Question about all of the SW novels

I actually just registered on this board and it's a bit overwhelming - LOL.

I'm not sure if this is the right board to post this question, so if nobody can help me out, maybe you could direct me to the correct board.

Well, I recently read "Darth Maul: Saboteur" and "Cloak of Deception", which are the first 2 books written about Star Wars (I think??). Before I move on to "Dath Maul: Shadow Hunter", I had a question.

Exactly how much input, if any, did Lucas not only have on the content and stories of these books? Not only these ones, but all of them you can find in the bookstores?

I have a feeling everything that was written before Return of the Jedi is based upon Lucas' original story, but maybe everything written after that was just some random author deciding how he/she wanted the stories to continue in their own personal way.

I'd appreciate any help or input. Thanks everybody!!

 

http://boards.theforce.net/literature_review_forum/b10458/p1

here you go...Hope that helps..heh heh.

Zelda_Skywalker

 

Awesome - thats a really cool forum. I can go there and read what other's thought of each book.

But I dont think I can post my question there. What I really wanted to know was if all of these books are "made-up" by these authors or if these are written to follow the way Lucas had originally intended all of the movies to tie in.

 

I dunno actually, same thing I was thinking. I'm on your side. I'm clueless. (that's usual for me.)

Zelda_Skywalker

 

Oh, this question will undoubtedly lead to a canon war, I fear, but I will answer it anyway. GL did not write any of the novels, and I do not think he was heavily involved in them, but he probably had some sort of a hand. Anyway, I'm moving this to Lit.

 

Yeah, I know that GL didn't actually write these books (with the exception of "A New Hope"), but my question is if these are stories that all the other authors just made up in their minds, or if they tell the true story of Star Wars, the way Lucas thought it up, but just w/o Lucas writing the books.

 

Lucas didn't write A New Hope, Alan Dean Foster did.

To answer what I think your question is: Lucas has had very little to do with any of the books. He has contributed slightly to a very few of the books, and before each one begins to be written he approves a page-long outline of the plot, but that's it.

Whether or not only Lucas is capable of making "true" Star Wars is up for debate.

 

Lucas made up the stories for six movies. The rest of the novels have sort of a varying level of involvement from Lucas and Lucasfilm. LFL is largely made up of big fans that are fostering the Star Wars universe. Lucas is supportive of the Expanded Universe.

All of it is made up. Lucas planted the seed from which the rest of this huge thing we call the Star Wars Universe began.

BTW, Shadow Hunter and Cloak of Deception are far from the first novels written.

 

Is "Tales of the Jedi: The Golden Age of the Sith" the first book then?

 

Well are you talking chronologically or by dates written?

The first Star Wars novel published was Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. Most other novels owe a great deal to that book and it's two sequels, which together make up what is known as The Thrawn Trilogy.

Chronologically, the Golden Age of the Sith is, I believe, the earliest time period covered.

 

Yeah, Lucas' involvment usually consists of "You can/can't do that."

Also, I remember reading somewhere that KJA had gotten notes from Lucas for the TotJ comics...

 

The first Star Wars novel published was Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn.

No.

It was Star Wars by Alan Dean Foster.

Then Splinter of the Mind's Eye, by Alan Dean Foster.

 

And then the Han & Lando trilogies.

 

WOW - quite a little quandry I find myself in now.

Before flying a couple weeks ago, I went to a bookstore and checked out 'Return of the Sith'. It contained a timeline in the front of, what I thought was, all of the novels. It started 33 years before 'A New Hope' with 'Darth Maul: Saboteur' and ended with 'The Dark Nest Trilogy' (35 years after ANH).

So thats why I read "DM:S and Cloak of Deception". I thought thats where the stories began.

Now I have to decide if I should continue where I am or if I go back to this new start I discovered.

Any opinions?

 

Well, if you're going books only, then those are the beginning chronologically (excepting the juvenile readers). Chronologically is probably the best way to work your way through; things will make more sense that way than jumping around as randomly as you will if you go by publication date. You'll also get a good mix of authors and styles, and get a better feel for the overall series.

If you're including comics, then you should jump back 4000 years to the Sith Wars with Exar Kun and company, which is the first thing of true significance to read; all of that is in comic format; most of the trade paperbacks can still be found (good luck finding the last one, though). I'd include comics if I were you, they enhance the experience immensely. There is a great deal to be found on these forums regarding the proper order to read comics and books in. Rogue-One-and-a-half has actually been going through chronologically and posting his readings that way, but he's been doing it with everything. In any case, you might check where he got his list of materials to read in order.

Good luck to you!

- Keralys

 

Thansk Keralys and everybody else for the feedback.

So you think I should start with "TOTJ: The Golden Age of the Sith" and work my up from there?

 

I would say that's the best. It'll give you the most comprehensive picture of the EU, and the most coherent picture, too. Course, you'll eventually have to start skipping back and forth as new books come out, but you should get quite a ways along before that becomes an issue.

- Keralys

 

If you read slowly enough, you won't even have to jump out of chronology when Path of Destruction is released.

(set in 1,020 BBY)

 

Thos early ones are fast reads...I accidentally read all of Fall of the Sith Empire while waiting for Mira's health ot regenerate several times in KOTOR II.

 

Thanks for the Welcome!!

Keralys - when you said good luck finding the last one, did you mean "The Freedon Nadd Uprising"??

I see it's out of print, not avaliable on amazon, and is being bidded on on eBay.

Any idea where I could get it?

 

Try to find the individual issues instead of the trade paperback, that would be easier.

 

Looks like I'll be a busy man for the next deacde or so - LOL.

 

Yeah, my understanding is that Lucas basically has veto power for anything he doesn't like. However, as far as I know, he doesn't provide ideas for novels or contribute much to the stories.

 

As he said - find the individual issues. And I was referring to Redemption, which I suppose you may be able to find online, though I don't think so... I've certainly never seen it.

- Keralys