Author Analysis: Walter Jon Williams

Discuss and analyze his style, his strengths and weaknesses as an author, whether he fills an authorial niche, if you would like to see him write again, etc. No bashing or gushing.

Previous Author Analyses:
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Roger MacBride Allen
John Ostrander
Steve Perry
Brian Daley
Barbara Hambly
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!

 

Not to sound ignorant, but what has he written?

 

Destiny's Way, one of the better books of the NJO-arc.

 

Also the Ylesia e-book.

 

I haven't read Ylesia. I liked Destiny's Way, largely because of the Vong. I loved the characterization of Shimrra and Nom Anor, and it was nice to get more of a view of Vong politics. Certain parts of the Battle of Ebaq 9 seemed to drag on a bit. The one thing I extremely disliked about the book was Tsavong Lah's death. That was just pathetic.

 

I really enjoyed Destiny's Way, but it lacked the emotional impact of Vector Prime & SbS.

 

Tsavong Lah went out like a punk even though Jaina was the one to do it.

What was that guy on?

I liked how he treated Vergere, this was one of the few books to show her that way.

 

Destiny's Way was one of the best books of the NJO. Characterizations were good and a lot of stuff had to happen and it went off pretty seamless.

 

I still don't like how Luke managed to rig the election while keeping his hands squeaky clean.

 

He handled the Knighting Ceremony very well. In fact that was a pretty emotional part of the book. I got teary-eyed when he described Anakin Jrs. pic being up and those that had died in the war. It was a pretty somber look at the impact of the Vong war, and captured a small piece of the emotion of the time right after 9-11.

 

Not only that, he turned him into a death loving idiot.


I enjoyed Destiny's Way, but stuff like that kept me from ranking it among the top five.

 

I liked Destiny's Way, buuuut it was kind of 'just a bunch of stuff that happened' as opposed to a cohesive story. Like WJW had a checklist of things that needed to occur in the book, but didn't really tie the seperate events together. That said, his writing itself wasn't too shabby, and Ylesia was so much fun I'm sad it got left out of Destiny's Way.

 

I was disappointed with Destiny's Way, I have to admit. It was bland, generic, and the backcover gives the ending right out. It had a mountain of problems, actually. Primary issue with eYlesia is that it too was just generic action, aside from Jagged foot rubbing Jaina in public. But that's the problem with Star Wars---what you see written there is nothing how one writes their own, so my impression is withheld pending further research.

I've only sampled the Praxis books lightly, but whether they too showed more depth at least someone is writing good old space opera. Proper space opera of empires and fleets, which is increasingly rare in the genre. I respect anyone who can bulldozer past editorial vipers to get that published today.

Williams consulted with the Battle of Blackwater's strategy, in A Clash of King's finale. We'll blame him for Tyrion's victory, shall we?

 

ACKBAR IS BACK!

Nuff said.

The day I read Destiny's Way was one of the best days I have had reading a EU novel.

I mean, who turned the tide of the war for the NR?

Ackbar!

Who brought back morale to the fleet?

Ackbar!

Who decided to write a novel with him as the hero?

Walter Jon Williams!

--Adm. Nick

 

I liked his books written for Star Wars, but I liked his Praxis books alot better.

 

Destiny's Way seemed to be a bland story following the tremendous fun of the Star By Star to Traitor books. He made a lot of choices in the book that hurt the value of long running plotlines (ending the Republic, offing Lah on a fluke), but didn't have the talent of a Denning or a Stover to make it come across enjoyably.

He proved to be a better author when tasked with events of lesser signifigance, such as those in Ylesia. There he delievered a Thrackan that was as good as ever, and made me long to see Thrackan return in a major villanous role (Swoons).

He was weaker in his "Republic Chief of State" plotline, as it was clear from a mile away that it was going to be the evil one from Enemy Lines. That came across poorly, as the evil chief of state was lacking believable motivation.

All in all, Williams was an ok author, but one who I think is worth hiring for future books, unless there is a serious lack of talent elsewhere at the time.

 

I found Destiny's Way to be the most underrated of all the NJO books. Everything was spot on and I have to echo Nick's remarks about the return of Ackbar. Finally we had intelligent leadership in the NJO and it looked like the series was going to take off into a violent and awesome counterattack which would end in the destruction of the Yuuzhan Vong. But then we got the Zonoma Sekot arc.

 

Uh, there is zero evidence that Omas is evil. He works with the Jedi and supported a means of ending the war peacefully. Furthermore, show me one instant in the NJO where Omas action is evil? He does approve a test of Alpha Red, but that was due to the desperation of the war, not some evil agenda.

I get real pissed when people start harping about Omas being evil. Some segments of SW fandom jsut have such a cynical view of politics that everyone is evil deep down.

--Adm. Nick

 

Those very same Jedi who rigged the election? Who were aware of, if not complicit in, the deaths of the majority of the Vong after the war was over?

Generally, those who work for evil are evil--or, at least, are considered to be so by the other side. Think of how most Imps were treated by the Rebels, even the accountants and bureaucrats....

 

Lord, people doubt the motives of Luke Skywalker?

LUKE SKYWALKER?!?!

I think it was a case of desparate times called for desparate measures. As for rigging, that is total BS. Sure the Jedi and their friends tried to get votes for Omas, but they did not edit ballots or destroy pro-Rodan votes. They strong armed senators who were hording supplies from refugees or fled Coruscant with whole fleets.

Did Williams ever show them strong arming a honorable senator? No. All he did was show the Jedi catching dishonest or corrupt senators.

--Adm. Nick

EDIT:

Death of the majority of Vong? Where the hell is the source for that? I would love to see it. Or is it just fan speculation...

 

I have three words to describe Destiny's Way:

ACKBAR IS BACK

Those words made me cheer outloud, and Williams wrote them...so he is ok in my book

 

Luke got Lando and Karrde to lobby for him against the senators against Cal, if that isn't dirty politics I don't know what is.

But I did like Ackbar, too ba what happens to him.

What I didn't l;ike was how he treated Leia and Jacen's meeting, he TOLD us rather than showed us. He SHOWED us the meeting with Luke and with Jaina but with Leia (apart from the message sent in the Force) he simply TOLD us in what should have beeen an emotional moment given that she was the only one who beleived Jacen was alive.

And who could forget this?

 

Lobbying is not dirty politics. It is part of politics. Has been a long time, for better or worse.

--Adm. Nick

 

Ylesia spoiler: I wasn't saying Omas was evil. In Ylesia it turns out to be the other Chief of State from Enemy Lines.

 

I'm very impressed with his work in DW. He had to cover Lah's death, the turning of the tide for the good guys, the rebirth of the NR as the GA, the resurgence of Jaina as a major character, Jacen's return, Luke talking with Vergere, Vergere's death, the return of Ackbar (ACKBAR IS BACK!), the entrance of Shimrra as a character, etc, and he handled it quite well, coming into the NJO three-quarters of the way through. He made a fun, fleet-action-packed book that stands with the best of the NJO. I'd really like to see him return to the GFFA.