are really cool. They reference the events of these stories all the time, and now you can finall know what they are! I'd recommend reading them last, it builds the anticipation.
That's all of them I think, am I forgetting any?
Question to everyone else, has anyone read the two newer books by Zahn about the Outbound Flight project? I didn't get the one about Niruan, or the one that is set in the past, but it's Zahn, so I'm assuming they are good.
Posted by IanO (Member # 186) on :
Survivor's Quest (Zahn) is really good. Zahn is the keeper of the SW spirit (thought EpIII is really looking good)
But I *STRONGLY* discourage anyone from touching anything with the name Kevin J Anderson on it (specifically, the JEdi Academy trilogy), even if you need it for I, Jedi. Just muddle your way through I, Jedi. You have to understand, these books are not just bad and poorly written. They violate the characters and the universe in every possible way.
Especially when one considers that up until their publication, the only SW books out were the OT and Zahn's Hand of Thrawn trilogy (and perhaps Truce at Bakura- I can't remember.) But the SW timeline, at least, only went as far as "The Last Command". And Zahn had set it up so well. There was some closure and yet there were so many places to go, so many characters and organizations to use. It was a perfect hand-off. It was brilliant.
And then KJA comes out with the first of the Jedi Academy trilogy. And I am excited and happy to see the story continue, especially considering that up to then, we had no concept of how Jedi were trained, or anything like that.
And KJA pissed all over Lucas and Zahn. Just violated everything about SW. Beginnig with this: He decided to include the Dark Horse comics in the backstory- Luke served a resurrected Emperor and Leia brought him back prior to the novels.
So he's telling us that after withstanding the Emperor and another Dark Jedi's attempts to seduce him to the Dark Side, after beating back the Empire again, after all that- Luke joins the Emperor and becomes the new Vader? And then returns to the Light and is in a place, emotionally and in the force, to begin training others to use this dangerous power when he himself just recently came out of the Dark? And in two years? It's not just the time. It's the whole contradiction of 10 years of Luke's character. And he does the same to Han and Lando, Mara- everyone. Just makes them caricatures and stupid.
I hate his books with every fiber of my being. A Pox on him, I say.
Posted by jebus202 (Member # 2524) on :
Leto II would disagree with you.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Lyr, you forgot the Galaxy of Fear series. (Which are fun, BTW.)
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
Dang. I hate it when I see a thread which I am so very qualified to respond to, but others beat me to it. Oh well, I'll try to offer some input anyway.
Assuming you want to read what occurs after Return of the Jedi, let me sum things up.
"The Truce at Bakura" (begins the day after RotJ)
"The X-wing series" (2 years after RotJ, I think. The series doesn't focus on the movie characters, and I haven't read it)
"The Courtship of Princess Leia" (4 years after)
"Tatooine Ghost" (4 and a bit years after. I haven't read this either. It was inserted into the timeline in light of the The Phantom Menace)
"The Thrawn Trilogy: Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command" (5 years after)*
"The Jedi Academy Trilogy: Jedi Search, Dark Apprentice, Champions of the Force" (7 years after)*
"Children of the Jedi" (8 years after)
"Darksaber" (8 years after)
"Planet of Twilight" (9 years after)
"The Crystal Star" (10 years after)
"The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy: Before the Storm, Shield of Lies, Tyrant's Test" (12 years after)
"The New Rebellion" (13 years after)
"The Corellian trilogy: Ambush at Corellia, Assault on Selonia, Showdown at Centerpoint" (14 years after)
"The Hand of Thrawn Duology: Spectre from the Past, Vision of the Future" (15 years after)*
"Survivor's Quest" (16 years after?? I'm not sure, I haven't read it)
"The New Jedi Order" (a series of 19 novels by various authors, 21-25 years after)*
* designates the books which I think are most significant to the overall saga. So if you just want to get caught up by reading the minimum, go for these ones.
Hey, IanO You shouldn't tell people not to read KJA's work. Many people (myself included) consider the jedi academy trilogy and Darksaber to be among the best of that era in the timeline. Let people read them and decide for themselves. And why do you blame KJA for referring to the events of "Dark Empire"? He didn't write it, and it's the policy of Lucas' licensing people and the publishers that all the novels and comics exist in the same continuity. So if you hate Dark Empire (Which, incidentally, is one of the few expanded universe stories which Lucas himself has read and expressed fondness for) then you should complain about the author(s) who actually wrote it.
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
Uh, I'm with IanO. KJA's novels were horrid. Bad, bad, bad. I gave him 3 books to redeem himself, and it never happened. He even ruined characters that Zahn created! It seems like changing the personality of a character that isn't your so violently would be breaking some type of unwritten author's code.
Posted by IanO (Member # 186) on :
Canocity in the SW universe is not so simple as you portray it ('once written, it is part of the canon'). They do not, and cannot, exist in the same continuity without numerous contradiction. Google 'star wars extended universe canon' and see the firestorm. Even GL refused to be bound by the EU continuity in his own prequels (even the good stuff of Zahn, which might have made his prequels even better). Since then (the Dune Prequels) KJA has shown himself to be what he is: a hack. I have no respect for the man ability to write and freely say so.
And I was expressing my personal opinion. Look at this thread. And all the other SW EU threads that have been here on Hatrack. KJA is not spoken highly there either. And it's not like I put a gun to people's heads forbidding them to read KJA. I express my opinion. People are free to do with it what they want.
Jebus, IIRC, didn't Leto not care too much for what Brian Herbert and KJA had done to the Dune universe? I don't recall his defending "pinky and the brain" as they are called.
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
Jebus was kidding.
Or possibly, the idea is that Leto II would have wanted KJA to remain in the wasteland of Star Wars EU instead of blowing chunks all over Dune. That's possible.
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
quote:Canocity in the SW universe is not so simple as you portray it ('once written, it is part of the canon'). They do not, and cannot, exist in the same continuity without numerous contradiction. Google 'star wars extended universe canon' and see the firestorm. Even GL refused to be bound by the EU continuity in his own prequels.
Actually, the issue of canon is quite simple. The policy of Lucasfilm ltd. is that any story authorized by them which is not labeled as non-canon ("infinities", as they call it) is canon unless it is directly contradicted by Lucas. So no, Lucas isn't bound by the EU, nor should he be. But he doesn't go out of his way to contradict it, and he has used EU elements in the prequels. For instance, The name "Coruscant" actually came from the Thrawn Trilogy. Lucas chose to keep the EU name for the capital planet rather than totally destroy continuity by calling it something else. There have also been some EU "easter eggs" in the films. Fans constantly debate the validity of the EU, but this is the official stance of Lucas and his people. Although, I know that every EU fan has particular stories which they wish were removed from the continuity.
Posted by IanO (Member # 186) on :
SW Canon policy has evolved quite a bit over the years, especially in regard to fiction (beginning with 'Splinter in the Mind's Eye'- 1978). And it has not always been consistant, especially once they licensed the SW universe to more writers after Zahn's books showed how much potential existed, both creatively and monetarily. What was once considered 'quasi-canonical' is now more so, but with some notable exceptions. For a full discussion of that read this Notice especially comments on Boba Fett's survival of the Sarlaac and GL's take.
Ultimately, my personal opinion is that the OT is canonical (along with the commentaries. After all GL is 'god' in this universe he created.). After that, what I *choose* to accept of the EU stories is canonical. What I don't accept, is not. Of course, all that is personal opinion, but is based on what I see as consistant with the SW universe and it's characters. Thus KJA is out, for me. (Little contradictions in those books I accept as canonical, like Zahn's clone wars timeline versus that in the prequels, I cheerfully ignore.)
Simple for me, anyway.
Posted by IanO (Member # 186) on :
ps, I'd like to see some of these Easter eggs. I've always felt GL should acknowledge Zahn, aside from that small Coruscant mention. Like maybe a character from his universe. Or mention of Spaarti cloning cylinders, or clone instability, or whatever.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Salvatore? Good? I've never wanted a writer to die from a papercut more.
Stackpole's X-Wing series just grated on my nerves after a while - I read and liked his "Wolf and Raven" stories, but his other work just didn't click with me. (sorry KQ )
-Trevor
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
Am I the only one who thought the Hand of Thrawn duology was pure crap?
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
I think that the "Hand of Thrawn" duology is a bit overrated, but not crap.
As for easter eggs, I recall reading somewhere that an EU jedi is mentioned by name in Eps III. I don't recall the name of the jedi though. I'm not big on prequel era EU. I know that Dash Rendar's ship, the Outrider from "Shadows of the Empire" is briefly visible in "A New Hope SE". "swoop" bikes also appear in the films, but were originally created in the EU. Although I wouldn't really call it an easter egg, Darth Maul's double bladed lightsaber is just like one which was used by an EU sith lord. I know there are other obscure easter eggs to, but I can't recall them all. In general, although he contradicts it sometimes, Lucas seems to consider the EU to be canonical to some extent, otherwise he wouldn't put his foot down about certain plot developments which have been proposed over the years. Anyway, I'm not trying to start a canon debate. Those are so pointless. In the end, every fan has their own personal canon. It's silly to argue about which aspects of a fictional universe are more or less fictional.
[ May 13, 2005, 06:37 PM: Message edited by: neo-dragon ]
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Okay, now that I'm not at work, I have more time to devote to this thread. Waaaaay back when hatrack was on AOL, I was too busy with the Star Wars forum to really pay it much mind. Heh. Topics like what would Yoda's lightsaber color be, and whether the books were canon. That was back in 1996.
But, here's my complete rundown of books I've read, in chronological timeline order.
The Lando Calrissian Adventures - Fun read, but essentially popcorn. I like it because of its simplicity and disconnect from the major story arc.
The Han Solo Adventures - Probably better quality than the Lando books, but I find the first series more fun because of its supporting cast.
A New Hope (novelization) - Um, like reading a fleshed out script.
Tales from Mos Eisley Cantina - Great fun. The stories of all the *other* folks who were in the cantina on the day Luke and Obi-wan meet Han and Chewie. Well edited by KJA, I thought, so that stories referenced events in one another.
Splinter of the Mind's Eye (between SW and ESB) - Why this book was allowed to be written is beyond me - Luke and Vader have a showdown pre-Empire Strikes Back. Ha. Not to mention the love story angle. ::shudder::
Empire Strikes Back (novelization): Yoda's blue. Go fig.
Shadow of the Empire: Inserted brand new interesting characters, and then was forced to kill them off before the start of RotJ. Interesting setup for for Ep 6, though, if only to add a lot of weight to the Jabba's palace preparations.
ROTJ (novelization): Essentially the movie, sans muppets.
Tales of Jabba's Palace: Highly anticipated after reading Tales from the Cantina, but pretty much crap. Not done anywhere near as well.
Tales of the Bounty Hunters: Took what was bad about Jabba's Palace and made it worse. This is where the "Tales of" idea jumped the shark.
Truce at Bakura - Not worth it. Aliens from outside the galaxy that cause the rebels and empire to join forces? The *days* after the death star blew up? Ugh.
The Courtship of Princess Leia - Han jealous over some new player in Leia's life, a planet of rancors, force witches, subtle clues about the history of the jedi, good writing overall. What's not to like?
Thrawn Trilogy - Simply the best SW writing to date.
Dark Empire I & II (graphic novels): Great mood, kinda cool story. Sort of a "what would have happened to Luke if Vader hadn't been there" sort of story. Showed a more cunning, ruthless, intelligent side to the Emperor, which was kinda cool.
Jedi Academy - Weak. Silly. Some interesting ideas scattered about, but the writing was pretty mediocre throughout. Not the worst, but nothing to write home about.
The Crystal Star - The worst. To be written home about, if only to warn others. Chewie dyed silver and black, 3PO lacquered purple, Leia with green hair, and a writer who wrote off an inability to write Luke's character with a cheap plot device. Utter dreck.
Corellian Trilogy - Kinda fun, again. Bunch of cool ideas and decent enough writing. Filled my jonesin' for SW novels, but essentially left me flat. Might be worth noting that after reading these, I didn't read any other SW novels.
--
So, get the Thrawn trilogy, Mos Eisley Cantina, and the Lando/Han Adventures, and avoid The Crystal Star like the plague. That's my best advice. Posted by IanO (Member # 186) on :
neo-dragon: in the end, I agree with you. It's all about personal opinion. No need to argue.
Posted by IanO (Member # 186) on :
Hand of Thrawn: you're talking about Vision of the Future and the other one, right? They were good, but not as good as the first Thrawn trilogy. Of course, I chalk part of that up to the fact that Zahn had so much crap to deal with in the SW universe. He had to somehow make it mesh together in a believable framework that wasn't borderline retarded. Given what he had, I'd say he succeeded admirably.
Flying Cow: I pretty much agree with your assessment of the books, though Jedi Academy would be on the 'stay away' list.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:Stackpole's X-Wing series just grated on my nerves after a while - I read and liked his "Wolf and Raven" stories, but his other work just didn't click with me. (sorry KQ )
Are you saying... you didn't like I, Jedi?
Corran Horn and I are going to have to kill you many times with many painful deaths now.
I think Hambly's books are waaaay worse than The Crystal Star.
Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :
quote:Of course, I may be biased, being completely in love with Corran Horn.
Yay! I'm not alone!!
Just my two cents on the SW novels:
Everyone's right about Zahn and anything with Corran Horn in it -- but don't touch NJO, they totally ruined it for me, really hated it
I, Jedi is phenomenal. Hands down my favorite.
I really enjoyed Hand of Thrawn, didn't think it was particularly overrated.
The Han Solo trilogy was great.
The Corellian ...something? Trilogy was really good too, I enjoyed that, probably because it was actually the first trilogy I ever picked up.
Mostly, though, there's solid advice from everyone here. I didn't hate KJA when I first read his books -- I really enjoyed them, actually -- but they were some of the first SW books I read and, since then, I've realized I think they're weaker than some others.
P.S. -- the Courtship of Princess Leia was dismal.
Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :
Oh, I almost forgot. Hambly's book Children of the Jedi -- I still to this day do not understand it. Can someone explain it to me? I couldn't follow it *at all*.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, forgot to add my two cents on the Han Solo trilogy: read it. Leads into the movies really nicely, good character development, even incorporates the earlier Han and Lando novels to an extent.
And The Black Fleet Crisis: avoid it like the Black Plague.
Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :
OH! I forgot about Black Fleet. Yeah, KQ's right on that one, reallllly didn't like it, makes Luke totally pathetic.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
You didn't like Courtship? I sort of enjoyed that one. Then again, it was the first thing I read after the Jedi Academy trilogy, so that may have had something to do with why I liked it. Just simply through juxtaposition.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Kasie, the book is simple:
Characters are badly written and not true to life (meaning, the movies OR common sense). Artoo is used for evil by a little boy who has a cyborg implant and Force powers. Luke falls into a disaster with a dead girl who takes over his friend's body when his friend decides to die with the robot copy of her lover. There is much singing of some strange fairy-tale song about a queen and some birds (which actually wouldn't make a bad song if it weren't Star Wars). Book sucks. The end. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I actually enjoyed parts of Courtship, but too much of it is just dumb.
Is this the place to mention that the authors should really get together on love interests before writing books?
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
The sucky thing is, I own Darksaber, even though I haven't read it. Someone bought it for me.
But I was told I'd have to read Children of the Jedi first, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
I also own the X-Wing books, but haven't read them.
Posted by IanO (Member # 186) on :
Darksaber- wasn't that with another Hutt? Gudda? Pizza? Something? And a new Death Star?
Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :
Durga?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
AAAAAAAH! Darksaber! That book is evil. Stupid, dumb, really icky. Give it to the Goodwill or something. Stupid bugs. Posted by IanO (Member # 186) on :
Yeah, Durga. Man I can't believe I remember that (stupid memory engram taking up space in my mind). Didn't Madine die in that or something? It did suck, though.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Corran just never made me care enough to hope he lived or died.
My entire reaction was something along the lines of, "eh?"
Although the subsequent Dark Horse comics were interesting.
-Trevor
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
*bashes Trevor with an X-wing*
Corran is beautiful, wonderful, smart, and waaaay more important to the fate of the galaxy than you. Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: *bashes Trevor with an X-wing*
Corran is beautiful, wonderful, smart, and waaaay more important to the fate of the galaxy than you.
Never doubted it for an instant, Highness.
There's a reason why I picked the Avatar I did at Sake.
-Trevor
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
The level of KJA hatred around here is disturbing. I haven't read the Jedi Academy Trilogy or Darksaber in several years, but I remember them being quite good. As for the NJO, it had its flaws, but overall (or perhaps I should say, on average) I think it was better than the Bantam era stuff. It had a gritty realism rather than the usual 'everything's okay at the end of the day' stories that preceded it.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
It's Star Wars! Everything is supposed to be okay at the end, at least for the core characters!
Posted by Epictetus (Member # 6235) on :
Okay, here's my two cents worth:
Heir to the Empire was the first oficial Star Wars novel to be written (after the novelizations of the movies of course) so the reason it's a great one to start with is not only because it's well written (as are it's sequels) but it also doesn't reference anything that isn't in the movies. Thus accessible to Star Wars nut and newcomer alike.
Okay, I have to agree with everyone now, so bear with me...I, Jedi is absolutely fabulous, Corran Horn is absolutely the coolest, most badass character to date ect. ect. The X-wing series is excellent and the Courtship of Princess Leia is cool too.
Next, Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina: awesome, and while I hated the other "Tales" books, the Tales from the Empire is worth looking at as well as Tales from the New Republic. Both have short novels co-authored by Zahn and Stackpole, which explore Corran's past and his father's.
Other than that, only one word of caution: do not touch The New Jedi Order series unless you have read all the other ones. In my experience NJO either is the icing on the cake or the books that turn you toward other popular fiction...like Buffy for example Posted by Epictetus (Member # 6235) on :
Amen ketchupqueen!
All in all though, it was the whole Chewie issue that ruined NJO for me.
I also enjoyed KJA books the first time through, but every time I try to read them again, there's something about them that's missing.
Okay, that's more than two cents so I'll shut up until someone else posts.
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
quote: It's Star Wars! Everything is supposed to be okay at the end, at least for the core characters!
Tell that to Qui-gon Jinn, or Anakin and Padme at the end of Revenge of the Sith.
In any case, I guess there are the fans for which Star Wars is like a fairy tale, where everything is supposed to end up happily ever after. There's nothing wrong with that if that's what it is to you. If that's how you feel, then I can understand your not liking the NJO. For those who don't mind some dark realism and a war with actual consequences, you might get a kick out of the NJO. I like that the authors had the freedom to shake things up a bit. As usual, it's all a matter of preference. However, I do think that it drags on much longer than necessary. I started to get tired of the Yuuzhan Vong. Del Rey should have condensed the series to 9 books long rather than 19.
P.S. Did you guys all know that the first post-NJO book comes out in July? take a look. Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote: Everything is supposed to be okay at the end, at least for the core characters!
Wow. You just completely vindicated OSC. I never thought I'd see the day.
Seriously, I didn't mind the NJO's "darkness." I just minded the "we're trying so hard to be original, edgy, and invulnerable that we're generic" invaders.
But, yeah, KJA sucks. Enormously. In a "giant black hole" kind of way, but not as cool.
Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :
Yeah, Tom, I didn't even think of that -- that's really why I hated the NJO. The Yuuzhan Vong are just...ugh. One thing that *makes* something gritty and real is an accessible, almost human enemy -- like OSC makes the buggers in the end, and like the adults in Ender's Game are all along -- so we can actually *understand* what makes them evil. The Yuuzhan Vong are totally inacessible, and almost invicible, and totally unconvincing, imo.
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
I think it depends on which NJO books you read, Kasie. I don't remember the names, because frankly several of them were so mediocre I never read all of them...but some of them did a good job, I think, of making the YV accessible. The one where the Caamassi (sp?) permits himself to be taken prisoner, for example? I also enjoyed Traitor a great deal. Seemed to me that it took Jedi in a very Eastern direction, which is honestly the first time I'd seen much of that in SW books.
I think the YV are sort of like Aztecs, people absolutely thriving on blood and slaughter and torture. There have been those sorts of humans...but it's been awhile, I think, and fortunately we can't really empathize with `em.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
That's true, as well. But I have to respond to this:
quote:Tell that to Qui-gon Jinn, or Anakin and Padme at the end of Revenge of the Sith.
NOTE: ALTHOUGH SEVERAL OF THEM HAVE ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED, MAJOR NJO SPOILERS BELOW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! * * * * *
Qui-Gon was not a core character to me. Besides, his death was understandable and expected within the framework of the (otherwise pretty dumb) movie. Anakin eventually is okay in the end-- okay means here that his death has a purpose and a resolution to it. Padme, well, if she dies in this movie, which she probably will, Lucas is contradicting ROTJ, and will, I think, alienate a lot more fans than me (although I still have hopes for Sith). But then, he did that with Jar-Jar to begin with. But hopefully, at least, her death will have a meaning within the movie. The big problem I had with Chewie's death is that although he was dying for a cause that we could understand (he does have a life debt, and it's well-established that he considers that to extend to Leia and the kids), it was a stupid reason for him to need to die. So, everything is not all right. And then, Anakin dies anyway! So, um, it was pointless? (Okay, honestly, I didn't read much past Anakin dying and Jaina turning dark.) It just got to be too much; why don't you keep the "darkness" where it belongs, with the enemy, and maybe some internal governmental strife, and I liked the political stuff, but frankly, making the fate of the universe hang on the the decision of Jacen, whom I never really particularly cared about... Stupid, stupid, stupid! That whole "balance to the Force" thing was supposed to be resolved! Leave it alone already! I could have gone for Anakin turning dark, but Jaina, not really, and Jacen doing weird crap, definitely not. Then there's the whole "Luke's baby heals his mother in-utero" thing, which, honestly, seems like exploitation to me... And if not that, then just trite and stupid. (I seem to be using that word a lot. Huh. Maybe because it's just all so stupid!) Oh, and what happened to the Chiss? That wasn't really explained very well.
Honestly, my purpose in reading Star Wars novels is not to get mad at the universe. (That universe, or this one.) Since that's what was happening every time I read the NJO, I stopped, and decided to delete them from my personal canon list. Hmph.
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
Honestly, Skywalker Jedi are more or less expected to go seriously dark, KQ And I liked the 'weird crap' Jacen did Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
What is the Galaxy of Fear series?
And does the next Zahn book not come out until later this summer?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Galaxy of Fear Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
Is there someplace I can find a timeline on the extended universe books? I have a bunch of them and don't know where they fit together in terms of a mass read, plus I'd like to fill in the holes if I can.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
That timeline works well if you want to know how every single little piece of EU ever released fits into the continuity, but TFN's Novel Review Timeline works better if you only want to know how the novels fit together.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
Thanks kq and Ginol!
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
I think that the final book in the NJO ("The Unifying Force") helped to humanize the Vong to some extent. But I guess those that hated the series didn't get that far...
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
You do remember how offensive it is to them to be called "the Vong" without including "Yuuzhan" don't you?
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
Crap! There's not one around here, is there? Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Only Tahiri ever really argued the point on that one, the difference between Vong and Yuuzhan Vong.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Lyr, you obviously didn't ever spend much time on TFN's JC forums...
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Okay, this thread has successfully convinced me to never pick up a Star Wars book. Thanks for the warnings one and all. Sounds like the lot of it is just barely above the level of fanfic- which I despise with unending passion.
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
Way to go everyone. Now he'll miss out on all the good stuff along with the bad...
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
Neo, if that's what he came away with, then (a) his mind was already made up anyway, (b) he listened to only a very few people who posted, and/or (c) he only wants to read a book if everyone agrees it's good. Realizing that Hatrack has never agreed on anything, (c) is essentially the same thing as (a). No need to blame people who posted in the thread.
--Pop
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Papa Moose is right, of course. This thread just solidified my preconcieved notions on any works derivative of major motion pictures- especially sci-fi.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
At least pick up the Zahn Books. If those don't hook you, then nothing will.
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
You're right, Papa. I didn't mean to blame people for posting their opinions.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Nah, if he's at least going to pick up something, let it be the Stackpole X-Wing books.
Oh, wait, am I at it again? Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Yeah, if I had to point to any of the books that I've read that have a Star Wars label, I'd have to say Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy would be the only ones that would bear a true mark of quality.
I mean, there's so much going on and such great development of character and plot, that they make the movies seem very superficial by comparison. I don't think of them as derivative works at all, but more a realization of the potential of the Star Wars universe.
The other books I've read ride on a lot of coattails, falling off as often as not and scrambling to catch up. Zahn set the bar very high, and I don't feel anyone has yet come close to clearing it.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Yeah, but he did that "Luuuuuuke" thing.
(Yes, that was pretty much my only problem with the books. But I had to pick on something! )
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, wait-- I had another problem with them:
they didn't have Corran Horn! Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
See, I didn't have a problem with that. And even so, when put next to Thrawn himself, Rukh (and the other Noghri), Mara Jade, Winter, and the whole host of other awesome additions to the universe, it more than makes up for a name choice.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
(But not for the lack of Corran's sexy self.)
Posted by IanO (Member # 186) on :
Please read the first Zahn trilogy. At least give it a shot.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
)![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Snap up anything you find by Zahn, wonderfully written. For SW books.
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Taunt]](graemlins/taunt.gif)
![[Evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
But hopefully, at least, her death will have a meaning within the movie. The big problem I had with Chewie's death is that although he was dying for a cause that we could understand (he does have a life debt, and it's well-established that he considers that to extend to Leia and the kids), it was a stupid reason for him to need to die. So, everything is not all right. And then, Anakin dies anyway! So, um, it was pointless? (Okay, honestly, I didn't read much past Anakin dying and Jaina turning dark.) It just got to be too much; why don't you keep the "darkness" where it belongs, with the enemy, and maybe some internal governmental strife, and I liked the political stuff, but frankly, making the fate of the universe hang on the the decision of Jacen, whom I never really particularly cared about... Stupid, stupid, stupid! That whole "balance to the Force" thing was supposed to be resolved! Leave it alone already! I could have gone for Anakin turning dark, but Jaina, not really, and Jacen doing weird crap, definitely not. ![[Angst]](graemlins/angst.gif)
![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)