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

I see. I haven't seen any Journey to TFA hardbacks so far.

 

It is in hardback. That was the version I bought, anyway.

 

I don't think you'd see them in UK bookstores, I got my copies via Wordery, but even they stopped shortly after publication.

I think there's some sort of deal in place so multiple editions of a book don't have to compete in the same country, which I object to on principle that I should be able to buy the version of the book I want, if it happens to be cheaper then that's a bonus.

 

I've seen cases where non-SW books have come out in the US in HC and in the UK in PB (without HC first). It's probably because the UK publishers don't think there would be enough of an audience for the HC's to justify production. I believe a few of Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim novels went straight to paper here. Just to stir the waters a bit more - some publishers here offer 'airplane' editions of popular hardcovers. They are basically trade paperbacks released concurrently with the hardcover but only available in airports. If you fly out of a UK airport and check bookshops airside you can sometimes pick up a paper edition of a current hardcover. I got one of the Stephen King novels that way (Mr Mercedes, I think) - a friend was flying out and picked it up in paper. He sent it over to me after he read it.

 

Is the Tarkin hardcover the same size as Lost Stars then?

 

If you guys could recommend maybe 3 books or so to start with in the new canon, what would they be? Tarkin and Before the Awakening both look interesting, but before awakening got bad reviews on Amazon. Battlefront: Twilight Company also looks good, but do I have to be familiar with the game's story-line to understand it? Haven't played the game, so I'm not sure how relevant it is.

 

Of those three I'd actually rate Tarkin the lowest. Before the Awakening was good, like basically all of the "young readers" books have been; I hadn't heard anything about it getting bad reviews. Twilight Company is also good and is not at all dependent on familiarity with the game (which doesn't actually have any sort of storyline). I would also recommend A New Dawn by Miller.

 

Id recommend A New Dawn as a companion to Rebels, Dark Disciple if you've seen The Clone Wars, and Lost Stars because it's really good

 

Of the Adult Novels, I can only recommend A New Dawn. Of the middle grade/YA stuff, Servants of the Empire is surprisingly fantastic, and the rest aren't bad either.
I haven't read Battlefront or Awakening yet, but I'm caught up on everything else.

But not Dark Disciple. Everything about that book is awful.
Nor Aftermath. Nor Heir to the Jedi. Nor Lords of the Sith. Nor Tarkin.

 

I'd suggest starting with the rise of the Empire edtion. It comes with A New Dawn, Tarkin, and three short stories. Takin is average but AND is great. The volume as a while goes a long way to connecting the NEU and creating the unified universe feel that the EU had. After that I'd read Battlefront: Twilight Company which is antother fantastic novel. I'd actually read it before the last short story in the rise of the empire edition. The game doesnt have a storylone so thay isnt a problem. Hinestly i think thays a good thing because the novel reads less like a game novwl and more like a original sotry. It is really a greya book. Lastly I'd read Aftermath right after the final short story in rise of the Empire edition. Actually all of these stories are linked in some way if taken as a whole set. I know this is a little more than you wanted, but I think it's a good set. I feel like these stories have layer the groundwork for the NEU. When you finish these you will be ready to go into Aftermath 2 and 3, and Bloodline which have not been released yet.

I reccomendedicated a chronological reading rahter than release date because the short stories are what unify the series and I found the chronology has actually enhanced the stort.

I'd also suggest the Servants of the Empire series. They are some of the best bookselection of the new canon. Really well written with great characters.

Lost Stars is another good book to read.

I really liked Before the Awakening but I'd reccomend the other books first. Over all they were more enjoyable.

 

I second the recommendations of:

AND
Servants of the Empire

Read AND before watching Rebels S1 then read SotE 1-4 after watching it.

Lost Stars
Twilight Company - No, you need no knowledge of the game.

Greg Rucka has a neat little corner of SW with Smuggler's Run and Before the Awakening, plus the Shattered Empire comic, the trio form a nice little set.

 

Battlefront: Twilight Company (no need for the game) and A New Dawn are both really good, as for other novels, well Lost Stars is good (I had some minor problems with it but I will still really recommand it). Otherwise go for the Young Reader Books the others have recommanded, as they tend to actually be more mature and way better written then the other adult novels in new canon.

 

When people say "mature" or adult novel, do they mean in terms of it being written at a higher reading level, or more of sex and violence? Just curious.

 

An awful lot of the time the 'mature readers' label does indeed tend to translate to gore, swearing and shagging.

In rarer cases it translates to a complex handling of topics that both respects and challenges the reader.

What's been quite odd with the new material is it's been the material aimed at young adult / younger readers that has actually demonstrated the latter definition far more strongly than the material aimed at the adult market.

 

Just a majority of Amazon reviews gave it 1/5 stars. Made me cautious

http://www.amazon.com/Aftermath-Sta..._UL160_SR105,160_&refRID=03ERC6AQQ15F0DBJ4DQC

 

Be very wary on reviews of Aftermath.

The reason being there was a net campaign to slag it due to having a gay character.

That and there's enduring controversy over its writing style and how it decided to tell its post-Endor tale.

 

Like Jedi Ben said I meant in the handling of complexe themes and ideas.

Though there are also people who of course have no problem with there being a gay person in it and have more of an issue with it just not being all that interesting a book or compelling a story.

Also is it possible you are confusing Aftermath and Before the Awakening with each other?

Because BTA has gotten really good reviews.
http://www.amazon.de/Star-Wars-The-Force-Awakens/dp/148472822X

 

Lost Stars is the most mature book so far. I think the YA title allows the tackling of more adult themes, but still uses, in general, less complicated phrasing, larger font, and a more to-the-point approach. The adult-proper books have more complex plots (but don't always tell the story as well). That's my take, but maybe someone with more knowledge of the industry could do better.

 

Twilight Company and A New Dawn are also pretty good at it, at least imho.

 

I'm not interested in reasonable critiques G, this is the Internet, dammit.

 

I don't mind the inclusion, as long as it doesn't feel obviously forced. It interrupts the story to me if it stops to force it on you. Does it feel forced, or is it more naturally done?

 

I didn't see the problem in that respect.

Story succeeds or fails in its characters and plot, both worked well for me - they didn't for Gorefiend.

 

There's actually 3 LGBT characters in the book. Only one of them feels forced upon the reader, in my opinion, but the author made a big deal out of this right around when the book came out and many of the negative reviews were about this and the concept of potential politicizing of the Star Wars canon.

 

I thought there were 5.
But I suppose that answers the original question.

It doesn't help that the author used this as a shield to try to avoid criticism of the book for being pointless and absolutely terribly written, but whatever.

 

Wait, so is Aftermath or Before the Awakening the one with the gay characters controversy?