Discuss BP with Kathy -- Spoilers Welcome

Cougar -- Nonononono, I didn't say I would not vote. I haven't missed a prez election since . . . well, you don't want to know. But that is DEFINITELY off topic.

Kathy

 

D-B-F --
1) I think that's what they are. Cover art is done pretty much without authorial consultation.
2) Aw c'mon, that's been discussed all over the place. Or have you been avoiding spoilers? All right, then. It's Jacen.
3) I think Shimmra's the highest ranking one we've mentioned so far.
4) That's too tough for me . . .

Kathy

 

I've just finished BP, like 2 minutes ago... congratulations Kathy, the ending is leaving me speechless.. I can't wait to read the next book... anyway, you managed to turn Jacen on the right path, do you think he will keep on using the Force, I liked the description of his combat against Tsavong Lah!

And another question, which character did you have the most difficulties describing and using?

Also, you've made Tsavong Lah one of my all-time favorite villains! Thank you

 

Sorry. I'm fairly politically minded, so those topics tend to come up with me. Especially with the election four days away and the Democrats digging up dirt and Bush and all... Okay, I'll stop. I'm good.

Anyway, what about Muurgh and stuff?

 

Entil`Zha -- With whom did I have the most difficulties? Your fave, Tsavong Lah. I dreaded going to work when his scenes were on the schedule. His kind gives me nightmares. I guess I'm glad you like him . . . or like to hate him (I hope).

Cougar -- I really can't say for certain regarding Muurgh & Katarn, but I do know that others have been reading this thread, so who knows what will come of it?

Kathy

 

Ok, can you settle a topic which is still being lightly debated here?

Specifically, are the Vong really from another Galaxy (I believe that they are, but would like to hear conformation if it's possible). Also, was Vector Prime the first place they attacked? Did they ever attack Chiss space before they attacked the Republic?

 

Ms.Tyers I haven't read all of BP yet,but I did skim through the parts with the Warmaster.From what I read,I think you handled him wonderfully.

He gives me chills.

Plus,in JE I got the impression that the Warmaster was as cunning as the Emperor.What I read in BP confirmed my thoughts.

Now to me,the Warmaster seems to be the Vong's Vader.So I've been thinking,if the right hand man is that terrifying,how terrifying will Supreme Overlord Shimmra be?

 

Gandolf -- Yes, they're really from outside the GFFA. AFAIK, another galaxy. I don't think it's clear (yet) whether they attacked Chiss space first, but the title, "Vector Prime," does seem to imply a first strike.

Matthew Trias -- Thanks, I guess . . . I'm glad I didn't have to write Shimmra.

Kathy

 

Whew, nice slow read.

Now i get to read all the posts.

First take.......great book.

CoK

 

Sorry Ms.Tyers-I can't comment on the rest of the book 'cause I haven't read it.Whenever I don't have time,or can't buy a book,I always skim through and look for the bad guy's names,just to see what they're up to.

 

One question I would like to clear up:
~~~~~~~~~Spoilers~~~~~~~~



When you wrote with Mara and Luke finding out Mara was preganant Mara seemed horrified. Luke seemed happy but was trying to control it to avoid say getting yelled at. Is that the way you intended it or did it come out that way. I must say I thought it was a little odd the way Mara seemed to loathe having the baby.

 

Good point Matthew Trias made about mentioning Overlord Shimmra. Kathy - can you clarify the Vong political structure?

At first, I found it hard to figure out after the first few books who really was in charge, as they all had extravagent titles - similar to the Imperial Warlords in 'Darksaber'.

So Overlord Shimmra is the equivalent to Borsk Fey'lya, the Chief of State? Would that make Tsavong Lah the head of the military?

Kathy, when do you think Shimmra will make an appearance - and why is he waiting outside the galaxy?

Kathy, in your opinion, who is the head of the New Republic military - Admiral Sovv, Admiral Traest Krey'fey, Admiral Hiram Drayson? Ultimately - Borsk is, but who is his direct report?

One last question, are you planning to read prequel SW books such as 'Rogue Planet', and the forthcoming 'Shadow Hunter' and the Palpatine / Valorum novel by Luceno?

 

Others are reading this? Like who? That's pretty cool.

 

Well I hope Shimmra doesn't appear in only the final novel,like Palpatine only appeared in the last movie of the classic trilogy.I want to see more of him then that.

 

Kathy, just finished the book, superb work. I especially liked the epilogue, with Lah calling for the capturing of Jacen Solo. Just makes me wonder what is going to happen to Jacen.

 

Kathy-I don't know why you were worried about Lah or Balance Point. BP was wonderful, and the ending scene with Tsavong is the kind that makes you walk away from a book with that feeling of awe and "What's next?".

 

Cougar and Kathy, a bit off topic, but the Official Site has a new poll about who you would vote for to lead the Republic. Cast your vote now!

Horox Ryyder is in the lead, with Finis Valorum a close second and Palpatine in third.

And to go back on topic...

You did a great job with Tsavong. Just think of all that is good and pure, invert it, and you have... instant villain! I'm sure it's more complicated than that. What makes him work is that he is RIGHT in his own mind. He's not mustache twirling, he's not even really self-serving. He risks quite a bit in service to what he believes is a greater good. He's a great foil for Nom Anor, who is almost Palpatinian. He and Shesh would make a great pair, and I hope that their comeuppance is linked. Perhaps they'll stretch their gameplaying too far, and both sides will realize they've been betrayed and manipulated.

I'm not fully convinced yet that the Vong are evil despite all that they've done. It's just so incredibly ALIEN. We're naturally so quick to put a value judgement on such a death-centered culture. It will be interesting to see how it ends. Is an understanding possible? Or will it all end with slaughter. Will the Vong have a lasting presence in the GFFA? Or will they be destroyed utterly, leaving a ruined galaxy to heal and rebuild. That's why I should be sticking around for a while. The heroes are only as good as the obstacles you match them against, and so far, you guys have done a great job!

Can't wait to see Keyes' spin on all this. I loved his Psi-Corps Trilogy, and I plan on picking up Age of Unreason soon.

 

Kathy - has the name of the Skywalker baby been mentioned with the authors? Since this will have more importance I believe, over naming the Solo kids - who is this ultimately up to - J. Gregory Keyes who is writing the novel when the child will most likely be born - or did the group of authors so far have a group consensus? Or is the final decision on this up to the bearded -flanelled one himself?

 

Matthew Trias- Palpatine was also in ESB. He was a hologram, but he was technically still in the movie.

 

Thanks for the generous first take, CoK.

Night 4554 -- I'd call Mara's first reaction a mixture of horror, anxiety, and responsibility, and Luke's happy and cautious. As he said, he didn't realize how badly he did want this. If she's been taking whatever precautions Jedi take, of course this will come as a shock. She wonders if she made a mistake and faces its consequences. Since she has been so intimately involved fighting her disease, she knows too well what it could do to a defenseless child.

The Gatherer -- Sorry, you're asking the wrong person most of that. I'm not the team's specialist in Vong political structure or the NR military. I do know the YV have a caste system, so that priests aren't answerable to the warmaster.

I've alrady read & enjoyed ROGUE PLANET. Sure, I'll read the others.

Art_Core -- Good, you're supposed to wonder!

Thanks Dev.

Mad Jedi Master -- But to Tsavong Lah's mind, he IS good and pure, and that is what pits him against our heroes. Besides, no villain can be truly successful without having many genuine strengths -- intelligence and courage come to mind. Jim & the others drew heavily from Aztec culture to create the YV. Naturally, their idea of "good and proper" is alien to ours. Yes, he and NA play off each other well. Nice job on the part of the series planners.

About value judgments & death-centered culture -- yes, exactly. If, from the Vong point of view, death is inevitable and their gods exist, then isn't the manner of death all-important? Aren't they doing infidels a favor by sacrificing them to the gods? If, on the other hand, death is inevitable, the soul survives death, and the decisions made in LIFE are all-important . . . voila. MY point of view (I believe this was termed Pascal's Dilemma, but someone else could correct me), including the free will of the thinking being. The alien-ness of the Yuuzhan Vong point of view (to us) lies chiefly, I think, in the juxtaposition of these concepts.

The Gatherer -- I'm not sure who gets to name Bambino. I know more than one person will be involved. I've heard one proposal (NO!! And don't ask!!!). I won't consider any name official until the book is in print, because I have seen such details changed by LFL proofreaders after the author finished his/her galleys (No!! Don't ask that either!!). No hard feelings, just a big surprise. (No, no, no. I won't answer if you ask)

Kathy

 

Good morning Kathy.

Just posting to inform you of another extremely satisfied reader. When I got home from work yesterday, one of my phone messages was from the friend to whom I lent my copy of BP. He had just finished and wanted me to call as soon as I got in. We then spent most of of the next hour discussing the book and it's effect on the dirrections subsequent books would take. I'd repeat some of his praise here, but it isn't anything that hasn't been repeated in this thread several times already (and I type too slow). A second friend is now reading it. Rest assured that I'm not costing you any sales by lending it out, as niether if these guys would shell out 25 bucks for a hardback. As soon as the current reader finishes, I'll pass on his feedback as well. Enjoy your weekend.

 

Lookout here comes the other shoe...
Just kidding. It's more like a bunny slipper... ;-)

I must admit that I had trouble following the trip around Gateway during the end. I had to re-read a few passages to figure out what was going on, and still was confused by a few. Perhaps the traveling in the dome and the tunnels had me slightly off kilter. Maybe it's my own personal biases too. The cartographer's blood running through my veins might be... distracting me. When I read the book again at a much slower pace, and things seem clearer, I'll let you know either way.

Also, I thought I remembered one or two point of view shifts within a paragraph or sentence, nothing major. Also, I admit that I found one or two chapter shifts or scene shifts a little jarring. Most flowed rather smoothly and seemlessly. Oh, and did anyone catch "Yuzzan" in the Prologue. Ooops. Something always slips by. Didn't see it anywhere else. Kinda makes me wonder if the prologue was written before Mike convinced them to change the name to include the H as a tribute to Tim.



I still have reservations about the NJO as a whole however, none of which is specific to Balance Point particularly, but more about the overall arc. Once again, the story gives the heros little personal, pyrrhic victories, with the Vong winning the overall battle. I guess that's to be expected with the invasion progressing, and I don't think the Vong really want to stop. You know they see Coruscant as the ultimate abomination, and they will want to destroy it. I hope they end the invasion arc soon. It is getting a bit repetitive... Hero's personal victory, Vong advance, personal victory, Vong advance. Maybe that's the cycle Denning will break with "Vong are diven off, hero dies". :-( sniff. However, it was nice to see that the Vong didn't make a big advance off-book, like they have between all previous books prior.

Also, I still don't see the Vong as a three dimensional villian yet. They still don't have enough meat for me to really like. I can't really identify with them as the villian. Tasvong Lah was the closest I came to finding a worthy villian, but there's still a missing piece or two. They're just evil villains for evil villians sake, in my opinion, there in the story solely to have an "unstoppable foe" for our heros to battle. Where's the Vong equivalent of the Peace Brigade. There has to be some element of Vong society that doesn't agree with this war. Or are only the warrior caste in-galaxy right now. The Elan story might have had potential if she really was a defector (or double agent). Oh, well... And I know that Nom Anor has to survive for Mara to have her confrontation with him, but the warmaster really should have sacrificed him for his bumbling and for putting his own interests before the Vong. Though I suppose they need someone who doesn't mind living among the infidels.

So, as you can see, I still have reservations about the NJO as a whole. And the long wait between now and April and September/October 2001 will be a long one. For Del Rey's sake, I hope too many people aren't distracted by other things and forget about the NJO. Thank you for your "bright spot". We need more fun, bright spots.

Oh, one last question that just hit me. Is Viqi Shesh a human or Vong in disguise? I know that you made it a point to mention that Luke had not scanned everyone at the last Advisory Council meeting. There was debate after JE whether or not she was human or a Vong in disguise and whether or not Luke or Anakin scanned her in Hero's Trial. Oh, where is that thread?

PS: To Han, Luke will always be Junior, I think. Yes, we were quite thrilled; gonna go for two years in a row. And since this is your thread to answer questions, I think I'll take my discussions over to the BP Discussion thread now and leave this for Q&A for the rest of the readers who haven't chimed in yet.

 

Kathy: I am not new to Star Wars, I've been a fan all my life, but I AM new to the books. I am reading Zahn's trilogy right now, then I'm going to read your books. I've heard they are great, and can't wait to get to them. I love to write, and it's an honor to be able to talk to a sucessful writer. I appreciate that you take the time to talk to your readers, and I think it's a great trait. Well, I just wanted to say hi, and I'll soon be able to talk about your wonderful books! Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen. (sorry, I'm a MASH fan...)

 

As far as a name for the baby goes, I think they should pick a Bible name, mainly because Luke & Mara both have one; However, I can't think of any that sound just right off the top of my head, so..

It sure is fun to speculate though!

(BTW, for anyone who doesn't know this- and I do know Zahn has mentioned it- "Mara" means "bitter" in the Hebrew language. In the book of Ruth, Naomi renames herself Mara after her husband and sons are killed; I don't remember where Zahn took Jade from, but I know that was significant, too)

Just out of curiousity Kathy, when you have a new character name to make up, do you have any special process you use? Or do just pull a bunch of letters out of the air and put them together? How did you come up w/ Gaeriel? (which is a really beautiful name, btw; It's very musical and elegant)

On another note, I just wanted to say that Senator Sesh reminds me very strongly of Stackpole's Erisi Dlarit who is, believe it or not, one of my favorite villains, right up there w/ Thrawn.

 

181st -- Yay! Thanks for the readers. They are, after all, potential pb buyers next year (no, I don't know the pb release date).

Jades Fire -- Good point about the tunnels. I love maps, too. Without one, our heroes would've been equally confused -- I hope it all works out in your mind eventually. I think I've got it.

Mm, POV slips. The author's nightmare. I hope not, but I could be guilty. If they're between Luke & Mara, remember each one is going to be somewhat aware of the other's feelings. (I had fun with that bond-link concept in the FIREBIRD trilogy, too)

Aii, there it is on page xiii! <immature wail> I didn't write that part . . .

I'll accept your story-arc statement, but I'll add, "wait and see."

Yes, I could conceivably have done more with Tsavong Lah. That would've added depth and length to the book. But getting inside his kind's viewpoint makes me sit up in my sleep, shouting. Can't do it. Not sure it should be done. See my website.

Viqi is human, don't worry. Oops, is that a spoiler? Okay, I'll just add -- as far as I know!

Thanks for stopping by. As you see (I hope), I honestly don't mind well-reasoned criticism.

solojones -- Thank you for stopping by, too. I suspect you'll enjoy the Zahn 3gy.

Sache8 -- I like your thinking! There's another precedent -- "Leia" is very much like "Leah."

I have LOTS of ways to make up character names. Some, like Tsavong Lah or Bburru, must come out of what we know of their language patterns. Some, like "Tresina Lobi" or "Aj Koenes," are direct grins for my friends (but they have to WORK as SW names or I won't use them). "Gaeriel" is shortened from an even lovelier name in LOTR, a nod to my own all-time favorite author. (There's another nod to him, hidden more deeply in the name of one of the Duros orbiting cities) For a main character, I usually brainstorm a long, long list of possibilities, delete most of them, brainstorm some more, delete most of those, narrow it down to three or four choices, pray over those, sleep on it, try them out with nicknames and permutations (Gaeriel. Gaeri. Gaeri's. etc.).

I've also been known to take known names and change a letter or two (two non-BP examples from my Firebird books are "Ellet" and "Carradee").

But sometimes, the perfect name flashes instantly into my head and I can get right back to the writing. But I REALLY wrestle with trying to choose linguistically logical, good-sounding names.

Oh . . . Tu-Scart and Sgauru, Tsavong Lah's "Beater" and "Biter" creatures, are taken loosely from Gaelic words for "entrails" and "terror." Nice and grim! -- and of course, "Beater" and "Biter" were elvish swords in LOTR.

Kathy