So, as we now have seven pages on my video game thread, let's move to books.

Mine, of course, is Republic Commando: Order 66.

Everyone else will mention the thrawn trilogy/duology, so I'm going to go with a dark horse, the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy. Other than luke's pointless quest to find his mother everything in that story is spot on, especially the inclusion of an actually alien culture, not just blue-skinned aristocrats.

Everyone else will mention the thrawn trilogy/duology, so I'm going to go with a dark horse, the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy. Other than luke's pointless quest to find his mother everything in that story is spot on, especially the inclusion of an actually alien culture, not just blue-skinned aristocrats.

I'll go with another VERY dark horse: The Truce at Bakura. It's the book that felt the most "original Star Warsy" to me. It really did feel like it was the opening act of Episode VII.

As a bonus, I'll also pick a worst: The comic where Jango and Tam Wesell team up to save Coruscant from religious terrorists who are going to blow up the entire planet without anyone knowing.

People knock on the Vong but I enjoyed Star by Star.

I liked Truce at Bakura a lot. The same with The Courtship of Princess Leia. Black Fleet Crisis wasn't bad at all.

The Thrawn trilogy is a must read just for the villain, though the movies and cartoon series have invalidated part of the backstory.

Darth Bane: Path of Destruction has one of the best villain protagonists I've read not only in Star Wars, but in general.

I couldn't stand the Black Fleet Crisis. I forced myself through that trilogy one summer hoping it would improve (it didn't, for me).

The Thrawn trilogy is the best. Anything else by Zahn is great too. The X-wing series is fantastic. Other standouts are Shadows of the Empire, A Truce at Bakura, The Darth Bane trilogy, Tales of the Bounty Hunters, Tales of Jabba's Palace, and Darth Plagueis. The Revenge of the Sith novelisation was actually really good too.

I liked all of Kevin J Anderson's books (Jedi Academy trilogy and Darksaber), but a lot of people disliked them. KJA follows a typical formula for his SW novels, so I can understand the criticisms.

Shadows of the Empire and all of the Michael A. Stackpole books.

The Courtship of Princess Leia.

I still haven't read this, but it is my sister's all time favourite Star Wars novel.

Novels: The Wraith Squadron books

Comics: Dark Empire

So, as we now have seven pages on my video game thread, let's move to books.

The Heir to the Empire trilogy is the obvious answer, and also the right one for me. I also liked Allegiance and Choices of One . The X-wing series and I, Jedi aren't particularly good, but I did (and do) think they're a lot of fun.

Mine, of course, is Republic Commando: Order 66.

Okay, step back from the immediacy of what's on the page, and ask yourself who is actually responsible for killing Etain. (Hint: it's not a Jedi.) Then ask yourself why that person thought it was important to kill her. What does her death mean? What symbols are involved?

...because honestly if Order 66 isn't literally Imperial propaganda, it's at least exactly what an Imperial propagandist would have been commissioned to write.

I couldn't stand the Black Fleet Crisis. I forced myself through that trilogy one summer hoping it would improve (it didn't, for me).

The Thrawn trilogy is the best. Anything else by Zahn is great too. The X-wing series is fantastic. Other standouts are Shadows of the Empire, A Truce at Bakura, The Darth Bane trilogy, Tales of the Bounty Hunters, Tales of Jabba's Palace, and Darth Plagueis. The Revenge of the Sith novelisation was actually really good too.

I liked all of Kevin J Anderson's books (Jedi Academy trilogy and Darksaber), but a lot of people disliked them. KJA follows a typical formula for his SW novels, so I can understand the criticisms.

I "liked" this halfway through reading it ( Black Fleet Crisis was terrible! Zahn's novels are the best!)... and then I got to the bit about Kevin J. Anderson, and had to unlike it.

As a human being, I am glad that another human being has been able to have a career that he has enjoyed and that has been comfortably remunerative. I met Anderson at a con once, and he's a very nice person! But as a consumer of literature, I find the fact that he remains employed--by people who have, presumably, read his work--inexplicable.

Mine, of course, is Republic Commando: Order 66.

Okay, step back from the immediacy of what's on the page, and ask yourself who is actually responsible for killing Etain. (Hint: it's not a Jedi.) Then ask yourself why that person thought it was important to kill her. What does her death mean? What symbols are involved?

...because honestly if Order 66 isn't literally Imperial propaganda, it's at least exactly what an Imperial propagandist would have been commissioned to write.

(Hint: It IS a Jedi) Because guess who swung the lightsaber? A Jedi!

Edit: And Traviss did it because it opened up a lot of new storylines for the next book.

And any story where Mon Mothma is telling Luke to get his act together and start doing something instead of moping about and to see his sister as the world class diplomat instead of a mediocre jedi is one with a good side story

Revenge of the Sith novelization, without contest. If the movie had been half as good as the book I'd be saying something similar about it in regard to the other films.

Revenge of the Sith novelization, without contest. If the movie had been half as good I'd be saying something similar about it in regard to the other films.

Huh. Did not see that coming.

Revenge of the Sith novelization, without contest. If the movie had been half as good I'd be saying something similar about it in regard to the other films.

REVENGE OF THE SITH????????????????????? Are you, like, a crazy person?

Are you, like, a crazy person?

I am quite sure they will say so.

My favorite is actually the Hand of Thrawn Duology. Not as much action as the Thrawn Trilogy, but the character development and writing style are superb. To go off into a completely different style of novel, Traitor is very different and cerebral, and has perhaps the most memorable EU character death to date: Ganner Rhysode. Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter and the related Coruscant Nights are favorites too. Lastly, the X-wing series is fantastic.

When it comes to least favorite, that title has to go to The Crystal Star.

As to KJA novels, most (read all) of them follow the same general formula: rotten book overall, but one plot line that is pretty good. The prime example of this is Darksaber: the Daala sub-plot is very well-done, but is ruined by plot bunnies at the end of a terrible book.

OK, you want REALLY outside the box?

How about the novelization of the Phantom Menace.

I was impatient and read the book before actually seeing the movie and the book was so much worse than the film that it actually lowered my expectations enough that I was able to enjoy the prequels well enough for what they are instead of the ridiculous bar everyone else held them to.

You think Jar Jar is annoying in the film? Try READING his dialect. I couldn't even figure out what the character was supposed to be saying half the time.

Plus, it was written so boringly that it ended any thought I had of reading Terry Brook's other novels.

Revenge of the Sith novelization, without contest. If the movie had been half as good I'd be saying something similar about it in regard to the other films.

REVENGE OF THE SITH????????????????????? Are you, like, a crazy person?

Quite possibly, but I stand by my choice. Matt Stover's books, and RotS in particular, are the only Star Wars books I will unashamedly put on a list of my all-time favourite books, up there with things like The Three Musketeers .

OK, you want REALLY outside the box?

How about the novelization of the Phantom Menace.

I was impatient and read the book before actually seeing the movie and the book was so much worse than the film that it actually lowered my expectations enough that I was able to enjoy the prequels well enough for what they are instead of the ridiculous bar everyone else held them to.

You think Jar Jar is annoying in the film? Try READING his dialect. I couldn't even figure out what the character was supposed to be saying half the time.

Plus, it was written so boringly that it ended any thought I had of reading Terry Brook's other novels.

That's even weirder, because I've had people tell me the only reason I don't like TPM is because I haven't read the novel so I'm not getting the whole picture.

I cant pick any single book, but anything by Timothy Zahn, Micheal Stackpole or Aaron Allston are great!

I really like the Republic Commando series as a whole and wish Travis had finished it instead of getting her feelings hurt and being a quiter. I also loved the Courtship of Princess Leia. How can you not love a book introduces Dathomir and has force witches riding on Rancors. It also gives you a look into Han's head which is cool. And of course I, like everyone, like the Thrawn trilogy. And since they are all about my favorite character the Han Solo trilogy by A.C. Crispin(RIP) and the Han Solo Adventures by Brian Daley are great.

Darth Plagueis.

If you are adventurous, listen to the audio book. It's amazing.

I am happy to see that most people are sensible and realize that the Thrawn Trilogy is the best and that X-wing is a solid series. I also detested the Kevin J Anderson books. What no one else has mentioned though is I actually loved the Han Solo Adventures by Brian Daley. Sure it may not be the absolute best writing, but it came from a time when there wasnt much Star Wars to choose from and filled a nice hole of wanting more. They are short fun reads that I still regularly go back to. Might be a bit of nostalgia though, like how no one that didn't see the original Tron when it was new seems to appreciate it.