Jedi Council Forums - Should each novel have an opening crawl?

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Author	Topic: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
The Gatherer Title: Manager Emeritus/TF.N Books Staff Registered: Aug '99	Date Posted: 2/13/04 7:30am Subject: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	I believe that each Star Wars novel should keep to the traditions of the Star Wars movies themselves, and include the traditional opening crawl. I think that this would make it more authentic. Do you think that it would be cool if this was mandatory? -----signature----- Co-Author - Timetales http://www.theforce.net/timetales ----------------------------------------------- TFN Books Contributor http://www.theforce.net/books
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AdmiralNick22 Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 2/13/04 7:32am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	The Dark Empire series of comics did. -----signature----- Fleet Junkie Founding Father Official Greatest Admiral Ackbar Fan "A peaceful Galactic Alliance is the strongest pillar of a peaceful galaxy." - Luke Skywalker "I will surrender, Admiral, when I can no longer fight!" - Admiral Gar Stazi A New Hope
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KamSolusar Registered: Mar '01	Date Posted: 2/13/04 7:49am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	That would be great! Many comics (TotJ, SotE, CE) and almost all games have opening crawls. Cloak of Deception is the only novel, that I know of, that has one. Kam
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Suzuki_Akira Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 2/13/04 7:51am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	Opening crawl? That weird scrolling credit-like description of the background content of the work? -----signature----- God is great, the Lord of all. "I find your lack of faith disturbing..." Those who dare oppose us will stand knee deep in the blood of their children. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=158008483
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JediTrilobite Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 2/13/04 7:51am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	The Heir to the Empire books did. I would think that all of the others would as well. I mean, whay not? -----signature----- Ever wonder what happened during the clone wars? Visit: http://www.theclonewarz.net My Blogs: http://www.jeditrilobite.com , http://tk3220.wordpress.com TK-3220, NEG VT Rep
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SteveMollmann Registered: Oct '03	Date Posted: 2/13/04 8:15am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	The movies have an opening crawl because it's a convenient way of dumping exposition on the viewer. Personally, I think it's a little clumsy, but I suppose it's better than having Qui-Gon saying, "As you know, Obi-Wan, the Supreme Chancellor has sent two emissaries--namely, us--to the blockaded planet of Naboo." On the other hand, it's completely unneccessary in a novel, where such exposition can easily be incorporated into the text of the narrative. -----signature----- Star Wars: Betrayed Federation http://www.starwarsfanworks.com/betrayed.html A fan audio from the century after Ruusan
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The Gatherer Title: Manager Emeritus/TF.N Books Staff Registered: Aug '99	Date Posted: 2/13/04 8:44am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	I don't believe that the original Thrawn trilogy had the traditional opening crawl. To have an opening crawl in each novel would not be clumsy, but enhancen the tradition and empower the storyline with an entrenched authenticity. -----signature----- Co-Author - Timetales http://www.theforce.net/timetales ----------------------------------------------- TFN Books Contributor http://www.theforce.net/books
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Excellence Registered: Jul '02	Date Posted: 2/14/04 4:56am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	Cloak of Deception had something like it. In really stupid outline lettering that made it all but impossible to read . . . I don't see the point, really, as you have the back synopsis for that. And the movie ones are annoying. Why do they have the occasional capitalised word in the sentences, why the emphasis? -----signature----- Rock-a-by baby, on the treetop, Beaming with pride, the filth they hold, But when the wind blows, my temper implodes, High above a pit, filled with sharkticons, Down will come hardcover addicts, beaming no more. ©
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Mateo Registered: Mar '01	Date Posted: 2/14/04 5:47am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	I think its because most authors dont know how to write one without making it sound stupid so they relie on the back of the book to give the basic plot and details. But it would be nice if all of them had one,it would make the story seem more dire and dramatic.
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Leto II Registered: Jan '00	Date Posted: 2/14/04 9:31am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	Someone in here mentioned Cloak of Deception's "crawl," but didn't Michael Reaves' Darth Maul novel also contain one, or am I simply misremembering? -----signature----- "If there's one thing I hate, it's losing. If there's TWO things I hate, it's losing and getting cancer." - Kenny Powers
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cooker Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 2/14/04 9:31am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	Personally, I love the movie crawls: they wouldn't be the same without 'em. In books? Well... For some I could see it working, but others, ie. the closely connected trilogies, the crawl would just be a rehash of the last book. The Thrawn trilogy essentially takes place one right after the other: there's no appreciable time between books, so if they had a crawl it would be something extraneous like : DARK FORCE RISING It is a dark time for the New Republic. A rejuvenated EMPIRE, under the command of the mysterious GRAND ADMIRAL THRAWN, has struck at the fledging government with their fleet of... yadda yadda yadda It's just not nessecary. I guess the opening crawl works better as a more cinematic device, which is why it looks cool in the movies and games. In books, unless it takes place in an unexplored era, it's not really needed -----signature----- Comics of a mildly inappropriate nature. http://www.pickleandrock.tk If you don't like it, you're not alone.
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darth_paul Registered: Apr '00	Date Posted: 2/14/04 10:32am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	Go watch about a dozen fan films. Then come back here and say you still like opening crawls. I dare you. I think they're totally and utterly pointless for books. As someone else said, that's easily woven into the narrative. They would also be more annoying than Jar-Jar, Droma, and the Ewoks all together. -Paul -----signature----- So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause.
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Darth-Seldon Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 2/14/04 10:35am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	I say leave it to the films! I don't think the Thrawn Trilogy has opening crawls and I read them last month. Seldon -----signature----- Isaac Asimov was an innovative genius All posters are equal but some posters are more equal than others. JOE BIDEN 2012
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Raven Title: SFF: Books and Comics Mangler Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 2/14/04 10:42am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	HTTE has a crawl. Anyone notice that Zahn's books all begin in the same way as the OT movies, with a Star Destroyer in space? -----signature----- 1. Seek enlightenment. 2. ??? 3. Prophet.
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Spacehunter24 Registered: Jan '03	Date Posted: 2/14/04 11:10am Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	The Thrawn Trilogy does have crawls. However, they're on the back covers, not actually in the books themselves. -----signature----- Pardon Our Dust: This Signature Is Currently Under Construction Reopening Soon.
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Leto II Registered: Jan '00	Date Posted: 2/14/04 12:32pm Subject: RE: Should each novel have an opening crawl?
	On the hardcover first printings of the Thrawn trilogy novels, though, only the first book contains a "crawl" on the back cover -- the following two featured a number of critical "blurbs" from reviews. The paperback editions might be different; I don't know. On another note: for a while back in the early 1990s, "opening crawls" were indeed the order of the day over at Dark Horse for their SW series...every issue of the three Dark Empire runs, plus all of the Tales of the Jedi issues up through (I believe) the end of Fall of the Sith Empire featured these. It seems that these were finally dropped after 1996, or thereabouts. -----signature----- "If there's one thing I hate, it's losing. If there's TWO things I hate, it's losing and getting cancer." - Kenny Powers
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