The Star Wars Thread

[Marvelous Iggy God Of Turtles Find all posts View Profile Close Marvelous Iggy]

The EU is better than most other SW material out there.

It can still die in a fire.

[Hybrid Lantern Corps Honor Guard Find all posts View Profile Close Hybrid Lantern]

4. Not a fact, but suggestion: wouldn't anyone, as a big fan, want to explore the entire SW universe?

I was given three books of the post movie era by my grandmother. Best present she ever gave that wasn't cash, keep in mind the second best non cash present was a toy car with no wheels.

I had just recently watched the movies so I read them. I did not like them at all. It was the three parter where Luke meets for the first time the woman who he would eventually marry.

I wanted that cunt to die so damn painfully. When I read later on that Luke married the cunt, I lost all respect for Luke. Then when I found out Luke went dark side just to defeat some Sith I wanted Luke to die the death of a thousand cuts.

Then there is Chewbacca's fate and Han's failure.

I wrote off the EU as garbage to never be viewed as nothing more than some dorks being paid to write their fanwank garbage. It ruined every character. I didn't bother to look up Leia or Lando.

If it is not a SW movie or game I want absolutely nothing to do with it.

[Jeff Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Jeff]

Fuck the expanded universe.

It can still die in a fire.

I'm really surprised, maybe even kind of hurt by your reaction. I thought you a smarter, more intelligent person who could at least reason their objectives in a sensible manner.

[Fearless Agent Orange Find all posts View Profile Close Fearless]

The EU is better than most other SW material out there.

The original trilogy beats EVERYTHING. So, suck it. And also, as always...

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Well, Doom, you made me want to pick up another EU book.

I've only read about a dozen, but I enjoyed them all. I loved Zahn's books and you're right about their importance. I remember when they came out. It was like a lightning strike. Suddenly, they were everywhere and people were talking about SW again (even though I didn't read them until much later).

Personally, I take EU in all franchises as "true until it's not." I.e., if I'm reading a missing part story in the Star Wars, Star Trek, or Doctor Who universe I'll take that as what happened until it's actually negated by the shows or films. That works for me.

But, of course, the whole issue of continuity has nothing to do with enjoyment. If you like 'em, read 'em. If you don't, don't.

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

I loved the Zahn books, and after they came out I pretty much read everything EU for a while...until I realized that MOST of what I was reading wasn't really that good. So I stopped.

Now I'm told that all sorts of awesomeness came after that, but for one thing, many of the plot synopses I've seen don't sound all that awesome to me, and for another, the whole thing has just become too massive and convoluted for me to be able to muster the effort necessary to get into it. So I don't begrudge anybody their love of the EU. I loved parts of it as well. I just get bugged when EU-promoters treat it like the be-all-end-all of Star Wars, and assume everybody should know about, and be onboard with, anything it produced. Not accusing anybody here of that attitude, but I assure you, it does exist.

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Its perfectly fine to pick and choose. You don't have to follow each novel in order. I certainly didn't.

[JohnnyV Pictionary Master Find all posts View Profile Close JohnnyV]

You pledge your anatomy too easily.

What are you doing with your pinky toe that isn't worth the sacrifice of a KOTOR movie?

[Jeff Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Jeff]

Well, Doom, you made me want to pick up another EU book.


But, of course, the whole issue of continuity has nothing to do with enjoyment. If you like 'em, read 'em. If you don't, don't.

Right on. Freedom to do whatever you want. The beauty of life. If interested, my personal favorites are listed below.

I loved the Zahn books, and after they came out I pretty much read everything EU for a while...until I realized that MOST of what I was reading wasn't really that good. So I stopped.

Now I'm told that all sorts of awesomeness came after that, but for one thing, many of the plot synopses I've seen don't sound all that awesome to me, and for another, the whole thing has just become too massive and convoluted for me to be able to muster the effort necessary to get into it. So I don't begrudge anybody their love of the EU. I loved parts of it as well. I just get bugged when EU-promoters treat it like the be-all-end-all of Star Wars, and assume everybody should know about, and be onboard with, anything it produced. Not accusing anybody here of that attitude, but I assure you, it does exist.

For Mister Ed:

Yup, there are definitely hit and misses in the EU. There have been books I have gone through in a night, books that lingered, and books I just put down because I couldn't get into them for whatever reason. Books that stood out for me were: (as mentioned before) The Bounty Hunter Wars Trilogy, Legacy of the Force Series, Fate of the Jedi Series (the last two were what I take as direct competition to Harry Potter's huge popularity since they are series written roughly around the same time period), Revan,
and one of my absolute favorites: Darth Plagueius (sp).

There are some very convoluted moments, too. The entire Yuuzhan Vong War, which expands over 22 books, novellas, and e-books is a long trudge through something that you really really need to commit to. I don't have kids, my life is pretty simple, so I had the time. I can totally understand anyone not wanting to touch it that have a very hectic and busy life. And not everyone of the YV books were great, either. Definite duds.

RE: The EU Nazis- yes, they are out there. No doubt about it. And if I'm coming off as being one, then my apologies to everyone. Not too long ago I actually got in a net argument with someone on Tumblr about the fact that if I can't speak proper Mandalorian, I have no business reading the books. Um, sorry, that's not the way I roll. And anyone telling you the same thing is so one-way that I can't even take them seriously. Like I said before, I haven't even touched barely half the EU so far....sure, at some point I would like to gain all that knowledge, but I'm in no rush, especially with the guys here getting me into the Transformers IDWverse. lol

In the end, what does everything I say boil down to? Opinions. That's all. I'm cool with people who don't do the EU, and I'm cool with people that do. As for the pics between me and Fearless, that's just me being sassy to him. I was honestly kind of stunned at Iggy's response though because I like him and thought he might explain what it was that specifically turned him off.

Also, like West says, if you have any interest in the EU, you can jump in anytime. Obviously, I wouldn't pick a book right in the middle of a series, but for some awesome single stories, you might try Revan, Darth Plagueius, Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, and some short story collections like Tales from The Empire, Tales from the Bounty Hunters, Tales from Jabba's Palace (all single book collections).

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

...Also, like West says, if you have any interest in the EU, you can jump in anytime. Obviously, I wouldn't pick a book right in the middle of a series, but for some awesome single stories, you might try Revan, Darth Plagueius, Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, and some short story collections like Tales from The Empire, Tales from the Bounty Hunters, Tales from Jabba's Palace (all single book collections).

Is it clear when it is a series? Are they all numbered? I've mentioned this before (because I have the same "fear" as Mr. Ed.) and West said you can jump in. I've picked up one or two random Star Wars books before in the bookstore and read something like "Jedi XYZ prepares to face Darth ABC" and I think "am I supposed to know who XYZ and ABC are?" For instance, when I left off the Solo twins were toddlers. If I read a story about them as adults, do I need to know what happened in between?

[Jeff Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Jeff]

Is it clear when it is a series? Are they all numbered? I've mentioned this before (because I have the same "fear" as Mr. Ed.) and West said you can jump in. I've picked up one or two random Star Wars books before in the bookstore and read something like "Jedi XYZ prepares to face Darth ABC" and I think "am I supposed to know who XYZ and ABC are?" For instance, when I left off the Solo twins were toddlers. If I read a story about them as adults, do I need to know what happened in between?

Definitely a multi-part answer:

For the books that are within a series, yes, the cover will reflect the name of the series. I'm reposting this timeline that West posted a couple pages ago as it is fairly accurate and up-to-date (and if you are in a bookstore and have the book in your hands, this timeline is at the back of every book):


For instance, if you pick up Star By Star, it will say on the cover that it is book # whatever of the New Jedi Order Series.

Occasionally, books will reference previous works; I found this out when I started my quest to read everything from The New Jedi Order #1 to Fate of the Jedi #8. Is it absolutely necessary that you read the entire NJO series to understand Fate of the Jedi? It's honestly your call. I found it helpful to read in chronological order, and easily understood references to such things as the Yuuzhan Vong, The Killiks, certain situations that happened with the Solo kids, etc. (and a lot has happened since the twins were toddlers).

I also reference the above chart for the single-story books as well. In example, Shadows of the Empire is a stand-alone. The only knowledge you need for that is what happened in the movies.

Here is the most up to date (and easiest to understand) time line, in chronological order:
http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/sp...eports/novels/

[Marvelous Iggy God Of Turtles Find all posts View Profile Close Marvelous Iggy]

The reason I don't like any of the expanded universe stuff (and I've tried to get into when I was elementary and middle school) is that none of it felt like Star Wars to men. I didn't want to know the future or the past in books or comics. Which is why I never have grown a huge one for Bobba Fett because he went like a punk in Jedi.

Expanded Universe stuff just isn't Star Wars to me.

[Jeff Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Jeff]

The reason I don't like any of the expanded universe stuff (and I've tried to get into when I was elementary and middle school) is that none of it felt like Star Wars to men. I didn't want to know the future or the past in books or comics. Which is why I never have grown a huge one for Bobba Fett because he went like a punk in Jedi.

Expanded Universe stuff just isn't Star Wars to me.

Gotcha. Understood and respected.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Behold the full-scale Legos X-wing fighter

Here is the most up to date (and easiest to understand) time line, in chronological order:
http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/sp...eports/novels/

Thanks. Next time I'm shopping for them I'll use the back of a recent book to figure that out. Probably the story of the twins and Master Luke is what I most want to follow. I don't really care enough about the pre-Republic days.

The reason I don't like any of the expanded universe stuff (and I've tried to get into when I was elementary and middle school) is that none of it felt like Star Wars to men. I didn't want to know the future or the past in books or comics. Which is why I never have grown a huge one for Bobba Fett because he went like a punk in Jedi.

I can kind of understand this. As much as I liked the Zahn books, it wasn't the same awesomeness as watching the original trilogy. But I still had fun with the ones I've read so far.

I'm even more into Star Trek's books. I've read a ton and still have a bunch on my shelf (just picked one up for the first time in years).

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Is it clear when it is a series? Are they all numbered? I've mentioned this before (because I have the same "fear" as Mr. Ed.) and West said you can jump in. I've picked up one or two random Star Wars books before in the bookstore and read something like "Jedi XYZ prepares to face Darth ABC" and I think "am I supposed to know who XYZ and ABC are?" For instance, when I left off the Solo twins were toddlers. If I read a story about them as adults, do I need to know what happened in between?

I read Fate of the Jedi with VERY LITTLE knowledge of any EU events and readings. I read a few of the Jedi Academy children's novels a long time ago and that was it. A couple minutes on the star wars wikia and I was able to know what I wanted to know. The Solo kids and Ben Skywalker get into a lot of shit. lol

For me, I read Fate first and now I'm going back to read Legacy of the Force which took place before Fate. Most people prefer Legacy and that's cool, but I have absolutely no problem knowing the ending to Legacy while I read it. Its such a big big story that the next series of novels after Fate will still be dealing with it.

I read Fate of the Jedi because I wanted to read about the next generation of Jedi. I got what I wanted.