Lit A return to the Bantam Style

You're new here, aren't you?

 

People are looking at Bantam through rose tinted specs. The Warlord of the week books were so generic and predictable it just was not Starwars.

 

Even AHN could be argued as "generic space opera with a predictable plot"

For something to be "Just not Star Wars" - requires more than being generic, or predictable.

 

Yeah, both of those words can be applied to the movies and even later Del Rey era novels. I think various villains and events during the Bantam Era captured the feeling of Star Wars perfectly. There were some that were a little out there (Haven't read Crystal Star, but Waru's always sounded weird, then there's Callista on the Eye of Palpatine. Love Children of the Jedi, but that was weird.) but also some that were spot on.

 

My favorites from the Bantam era work precisely because they were trying to do something more than just copy the formula of the films. X-Wing novels I loved for developing the setting in a manner that struck me as more believably grounded than the special destiny Skywalker-centric universe of the films, while Planet of Twilight was my favorite Big 3 novel because its gloomy weird planet atmosphere seemed a far cry from a writer lifting a "Star Wars feeling" that had already been done.

 

I actually could go for another superweapon plot, if it's not just another "press button, planet goes boom" thing, something more subtle or complex than that. I could see a cool story coming out of a new type of weapon being developed that could disrupt the balance of power in the galaxy, and the conflict of the story is preventing another galactic war.

Sooo... pretty much rip off a Metal Gear plot. Except slightly less goofy and without four hour long dialogue scenes.

You don't fear the reboot... you welcome it. Your punishment must be more severe!

 

Would the "Bantam style" today be "Sith of the week"?

 

We already have that.......

 

I meant a different Sith Lord each book.

 

Allston books-Jacen calm for the most,
Traviss-Jacen-Must protect the galaxy!
Denning-Crazy Jacen!
FOTJ how many ever Sith there are in that series.

 

Might be. IMO, Bantam had the super weapon because of the OT. Seems like the Sith influence in the post NJO EU stems from the PT.

 

^That's a major issue right now, and in many ways Del Rey has done exactly what Bantam did. I'm so sick of Sith right now I'll probably set up a dart board with Abrams's face on it if he announced he's adding more Sith.

While I honestly liked a lot of Del Rey books, they were usually by the same few authors (Stover, Luceno, etc). In general, Del Rey stories have not been particularly good at introducing new characters and keeping them as part of the cast. Bantam was much more successful at this. Which is easier to do when you don't have 9 books series written by a bunch of different people.

 

I am beyond sick of multi-book series with Sith. Then again, I'm sick of Sith in general.

 

Something along the line of the Shadow Droid or X-1 Viper or maybe the chrysalis beast?

 

If you want to write a story with Sith, set it in the Old Republic era.

 

I don't understand

 

That era is where the Sith belong.

 

My fault, I read your original comment wrong

 

If by "Bantam Style," you mean "Bat-**** Crazy" then I'm all for it.

But, yeah, I'd welcome smaller stories: something like Rogue Planet. And also side stories: the X-Wing stuff was just pure gold and I don't see why another series in that vein couldn't work. Wedge is a genuine movie character, but I doubt his fate will be substantially explored in the new films.

 

Scoundrels might qualify as a "smaller story"- focusing on Han and Lando rather than Luke and Leia- and not on the Rebellion but on small-scale scheming.

 

Says the poster with a Sith avatar.

 

Palpatine lived in an era where Sith belong and is a good character.

 

The problem isn't Sith - it's badly done Sith, 1% Sith, Diet Coke Sith!

Similarly, if the story had enough fuel in the tank to sustain itself over 9 books and was well-done, no one would be complaining - but neither LOTF or FOTJ really do. In contrast NJO could have been far more than 20 books, or could have been 20 bigger books and there'd still be space for more stories.

(The problem with NJO is it went for Vong invade, push Republic to extinction, Republic rallies and wins. With 20 books it could have opted for a more shifting war a la DSN's Dominion War but with an infinite SFX budget!)

 

More NJO books FTW!

 

I'm thinking primarily of more stuff in the vein of the X-Wing Mercy Kill flashbacks.