DFW, TX Prequel meets EU ... AGAIN!

http://www.starwars.com/eu/news/2002/10/news20021018_2.html

Coming out in February, a second novel which crosses between the prequel
universe and the expanded universe. Tatooine Ghost by Tory Denning (Del Rey
title) takes place early in Han and Leia's marriage. (Chewbacca is back!) The
finalized cover has Han, Leia, and Chewbacca on the front and Shmi Skywalker and Darth Vader on the back.

Earlier this year there was another plot revelation which connected the Yuzzom
Vong invasion storyline with the the living planet we read about in Rogue
Planet, which featured Obi-Wan Kenobi and his young apprentice Anakin.

With these fantastic Sci-fi writers doing so well tieing our universe together
with their tales, we can only hope George Lucas will have as much success with
Episode III!

 

I wouldn't count on it....

I love the books. I wish Lucas would let some of these folks "help" him with the scripts!

 

Hmmm, I can't agree with that sentiment. Speaking as one who has read every single EU novel since they started, I am definitely of the opinion that very few, if any of the EU writers have gotten the true 'feel' of the SW movies captured in print.

The novels, IMO, are far too much sci-fi, and not enough mythology and fantasy. There just isn't enough cohesion or consistency in characters, plotlines, etc. And a lot of the decisions that the early writers made regarding stories set in the EU have always felt wrong to me.

You see, Star Wars, to me, has always been about an extraordinarily powerful core story which is a family, the Skywalkers. And that story definitely had a beginning, a middle, and an end. That's not to say that the story couldn't have been continued in the same fashion, but I don't feel that it has. Instead, what I've seen is a lot of writers that aren't sure what they are allowed to tread upon, utilizing overused plot devices (kidnapping, new warlord that's taking over the Empire, etc.), and always having the main characters come out of it unscathed.

Yes, I know they killed Chewbacca. But EU writers haven't known what to do with him since the beginning, except to babysit the kids and work on the Falcon. He's had no role in the novels whatsoever, so of course they killed him.

Now, I do have issues with some things that Lucas does in his movies. I don't always think he makes the best choices. But I do firmly believe that I have yet to see ANY writer from the EU that could even hold a candle to what Lucas has created and is continuing to create because of one detail--Lucas still understands that it's a myth, not sci-fi.