Don't you think the NJO dramatis personaes are poorly done?

I know it isn't very crucial, but IMO the "Dramatis Personae" at the beginning of each NJO novel isn't very good. They're always the same format, which makes it uninteresting, and they're terribly unorganized. Some of them are alphabetical, which is better than nothing, but most others just list the names randomly, making it awfully confusing.

The best DP I think is the one for Aaron Allston's books. There, the DP's are actually ORGANIZED by different affiliations (i.e. New Republic, Jedi, Yuuzhan Vong).

But besides the organization part, the DP IMO should also list the character's rank first, then the affiliation following it, i.e.

Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, Galactic Empire (male human)

Captain Ariel Yage of the Widowmaker, Galactic Empire (female human)

etc.

What do you all think?

 

I don't really care, but they could be better done.

-Evan

 

They should be like the X-Wing ones, in distinct sections.

 

Yeah, the X-wing books had the best dramatis personaes in the EU.

 

The underlyning problem is that the entire NJO is standardised. When asked why some key players were omitted in Rebel Stand, Allston said something to the effect of the Dramatis Personae was done way before.

Seeing how that little book list at the front of the is mucked up, this isn't surprising. I mean, all you have to do is just add book title or two as the months go by, so how could that make typos? Simply adjust the lines accordingly.

 

I think that it's good that they put them in in the first place

 

I like the Dramatis Personae, don't mind it as is, however, the suggestions you have made are pretty good.

 

I usually just flip right past them

 

I don't like it. It gives Leia short shrift and then some. Pretty soon it will say, Leia: Former government clerk.

 

The X-wing series had the best Dramatis Personaes.

I never realised where the tradition of having DPs came from until we studied Shakespeare this term at school...

 

The DP really needs an overhaul, with in the military and governmental sections, descending rank of order, while in the Jedi and civilian, most likely alphabetically would do well, IMO.

 

What language is dramatis personae? I mentioned that term to some professional editors and got a "What the--?" He understood Cast of Characters as a term better.

 

Looks latin to me. Maybe the issue with it is some characters (jaina for example) fit into multiple categories (jedi and military) or maybe its just laziness

 

I don't like it. It gives Leia short shrift and then some. Pretty soon it will say, Leia: Former government clerk.

That's true.

Why can't the GFFA just give Leia an official rank, like Ambassador or something? I mean, she's not so bored as to do volunteer work. She's probably gonna want some pay for risking her neck, flying around the galaxy into the great unknowns (i.e. Galantos, Bakura).