Author Analysis: Barbara Hambly

You know the drill. Analyze Hambly as a writer. No bashing or gushing.

Previous Author Analyses:
Dave Wolverton
Troy Denning
Ann C. Crispin
K. W. Jeter
Sean Stewart
Haden Blackman
Greg Keyes
Michael Stackpole
Kevin J. Anderson
Matthew Stover
Michael Reaves
Aaron Allston

Go at it!

 

It's been quite a while since I've read CotJ and PoT, and, like Anderson, her novels are best read whilst young. Her premises are laudable, but some elements feel either like they don't belong in Star Wars (Dzym and the Drochs), are just plain impossible (Gammoreans learning how to speak basic? I thought they couldn't because of their voiceboxes), and I felt an overall sense of childishness in CotJ. She's kinda like Jeter: not a bad sci-fi writer, but not a good Star Wars writer.

 

I felt reading Children of the Jedi that it was too heavy in some places (haven't read POT). The premise of Callista was interesting enough but because there was very little flow in the novel that the point didn't come across as Hambly wanted

 

I liked Children of the Jedi, though I guess I'm not your average fan---I'm not as interested in the main characters and writing style as most. Her work contains a lot of tiny name-drops that just seem to flesh out the galaxy. Did we need to know the names of Han's favorite sports teams? No, but its there anyway. And though the Gamorrean-talking thing doesn't make sense, I liked how she fleshed out the big pigs (she seems to like Gamorreans, since she used them in one of her short stories too... )


And she used MSEs in abundance, which always gets a big in my book.

 

The building and short career of the Eye of Palpatine is something I'm dyig to read a story about. And she was the first to use Thrawn's hint about other Hands.

 

I agree that Hambly is not a bad writer, her work is quite competent, but I also agree that it often doesn´t feel like SW. And the whole Callista episode was something that I am unable to swallow easily; couldn´t she have just been frozen in carbonite, if Luke really had to fall in love with a Jedi from the Old Republic? CoJ is also one of those books that hasn´t stood the test of time and is in a need of some rewriting because of the PT. Altogether, I have nothing really negative or positive to say about Hambly. She did her work competently, but the work was relatively average and I really don´t feel like the world would need another SW book from her.

 

Judging from Children of the Jedi(as I have yet to read Planet of Twilight, Barbara Hambly weaved a tale with a distinct style that makes COTJ my favourite standalone post-ROTJ novel. Written with a maturity far beyond many current EU novels, Hambly surpases her contemporaries.

If you have not read any of my previous novel reviews, I consider the actual writing to be equal in importance to the story. How the prose presents itself matters a great deal. Outside of the EU I dig Chuck Palahniuk and Garth Ennis. Anyone that reads Fight Club or Preacher will comment on the individuality of the prose. Within the EU I enjoy Stover and McDowell, who both stand out stylistically. Speaking about Hambly, her writing puts the reader into a near dreamlike state with her poetic usage of the written word. Sentences like "He could see his lightsaber. He exerted his will toward it. It wobbled on the floor and began rolling toward him." never show up in Hambly's work due to her having a mastery of English higher than a sixth grade level. Seriously look at other EU novels from a pure writing POV. George Zahnmero rewrites Heir to the Empire of the Dead everytime. Luceno without his lists shows how skeletal Luceno writing is. From a pure style perspective, Hambly trumps virtually everyone.

Leia's and Han's characterizations in Hambly's work outshines every other EU writer. Leia and Han actually act like a couple in Hambly's writing compared to the horrific portrayal in New Jedi Order. Hambly portrays Leia as someone confident in her Jedi heritage but not in a over-the-top manner. Denning has Leia act like Leia-El, Last Daughter of Alderaan. Superpowered Jedi showing inferior writing aside, Leia not going "uber-1337" supports both G and C canon. Very rarely a Jedi goes Kryptonian, the few instences usually falling under dubious reasons. Hambly acknowledges Leia going the Jedi way in earlier sources, yet Hambly does not fall on the Force powered cruch. Hambly excels in that catergory.

Luke finally receives proper treatment. He does not act like a god as in Denning's novels, nor does Luke act underpowered like he does in Zahn's novels. Under the circumstances, Luke acted in character. Operating with an injured leg shows strength of will on Luke's part. The quickness of the romance with Callista reveals the part of Luke's character that had not been nutured- his love life. Luke never had a serious long-term relationship before the events of COTJ. Luke hooking up with Callista paints the portrait of a man who has everything except what matters most, a lover. Callista spent the several decades stuck in a computer along with living a life that shuns love. Inexperienced lovers act hastily. The two falling quickly makes perfect sense due to the characters' histories. Hambly also writes the interaction perfectly. Hambly does not need a Force bond cruch like Luke and Mara, just the written word. I applaud Hambly for managing to write relationships well when most of her fellow authors fail.

Concerning the Eye of Palpatine, it serves the macguffin role. The superweapon of the month is not the focal point of the Luke sections. The Eye symbolizes Luke's literal and symbolic journey into the unknown. On a literal level, Luke must deal with unpredictability of the various brainwashed aliens onboard the Eye along with surprises a decades old battle station. On a deeper level; Luke confronts the history of Jedi(why the Eye was built), what makes a person a Jedi(Callista's sacrifise), and his empty love life(seeing Cray's love of Nichos juxaposed against Luke's yearning for love). Hambly takes a symbolic spin on a trite plot line, making it interesting. Those traits symbolize a mature writer, which Hambly is.

I know this will make me sound like Excellence 2.0, but Hambly's writing clearly outshines the teen drive Del Rey premotes. Hambly's novels requires the reader involvement, not sitting back and allowing a simple reading of the novel(Allston, Luceno, Stewart, Denning; you guys stand guilty). Fo

 

Much of CotJ is written in an odd, stream of consciousness flow.

I LOATHE stream of consciousness.

PoT was a little better, but then she had to bring in Daala.

 

I enjoyed Children of the Jedi. I didn't like Planet of Twilight then, and refuse to comment further unless I reread it for better analysis.

 

The Wolf of Winterfel snipers opinionated insightful, not even mullet McGuiver can get himself out of that Cube.

 

I like Hambly's short stories, but I could barely get through CotJ for her aforementioned flowing prose. Every sentence does not have to be a lucid, poetic walk on a rainbow. Reading CotJ was like listening to Pink Floyd.

Which is not to say it's bad. Just not my thing.

I do like the attention to detail. And the smart Gamorreans.

That's why, after years of letting it collect dust, I've decided to go ahead and tackle PoT. So far I like it a little better.

If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go drop some acid and start on Chapter 3...

 

I think Sniper_Wolf was joking.

Anyway, Hambly is pretty low on my "favorite authors" list. Her books, Planet of Twilight in particular, were rather horrible as far as I'm concerned. Not as bad as The Crystal Star, but still pretty bad.

 

I can see you are unfamiliar with me. If I had been joking I would not have written the post. I would spent the time eating a snow cone.

I degress Havac-Wan. Maybe it is due to the fact I appear to be one of the five people on the entire JC to get Excellence(Really, Excellence speak is not that complex to decode), but the two of us are operating on the same plane of existence. How can I undersell an author who writes unnecessary exposition that clogs the flow of the novel(Luceno), who have characters known for their jokes-lame or not- lose their sense of humor for the duration of the work(Zahn), who does not believe in the proper use of the English language(Allston), or writes an "adult" novel that exhibits less maturity than the first Harry Potter novel along with those filthy full names(Stewart)? I am particular in what I want. An inferior product should never be tolerated. I fully believe in excellence(methaphorically, literarlly, and JC wise).

How does Hambly's bugs differ from New Jedi Order's bugs?

I can see why people wouldn't dig that. In my own writing for school I usually use stream of consciousness. It conects to me due to the form resembling thought processes.