Checked out "I, Jedi" by Stackpole today from the library. I'm sad knowing that the extended universe books are no longer considered "canon", especially with things like Anakin building C-3PO or midichlorians still being in existence! Ah, well.
Favorite extended universe book? Character? Recommendations for further reading?
Heir to the empire trilogy.
Thrawn and Mara Jade.
If you haven't read anything then check out the classics, Timothy Zahns Thrawn trilogy and the first two X-Wing cycles (especially Wraith squadron, so good).
The whole thing no longer being canon doesn't bother me at all. They are still great storíes in a fantastic universe, but that they aren't binding for new writers anymore makes room for more new stories which can be just as great (read 'Tarkin' by James Lucieno. Just do it!). The only thing sad about the old EUs end is that it won't be continued anymore, which sucks for those who were invested in the ongoing story.
If reading and enjoying all the Tolkien material has taught me anything, it is that continuity is overrated.
I asked for recommendations last spring; this is the list I drew up for myself (you can wade through the whole thread if you want; there were some recommendations that I didn't take):
So far, my favourite books have been the Thrawn Trilogy, with Allston's work on X-wing a close second. For characters, I'd have to say Thrawn and Corran.
Pretty much anything by Allston, with my favorite series being Legacy of the Force, and X-wing.
Favorite characters are probably Tycho, Wedge, Kyle Katarn, and Ben Skywalker (stupid Disney got the last name wrong
)
my biggest disappointment is that Sword of the Jedi was never written. I really wish they had kept Legends running in its own little universe, and both the new Canon and Legends could've co-existed (and made more money for Disney)
I asked for recommendations last spring; this is the list I drew up for myself (you can wade through the whole thread if you want; there were some recommendations that I didn't take):
So far, my favourite books have been the Thrawn Trilogy, with Allston's work on X-wing a close second. For characters, I'd have to say Thrawn and Corran.
Having known him from this game befor reading X-Wing, he never had a chance for me
always hated that guy.
100% agree on Thrawn, although Pallaeon plays a huge part in building him up. The two are a great combination of characters - I don't think Thrawn would have worked in another context.
Another vote for Thrawn and Rogue Squadron books. I liked Talon Karrde myself.
Checked out "I, Jedi" by Stackpole today from the library. I'm sad knowing that the extended universe books are no longer considered "canon", especially with things like Anakin building C-3PO or midichlorians still being in existence! Ah, well.
Favorite extended universe book? Character? Recommendations for further reading?
the Rogue Squadron and Wraith Squdron books were always my favorites, really felt like you were down in the trenches of the Galactic Civil War
No-one mentioned the Han Solo trilogy. FOR SHAME. If you lads have not read those yet, get out there and find those books as soon as you can. They're interesting in that they captured the essence of the characters and setting so well with only one (and then two) movies as source material. They read a bit like Frafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories: Two bad guys set out to do bad stuff for personal profit, and... they don't specifically profit, but they DO often accomplish something good kind of by accident. Lots of fun. Chewbacca also gets plenty of moments to shine, which is friggin' fantastic.
Will also vouch for "I, Jedi," because Stackpole wrote it as a fairy tale and it worked wonderfully. (The X-wing books certainly had their moments, but "I, Jedi" was better-written, gave me more reason to care about the characters, and felt much more polished overall.)
Unfortunately, these are the only books I'd feel safe recommending to anyone who wants to read Star Wars but does not know where to start. Am I a bad person? The other stuff... it was a fun diversion, I guess, but it does not strike me as good reading . Still having a hard time understanding why the Thrawn trilogy ranks so highly, even though I might've read them all twice and understand the role they played in fanning the flames of fandom. Thrawn and his pretentious know-it-all attitude was irritating and tiresome- Pellaeon was the better villain, although maybe it was his relationship with Thrawn that made him more endearing. The relationship between Han and Lando was done really well- I like the details of their personal histories. Other than that, not much of the whole thing really stood out to me. It could be because the Thrawn trilogy reads a lot like a military sci-fi series, and Star Wars seems to break down as a system when it strays too far from pulpy sci-fi fantasy.
Again, is there something wrong with me? Do I have any reason NOT to be happy that the tangled world of the EU is not a factor in the new movies?
Edited by SuperunknownI enjoyed the original Han Solo Trilogy. Way back when.
Me too. They were fun.
Unfortunately, these are the only books I'd feel safe recommending to anyone who wants to read Star Wars but does not know where to start. Am I a bad person? The other stuff... it was a fun diversion, I guess, but it does not strike me as good reading . Still having a hard time understanding why the Thrawn trilogy ranks so highly, even though I might've read them all twice and understand the role they played in fanning the flames of fandom. Thrawn and his pretentious know-it-all attitude was irritating and tiresome- Pellaeon was the better villain, although maybe it was his relationship with Thrawn that made him more endearing. The relationship between Han and Lando was done really well- I like the details of their personal histories. Other than that, not much of the whole thing really stood out to me. It could be because the Thrawn trilogy reads a lot like a military sci-fi series, and Star Wars seems to break down as a system when it strays too far from pulpy sci-fi fantasy.
Again, is there something wrong with me? Do I have any reason NOT to be happy that the tangled world of the EU is not a factor in the new movies?
To each his own. I'm not gonna argue that you have to agree with me, but I'm going to give some counterpoints to explain why I liked Thrawn (trilogy and character) so much.
The writing was great. Coming off of Stackpole's X-wing, it was refreshing to find someone who actually took time to polish his prose, not to mention the time spent plotting the story.
While I can see the argument for Thrawn's arrogance, I beg to differ. To me, he came across as a villain who might actually win; I felt like there was genuine peril for our intrepid band of heroes (at least for the first two books.
After that, though the ante was upped substantially, I never doubted that he was going to lose the battle at the shipyards.
).
I agree that Pellaeon was a great character, but I think it was the dynamic of his and Thrawn's relationship that really made both of them shine.
And LRM23936, great call about Karrde - he was excellent!
Edit: How does one use the spoiler to feature to hide the spoilers?
Edit edit: Thank'ee, Admiral.
Edited by WarriorPoetYou put it in brackets like this: "
" and to end it you say "[\spoiler]"
I couldn't get into the Rogue Squadron series.
I couldn't get into the Rogue Squadron series.
Did you try Wraith Squadron? I liked it a lot better than the first three books.
I couldn't get into the Rogue Squadron series.
Did you try Wraith Squadron? I liked it a lot better than the first three books.
No. I got a bit into the first book and realized I had no idea who was who and just dropped it. I've no interest in going back in.
The Darth Bane trilogy is a fantastic read as well; it starts off the rule of two for how the Sith operate for a thousand years.
I would not recommend the Heir to the Empire trilogy. It is a confusing story, that lacks any of the magic of the Star Wars films. The major characters appear to flying and running around without much purpose and at no point did I, as a reader, feel in any way connected to them. I've read multiple times that this trilogy is supposedly the best of the EU novels, so I never spent more money on any such book, although I am reading Aftermath now.
Hi there,
So I made the mistake one day of mentioning to my girlfriends family that I like star wars. Next thing I know, I have a bunch of old EU novels from the second hand store in our small town. Surprisingly, they are not all that bad. I started with the Thrawn trilogy, it was ok, but not great. My personal favorites, the Han Solo trilogy. These books were not only well written (for the most part), but they also captured the sense of adventure and character of the Original Trilogy. I highly recommend seeking these books out if you're interested in some good EU reads. Tales from Mos Eisley is hit or miss, but mostly interesting. I hope that helps and that you enjoy your reading!
Han Solo Trilogy or Han Solo Adventures Trilogy? They are both great IMO just wondering if you knew that there were two Han Trilogies. The Adventures came out around the time Empire Strikes Back first came out in theaters (The first around a year before, and the third a couple of months after) while the trilogy came out in the mid to late 90s
Until Disney can find better writers than Chuck or Pablo, I'm content to believe the lore itself has gone to **** by axing the EU.
Edited by incinerator950Until Disney can find better writers than Chuck or Pablo, I'm content to believe the lore itself has gone to **** by axing the EU.
They do have better writers, but they're all in the Comic department.
Until Disney can find better writers than Chuck or Pablo, I'm content to believe the lore itself has gone to **** by axing the EU.
James Lucieno.
And you can't really screw up what always had been questionable in the first place.