Lit Should I bother getting into the Thrawn Trilogy now that Episode 7 is officially happening?

I've always wanted to try this series but now that Episode 7 is going ahead with George's statement of the story being original (written by Michael Arndt), would the Thrawn trilogy now be considered as an alternative universe to what we're getting in 2015? Have the stories of Thrawn still stood the test of time?

It was always an alternate universe. Episode 7, whatever it is, won't represent George Lucas' vision. It'll be Disney's vision.

Intellectual property can be sold but no artistic merit.

The Thrawn Trilogy and Expanded Universe are GOOD books and if you choose not to read them because of an arbitrary distinction that's your call.

But there is no "true" story to Star Wars and it certainly isn't going to be made any truer because someone paid George Lucas 4 billion dollars.

The War of the Ring is still worth reading in original form whatever some film decides to change about the End of the Third Age.

I personally think the Thrawn Trilogy are some of the best Star Wars books out there. I would definitely recommend reading them, regardless of the content of Episode 7. If you start not wanting to read a EU book because it might conflict with another work then your going to severely limit yourself.

Read them.

Yes. They're a fantastic series, we know nothing about what implications Episode VII will have on EU and even if it overrides everything you still have a good three years to truly enjoy the richness and depth of the storyline.

short version: OF COURSE!

long version: OF COURSE! x a hundred

I think i'd better, i started reading Heir To The Empire when I was about 9 or 10 but never committed to it because I felt the book "didn't have enough cool explosion pictures" I looked on itunes for the book but it doesn't look as though it's available. I've noticed they've done a hardcover Anniversary reprint, i'll get that one.

Actually i've just realised how naive I am because i've just read through the Expanded Universe article on Wikipedia and the EU is far more expansive than I anticipated. Strangely enough I do remember reading "The Glove Of Darth Vader" and "Lost City of the Jedi". How much of the post-Yarvin era would I have to read to understand the Thrawn trilogy since thrawn seems to take place some years after Return Of the Jedi?

You don't have to read anything else to understand the Thrawn books. They were the first novels written after ROTJ so they don't rely on any other EU.

All three are available on itunes. Make sure you're getting the unabridged versions though.

That now has to happen or my life with never be complete.

Thrawn and all EU is canon until 2015 says otherwise.

It's his story treatment, and it will probably be no more Disney's vision than The Avengers was Disney's vision.

I don't see why not, Star Wars is Star Wars.

If you're after an interesting take on the Empire that was subsequently built on for years afterwards, yes.

For all we know Ep 7 will indeed have an Empire but they'll be EEEEEVIL and all speak the Emperor's English! (ie Brit accents)

Yeah, you came up with that a little too quickly.

A good read is a good read regardless of canonocity. So yeah, I would recommend them.

Yes, that is all.

For extra points start off with the 20th anniversary edition of Heir.

I love that version. Was sad when I found out the weren't doing it for DFR and TLC as well.

Must have missed this: is it confirmed that they won't be doing the next two books? Shame if true, it was a brilliant idea.

Also considering the statements made by both Zahn and Lucas about how the Thrawn Trilogy was originally conceived of as sort of Episode 6.5 bridge between the OT and any sequels, well... I think it's the least likely set of books to be rendered non-canon.