A&A The Official Timothy Zahn Discussion Thread

Timothy Zahn begun the revival of the Star Wars franchise with the release of the 'Thrawn Trilogy', beginning in 1991. He has also written the 'Hand of Thrawn' duology, and has collaborated with Michael A. Stackpole on many Star Wars projects. Tim is also well known for his non Star Wars Conqueror's trilogy

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Discuss Tim's novels and aspects of his writing in this thread. You never know, Tim might drop by from time to time!

 

Zahn isn't my favorite Author but with his SW stuff it's remarkably true to the movies, which I really enjoyed. However about a third or two thirds of the way through the book it begins to slow down for me, which is odd because it doesn't happen in his non-SW material I've read.

 

Timothy Zahn is the best! I love his Thrawn books! I have read Dark Empire Raising and The Last Command. Both books are my favoite books. The way Timothy Zahn uses his characters and tactica are just great! I love the detail he adds in!


Timothy Zahn, if you are reading this, it was your book: Dark Force Raising that got me into reading. Thanks!

 

So, um....is there a way to ban one member *coughgenghiscough* from one thread *coughthisonecough*?

Just kidding...

 

Geez, I was a little kid (seems like, anyway) when Heir to the Empire first came out. It was the first SW book I'd ever read, and I was absolutely enthralled with it.

I took it everywhere, reading it whenever and wherever I could. It was so exciting to be reading about Luke, Han, Leia, and Lando again. (Chewie, too!)

Tim Zahn brought Star Wars back for me, reintroducing my favorite characters in a new and exciting way. From the Thrawn Trilogy it was a roller-coaster, IMO, of not-as-good to horrible books, partly though because I was always looking for another book or series as wonderful as TTT. The Duology of Infamy, as I like to call it, helped with that a little bit, and though I liked it, no other SW books will ever be as fresh and exciting for me as the original three that Zahn gave us.

Anyway, that's my two and a half cents (with taxes and inflation).

 

zahn did a great job of reviving SW, both times. the bantam novels had gotten stale and it was a great idea to have zahn set things back on course, putting to rest some loos threads. i gotta go with zahn about DE, i hated it and the fact that the emperor came back was too lame for words. he did right by all the characters, but he did set into motion the idea of the Empire kidnapping the solo kids, a plot device which KJA was only too happy to use. other than that, one of the top 3 SW writers.

 

Does Zimothy Zahn have a username here?

 

I've never seen him post here.

 

Timothy Zahn is my favorite Star Wars author. When he wrote "Heir to the Empire" it was so cool how he got all the original Star Wars characters just right, and how he created new characters and situations to continue the storyline beyond the movies. His writing is just awesome, with all the detail and stuff in the books. My favorite book was "The Last Command", then it was (and it still is) "Vision of the Future."

 

IAmTheDarkSide....Im with you, man!


Zahn is the best. All I can say. he got me into this...my parents want to kill him...but i love the guy!

BTW...in the review on TFN...they said nothing about a zahn story in gamer #9. Is that still fact or is it fiction?

 

HttE reintroduced me to Star Wars. Not just books, but but Star Wars in general. (I think that's a good thing.) I have to say I'm not a HUGE fan of his non-SW work. It's a bit too heavy on the sci in sci-fi. But the Thrawn Trilogy is still my favorite overall Star Wars fiction. (And anyone who doesn't like DE is FINE in my book. )

 

The Zahn story, Handoff, is in the next Gamer, not the one that just came out.

 

What is DE?

 

Dark Empire

 

although i read the ambush at correlia book first, the thrawn trilogy was really the first one i actually read in detail. i wasnt too skilled a reader back in the day, and also being the first star wars book read didnt make my comprehension of it any better. but HttE was the first one i actually read and understood. unfortunately, starting with the best makes your expectations too high, and no book i've read since comes very close to competing with the thrawn series, except the x wing books and I jedi.

 

So basically the short story Handoff will be in gamer 10?

If it is then I will defintly be getting that issue.

 

Yeah IATDS....I realized that after I posted, but was too lazy to go back and edit it. Has anyone heard anything new about Zahn supposedly writing a prequel novel? (ohjoy)

 

Nope, and I hope it's an unfounded rumor... I enjoyed his books when I read them, but after lurking and posting here and reading all of G's revelations, I appreciate them far less now.

 

Dont go to the Dark side! (oh yeah...)




I NEVER thought about Canon or Continuity before I started posting here...and i still try to enjoy the books for what they are. Some of the errors bother me, and hand of thrawn wasnt his best ever, but he is still my favorite star wars author, and id love to see him write in the GFFA again.

 

I'm fairly sure that it's true he'll be writing a prequel-era book, but I hope it's not about the characters from the films. I've had no motivation to read about them and I doubt even Zahn or Allston could change my mind there, and they're the only must-buy Star Wars authors for me.

 

See, Zahn having the idea of kidnapping the Solo kids wasn't too bad at first for a very simple reason. They were only infants. It would be very easy to raise them with a doctrine of evil since the villians wouldn't have to undo anything the kids had already learned about being good from their parents.
So originally, this was a good plot line. It was a real threat to lose the kids and have a dark jedi twist them right from the start. Unfortunately other authors wanted to re-use this plot device over and over. Problem was, the kids kept getting older and learning more from their parents and uncle about being good as they grew. The Solo kids were almost better as infants anyway. That way they couldn't ponder the deepest meanings of the Force as if they're geriatric Jedi Master philosophers like they've been doing in NJO. Blech.
Kudos to Zahn for not making the Solo children miracle wonders in the Force like almost every other author has done. Powerful? Yes. A cure all? No.
His novels definitely have the pacing of the films down to an art, which is difficult to do in novels. He's far more capable at this then any other authors in SW and it simply makes his stories better.
Kudos to Zahn for many other things in his SW novels as well.

 

What makes you certain that he'll write a prequel book, IG?

 

IG. I agree. Very few SW authors are must buys for me and Zahn is one of them. Allston is another. I rate Stackpole as possible. That's about it.

 

Tim Zahn has to be one of my favourite all time Star Wars authors.

I *love* how he follows the classic trilogy movie format, ie: opening each book with a scene in space with Star Destroyers, the TESB like ending for Dark Force Rising, etc...

 

Well, honestly I really enjoy TZ's work... Well, at least his short stories and TTT, HoT being good, but not excellent - rather average. It's often overrated, I think. I closes well the Bantam era, though.

And now, I was pointed out by certain persons I won't mention here - but everyone knows who - that TZ has certain 'ego' problems. They posted proof, and can't help but agree about what they say about him. That doesn't help me from enjoying his SW work, though.