Continuity Can Be a Bad Thing

As more and more EU is published, the scope for unknown facts about our heroes diminishes. Also, each new book (or comic, or whatever) has more and more previously published "facts" that have to be taken into account. This smothers the artistic integrity of SW authors.

I propose that the Alternate Universe label be greatly expanded. Let authors write whatever they want, as long as it doesn't become positively repulsive (Han as a child molester, Leia running a brothel, etc.). By giving artists free reign, their works will have more integrity.

For example, Dark Empire was originally written to take place shortly after the end of ROTJ. But, in the interests of continuity, it was shoved forward six years; so it had to rather awkwardly include the Solo twins, the Thrawn affair, etc. The story of Dark Empire would have been better had it been allowed to exist in an AU of its own. So would many other SW stories.

Each book or comic or whatever could (if its author so wished) have a list right up front of the other SW works (if any) that are "true" in this particular book. I could imagine, for example, a book about a rather dark version of a GFFA having the following introductory note:

The following sources are considered to have "really happened": The OT, Dark Empire, Dark Empire II, and Empire's End. All other sources are ignored. This story takes place one year after Empire's End...

What does everyone think?

 

Continuity is the best thing about the Star Wars universe. Unlike some other franchises, everything in the SW universe is continuous with everything else.

 

nah, personally like how things have gone so far.

 

Don't change anything. Infinities is fine for those "alternate" stories.

 

I totally, utterly, without a doubt sincerly disagree with you without remorse!

Continuity is one of THE best aspects of the Star Wars Universe...

 

This continuity has forced them to start contradicting and retconning stuff like crazy. First the GoDV series weren't part of official continuity now they're saying it is and trying very hard to incorporate it into the continuity. The matter is you can't do it without contradicting either Wolverton or the Davids and compromising their work. Even stuff they have retconned they have later came back and reretconned example is the whole Naga Sadow and Freedom Nadd thing.

And lets not forget the Jedi vs Sith thing. In the story by Anderson we've Bane without a apprentice yet in the Jedi vs Sith comic Bane gets his apprentice which contradicted Anderson's earlier story and the TPM novelization. So in order to do that we've to gut the Jedi vs Sith comic just for it to fit continutiy.

Another example is that kid in Children of the Jedi who was most likely Palpatine's son. Hambly (even if she was a horrible writer) probably intended him to be the Emperor's son. Nobody though it was wrong until 5 years after the book was published and decided to retcon it. I'm sorry. but I don't understand the point of this. What was the point of retconning it except maybe to give us more detail on Sarcev Quest?

In my opinion too much continuity is a bad thing, but then too much of anything is a bad thing. Continuity is forcing them to change the works of the original writers and taking out the punch or point of several of the book. And I seriously doubt any of the writers signed onto writing the books with knowledge that their work was going to be contradicted massively and gutted at a latter date.

 

Continuity is one of the best aspects of SW. Having multiple AU stories, each picking and choosing what the want to follow would probably confuse the hell out of may readers. I'd probably be one of them.

 

im with mastadge on this one. i would write it out, but im too lazy.

 

"First the GoDV series weren't part of official continuity now they're saying it is and trying very hard to incorporate it into the continuity."

Wrong it has always been part of continuity since it came out, and refrenced in practically every star wars universe resource book that has come since it being written.

Anyone who thinks it wasn't part of the official continuity is either in denial or have a total misconception of LFL's policies.

"The matter is you can't do it without contradicting either Wolverton or the Davids and compromising their work."

Wolverton contradicted the davids, but not terrible bad, the wedding never actually takes place in GODV, just leia starting to go up to the dais, something could have disrupted it. Plus there are other theories as well.


"And lets not forget the Jedi vs Sith thing. In the story by Anderson we've Bane without a apprentice yet in the Jedi vs Sith comic Bane gets his apprentice which contradicted Anderson's earlier story and the TPM novelization. So in order to do that we've to gut the Jedi vs Sith comic just for it to fit continutiy."

Dan Wallace has said:

"My thought is that perhaps Rain isn't his apprentice. The end of JvS implies that she is, but without flash-forwarding several years into the future (which it doesn't), there's certainly the possiblity that any connection between Rain & Bane was something less than a partnership."

"And I seriously doubt any of the writers signed onto writing the books with knowledge that their work was going to be contradicted massively and gutted at a latter date."

Actually many of the authors talk about what they called a "shared universe", and how LFL ultimately owns the rights, and what goes in the universe.

 

But can't we have our cake (EU continuity) and eat it too (AU diversity)?

Each SW book or comic could be published under one of two labels: EU or AU.

Everything published under EU would fit into the continuity.

Everything published under AU would have the entire GFFA to itself.

We need more than 4 comic books in the AU line. A lot more.

Placing all our eggs in the basket of continuity threatens the viability of SW publishing. Things are growing ossified in the EU. There's hardly any elbow room left. Imagine:


"I have a great idea for a story about how Luke, Han, and company do such-and-so two years after ROTJ!"

No, won't work. That year is already filled-up on the timeline.

"Well, how about a story in which Luke becomes a benevolent king of the galaxy and marries a Jedi woman who escaped the purge and starts a Jedi dynasty..."

No, no, no. That contradicts the continuity. Luke is married to Mara.

"OK, how about a story in which Han never marries Leia but returns to a life of smuggling?"

No dice. Han married Leia and is an integral part of the Republic.

"Um, then what can I write about?"

You could write a story focusing on Jaina Solo.

"Who?"


Forcing all SW writers into the continuity squashes the vast majority of their ideas. Also, the readership of the SW novels is getting ever more "incestuous". By that I mean that it is appealing to an ever shrinking circle. No one outside of EU readers knows or cares about the Solo children. Your casual SW fan would buy a SW book that focused on Luke and Han shortly after the OT; but that same fan doesn't give a fig about reading about strange teenage Jedi Knights saving the galaxy as the movie heroes just sort of watch.

Mark my word. Without greatly expanding the AU line, SW publishing is going to go straight downhill. I would give it 6 more years, tops, before the whole operation is shut down.

 

You know, as long as you let the EU that already exists continue to exist, that's not a bad idea. They should only puclish a couple AU books first, though, just to see the readers' reactions to it.

 

I dont really have a opinion. For all I care leave it the way it is. The Authors no best. Really I mean if It was my way it be about the chiss and mysteriouse aliens conquering the vong. It may sound cool to some, but it may be totally stupid for others.

 

By the way, LFL has the right to"squash" any ideas. I see no shortage of material for authors to write about; after all, the GFFA is a very large place.

 

Yeah your right, exactly what happened with Knightfall.

 

What was Knightfall supposed to be about anyways?

 

It Was soppost to be about some Jedi Mission involving Danni Qua and some other jedi.

 

Thanx. I think they focus a little too much on Danni, especially after she rejected Jacen. Maybe it's just me, but in SbS, the yammosk tracking scenes kinda got boring after awhile.

 

it would be interesting to see acouple AU/infinitys novels.

 

All I know is, I like reading every SW novel that comes out, some I like more than others, but there are none that I don't like. However, if they ever did publish an AU novel, I would not read it because what would be the point? To me, even if SW isn't real, the continuity allows for stories that "really happened" to our heroes in the GFFA, and if an AU novel was published, what would be the point of reading it if it didn't "really happen"? thats just my opinion

 

I respond with an emphatic no.

I read SW EU for the continuity. I enjoy cataloguing and writing short biographies on different aspects of the GFFA. With a lot of AU, there'd be a lot of bantha poodoo out there that I'd have to ignore.

Also, where would character development go? Sure there'd be some book inclusive character development, but what about the character development we've seen spanning dozens of books?

And what makes DE so special? It wasn't directly written by Lucas, so why should it get continuity priority above the Thrawn triology?

Personally, I believe that with an entire galaxy out there, authors should not even think of creating more work.

 

"Wrong it has always been part of continuity since it came out, and refrenced in practically every star wars universe resource book that has come since it being written.

Anyone who thinks it wasn't part of the official continuity is either in denial or have a total misconception of LFL's policies. "

Interesting. Just out of curiosity why wasn't GoDV series in any of the earlier essential guide timelines? I mean they had Courtship, but they didn't have GoDV and it gave me the false impression that they were ignoring it.

"Wolverton contradicted the davids, but not terrible bad, the wedding never actually takes place in GODV, just leia starting to go up to the dais, something could have disrupted it. Plus there are other theories as well."

But why did Bantam allow Wolverton to do this? What they did pretty much screwed over continuity that resulted in the Davids getting a portion of their book contradicted. They should just have declared one of them AU.

"Dan Wallace has said:


'My thought is that perhaps Rain isn't his apprentice. The end of JvS implies that she is, but without flash-forwarding several years into the future (which it doesn't), there's certainly the possiblity that any connection between Rain & Bane was something less than a partnership.'"

No offense, but wouldn't it just cheapen the story? I mean the whole thing was nobody thought the girl was going to be one going over to the dark side and so her fall kinda makes it even more tragic. But then this fiasco was Dark Horse's fault.

"Actually many of the authors talk about what they called a "shared universe", and how LFL ultimately owns the rights, and what goes in the universe. "

I know that, but I doubt they wanted their stories to be contradicted no matter how horrible they were.

 

I think LFL could licence some AU but make sure that it doesnt fit into the EU. All it would take is an AU or EU at the top of the spine and in one of the corners on the cover.Then if a fan wants EU thy can look and the same if they want AU. Personally I would read both as long as it was easy to tell between the two.

 

I don't mind continuity so much as I mind all those arguements over it. That's the part that I don't like. Personally, I think it's good that the Star Wars universe tells a story that remains relatively consistent throughout, with only a few errors in continuity. Any writer that finds continuity to be a prison for their creativity isn't thinking creatively enough. Plus, if AU stuff is what people are looking for then look no further than the fanfiction boards on this server. They're great if you just want to read something totally different.

Jae Angel

 

I think continuity is VERY important. It's one of the things that draws me back to Star Wars.

 

"No offense, but wouldn't it just cheapen the story? I mean the whole thing was nobody thought the girl was going to be one going over to the dark side and so her fall kinda makes it even more tragic. But then this fiasco was Dark Horse's fault"

Do you really care about the integrity of that story? It was kinda crap. Fun to read but crap.