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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Lit GENERAL QUESTION THREAD (What to read? Where to start? What's canon? What's not? Duros, etc.)

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Master_Keralys, Jun 4, 2008.

  1. credar

    credar Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 18, 2011
    Hmm. I think I'm going to start off with Darth Bane series, move on to Darth Plagueis, Cloak of Deception and the Maul Novel who's name I've forgotten and continue on. into the OT and After-ROTJ

    BTW, do you know if the Clone Wars novels and comics have been deemed non canon because of the Clone Wars TV series? And in return, does that make Dark Times non canon, since it continues off of Republic?
     
  2. Force Smuggler

    Force Smuggler Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    I totally haven't thought about that. I wonder as well though
     
  3. Wonderllama

    Wonderllama Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 1, 2013
    I've always thought the film novelizations are the best place to start for a completely new Star Wars reader. They offer a lot of depth to familiar stories. I still prefer the prequel novelizations over the actual prequel films themselves.
     
  4. Todd the Jedi

    Todd the Jedi Mod and Loving Tyrant of SWTV, Lit, & Collecting star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Oct 16, 2008
    ^^ A 2013 reg date. That's gonna take some getting used to.

    But yes, it's widely agreed upon that the prequel novelisations are much better than the movies themselves. Especially Stover's ROTS.
     
  5. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    The Phantom Menace novel had Z-95 Headhunters in it, so how could it not be awesome? :D
     
  6. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    Because it's written by ultra-bland Terry Brooks.
     
  7. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    Still somehow flowed better than the movie (which imho is still the least terrible of the PT movies, but that might just be due to Jabba being in it)
     
  8. Yoda_of_Soda

    Yoda_of_Soda Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 13, 2013
    So if i wanted to begin reading SW books i should start with Darth Maul: Shadow hunter ?
     
  9. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    There's nothing wrong with starting there, if you like Darth Maul. Fun action book, and only thing you need to know about is Episode 1.

    One thing to note is the short story in the back of Shadow Hunter actually takes place before it, but it doesn't matter what order you read them in. The short story is less action oriented than Shadow Hunter, more about Maul scheming, though it's very good. The Episode 1 novelization also has a Darth Maul short story.

    Indeed, but "better than the movie" isn't the highest compliment you can give it :p

    I actually enjoyed Episode III, though. Could have been much, much better, as the novel is happy to demonstrate, but still.
     
  10. Yoda_of_Soda

    Yoda_of_Soda Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 13, 2013
    Thanks. I what book should I read if I wanted to read ep. 1-6
     
  11. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    You mean you want to read the movie novelizations? Personally, the only ones I feel are worth it (I've read them all except Episode II, so I can't comment on that one) are Revenge of the Sith (especially this one) and Return of the Jedi. Revenge of the Sith is just miles ahead of the movie. Return of the Jedi also has some great observations and moments that make it worth reading.

    Original trilogy

    Prequel trilogy
     
  12. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    But it is the highest I can give it, it’s not a great book by any means but it is somehow more entertaining than the movie itself, because it manages to explain the story a lot more coherently and makes Young Vader far less annoying. :)

    Somehow no one tries to act well in the movie other than McDiarmid. Haden is trying just can’t do it, Lee has no more than 4 minutes in the movie, Jackson is clearly bored, Portman and McGregor just seem to want it over with and Griv and the Sep council are simply a joke and yes the novel is just miles better.
     
  13. SomethinSomethinDarkSide

    SomethinSomethinDarkSide Jedi Grand Master star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2013
    Hi guys, first post. :)

    I wanna know if I could read the Thrawn Trilogy comic & Dark Empire (I, II & End) and then be ready to jump into Hand of Thrawn and the New Jedi Order books? Or should I still read the novels (Thrawn and Jedi Academy trilogies)? It's just that there are so many books after ROTJ and it would save me some time and make the task seem less daunting.

    I'm not actually completely new to the EU. I have read most of the Old Republic era stuff and played many of SW the games (probably how I got into the EU in the first place). But now I want to really get into the New Republic and Legacy eras.
     
  14. Random Comments

    Random Comments Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 25, 2012
    Read the Thrawn Trilogy in book form. It's ten times better.
     
  15. Lugija

    Lugija Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2009
    Yeah, The Thrawn comics are not that good when read without knowledge of the events. I know what happens in The Last Command and still the comic went a little over my head. Zahn's dialogue- and plot-heavy stories don't suite that well into visuals, I'm afraid.
     
  16. Todd the Jedi

    Todd the Jedi Mod and Loving Tyrant of SWTV, Lit, & Collecting star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Oct 16, 2008
    SomethinSomethinDarkSide I'd say yes, you can easily jump from The Thrawn trilogy and Dark Empire to Hand of Thrawn. The only book that you might want to read in between is I, Jedi, since the main character in that book plays a somewhat major role in Hand of Thrawn, and the events in that book are alluded to. HoT alludes to a lot of the post-ROTJ books, but you don't relly need to read them to understand the references.

    That said, there are some quality books in between Zahn's works, but there's a lot of trash as well.
     
  17. 16AndPregnant

    16AndPregnant Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2013
    Can somebody please recommend me novels and graphic novels to read from the New Republic, New Jedi Order, and Legacy eras?

    I know the New Republic has The Thrawn Trilogy, Dark Empire, and Crimson Empire but are there any others?
     
  18. darthzac14

    darthzac14 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2012
    Can I get a recommendation for the next book I read? I've read all TOR paperbacks, Knight Errant, Darth Plageuis, Shadow Hunter, Outbound Flight, RC: Order 66, Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, Labyrinth of Evil, RotS, Dark Lord, TFU, ANH, ESB, RotJ, and the Thrawn Trilogy. I'm just about to finish Red Harvest.
     
  19. Zorkel567

    Zorkel567 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 20, 2010
    Have you read the Hand of Thrawn duology? Or the X-wing books? and are you interested in the New Jedi Order series?
     
  20. darthzac14

    darthzac14 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2012
    I've only ready Thrawn trilogy. But should I read all Pre-TPM books first or go with Bantam-era books or what?
     
  21. Zorkel567

    Zorkel567 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 20, 2010
    It depends, what do you prefer? The PT era, or the OT and forward era? The Hand of Thrawn duo is a followup to the Thrawn Trilogy, while X-wing is a big fan favorite series. ANd though it is a big undertaking, the NJO is another fan favorite seris for its complexity. The only pre-TPM books you seem to have not read are Cloak of Deception, which is a fan favorite, and the Bane Trilogy, which aren't as popular. You don't need to have read those to understand X-wing or Hand of Thrawn, nor NJO. Hope this helps. :)
     
  22. 16AndPregnant

    16AndPregnant Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2013
    ^ Somebody please respond with some recommendations.The must-reads from those eras. Thank you to whoever answers in advance.
     
  23. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    Alright, here are some of what I consider essentials. The stuff I put in bold is worth reading just for timeline reasons, but fan opinion on them varies, and they might not be as good as some of the others on the list.

    Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Minor by Matthew Stover
    The X-Wing series by Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston
    The Thrawn Trilogy (unofficial title) by Timothy Zahn
    Dark Empire: Highly controversial series, but it's an absolute must read regardless. Big event.
    Crimson Empire: It's pretty much its own series, doesn't have much to do with anything else, but it's a good story.
    Jedi Academy Trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson: Not the best writing in the world, but it's pretty important for introducing characters that will go on to play a major role.
    I, Jedi by Michael Stackpole: Takes place during the Jedi Academy Trilogy from an outsider perspective. Widely considered superior.
    The Black Fleet Crisis: Some love this trilogy, others don't, but there's no denying it's something incredibly different.
    The Hand of Thrawn duology: Zahn's sequel to his original trilogy. An important event is that Luke gets married.
    Union: Comic that shows the actual wedding

    The New Jedi Order series: The whole era comprises of a 19 book series and a comic series called "Invasion".

    Legacy era: You'll get mixed opinions on what's worth reading in this era. Personally, I haven't read them, so I'll let someone more knowledgeable about that answer. That said, the Legacy comic book series is very well received.
     
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  24. 16AndPregnant

    16AndPregnant Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2013
    Thank you so much. This was the answer I needed. Personally I thought Crimson Empire was really good. That's the only one I've read out of all of them.
     
  25. SomethinSomethinDarkSide

    SomethinSomethinDarkSide Jedi Grand Master star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2013
    16AndPregnant
    EDIT: Ninja'd.

    I'm just getting into the post ROTJ EU but if you want more comics then there's the Legacy series (56 issues, more to come soon).

    Other than that there are tons of novels. So far I've figured out that the main storyline = The Thrawn Trilogy->Jedi Academy Trilogy->I, Jedi ->Hand of Thrawn Duology->New Jedi Order series->Dark Nest Trilogy->Legacy of the Force series->Crosscurrent, Riptide & Millennium Falcon-> Fate of the Jedi series.
     
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