Lit GENERAL QUESTION THREAD (What to read? Where to start? What's canon? What's not? Duros, etc.)

I agree that it's not that good -- probably the worst on the list. Still many people did enjoy it and considering the subject matter I think it might be worth trying.

 

Way late reply, but the Dark Forces novellas tell the same basic story but give different interpretations on the story and its characters. In general, the novellas have been ignored by later authors in favor of the game's interpretation. This is best seen in Abel G. Pena's (no-longer available) "http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_Dark_Forces_Saga]Dark[/url] Forces Saga" which uses the games primarily and ignores a lot of the lore from the novellas. It's up to you if you want to just skip the games for the novellas, and I do think the novellas are worth reading, but if you're partial to the games, they're going to irritate you.

Notable differences:
1. The relationship between Yun and Sariss - In the game, the two Dark Jedi are very close, but it appears to be a one-sided relationship with Yun fawning over Sariss and Sariss not having a very strong concern for Yun. The novella portrays it as something of a friendship with Sariss caring very much for Yun as her "only friend". This causes some thematic issues with the conclusion of their story and I prefer the game and later authors' interpretations over the novella's more nurturing relationship
2. The battles between Kyle Katarn and the Dark Jedi are notably different, the most infamous difference being the "http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Darkshear]Spear[/url] of Midnight Black"

Positives:
1. A lot of backstory on Kyle that is absent from the games, especially his career under the Empire and early relationship with his father.
2. Introduction of species that were either cut from the games or just added to the novellas for more backstory. These include Bouncers and the Horngaunt.
3. Getting inside the heads of the bad guys. One notable first person perspective is from 8t88, a villainous droid that plays a much smaller role in the game.

I'd say that the first novella, "Soldier for the Empire" is the most accurate to the game, but probably only because it was written after the first Dark Forces game and was designed to give a backstory to Kyle in preparation for the upcoming sequel. The latter two novellas had to go alongside Dark Forces II, which had a lot more backstory and lore integrated into it, making those books a little different from the game

 

Even those it's late, thanks for the reply! So the novellas do tell more or less the entire story, and can stand alone?

 

Yep, the novellas can stand alone, and you don't need to have played the game to understand them. Some side-missions from the game are either glossed over or omitted, but that was obviously done to make a cohesive narrative. If you're really interested, you can watch some of the cinematic cutscenes to supplement, but the novellas are self-contained.

EDIT: I forgot that the novellas do assume a little knowledge of the first Kyle Katarn game: Dark Forces, but context can be gleaned from the narrative. You don't need to be intimately familiar with that game to get enjoyment from the novellas.

 

The people from the Dawn of the Jedi #0 cover, are they characters? or just a painting?

 

Painting

 

Reposting a question from the trades thread since this one sees more traffic:

Hey guys, quick question on the Star Wars TPBs being released by DH right now (In the Shadow of Yavin, From the Ruins of Alderaan, etc...). DH lists the TPBs still to be released as just "Volume 3: Rebel Girl", but on Amazon there is both Rebel Girl and a Vol.4 A Shattered Hope. Are they the same series? If so, which issues are collected in which? Are they really being released 14 days apart, as Amazon says? And why aren't either of them mentioned on DH's website?

I'm very confused.

 

I'd like to know if any of the following young readers series would be worth reading

Jedi Apprentice
Jedi Quest
Fate of the Jedi
Jedi Prince
Junior Jedi Knights
Young Jedi Knights

 

Oops, could't have planed it any better. I meant Last of the Jedi.

 

Jedi Prince is legitimately insane. It's like someone translated the most ridiculous sort of Silver Age comic book to a novel - complete with the sound effects.

 

There's other Young Readers books of interest. I liked what little of Galaxy of Fear I managed to find. And the Star Wars Journal books for Leia and Maul were pretty entertaining (much of Maul's ended up in The Wrath of Darth Maul later on).

 

The young Boba Fett series isn't bad either. The first book parallels events in AOTC from Boba's point of view. The last book seemed a bit rushed, however. I thought it was the weakest in the series.

 

I'd appreciate a recommendation.

I own a lot of SW books but I want to add some more before they might be out of print or too expensive. I'm considering the following books/comics: Knight Errant, Into the Void, Iron Fist/Solo Command, Mercy Kill, Kenobi, KOTOR Omnibuses, Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison, Dark Times 7: A Spark Remains. (I'm already pretty sure I'll get the ones in italic)
Which of these would you recommend? Thanks in advance.

 

Now i know that this might be impossible, but has anyone tried to do a timeline that includes all older canon (before being rebranded legends) and that will try to fit the new disney canon as much as possible in the older canon?

 

So I had read Heir to the Empire the week before Lucasfilm's EU announcement. I'd like to finish the trilogy at some point, but will likely wait until after Episode VII is released, as I'd like to go into that film without any pre-conceived notions of what I think the story should be based on the books.

That being said, I do want to continue to explore the EU. I'd like to go back to the prequel era and books set pre-prequels in the Old Republic - preferably some that have direct tie-ins to the story of the prequels or the characters in them.

Recommendations?

 

Cloak of Deception and Darth Maul Shadow Hunter for lead up to TPM.

 

That's enough.

 

(my bold)
No love for comics?

 

does anyone know what is/are the most violent comic book(s)?
if there are multiple ones which one is the best one?

 

If you want all out war and death for the whole story, something like The Clone Wars: Last Stand on Jabiim or Empire: The Imperial Perspective (particularly the two part "To The Last Man" arc) would be great.

If you mean like gore and brutality, I'm not so sure. That's not typically a theme of Star Wars comics, but the Jabba the Hutt comics are very gory and nasty (he eats people and uses his tail as a weapon on multiple occasions,) though it's played for more of a macabre humor effect.

 

yah that's what I was looking for, thanks!

 

Boba Fett: Twin Engines of Destruction has some good action in it. It's in the Fett omnibus.

 

I know, I know. I've never been a fan. Could totally be I just haven't read the right ones, so if you have a few pre-prequel era comics to recommend, I'm all ears.