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

Lit The EU going the ''Star Trek'' route?

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Sith_Knight087, Mar 15, 2013.

  1. Sable_Hart

    Sable_Hart Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2009
    You know, I went back and thought about it and there are pretty much only 4 or 5 EU contributions that I think could/should remain within the entire continuity absolutely untouched. Everything else can go. Just letdown after letdown, really, and I wouldn't mind seeing if Disney could take a crack at it. Besides, if it doesn't pan out, we still have the stories on their own merits.
     
    Marc McAllister likes this.
  2. Zorrixor

    Zorrixor Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 8, 2004
    As far as I'm concerned, there are only 3 or 4 Star Wars films that should remain, the others can go and be done over. :p
     
  3. Sable_Hart

    Sable_Hart Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2009
    Hey, I'm right there with you. The prequel trilogy was a brilliant idea with a hopelessly flawed execution. I'm cool with taking ANH, tESB, burning down the rest and starting over.
     
  4. FatSmel

    FatSmel Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 23, 2012
    Exactly what i was saying the whole time
     
  5. fett 4

    fett 4 Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2000
    Now I am curious, which are the books you mention
     
  6. V-2

    V-2 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 10, 2012
    You make a good point, especially about the quantity/quality issue. The policy of low quality/high quantity output is deliberately exploitative of writers and readers.

    You're right to say that if continuity was abandoned it doesn't follow that high profile authors would flock to write low-prestige franchise fiction, but even if the franchise introduced quality control the canon policy would still force writers to conform to the crap established over the last 20-odd years. I say if we're going to establish quality control, it should work backwards as well as forwards. ;)
     
  7. P.Sam

    P.Sam Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    May 31, 2011
    I don't disagree but one might think of Disney as a film and TV corporation solely but if they bought a book compagny, it means that they've an interest in the markets of books and litterature which means that in some way they might care about it. Of course they're in for profit but who isn't in this business? The branch of Lucasbook is profitable as well for the Star Wars franchise and that's the main reason why it still lives today.
     
  8. Sable_Hart

    Sable_Hart Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2009
    Shatterpoint, Cloak of Deception, Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, Traitor, The Unifying Force.
     
  9. fett 4

    fett 4 Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2000
    Don't get me started on DS9, I have still not forgiven the writers/creators for
    1) The final season which was so awful, it was trial to actually watch it, and
    2) They also destroyed that show's most interesting and fascinating character Gul Dukat. As a 3 dimensional anti-hero with his strange relationship with Major Kira, it was fascinating. The writers for no reason decided to scrap that and he was then turned into a 1-dimensional caricature. Very frustrating as he was the best thing on the show.
     
  10. P.Sam

    P.Sam Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    May 31, 2011
    Sable_Hart While they're good stories, I very much doubt the books you mention are the pillars of the EU... Not from my point of view at least.

    And what about the Thrawn Trilogy? I think that's the diamond of the EU as far as I am concerned.
     
  11. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    That's a strange example though, as up until this year while there was the Lucas Books icon, the books also had the publishing house indicated as well so Del Rey, Random House, Arrow etc. In contrast, from what I can tell, Scoundrels is just Lucas Books. The difference? That the price online stays around £15-16 where previous hardbacks came down to £12-13, that's a significant hike.
     
  12. Sable_Hart

    Sable_Hart Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2009
    I give the Thrawn Trilogy credit for reinvigorating the EU, but the truth (for me, anyway) is that it is outclassed tremendously in terms of quality by the books I mentioned. The trilogy is definitely more popular, though.
     
  13. fett 4

    fett 4 Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2000
    I agree The original Thrawn trilogy despite everyone saying "point" was great fun and really felt like a swashbuckler and you genuinely that it was a sequel to RTJ. It also had great new villains and new characters and anti-hero's etc.

    Also following on it should be said that Thrawn Trilogy and Dark Empire did come out at the same time and were contradictory, complete with different babies for Leia.

    Yet the EU survived by Zahn retconning Dark Empire in his HoT books. A similar situation will probably happen here.
     
  14. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    That was, in large part, due to Zahn refusing to work with others.

    It's tempting to think of what the SW EU would be like with an actual team ethos and writers not screwing each other over! Maybe we'll find out in the future.

    If comics can do it and Trek can do it, then Wars really has no excuse.
     
    Sable_Hart likes this.
  15. fett 4

    fett 4 Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2000
    He did work with Stackpole which was why Stackpoles work was not trashed in HoT.
    Didn't he do some stories in the Tales series as well ?
     
  16. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    Right, he works only with those he sees eye-to-eye with.

    Get an editor in who's prepared to kick the backsides of these primadonnas and then see what happens, it might actually be something quite special.

    It's gone on since time immemorial with the EU - Bantam screws over Marvel, Zahn screws Veitch, KJA, Kube-McDowell and a few others, Denning does over Keyes and so it goes on. When is it going to actually grow the frell up?
     
  17. Sable_Hart

    Sable_Hart Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2009
    When LucasFilm hires someone from this board to whip things into shape. :p
     
  18. blackmyron

    blackmyron Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2005
    To be honest - the EU only exists because of the Thrawn Trilogy - not just the novels, but the decisions revolving around it (LFL saying "Here, use this" to Zahn about the WEG background material, Stackpole and other authors building off the trilogy).

    Comics have been the worst for feuds. For some reason, Doctor Doom appears to be at the center for a lot of them.
     
  19. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    Nope, DE played a large part in it too, Zahn can't like that but too bad. It also got Lucas approval too.

    What I'm invoking in comics is that if you have a competent editor, with writers who are all on the same page, you can get something very good indeed.
     
  20. blackmyron

    blackmyron Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2005
    Disagree on Dark Empire, except as a retroactive deal - that WEG brought in full into the growing EU with the still excellent DESB.

    As for comics, the best to me seem to be when the writer and the artist are working in sync - especially when you have essentially the same pairing for an entire run.

    The worst seem to be when the artist and writer are the same person.
     
  21. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    Hmm, there's relatively few writer-artists, certainly none I can recall in SW EU - outside of that, there's a notable handful, with one F. Miller courting controversy more than most. Unfortunately, that can eclipse other, equally great talents like Mike Mignola, Bryan Talbot, Coleen Doran, Will Eisner, Linda Medley to name but a few.
     
  22. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    In that? Practically, no DE = No DHC SW comics.
     
  23. BigAl6ft6

    BigAl6ft6 Chosen One star 8

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    Nov 12, 2012
    I think the only way to cram the post-ROTJ EU into Ep. 7 would be you'd have to start dipping into magic and probably time travel or something crazy like that. Personally, I vote for a Bill and Ted crossover. Do it as a 3 issue mini-seires! Then Chewie is alive at the end of it and the Ep. 7 Skywalker and Solo protagonists are born. Most excellent!
     
  24. blackmyron

    blackmyron Chosen One star 7

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    Oct 29, 2005
    I was thinking more of the Image founders, but latter-day Miller does spring to mind. Not say that an artist-writer is usually bad, but that when they are bad, they are really bad.
     
  25. Arrian

    Arrian Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 15, 2011
    Add Labyrinth of Evil and the RotS novel and I'd agree.