EU-noob seeks guidance

Hi fellow SW-fans!


After many years of hesitation, I have finally decided to take the bold step into the expanded universe. I have been a SW-fan since the video re-release in the mid-90s, but i guess my engagement with the franchise isn't that impressive on a larger scale: Apart from the movies (duh!) it has been limited to the Decipher CCG, a few computergames (primarily the Dark Forces: Jedi Knight-series), the SW visual dictionaries for the original trilogy and Episode I, the SW Incredible Cross-Sections for Episode I and II and that dreadful Holiday Special from 1978. I haven't even seen the Clones Wars animated series (saw the motion picture, though) or the ewok-spin offs.

I am currently warming up to the release of The Old Republic MMO, and what basically I'm looking for is pointers from some experienced EU-masters on where to begin, if I want to broaden my knowledge of the expanded Universe. I'm primarily interested in everything that lies prior to the original trilogy. As far as i know, the SW EU spans several hundred books and comics, whereof most take place AFTER RotJ, and I'm never gonna get get around to all of that, so for starters, I'm interested in Old Republic stuff.

However, there's sort of a catch, which I why I'm throwing up my inquiry here: I could easily run through all the pre-movie publications according to the wikipedia index of SW EU-literature (unless that's not as comprehensive as it seems?), but as far as I can deduct from what I've read, many of the post-RotJ-stuff contains background knowledge of the old repbulic era, and I would like to cover as much as possible of that as well.

I've considered starting with a book I saw in the shop recently, I believe it's called "The Ultimate Guide to Star Wars Chronology", which claims to be the complete guide to the galactic history. Can anyone tell me if that's worth anything?


As bonus info I should probably point out that I have a bachelor of Comparative Literature and am currently wrapping up my masters degree in journalism, and as such this entire undertaking is sort of a research project for me; I'm not looking for entertainment, I'm trying to expand my knowledge of a subject. Put more bluntly, I would to avoid wasting time and effort on endless volumes of second grade pulp fiction, if it doesn't enlighten me on the SW EU. Not that I am disinterested in good EU stories, but information comes before aesthetics in ths venture.


Hope someone can help me,
looking forward to your input.
Silas M., Denmark


P.S.: If anyone feel like flaming a noob please don't wast your energy on this thread.

 

Hey

I recommend starting here

Looking at the material by release date is another way to figure out where to begin (old stuff doesn't reference new stuff ) so you can jump around a bit that way

ETA: unfortunately, most of the material relating to the Old Republic MMO is not in novel format (I recommend the Knights of the Old Republic games, the KOTOR comics, and the tales of the Jedi comics). If you're looking closer to the prequels: Cloak of Deception and Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter are good lead-ins to Phantom Menace. And most of the Clone Wars novels can be read independently of each other (there is also a lot of comic and TV material relating to this period as well)

 

Well if you want to start with the events leading up to The Old Republic MMO, there is a book out called Fatal Alliance. After that I recommend anything by Timothy Zahn, Mike Stackpole, or Aaron Allston even if most of it is after the original movies.

 

Thank you both very much!


@DarkEagle: One of the posts in the thread you linked to contains this list:

-X-Wing Rogue Squadron (comic)
-X-Wing: Rogue Squadron
-X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble
-X-Wing: The Krytos Trap
-X-Wing: The Bacta War
-X-Wing: Wraith Squadron
-X-Wing: Iron Fist
-X-Wing: Solo Command
-The Courtship of Princess Leia
-Tatooine Ghost
-The "Thrawn Trilogy": Heir to the Empire
-The "Thrawn Trilogy": Dark Force Rising
-The "Thrawn Trilogy": The Last Command
-X-Wing: Isard's Revenge
-Dark Empire (comic series)
-Jedi Academy Trilogy: Jedi Search
-Jedi Academy Trilogy: Dark Apprentice
-Jedi Academy Trilogy: Champions of the Force
-I, Jedi
-Darksaber
-X-Wing: Starfighters of Adumar
-Hand of Thrawn: Specter of the Past
-Hand of Thrawn: Vision of the Future
-Union (comic)


Are these the main stories to get aquainted with or what?

 

Set after the movies, start with the Thrawn Trilogy.
Set before the movies, start with the Republic comics.

That'd be my recommendation.

 

Well, I was moreso linking that thread as another place to ask your question. That said though, that list is all post-ROTJ. All of the X-wing stories are kinda side-stories (Rogue Squadron etc vs various Imperial warlords) but are all very good. Tatooine Ghost is skipable (to me at least, I've never read it and never had a problem). Thrawn trilogy is the Gold Standard and kick-started the novel EU, definately read it (as I mentioned earlier: since it was released first you can read it without reading any other novel first). Dark Empire is worth it, if you can find it. Jedi Academy trilogy is important, but it takes a lot of flak from fans, but I would recommend reading it. I,Jedi follows a character from the X-wing novels, and again is a really good read, but a "side-story". Darksaber (and Children of the Jedi and Planet of Twilight) are easy to skip (and should be ). Hand of Thrawn, again is incredibly good. I would also recommend the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy (it gets kinda weird at points, but is overall very good). If you are still feeling industrious, move onto the New Jedi Order series (they do refence some of the stories not mentioned here, but you can easily Wookieepedia it to get the imprtant info).

 

Again, thank you both very much!

@The_Loyal_Imperial: is THIS the Republic comics that you refer to?

 

That would be it, yes.

 

@GodSilas: Welcome to the fun and exciting world of the Expanded Universe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we all do. If in your reading you have any questions or want to share your feelings about a specific novel or subject, please feel free to visit one of the corresponding fan threads here in the EUC. And if you are just wanting to shoot the breeze pull up a beanbag chair in the New User Social or grab a drink over at the BlueMoon Cantina.

Enjoy the fun!