| Author |
Topic:
Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
Havac
Title: Lit Mod of Awayness
Registered:
Sep '05
|
Date Posted:
5/22/06 8:26am
Subject:
Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
Welcome to the newest Author Analysis. Feel free to discuss Ann C. Crispin as an author. What are her strengths and weaknesses? What is unique about her? As always, no bashing or gushing is allowed.
Previous Author Analyses:
K. W. Jeter
Sean Stewart
Haden Blackman
Greg Keyes
Michael Stackpole
Kevin J. Anderson
Matthew Stover
Michael Reaves
Aaron Allston
Go at it! 
-----signature-----
Slaughter is the best medicine
Recipient of Thrawn McEwok's Sexually Ambiguous Tusken Raider™ and a Special Golden Ewok™
"Reality doesn't care if you believe it." - Boba Fett
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
AdmiralWesJanson
Registered:
May '05
|
Date Posted:
5/22/06 8:44am
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
|
My initial reaction is split. On one hand, the Han Solo trilogy is both exciting and entertaining, as well as managing to tie in a good portion of his history without impinging on other sources. On the other, I have issues with the character of Bria Tharen, who despite a rather full character arc, feels a little too involved in the universe for a band new character.
-----signature-----
Duke of Corellia
Join the Corellian Browncoats in their fight against the evil Alliance!
Fix the K-Wing!
No more XJs! Make the next X-Wing a T-65K!
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
dp4m
Registered:
Nov '01
|
Date Posted:
5/22/06 8:58am
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
AdmiralWesJanson posted:
My initial reaction is split. On one hand, the Han Solo trilogy is both exciting and entertaining, as well as managing to tie in a good portion of his history without impinging on other sources. On the other, I have issues with the character of Bria Tharen, who despite a rather full character arc, feels a little too involved in the universe for a band new character.
Yeah, you want the original rabid fan base against a continuty nightmare and you have Bria Tharen.
It wasn't any prettier then either, I might add.
-----signature-----
"Looks like you're about to get pwned" - Eric Cartman
"Awarding experience points for cleverly and creatively generating an enjoyable experience. How warped is that?" - Darths & Droids
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
AidenSunfell
Registered:
Aug '05
|
Date Posted:
5/22/06 9:15am
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
|
Oh, Dp4m, pull up the old armchair and tell all us youngsters about it. If you don't mind
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Fingolfin_Noldor
Registered:
Aug '04
|
Date Posted:
5/22/06 9:16am
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
AdmiralWesJanson posted:
My initial reaction is split. On one hand, the Han Solo trilogy is both exciting and entertaining, as well as managing to tie in a good portion of his history without impinging on other sources. On the other, I have issues with the character of Bria Tharen, who despite a rather full character arc, feels a little too involved in the universe for a band new character.
Well, at least Bria Tharen is dead. Are the continuity issues to do with the Toprawan incident involving the Alliance?
I have agree that among a lot of the trilogies, the Han Solo Trilogy was a good piece of original work, which is a rarity in the EU. For once we are given a down to earth portrait of how Han Solo is as a person and not some death-defying hero, despite the fact he does escape death a few times in the trilogy but he had help and certainly couldn't do it alone.
-----signature-----
For of old there was Sauron and the Sindar in Beleriand named him Gorthaur.
Fingolfin, High King of the Noldor, Lord of Beleriand.
Of the line of the Elven Kings of the Noldor, only the Numenorean Kings and the Half-Elven carry the line
Fleet Junkie!!!
Lo
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
dp4m
Registered:
Nov '01
|
Date Posted:
5/22/06 10:23am
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
Fingolfin_Noldor posted:
AdmiralWesJanson posted:
My initial reaction is split. On one hand, the Han Solo trilogy is both exciting and entertaining, as well as managing to tie in a good portion of his history without impinging on other sources. On the other, I have issues with the character of Bria Tharen, who despite a rather full character arc, feels a little too involved in the universe for a band new character.
Well, at least Bria Tharen is dead. Are the continuity issues to do with the Toprawan incident involving the Alliance?
I have agree that among a lot of the trilogies, the Han Solo Trilogy was a good piece of original work, which is a rarity in the EU. For once we are given a down to earth portrait of how Han Solo is as a person and not some death-defying hero, despite the fact he does escape death a few times in the trilogy but he had help and certainly couldn't do it alone.
Except that the portrait of Han Solo we are given contradicts just about every previous source material on the matter (including Lucas' own work) we have on Han Solo with the exception of the Han Solo Adventures (which take place in-between the HST novels, I believe).
This is where the problem originates, in addition to Bria Tharen's involvement with the Rebellion now being nearly impossible, given what we now know the time-frame to be. It suffers from the same problem as Tim Zahn being apparently instructed by LFL to "stay away from Clone Wars dates" and doing it anyways and causing us to have date issues now.
-----signature-----
"Looks like you're about to get pwned" - Eric Cartman
"Awarding experience points for cleverly and creatively generating an enjoyable experience. How warped is that?" - Darths & Droids
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Havac
Title: Lit Mod of Awayness
Registered:
Sep '05
|
Date Posted:
5/22/06 10:57am
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
dp4m posted:
Fingolfin_Noldor posted:
AdmiralWesJanson posted:
My initial reaction is split. On one hand, the Han Solo trilogy is both exciting and entertaining, as well as managing to tie in a good portion of his history without impinging on other sources. On the other, I have issues with the character of Bria Tharen, who despite a rather full character arc, feels a little too involved in the universe for a band new character.
Well, at least Bria Tharen is dead. Are the continuity issues to do with the Toprawan incident involving the Alliance?
I have agree that among a lot of the trilogies, the Han Solo Trilogy was a good piece of original work, which is a rarity in the EU. For once we are given a down to earth portrait of how Han Solo is as a person and not some death-defying hero, despite the fact he does escape death a few times in the trilogy but he had help and certainly couldn't do it alone.
Except that the portrait of Han Solo we are given contradicts just about every previous source material on the matter (including Lucas' own work) we have on Han Solo with the exception of the Han Solo Adventures (which take place in-between the HST novels, I believe).
How so?
-----signature-----
Slaughter is the best medicine
Recipient of Thrawn McEwok's Sexually Ambiguous Tusken Raider™ and a Special Golden Ewok™
"Reality doesn't care if you believe it." - Boba Fett
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
dp4m
Registered:
Nov '01
|
Date Posted:
5/22/06 11:19am
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
Han's childhood with Bey.
Han's romantic engagements before Leia.
Han's memories of the Clone Wars are suspect given his wherabouts during the Clone Wars (with Shrike).
The Clone Wars timing is now messed up.
Bria's involvement with the Rebellion is now impossible (from a certain point of view).
The list goes on and on, but basically suffers from all pre-AOTC EU which specifically attempts to pin down anything time-wise pre-Rebellion or Clone Wars.
-----signature-----
"Looks like you're about to get pwned" - Eric Cartman
"Awarding experience points for cleverly and creatively generating an enjoyable experience. How warped is that?" - Darths & Droids
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Excellence
Registered:
Jul '02
|
Date Posted:
5/23/06 3:07am
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
It's not the author, but the editors who (supposedly) edit the manuscript. If clone war dates were prohibited, it's their job and really, final say.
-----signature-----
My utilisation of complex locution to ask what's more pathetic, fans who worship their
movie actors, or the actors who couldn't give a damn, is more a reflection of my own
superincumbent mental actuity than any circumscribed lexicon. Don't you agree?
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Pershing
Registered:
Sep '05
|
Date Posted:
5/23/06 4:29am
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
While you guys discuss the exciting timeline elements of the novels, I'm going to say that in any event this is easily one of my favorite story arcs in the entire EU. I admit I derive a great deal of enjoyment reading about the SW underworld, so to me this is my bread and butter as far as SW literature goes. Not only that, we get tie-ins to Dark Empire, the Han Solo Adventures, Shadows of the Empire, the Corellian Trilogy, Tales of the Bounty Hunters, and probably others I missed. It's an added bonus that these tie-ins are done well. Over the course of the three books we are treated to one adventure after another involving half the SW rogues gallery. Now I admit the trilogy doesn't have much of an overall plotline beyond Han's love for Bria and generally just following Han around. But that's a good thing. There are no galaxy shaking events to be had here, instead we see character development and the storylines of various characters being fleshed out.
People say that it's boggling that Han found out the love of his life was dead just before he met Luke and Obi-Wan, however I don't think that's entirely true. Han Solo isn't one to break down and go into shock, especially if this concerns someone who betrayed his trust as Bria did. I mean, he was hurt deeply but he dealt with it in typical Han Solo fashion: jaded cynicism.
-----signature-----
"I think, therefore I am. Therefore I must destroy" - old droid proverb
"You know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I go get and beat you with until you understand who's in ruttin' command here." - Jayne Cobb
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
younghansolo
Registered:
Jun '02
|
Date Posted:
5/23/06 7:54am
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
I thought Ann did a great job with Han, especially as a youngling and i think she did very well to create a character in Bria that i actually thought han should haven ended up with more than Leia. (just my opinion)
I feel terribly sorry for her that a lot of the story is now contradictory and wish she could re-write it to suit what we now know of the past. I certainly prefer the back story of Han to one of the suggested ones i heard, where he grew up on Kassyyk. My only quibble was the lack of time spent when han was in the navy, which at the time made me think they would do a comic set in this period.
Her style is easy to follow and not overly lexically challenging, which makes it idea vacation reading, sitting in the sun imagining you're Han solo. My favorite part of the book is how easy it is to imagine the chacters and what they are waering, something i struggle with in some other star wars novels, which helps to make her books my favourite series in the EU.
-----signature-----
watching prison break the other night they said the elec chair makes you incontinent. So does that mean that mace windu pooped himself right before he went out the window? Or did Luke make a stain on
the death star? maybe DV died of embarasment?
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Havac
Title: Lit Mod of Awayness
Registered:
Sep '05
|
Date Posted:
5/23/06 8:56am
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
|
What I like most about her work is that she was able to take pretty much every reference to Han Solo's past, work it in, and explain it without it feeling like a collection of references put together for the sake of having the references. She writes Han and the assorted characters well and gives him a deep backstory. While not a magnificent prose writer, she doesn't have any serious weaknesses as a writer and has produced a solid trilogy.
-----signature-----
Slaughter is the best medicine
Recipient of Thrawn McEwok's Sexually Ambiguous Tusken Raider™ and a Special Golden Ewok™
"Reality doesn't care if you believe it." - Boba Fett
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Card_Dreamer
Registered:
Aug '03
|
Date Posted:
5/23/06 1:56pm
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
|
How exactly is Bria's involvement in the Rebellion impossible?
-----signature-----
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
dp4m
Registered:
Nov '01
|
Date Posted:
5/23/06 2:25pm
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
Card_Dreamer posted:
How exactly is Bria's involvement in the Rebellion impossible?
Unless you believe that Mon Mothma and others waited the approximately 7 - 9 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith required to sustain Bria's background that she was intrumental in the formation of the earliest cells of the Rebel Alliance then it simply no longer works.
Unless she was really that much of a drug addict to believe it, I suppose.
-----signature-----
"Looks like you're about to get pwned" - Eric Cartman
"Awarding experience points for cleverly and creatively generating an enjoyable experience. How warped is that?" - Darths & Droids
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
AdmiralWesJanson
Registered:
May '05
|
Date Posted:
5/23/06 7:02pm
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
RotS- Mon Mothma, Bel Iblis, Bail Organa, Fang Zhar, and others all decide that the Petition of 2000 didn't work, and that a resistance needs to be formed. They decide to stay low, and so set up the foundations on their own worlds, keeping low.
Atrivis- Mantooine and Fest begin to coordinate their resistance after a disasterous strike on Mantooine that Fest knew was coming.
Corellian Treaty- Mon Mothma, Bail, and Bel Iblis decide that the time is right to openly merge their resistance groups, and have Mothma make a Declaration of Rebellion.
Bria could have influenced the merging of the groups rather than the creation.
-----signature-----
Duke of Corellia
Join the Corellian Browncoats in their fight against the evil Alliance!
Fix the K-Wing!
No more XJs! Make the next X-Wing a T-65K!
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
LtNOWIS
Registered:
May '05
|
Date Posted:
5/23/06 7:07pm
Subject:
RE: Author Analysis: Ann C. Crispin
|
I thought that the Alliance timeline pre-dated Crispin's involvement. Didn't the Rebel Alliance Sourcebook establish the Rebel Alliance proper as pretty new, with the Declaration of Rebellion and the Corellian Treaty being newly written?
Regardless, a distinction can be made between the Rebel Alliance proper and prior resistance movements.
-----signature-----
|
Locked Topic |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
