ST Official Sequel Trilogy / Legends / Expanded Universe discussion thread

So it's worth reminding everyone again that our canon policy here (stickied at the top of the forum list) does NOT allow posts of that nature (rubbing it in, gloating about "victory", etc.).

 

Yep. Star Wars has sold 75 million copies since 1976 . That number comes directly from the official website.75 million people are not wrong. In the publishing world, there's a term for that. It's called a best seller.

 

I have real doubts that the EU will ever tell stories of consequence ever again.

 

I'm hoping that Tarkin will be to the "Disney EU" as Darth Plagueis was to the old EU - a massive expansion of the character.

 

Actually I was poking fun at the mentality that EU fans have "no business" being upset. The celebratory reaction to these fans getting bad news seems like a variation of the real fan argument, which as you point out can be looked at from a variety of angles given how the series has always been associated with and dependent on toy sales.

 

As opposed to the even more childish attitude where people say they'll refuse to buy any of the new novels or skip the ST entirely?

 

Why?

Just like the people who swear they'll quit Facebook every time the profile layout is updated.

 

I'm looking forward to that novel very much. I have a feeling it will give us quite a lot of insight into a very interesting character. A great way to start off the new EU.

 

Books get reissued a lot. Stephan King reissues all of his books, all the time. A new cover is slapped on and a new annotation for all the books in print by him are the only new things. The only stories to get a significant change was "The Stand" which featured all the excised material to make it a shorter book and the first couple of books in the "Dark Tower" series, which reflects later ideas in the series. People buy new copies of older books because they lost or damaged their older copies. Newer people come in late and find a book that looks like it is new, but is in reality old. The cover changes reflect the idea that the book is selling. It's kinda like variants with action figures.

Daley's books have been reprinted more than once over the years. As to the rest, they'll all be reprinted again. When Del Rey took over the rights to print books, all existing books were kept in print for availability purposes. That'll happen here. Even with the crappier stories.

 

Because disney wouldn't want them to step on the toes of potential spin off movies or shows. We'll likely never have a major character die in a book or have any major even occur for that matter. Why? For the same reason that they axed the EU.

Can they cover a trilogy of books that puts the galaxy in danger? No, that would tie the hands of the movie guys. Can we have major characters get married and have kids? Nope, that needs to be developed on screen.

Every new adventure will be one-offs involving established characters that will follow the status quo.

Do you think they can do any of the follow in the new EU:
Introduce us to lukes wife, kill han's kid, have corescant take over, tell the origin of the republic, set a story in 150 ABY? I bet the meatiest thing we get is a comic adaptation for the rest of clone wars season 6 and 7.

 

I, too, am looking forward to reading Luceno's new novel. His SW novels have been some of my favorites, and I look forward to seeing what details a continuity buff like Luceno would be allowed to keep in the new canon.

Also, this has been posted in Literature, but with regard to the arguments about Disney's decision with the continuity, I liked what author Jason Fry had to say about it (from the Eleven-ThirtyEight site):

More importantly, to everyone arguing, take this piece of advice to heart:

 

Because disney wouldn't want them to step on the toes of potential spin off movies or shows. We'll likely never have a major character die in a book or have any major even occur for that matter. Why? For the same reason that they axed the EU.

Can they cover a trilogy of books that puts the galaxy in danger? No, that would tie the hands of the movie guys. Can we have major characters get married and have kids? Nope, that needs to be developed on screen.

Every new adventure will be one-offs involving established characters that will follow the status quo.

Do you think they can do any of the follow in the new EU:
Introduce us to lukes wife, kill han's kid, have corescant take over, tell the origin of the republic, set a story in 150 ABY? I bet the meatiest thing we get is a comic adaptation for the rest of clone wars season 6 and 7.[/quote]


Matters of consequence will still matter to original characters. Really, only Chewbacca was killed off. Everyone else that died in the EU, from the films, passed away of old age. Han, Luke, Leia, Lando, Wedge, Threepio and Artoo were still alive and kicking as of the most recent book. Original characters like Mara, Jacen and Keneth Hammer were killed off. There wasn't that much fear that the Lucas created characters could die off. The stories that come out between ROTJ and Episode VII will cover a range of topics centering on how we get from point A to point B. The Jedi Order could have been rebuilt and then destroyed in that time. If Wedge doesn't show up, he could be one of the major causalities.

 

I wouldn't condone that attitude either, I would encourage anyone to embrace the changing landscape of the Star Wars universe and, whatever their personal opinion of the EU, to not act like a jerk about it.

 

Anyone else think there will be a major push to reimagine some of the big EU characters and get them into the new continuity some how? Even if they are 'legends' it's still possible source material and inspiration.

 

Which is exactly how they say they consider it. For that reason, I don't doubt it's POSSIBLE for there to be a reimagining of certain characters; don't ask me to guess which. The risk there is the same that came with rebooting Star Trek (which actually came to pass in that case): having cleared the decks of the past, they would then be just telling the same kinds of stories with the same characters all over again. All the storytelling potential of the open universe was therefore closed off almost immediately. While I wouldn't mind seeing a revised version of, say, Thrawn or Booster Terrik, depending on how it was done, I wonder if the new films would leave room for them, or if the canon would be best served by doing that. It's just going to take time for us to get a sense of the land. Then we'll know if it's doable.

 

Yeah, at this stage its really hard to figure exactly what they plan on doing with the characters and concepts in the EU. I would still love to see them do something on film with X-Wing, obviously it won't be exactly the same as the books, but if they ever did decide to make the leap from animation to live-action, a post Ep. VI Rogue Squadron series would seems to me like it would a pretty fun ride. X-Wing is a fun and funny series.

 

Definitely. I've said from the beginning that some of the really popular characters will make the jump. Thrawn and Mara Jade, for example.

 

Hell, Dark Force Rising will probably still be in print and selling long after Episode IX hits theaters. Even if Disney doesn't invest in adapting them or pulling those characters into the New Canon, they'll be around. Sort of like how Batman: The Dark Knight Returns comic series still sells (even if it's not canon). The material is too good for it to just roll over and die.

It may take twenty years, but eventually I expect Thrawn, Pellaeon, Mara Jade, and Talon Karrde to make the jump. (For those that don't know... The Dark Knight Return's Robin only got a canon nod this last year, hence my 'It may take twenty years' statement).

Wow a DC Comics analogy... better move on, hell if there's a Skywalker heir in VII and there's mention of a dead mother, I'd bet money on the novelization saying it was Mara. XD

 

I didn't expect rational discourse in this thread! RAR!!!

I think it's really likely at some point, in some medium, in the Disney era, that they'll be a Thrawn Trilogy adaptation. Generally, cornerstone stories of franchise fandom all get either a very specific or very vague adaptation. Heck, I'd say Thrawn is probably one of the most popular non-film character there is and I can see him being stolen from the EU non-canon void to be used in the new continuity in a film or TV product. I mean, they're using friggin Sinar Fleet Systems in Rebels! Friggin Sinar Fleet Systems!

 

Given how fans regard Thrawn as a classic Star Wars villain and given how Pelleaon signed the Bastion Accords, along with the fact that they are practically the only two Imperials who are aren't total genocidal bastards, I'd say that if a Thrawn Trilogy adaptation happens, and it probably will, it will be fairly faithful to the source material.

 

Agreed. All the EU is the Intellectual Copyright of Lucasfilm Ltd. for a reason, so they can reuse it! Well, at least cherry pick some of the cool stuff. Marvel just cherry picked and adapted The Winter Solider from their vast library of comic book resources and backstory and that seemed to have turned out okay for them.

 

I'd also go so far as to say that a Thrawn adaptation will happen sooner rather than later. I think the fans will eventually demand it.

 

I can't see it on the table in the next few years. Unless the character of Thrawn is adapted into the ST (not the most unlikely thing ever, actually) but I'm thinking at some point there will be Disney era content that fills the now-canon-less void between Ep. 6 & 7 they'll be a Thrawn trilogy type of adaptation.

 

Look as a EU reader and loved all that I read may not agree with everything in it but it kept Star Wars alive and moving foward for me or backwards with KOTOR, TOR. I have every right to be upset, worried and disappointed but at the same time I hope that JJ will give us a great start for the next trilogy in VII. I have faith that the good from EU will make it in VII and those that don't can get told after Rebels is done and maybe we will get an animation after ROTJ starting with the Thrawn trilogy. I look foward to reading the new books coming out they look to fill in some areas of the galaxy that have not been told. IMO EU haters or not we should all hold judgement till we see what VII's plot will be and who the other characters are besides the big three.