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

Lit Star Wars Scholastic Books

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Rew, Feb 9, 2013.

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  1. SWpants

    SWpants Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 28, 2004
    They're fun to make fun of but fun to read. It happens ;)
     
  2. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Galaxy of Fear is badass and everyone should respect it. The horror stuff is hilarious (A planet that eats people and is NAMED D'VOURAN! LIKE IT'S D'VOURAN PEOPLE ALL DAY LONG, GET IT?), but the constant major-EU-character cameos are awesome, the mythology behind it is kind of cool and Abel made it even cooler, and it has super-badass Darth Vader. And a book with JEREC. AND GODDAMN PLATT OKEEFE SERIOUSLY YOU GUYS RESPECT THIS.

    Jedi Apprentice is kind of fun. I mean, it's silly, and full of silly plotting and awful supporting characters. But the core stuff with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon and their characterizations and relationship is actually good, it's capable of a couple really great moments, and overall it's just nice to see Jedi going out and doing actual Jedi stuff -- having adventures where they're solving mysteries and investigating murders and negotiating diplomatically and supervising elections and ending civil wars, instead of trying to save the galaxy or whatever. I've got a weird sort of nostalgic respect for it and what it was doing.

    Last of the Jedi, on the other hand, is just dumb, all the bad stuff from Jedi Apprentice without most of the redeeming characteristics. A few moments of Vader badassery and other bits to redeem it, but overall it's lacking the kind of relationships and characterization that gave JA its strengths.

    Rebel Force is just sort of throwaway, relatively harmless Big Three Right After Yavin Adventures, which is its entire own genre, with a layer of Jude Watson mythology dropped on top to overall deleterious effect.

    The Glove of Darth Vader books are the greatest EU works of all time.
     
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  3. darthcaedus1138

    darthcaedus1138 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2007
    2nd Greatest: Lando Calrissian Trilogy.
     
  4. DarkEagle

    DarkEagle Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 10, 2009
    I think part of the issue is that, at this point, no one knows what Yoda (or most of the senior Jedi) are capable of. All we've seen is him sitting around on Dagobah and in the Council scenes in TPM. The perception was that he's an old, frail teacher-Jedi, which is why the Yoda-Dooku duel in AOTC caused people to flip out. Now, though, I completely agree "You want to kill Yoda? o_O He's right over there; make sure you have your affairs in order."
     
    Rew likes this.
  5. my kind of scum

    my kind of scum Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2002
    I'm just going to say it: Jude Watson is one of my favorite EU authors. Sure, this stuff isn't great literature - it's stiff at times, extremely plot-repetitive but above all, fun with a capital F. Honestly, there's some good character-building with young Obi-Wan in the JA series. The Anakin/Obi series seemed less open to really building on Anakin's character, but it did have a few good character moments. It's great that you get to see more of the galaxy and that not every mission they were sent on was some huge galaxy-in-turmoil issue that needed to be solved.

    While they were designed to teach children lessons, Watson was sometimes much more subtle with them than other books of this type. Honestly, I truly miss Jude Watson being part of the GFFA.

    I thought the Boba Fett series was ok - just not a character I particularly enjoy reading about.
    Last of the Jedi were good IF you read the JA and JQ series, but lost a lot of their charm, I thought. (I probably need to reread this series as I don't remember a lot of it - which could say something to its emotional impact or could just be a comment on my appalling memory.)
    Rebel Force were fun, quick reads - nothing I would go out of my way to recommend.
     
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  6. BrendonWahlberg

    BrendonWahlberg Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Nov 14, 2001
    I've read every Scholastic SW book as it came out. But one mystery still bothers me. Does anyone here know whether Jude Watson (which is a pen name) is the same writer as Alex Wheeler (possibly just another pen name)? This has long been a rumor. I thought the inclusion, in the Wheeler books, of all those Watson plots and characters was a clear sign, but I have not seen proof. Also, why would the original author need a second pen name?
     
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  7. LAJ_FETT

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

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    I know some authors have pen names if they work in different genres - like if an author writes crime novels and romance novels he/she might have a pen name for each just to keep things separate since lots of readers are attracted to one genre and not the other.
     
  8. Rew

    Rew Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 22, 2008
    Now finished with JA #14... and uh-oh, y'all! Qui-Gon's main squeeze Tahl has just been kidnapped.

    Though there's no evidence in the text, I like to think that Qui-Gon pulled out his comlink and had this to say to the kidnappers:
    "If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have credits. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career." (Flashback to Qui-Gon kicking ass with his lightsaber.) "Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my Jedi girlfriend go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

    (Sorry, couldn't resist. :p)

    Sadly, as I've seen the cover for book 16, I already know what happens to Tahl. I'll try to act surprised when I read it, though. ;)
     
  9. Arrian

    Arrian Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 15, 2011
    I had good memories with these books in primary school, especially the Jedi Quest series. I loved that Shaak Ti and Coleman Trebor appeared in one of the books in the lead-up t AotC. Furthermore, the JA series really utilised Adi Gallia, something which I thought was a really good way to expand an otherwise background character.

    Last of the Jedi was not so good, though. I've voiced my dislike of that series earlier in this thread.
     
  10. Chewbacca89

    Chewbacca89 Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 25, 2012
    I had a lot of these as a kid. Is there anywhere you can still buy them today? Specifically the Jedi Apprentice, Galaxy of Fear, and Jedi Prince series.
     
  11. LAJ_FETT

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

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    I had a hard time getting all of the GoF books and that was around 2002-2003. I had to resort to eBay in the end to get the final few. A specialist SF book store (like Forbidden Planet in London) might have JA in their young adult section. You could also try the Amazon Marketplace.
     
  12. Rew

    Rew Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 22, 2008
    Unfortunately Jedi Prince, Galaxy of Fear, Jedi Apprentice, Jedi Quest, and Boba Fett are all out of print. (I think only Last of the Jedi, Rebel Force, the biographies, and film novelizations are in print anymore.) Amazon or eBay would be your best bet.
     
  13. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    Perhaps Lucasbooks will put out Kindle editions.
     
  14. LAJ_FETT

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

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    I didn't find any of the Boba Fett books at local bookstores - all were either bought at Forbidden Planet or Amazon.
     
  15. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

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    Jan 28, 2007
  16. Chewbacca89

    Chewbacca89 Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 25, 2012
    Would buy those in a heartbeart!

    A lot of these books are crazy expensive on Amazon Marketplace lol...
     
  17. Blue_Lightsaber42

    Blue_Lightsaber42 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 7, 2007
    I haven't had luck finding the JA books anywhere except the public library. But I do love them, even if they are a bit simple. The bonding going on underneath is great :) Didn't love JQ as much.. eh. I'm an Obi-Wan girl and reading Anakin is just not as satisfying.
     
  18. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

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    Jan 28, 2007
    It's fortunate to find them at all - the library here has lost so many, and they were kids' books, sometimes marked up and waterstained and such. [face_phbbbbt]
     
  19. Zeta1127

    Zeta1127 Jedi Grand Master star 5

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    Sep 2, 2012
    I actually read JA through the library, and even bought the special editions, but never bothered with the rest of it, and for good reason if what I have heard about JQ is any indication.
     
  20. MistrX

    MistrX Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 20, 2006
    How about Darth Maul: Shadow Conspiracy? That worth a read?
     
  21. Mia Mesharad

    Mia Mesharad Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    In my opinion, yes, definitely. It took what was already the second best story arc from TCW and fleshed it out even further, with a healthy dose of nods to the history of Maul and the Mandalorians that the show never touches on, including Maul's dealings with Black Sun, and the relationship between the New Mandalorians and the warrior clans. It's a bit of a quick read, or maybe that's just me, but definitely a good one.
     
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  22. MistrX

    MistrX Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 20, 2006
    Well, then I'll have to check it out. 160 pages shouldn't take too long.
     
  23. LAJ_FETT

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

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    I have that from Amazon UK. Haven't read it yet tho. I tend to buy the comic tpbs and YA books and they sit around for a bit. Then I'll go through a catch-up phase and read them in one sitting.
     
  24. Bale

    Bale Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 9, 2005
    Reading the Scholastic books is like riding a scooter. Sure, its fun, but you don't want your friends to see you doing it.
     
  25. Chewbacca89

    Chewbacca89 Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 25, 2012
    [face_rofl]
     
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