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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

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

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Master_Keralys, Jun 4, 2008.

  1. miraclekid

    miraclekid Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2013
    Great intro post, gave me some ideas for some samples to put on my e-reader.

    However I still want to ask for some recommendations from y'all. ;D

    Totally new to the novels. Not new to Star Wars though, but my knowledge is probably considered pretty basic: both Knights of the Old Republic games (although that was a lonnng time ago - might need to replay them), Star Wars Unleashed (just the first one), the first Clone Wars animated series (not the CG one), and of course both movie trilogies.

    I am particularly interested in the Jedi, preferably before the fall, and perhaps the Sith. Both cultures appeal to me and I want to read more stories involving them. The 'Tales of the Jedi' comics look interesting, going to pick those up at my local library. But what would be some good novels to start with?
     
  2. Todd the Jedi

    Todd the Jedi Mod and Loving Tyrant of SWTV, Lit, & Collecting star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Oct 16, 2008
    Welcome to the boards! [face_peace]

    I'd suggest you read Knight Errant. It's mainly a comic series, but there's also a full novel of the same title that's a very enjoyable read. The novel takes place between the first and second comic arcs. But the premise is "lone female Jedi", and she has to go against a bunch of... eccentric Sith. Takes place 1000 years before The Phantom Menace. There's also the Darth Bane trilogy, for some focus on the Sith. Opinions vary on those but I like them a bunch. Also worth looking into is the comic Jedi vs. Sith, which covers the same events (though from a slightly different viewpoint) but came out earlier.

    Tales of the Jedi are pretty good. Some of the Clone Wars novels are good reads, and they each feature at least one Jedi.
     
  3. _Catherine_

    _Catherine_ Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 16, 2007
    There's an increasingly wide variety of ancient-era stuff.

    Pre-Republic era
    Dawn of the Jedi - comic series about the beginning of the Jedi Order, first arc collected in TPB, second arc still in progress
    Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void - novel tie-in to the above series coming out this May


    Old Sith Wars era
    Tales of the Jedi - comic series collected in two Omnibuses
    Shadows & Light - short comic collected in Star Wars Tales Volume 6, sort of a prequel to the first KOTOR game
    Knights of the Old Republic - comic series about a Jedi fugitive's misadventures during the Mandalorian Wars, collected in 10 volumes
    Labor Pains - short story set between Volumes 2 and 3 of KOTOR
    Interference - short story set during Volume 4 of KOTOR
    The Secret Journal of Doctor Demagol - short story set between Volumes 9 and 10 of KOTOR
    Unseen, Unheard - short comic collected in Star Wars Tales Volume 6, prequel to KOTOR 2

    TOR era (MMO tie-ins)
    The Old Republic: Revan
    Return
    The Old Republic Vol. 1: Blood of the Empire
    Hope
    The Old Republic: Smuggler's Vanguard
    Deceived
    The Old Republic: Deceived
    The Old Republic Vol. 2: Threat of Peace
    Red Harvest
    The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance
    The Old Republic Vol. 3: The Lost Suns

    The Old Republic: Annihilation

    Lost Tribe stories
    Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories - collection of novellas that stretches back to the TOTJ comics
    Lost Tribe of the Sith: Spiral - comic sequel to the above stories

    New Sith Wars era
    Prototypes - short comic collected in Star Wars Visionaries
    Knight Errant: Influx
    Knight Errant - comic series collected in three volumes
    Knight Errant - novel tie-in to the above series, set between Volumes 1 and 2
    Jedi vs. Sith - comic partially adapted in Path of Destruction, but read this first so it's not ruined
    Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
    Darth Bane: Rule of Two
    Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil
     
  4. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    The Darth Bane books are good. You really need to read them in order.
     
  5. miraclekid

    miraclekid Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2013
    Thanks to you all I got some stuff to start with now!

    I think I'll try the first Darth Bane book - this series seems to be well received. And I'll give Knight Errant a go too although it looks like it might be for a younger audience? Luckily my library has quite a bit of Star Wars material so I am able to try some stuff for free to start with. Alas they don't have Dawn of the Jedi, might have to buy that one since I'd be very interested in reading that.
     
  6. Random Comments

    Random Comments Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 25, 2012
    If you mean the Dawn of the Jedi novel, it hasn't been released yet.
     
  7. miraclekid

    miraclekid Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2013
    Oh no I meant the graphic novels.
     
  8. Random Comments

    Random Comments Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 25, 2012
    Can you sit behind some shelves in your local bookstore and read it there? :p

    Not that I'd ever do such a thing, of course.
    More than once a week, anyway. :p
     
  9. miraclekid

    miraclekid Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2013
    Hahaha now there's an idea! :p
     
  10. Obie-2-Kenobi

    Obie-2-Kenobi Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2008
    I do this very thing all the time! Actually it's usually a little more blatant than that. Our B&N has a Starbucks in it, so I take whatever I wanna "cheap read" to a table with my coffee. More times than not, it usually happens that I get sucked into whatever it is I'm reading and end up buying it anyway. Case in point, today I sat down and started reading the Quinlan Vos Jedi in Darkness omni, and yeah I ended up buying it dammit!! I hope it is worth it.
     
  11. Random Comments

    Random Comments Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 25, 2012
    Thats why they let people do that. But I don't like coffee, and that area is usually too loud. :)
    I usually finish it if I'm looking at a comic collection, though. But then, I don't usually flip through the Omnibuses...
     
  12. Obie-2-Kenobi

    Obie-2-Kenobi Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2008
    I'm trying to gobble up a lot of the newer novels as well as some that may have slipped through the cracks before they become pointless! With that in mind, I have made a conscious effort over the past couple of years to skip over the MedStar books. I've been avoiding them for some reason. I loved Darth Maul Shadow Hunter and all of the CN Quartology?? And it is my understanding that I-5 and Pavan the senior are pivotal characters in the med books? Are they worth a read?
     
  13. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    I found the Medstar books to be a lot like MASH in tone. If you liked MASH you'd probably like these. I enjoyed them.
     
  14. RedMadFalcon

    RedMadFalcon Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Apr 1, 2013
    Hello. ! I have a question, it's something that have always disturbed me a lot in the Star Wars Universe.
    Stormtroopers are said to be the elite fighters of the Glorious Empire, yet regular soldiers are yet to be seen in any EU work.

    I think i only saw them once, in the Empire/Rebellion comic series, there were one or two figting along stormtroopers.
    I know the EU works show us the most important battles and locations in the galaxy, but even with that excuse something seems to be wrong.

    The same question goes for the clone wars, were droids and clones are said to be only a little part of the forces of both camp
     
  15. RedMadFalcon

    RedMadFalcon Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Apr 1, 2013
    Better with the question... [face_whistling] :

    Are there any EU works where you can see Imperial Soldiers ? If no , where are they (in universe) ?
     
  16. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    You mean like a non-stormtrooper?

    Yeah, they just haven't been used much, the default is stormtroopers.

    Wookieepedia says they're mentioned in Dark Force Rising and The Last Command, a couple RPGs and a few adventure journals.

    Here's the Wook page, take a look at the appearances section, it's tiny.

    http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_Army_trooper
     
  17. dewback_rancher

    dewback_rancher Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 23, 2009
    Second the Knight Errant suggestion. Up until it was canned, Knight Errant was my favorite ongoing thing in Star Wars.
     
  18. Obie-2-Kenobi

    Obie-2-Kenobi Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2008
    It has been a minute since I attempted the NJO. I mentioned before that I got as far as EoV 1:Conquest and got tired. I'm ready to pick it back up if only so I can get to Star by Star and Traitor. Those are the two books in the series which everyone I've come across seems to agree are fairly awesome. Don't suppose anyone has a copy of Rebirth floating around that they would want to trade? I've checked out my local B&N and they are out, not to mention Google books has an assload of downloadable SW novels but of course they do not have the ones I want. Most of the SW books I still own are harback. The wifey made me get rid of almost all my PBs, but I managed to keep a handful of the trilogies I think are important in paperback. Anyone else's wife drop a dork-bomb on them and make them get rid of their books?? I'd be willing to trade a gently used HB for any copies of the NJO starting from Rebirth...
     
  19. Random Comments

    Random Comments Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 25, 2012
    I didn't like either SbS or Traitor....
    So I guess I blow the statistics.
     
    dewback_rancher likes this.
  20. Obie-2-Kenobi

    Obie-2-Kenobi Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2008
    There is a first for everything I guess. But I would say that almost everyone I've heard from liked those two.
     
  21. Random Comments

    Random Comments Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 25, 2012
    They do seem to be quite popular, I just didn't think they were that especially great. But then, I never suffered through Crystal Star...
     
  22. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    Traitor and The Crystal Star compared?

    [​IMG]
     
    themetresgained likes this.
  23. ryan123450

    ryan123450 Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 23, 2003
    I'm thinking of skipping two titles in my chronological read of the EU. I'm hoping to avoid major spoilers, but I know a little about the books I'm asking about already. I'm starting Order 66 right now, and I'm wondering since Imperial Commando 2 is never coming out, would Order 66 serve as a fitting finale to the series? Will I be missing anything by skipping 501st? Does Order 66 end on a cliffhanger?

    A similar situation is approaching with The Force Unleashed. From tidbits I've read, it seems TFU2 ends with major events unresolved. Is TFU self contained or does it end needing resolution in a sequel as well? I'm hoping to just read the first, have a fitting ending, and pretend the sequel doesn't exist.

    Thanks for any help!
     
  24. Todd the Jedi

    Todd the Jedi Mod and Loving Tyrant of SWTV, Lit, & Collecting star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Oct 16, 2008
    Hm, it's a bit tough. Both Imp Com and TFU2 end in cliffhangers, and neither has any direct resolution. Karen Traviss's LOTF books show discuss the fates of some of the characters from Rep Com, but I wouldn't call them a conclusion per se.

    So I'd say you can easily skip both, though I happened to like the parts of TFU2 concerning Juno. And the first book is entirely self-contained, wrapping up by itself.
     
  25. Grand Admiral Crumb

    Grand Admiral Crumb Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 25, 2013
    In TFU2 it's only been six months since the end of the first game, and Vader has supposedly already made how many of them? No wonder they've all gone crazy, it takes longer than a few days to make a stable adult clone. I think the best idea for TFU2 is just relegate it to S-Canon and never speak of it again. The game is simply a rehashed version of the first with an extra lightsaber, a couple new locations, and only a couple new abilities. Anyways the
    Yoda scene is beyond retarded. I mean, isn't Dagobah supposed to have been deleted from the archives like Kamino? So how does Starkiller instantly know where it's at? I understand when Luke visited, Ben probably told him what Yoda had told him about it's location, but for some random guy to just go, "Oh yeah, how about Dagobah?" is horrible.
     
    VanishingReality likes this.