Starting a collection of novels post-ROTJ, help appreciated.

Yes I'm new to the EU but I don't want to annoy anyone by asking newbie questions, I would just like some help and advise so please bear with me.

From following this forum I've developed an interest in the NJO, however being a bit of a perfectionist I don't just want to jump straight in there for fear of missing anything. Basically I don't want to read about characters or events in the NJO I know nothing about so I've compiled the following list of novels from TFN:

The Truce At Bakura
The Courtship of Princess Leia
Tatooine Ghost
The Thrawn Trilogy
The Jedi Academy Trilogy
I, Jedi
Children of the Jedi
Darksaber by Kevin
Planet of Twilight
The Crystal Star
Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy
The New Rebellion
The Corellian Trilogy
The Hand of Thrawn
Survivor's Quest

I was stunned by the number of books there are! To reduce this I excluded the X-wing series as I assume they aren't based on characters or events I need to know before NJO (although please correct me if I'm wrong).

So my question is are there any other books above I could skip that wont leave me clueless in the NJO? Don't worry about quality, I will gladly read good and bad as long as I dont miss any relevant stuff. Hopefully this doesn't come across as "Where should I start in the EU?" or "What should I read?". I do intend to read them all eventually when I finish the NJO.

Finally, before I start my collection what is the deal with hardback and paperback? I picture having all the novels post-ROTJ sitting neatly on my shelf someday however some I find are in hb and some in pb. Do all books eventually get a hb release or just some?

Thanks in advance and I look forward to joining in the discussion when I catch up.

 

Actually, the X-Wing books are somewhat important to the NJO series. Or at least, they introduce a substantial amount of characters that populate those books (Corran Horn, Gavin Darklighter etc). Well worth reading, as they're all quite good.
I'd also recommend picking up the Dark Empire comic tpb. It's pretty important to the overall story (and is set between X-Wing # 8: Isard's Revenge and the Jedi Academy Trilogy).

SOME of the novels get a hardback treatment, but all of them eventually make it to paperback. Usually the hardcover become softcover something like 9 months after the hardcover release.

 

I'm going to second the idea of reading the X-Wing books. I tried to skip them and they turn out to be fairly integral, some major events (i.e. the taking of Coruscant) happen in them that are then referenced later. Also, Dark Empire, again referenced later so kinda useful. Also, Rogue Planet, it's actually a PT book but it affects NJO. And ironically the Young Jedi Knights books, they aren't the greatest books ever but they do introduce a lot of the younger jedi that appear as more important characters in NJO.

 

You will want to add Rogue Planet to your list. Although it takes place 3 years after TPM certain events have repercussions in the NJO books.

 

If I may add my 2 cents on this matter. I found myself in your position some time ago wanting to read the NJO but not having read much of the other books. I just dove in and read the books all out of sequence. That sucks. Try reading these books in this order.

Truce at Bakura
Rogue Squadron
Wedge's Gamble
The Krytos Trap
The Bacta War
Wraith Squadron
Iron Fist
Solo Command
The Courtship Of Princess Leia
Heir To The Empire
Dark Force Rising
The Last Command
Dark Empire(comic)
Dark Empire 2(comic)
Jedi Search
Dark Apprentice
Champions Of The Force
Specter Of The Past
Vision Of The Future

Then you'll be ready for Vector Prime, my personal favorite in the Galaxy far, far away. The books listed here are your basic, core story books. You could read the rest I left out if you wanted. Some are great, some really suck. But these will give all the info I would have wanted. Also, I don't care what anyone says the Young Jedi Knight series was horrible. Don't bother with it.

 

Thanks for your input everyone. Looks like I was a bit hasty in skipping the X-wing series.

 

You're really best off reading everything that's after ROTJ with the exception of the comics (aside from Dark Empires, unfortunately. Possibly Crimsom Empire too, if you can find it. I didn't, but apparently its useful.) You can try skipping portions of it, but you're in effect skipping an entire era. Not a particularly good era, but an era nonetheless.

If you insist on skipping parts I'd sugest reading:
X-Wing 1-7
Courtship
Dream
Thrawn Trilogy
X-Wing 8
(That covers the rebellion/early days era)

Academy
Black Fleet
Corellian
Hand of Thrawn
one of the Divirsity Alliance young Jedi Knights books (You could probably blame that Alliance on the Vong)
(The New Republic Era)

Dark Empire isn't nessecary since things won't make too much more sence even if you do read it.

As for Rogue Planet, lest you be spoiled, read it after Destiny's Way.

 

Possibly Crimsom Empire too, if you can find it. I didn't, but apparently its useful

Actually, CEII would be more useful than CE as it introduces a certain NJO character. Aside from Wedge, I don't remember any character who appeared in CE who also appeared in the NJO. But a major NJO character was introduced in CEII, though he plays a fairly minor role there.

Corran Horn, Tycho Celchu, Gavin Darklighter, Mirax Terrik Horn, and Booster Terrik are all introduced, publication wise, in the X-wing novels and all appear in the NJO, though not all play important rolls.

You might also want to read the Young Jedi Knights books (Jedi Sunrise and Jedi Shadow collect the first six books into two anthologies and should be a little easier to find) as they introduce at least three of the younger Jedi who appear in the NJO. And if you can find them and are simply looking to read some of the books that introduce characters, try the Junior Jedi Knight books for Tahiri as she'll play a role in the NJO.

 

Right so it looks like I'm going to be reading all of the books post-ROTJ. I never really wanted to skip any but my main desire was to read the NJO so I thought maybe some stuff could wait until I finished that. Now I see there's another trilogy coming out followed by another 9 books! I better get reading.

Books pre-ROTJ, I think I'll just hold off on them for now and risk it although I have actually read Shadows of the Empire (the only book I've ever read). Someone mentioned it above so I was wondering what is it's connection to NJO?

As for the comics people mentioned (DE & CE), I never had any before and I didn't think I ever would but you have convinced me. Just one problem, I'm in the UK and I'm having problems finding DE online. CE is on amazon but DE is only second hand and expensive. Any UK readers know where to look?

Thanks again.

 

Hey I'm new here to (this is my first post) but I'm not new to EU literature having read most of the post ROTJ books. There are really three key series that are needed to have the basic back story to the NJO.

The X-Wing series: An excelent series in its own right it introduces the some key players in the expanded universe (Corran, ect) and expands greatly on those introduced in the movies (Wedge, Akbar, ect). It is also just a good general introduction to the EU, not majorly influenced by individual EU specific events but a gental ease in to the EU backstory.

The Thrawn trilogy: A definate must read not only an excelent set of books but also containing some vital information to an understanding of the EU. As a supplement to this the Hand of Thrawn books if only as they chart a relationship that will crop up offten in the NJO.

The Jedi Accademy trilogy: Not a bad read, but essential if you want to understand the history of the Jedi present in NJO and the backstory of the Yavin accademy. This is supplimented by the novel I, Jedi which is a excellent read and also pads out accademy life.

Filler books such as Children of the Jedi and New Rebellion aren't essential reads for the NJO, and unlike many here I have never read the Dark Empire comics or tpb though I've always tried to ignore it's contents.

 

IJ is my faveourite Star Wars novel I've read it more then anyother and in no way did I feel that DE affected it at all. Even in HOT it dosen't have any real significance all you need to know is that after Thrawn the last remenants of what was the Empire has more or less collapsed in to warlord states which the New Republic has gobbled up.

 

The only things worth reading are,

Heir to the Empire
Dark Force Rising
The Last Command
Specter of the Past
Vision of the Future

If you like a good read, I would also recommend I, Jedi.

The rest are a waste of time.

The Timothy Zahn books add so much to Star Wars and are a great story.
Read them.
The rest is unimportant.

-Seldon

 

Yeah, the Rogues and the Wraiths factor fairly prominently into the NJO. I think the list of books to exclude would be shorter than the books to include.
Post ROTJ books you don't have to read to understand the NJO:
The Bounty Hunter Wars
Crystal Star
Darksaber
Planet of Twilight
The New Rebellion


I agree with the general concensus on the DE trilogy. Read it, along with CEII if you can. Also, Rogue Planet is pretty important.