Lit Return of the Jedi by James Kahn

As Palpatine? Yes. With a first name? No. No source has.

 

No I mean as Palpatine. I know in the ANH novel prologue it names Senator Palpatine. But does its actually say Palpatine or just the Emperor?

 

yeah i liked it. i might need to brush up on it. i would like to see , say a 30 years anniversary edition with updates in the text, so that they jive with what we know now. I also loved Vader'spov in SotE. great book

 

It says Palpatine. Luke even calls him by name at one point.

 

This is why, when the "Palpatine is not Sidious" theories started up after TPM, we laughed and laughed.

 

Could have been a good idea, but it seems that the "once hairy Jabba" thing was completely forgotten, and things actually went the other way around: it was established that Hutts are normally hairless, and Zorba only has hair because of a rare genetic throwback.

 

One thing that always struck me about the ROTJ novel was the very last sentence of Chapter 7:

In the numbing grip of despair, with the hollowest of voids devouring his heart, Luke's eyes, alone, glinted - for he saw, again, his lightsaber, lying unattended on the throne. And in this bleak and livid moment, the dark side was much with him.

Very powerful writing by Khan there. A pity there wasn't a shot of Luke eyeing his lightsaber in the film when the first ship was blown apart by the superlaser. I think it would have shown just how close to the edge he was teetering.

 

It's true that Kahn wrote a really powerful novel. I wish he had written more!

 

I always saw it as this way. Techniques > Potential

 

Well,m it's like when you go scuba diving. Everything's blue without a high filter lens to capture the vividness. I guess in that dank place Yoda does look blue in constant twilight.

 

Me too. I read that thin text until it fell apart, and made me really want to know who Anakin Skywalker was.

 

I remember there is a line where Luke could read Palpatine's thoughts and he found out Sidious was scared of farmboy

 

Yup:

The Emperor watched Luke's face with cunning. "I'm sure Yoda taught you to use the Force with great skill."

The taunt had the desired effect - Luke's face flushed, his muscles flexed.

He saw the Emperor actually lick his lips at the sight of Luke's reaction. Lick his lips and laugh from the bottom of his throat, from the bottom of his soul.

Luke paused, for he saw something else, as well; something he hadn't seen before in the Emperor. Fear.

Luke saw fear in the Emperor - fear of Luke. Fear of Luke's power, fear that this power could be turned on him - on the Emperor - in the same way that Vader had turned it on Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke saw this fear in the Emperor - and he knew, now, the odds had shifted slightly. He had glimpsed the Emperor's nakedest self.

With sudden absolute calm, Luke stood upright. He stared directly into the malign ruler's hood.

Palpatine said nothing for a few moments, returning the young Jedi's gaze, assessing his strengths and weaknesses. He sat back at last, pleased with this first confrontation. "I look forward to completing your training, young Skywalker. In time, you will call me Master."

 

Some portions of the novelizations aren't in line with things that were established (or changed) later. In the specific case of the ROTJ novelization, Obi-Wan states that Owen Lars was his brother. Lucas of course changed that later so that Anakin and Owen were stepbrothers (but that would be N-canon, not S-canon).

 

The loss of the Planet Endor, as well- this became the Endor Moon Hoax.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Endor_Moon_Hoax

 

Right. I get that some things ended up overruled and thus N-canon. I just don't get the contention I've seen on another site which says that some things ( or even most things ) in the novelizations are S-canon. That doesn't seem to have any relation to what S-canon is supposed to be about.

 

The ROTJ novelization was also the origin of Battle Meditation, right? Or at least the prototypical version of it that appeared in TTT. Kahn describes the Emperor's will as being the glue that holds the Empire together, and his death sends the entire fleet into disarray.

 

You're quite correct and it's wrong. Chee said back in '04 that everything in the novelizations created by the author is C-level while the elements created by George Lucas (or the other screenwriters) is G-canon (remember that the Holocron is based on items).

 

I've been in the mood to read some Star Wars stuff lately (am finshing up The Han Solo Adventures by Brian Daley) and thought abour re-reading the OT novelizations, and reading this thread really makes me want to?

By the way, pardon my ignorance, but can somebody refresh my memory (or give me a link) on the definition of the various canon definitions?

 

There's a fairly brief recap here on Leland Chee's FB page.

 

Another favourite scene of mine is Vader's realization that Luke has a sister:

He was picking up additional feelings from Luke, now, new crosscurrents of doubt. Remorse, regret, abandonment. Shades of pain. But somehow not directly related to Vader. To others, to ... Endor. Ah, that was it - the Sanctuary Moon where his friends would soon die. Luke would learn soon enough: friendship was different on the dark side. A different thing altogether.
"Give yourself to the dark side, Luke," he entreated. "It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you, son. Your feelings for them are strong, especially for-"
Vader stopped. He sensed something.
Luke withdrew further into shadow. He tried to hide, but there was no way to hide what was in his mind - Leia was in pain. Her agony cried to him now, and his spirit cried with her. He tried to shut it out, to shut it up, but the cry was loud, and he couldn't stifle it, couldn't leave it alone, had to cradle it openly, to give it solace.
Vader's consciousness invaded that private place.
"No!" screamed Luke.
Vader was incredulous. "Sister? Sister!" he bellowed. "Your feelings have now betrayed her too ... Twins!" he roared triumphantly. "Obi-Wan was wise to hide her, but now his failure is complete." His smile was clear to Luke, through the mask, through the shadows, through all the realms of Darkness. "If you will not turn to the Dark Side, then perhaps she will."
This, then, was Luke's breaking point. For Leia was everyone's last, unflagging hope. If Vader turned his twisted, misguided cravings on her ...
"Never!" he screamed.​

 

Thanks!