The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
What's out in a Galaxy Far Far Away [Star Wars]
Lanchester
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hey all,
I wouldn't say that I'm a hardcore Star Wars guy, but I do really like it. I of course have seen the movies, but I've never seen/read anything else...and want to.
So, I've seen this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Wars_books and think...Where should I start? What is good?
I am really interested in the Sith era and stuff like that. Possibly how things came about before episode 1.
I appreciate all the suggestions.
I wouldn't say that I'm a hardcore Star Wars guy, but I do really like it. I of course have seen the movies, but I've never seen/read anything else...and want to.
So, I've seen this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Wars_books and think...Where should I start? What is good?
I am really interested in the Sith era and stuff like that. Possibly how things came about before episode 1.
I appreciate all the suggestions.
Lanchester on
0
Posts
The Kevin Anderson books could be skipped but they're not bad.
The X-Wing series (first by Michael Stackpole and then taken over by Aaron Allston) are pretty good if you just want a rip-roaring military adventure read. For the love of God avoid Stackpole's I, Jedi though.
Callista trilogy isn't great. The Crystal Star desperately wanted to be something other than a Star Wars book. The Black Fleet Trilogy has two decent and totally separate storylines that you keep expecting to tie together at the end and they never do. Corellian Trilogy isn't great unless you're desperate to meet asshole members of Han Solo's extended family.
I read all the way through the New Jedi Order books until about the time of Traitor and I just couldn't take it anymore. Dear God that series just dragged on and on.
Prior to the original trilogy timeline, the three Han Solo adventures books by Brian Daley are pretty enjoyable, and so are the three Solo books by A. C. Crispin.
I can has cheezburger, yes?
Most of it's pretty terrible. It only has an appeal if you really want to consume everything starwars or you're a teenager. The Zahn books about Thrawn are great, the Dark Horse comics are good. Everything else you can give a miss. The Kevin J Anderson young adult books were pretty good for young adults, as I recall.
- Anything written by Timothy Zahn - pretty much all the books are good (Thrawn Trilogy and Outbound Flight in particular)
- Most of the X-Wing series (there are 9 books in the series, 1-6 at least are pretty good)
- I personally liked I, Jedi, but then again I like the Corran Horn character
- Cloak of Deception, by James Luceno. In particular, this book seemed to explain a lot better the events leading to Episode I in an actually believable (or at least, partially) way. AKA how the Trade federation was maneuvered to blockade Naboo. If only he wrote the actual movie, I think it would have been way better.
- Tales of <Blah> books are all kinda interesting
- The Jedi academy trilogy (kinda...)
Personally I hated Corran Horn (too much of a Mary-Sue for me) so my favourite X-wing books were Aaron Allston's ones. He at least knows how to be humorous. Seriously, too many of the Star Wars books are lacking in humour.
I did really enjoy Michael Stackpole's SW comics, though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_Clone_Wars_(2003_TV_series)
I freakin' died for this when it was airing on cartoon network, it served as a bridge between the 2nd and 3rd prequel but unlike the prequels didn't suck (and when I say didn't suck, I mean it had 0% suck present)
Its short, sweet, and amazing
1. Why the first-person perspective is comparatively rare in fiction writing and definitely not always a good idea.
2. Why it's never a good idea to go back and try to write "around" someone else's work (in this case Anderson's Jedi Academy books).
thanks for your useless comment. go away now.
to the OP
If you like the Sith era, I really enjoyed the Darth Bane trilogy.
Path of Destruction
Rule of Two
Dynasty of Evil
Tycho Celchu is a mary sue, Wedge Antilles is a Maru Sue, etc
(Says the guy with the username of one of them)
I personally consider KOTOR to be the best story set in the Star Wars universe after the original trilogy, and I would consider KOTORII to be even better had it not shipped unfinished.
X-Wing can be hit or miss, but as recently pointed out to me, the ones not by Stackpole tend to be the stronger. Then again, a lot of people like all of them.
This conjures up images of Capcom doing a KOTOR game, which is both hilarious and terrifying.
it was written in the 80s before they really put any thought into shaping the EU, and it is insane
not great mind you, just pants-on-head crazy
The Flamewind of Oseon is like being on acid and mushrooms at the same time.
I cannot agree with you enough about reading the LC adventures.
Tycho Celchu embodies the best of the EU from my standpoint. When you look at it, the Empire makes for a pretty bland villain. The Emperor's biggest accomplishment is managing to keep his Force abilities hidden from the Jedi. Beyond that it was the cliche of an ambitious politician in a republican government gaining the loyalty of the military and using a crisis to gain dictatorial powers. Vader is wholly lawful evil, and his evil is introduced by him violating the diplomatic immunity of a ship suspected of aiding the Rebellion (which it was).
Some (cannot emphasize this enough) of the villains in the EU are much more interesting. Although Thrawn was certainly a great villain, he was also incredibly pragmatic, which was the source of much of his success. Ysanne Isard, however, is probably my favorite "villain" of the Empire.