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

Lit Reading NJO...Again

Discussion in 'Literature' started by spicewood, Sep 17, 2017.

  1. spicewood

    spicewood Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2007
    Hi, all. Been a long time since I've posted here. I'm reading NJO again and remembered how much fun it was discussing the books with this community, and was happy to see it still active when I searched.

    I know reading the series again is a lengthy chore, but I always enjoyed the series and I still have a year left of service here in Jawa Timur, so when not teaching I have plenty of time to read in this quiet mountain village. I'd be happy if any would like to join me in this task and discuss along the way, or pop in from time to time with your thoughts on the series. Thanks.
     
  2. Pacified_llama

    Pacified_llama Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 15, 2017
    I'm in a similar situation to you - though in my case the entire former JCF account was lost (my bad :oops:) and so I've created another recently.
    It's going to take some time to work my way back into posting since it's been a number of years since.

    A lot has been said on the NJO here (massive emphasis on a lot ) - I agree it would be great to visit it again, though it's been a few years since I've read it through myself.
    What we need is some fresh perspective, though - maybe to evaluate/justify its worth against the Nucanon.

    It was a pretty unique series in that it evolved the mythology/ideas presented in the films, rather than merely recycle them (as is arguably the case with a big swathe of the EU - it's derivative, though not necessarily in a bad way. )

    Thoughts anyone?
     
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  3. spicewood

    spicewood Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2007
    I agree, it avoided doing a rehash and tackled big issues. It really did evolve the understanding of the Force, as the debate between Anakin and Jacen, Luke's hesitancy to commit the Order to the fight against a foe with seemingly no connection to the Force, and Jacen's development throughout the series were primary themes. We got an epic series finale with the title announcing the new understanding of the Force, which ultimately made LotF so brutal, but I'm digressing there. Whoops.

    Just started Vector Prime again, and it makes it clear that no one is really safe in this series as they weren't afraid to kill off major characters, extremely likable characters too. I thought that was another great aspect of this series, there would be major consequences and the galaxy would be completely altered afterward.

    Thinking back, I remember quite a bit of discussion about NJO here ten years ago. Specifically a lot concerning the Myrkr mission led by Anakin. I will have to see if I can dig some of that out of the archive.
     
  4. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    I'd suggest posting stuff here as you go and let people respond to it as they will. Some of that in turn will spark off further discussions and you might get a quite active thread.
     
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  5. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    accursed double posting software...
     
  6. starfish

    starfish Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 9, 2003
    Which book of the series are you currently on? First one?
     
  7. spicewood

    spicewood Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2007
    Happens to me quite a bit here, spotty reception and all. Good call, though. As I read on I'll drop some comments on this thread, thanks.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
  8. spicewood

    spicewood Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2007
    Indeed.


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  9. Pacified_llama

    Pacified_llama Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 15, 2017
    You are doing a complete re-read?
    All 19 novels or whatever it is...

    I still haven't read some of extra material, ebooks etc. Worth looking into when you get there, I suppose. Though I do remember skipping "Recovery" which was put on the front of one of the mid-series paperbacks, Star by Star I think.
     
  10. SWpants

    SWpants Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 28, 2004
    I've been rereading ALL my SW books and recently hit the NJO. On Edge of Victory 2 now.

    Last time I tried just the NJO I stopped before SBS. Anakin's death is the most emotional fictional death I have ever experienced
     
  11. Pacified_llama

    Pacified_llama Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 15, 2017
    Yeah, the Mission to Myrkr sequence sort of builds up and up to impending doom (aka Death of Anakin) - darned executive meddling. They really telegraphed that one out, but it's arguably Denning's best SW novel.

    Shame, because, as been said before, it retroactively damages Edge of Victory (particular book 1) because you know that all Anakin's character development is going into a black hole (no...not the Maw kind...:p )
     
  12. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    One thing I'll throw in here: For anyone who read and enjoyed NJO, there are two essential further reads:

    X-Wing: Mercy Kill
    Legacy (Volume I)
     
  13. Stymi

    Stymi Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 10, 2002
    I may join in on this...with Audiobooks. They're unabridged, which sucks. But still...could be fun.

    I actually never finished the NJO. Got up to SBS...then grad school took me away from reading Star Wars books for a bit.

    This is TFN lit. boards sacrilege, but LOTF re-sparked my interest. Loved the series. I started at the 1st Traviss book in the series, then went back to the start, then back to DNT. Then even further back to YJK.

    *Edit: I actually used the TFN lit. boards back then to keep up with what was happening in the books I was no longer reading. In retrospect, I probably would have saved more time just reading the books...lol.

    *Second Edit: Just downloaded Vector Prime...but I need to finish Leia first. Man, I remember reading VP in '99 when it came out. I was still in the Navy.

    Sent from my Moto X-Wing
     
  14. spicewood

    spicewood Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2007
    Yeah, funny how life can get in the way of Star Wars. I remember starting NJO, then joining the Marines. Didn't really get back into the swing of reading Star Wars until joining this forum and Beccatoria was running an awesome book discussion, one book per month I think. Remembering those threads inspired me to start this thread. She was much more organized than I, though! She had a structure to the discussion, with questions to keep in mind during the read.

    Also, I enjoyed LotF too. The horror! After Traitor I was obsessed with Jacen's evolution. It was heartbreaking to read his fall. Wish they had gotten deeper into his sojourn before the new canon came along.


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  15. spicewood

    spicewood Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2007
    Loved Legacy, haven't tried Mercy Kill yet. Is it set during NJO? That would be cool, but I'll read it even if not. Really enjoyed the X-Wing series.


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  16. spicewood

    spicewood Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2007
    Always wondered if Del Rey changed course during the series on the fly. Switching from Anakin to Jacen as the hero seemed pretty abrupt, was it planned from the start or not?


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  17. Trip

    Trip Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 7, 2003
    it was.
     
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  18. SWpants

    SWpants Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 28, 2004
    It also negative the events of Vector Prime. That may be a a large reason as to why I still get depressed emotions when thinking of Anakin's death - it was utterly pointless. I don't think it was planned from the start. Maybe TPTB switched at some point and the new head wanted to change plans?
     
  19. Trip

    Trip Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 7, 2003
    Anakin's death was planned from the very beginning-- the whole point was to completely undercut expectations and emphasize that this was a new kind of war that needed a new kind of hero. It's supposed to be devastating.
     
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  20. Dr. Steve Brule

    Dr. Steve Brule Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 7, 2012
    I actually recently re-read Vector Prime along with the TPM novelization and had a lot of stuff to say about ways they complement each other as the first two books in the 1990s equivalent of the "Nu-Canon". Maybe this thread will spur me to finally write that up.
     
  21. Stymi

    Stymi Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 10, 2002
    Ohhh... scandalous! Lol.


    Sent from my Moto X-Wing
     
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  22. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 5, 2011
    I've always thought people should more spend time discussing the old stuff than lamenting its discontinuation, it's much more worthwhile. I approve this endeavor. I won't actually re-read it myself (I'm reading other things, and I just packed away all my Star Wars books at the end of last month), but I'll keep up with this thread and respond if I have anything to add.
     
  23. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    I might eventually go through and re-read the NJO books I liked, which was most of them, although I'd probably pass on Balance Point. And I couldn't get through the Force Heretic trilogy even once.

    It's rare that I disagree with Jedi Ben but I could not get into Mercy Kill; I was never a big enough Wedge fan to care what his daughter was doing.
     
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  24. Stymi

    Stymi Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 10, 2002
    Me neither. But not because of Wedge or his daughter. I thought the book straight up boring.


    Sent from my Moto X-Wing
     
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  25. spicewood

    spicewood Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2007
    A few thoughts on Vector Prime and some questions.

    I hated Chewie's death, or should I say that I hated that he died. His death was fitting, though, both in terms of the narrative and his character. Always thought him one of the most honorable characters; enduring slavery, following a life debt and becoming a hero that helped put an end to the Empire. Dying while saving thousands of refugees and Han's son was fitting. It took a moon destroying a planet to kill him.

    What I didn't like was how Han handled it with respect to Anakin. I felt it overdone to the point it hurt Han's character. I get that he was broken up, I've lost close friends too, but Han was better than that I thought.

    I do have a question concerning Mara. When was she exposed to Nom Anor's coomb spores? What work covered that and how long prior to Vector Prime was that?

    And what were your thoughts on the new antagonists? I have heard the Star Trek criticism, that they didn't belong in the SW universe. But I thoroughly enjoyed them and thought them the perfect antagonist to spur a revolution in Force philosophy. An extragalactic (or assumed to be at first) species that negates how the Jedi fight and understand the universe. It stripped the Jedi of their usual advantages in ways the Sith or dark force users could not. Their fanaticism and devotion to conquest made them evil in ways that were not typically Sith, but a type of selfless dedication to the galaxy's destruction so that it could be completely remade in their image. They wanted to impose their belief system and completely alter worlds to their liking. So I was a fan of them, but am curious what you all thought of them.

    Lastly, and perhaps frivolously, I tend to read with music, so I associate certain albums and groups with this series. At that time I listened to a lot of Deftones (White Pony), A Perfect Circle (Mer de Noms) and Tool (Lateralus). Do any of you do the same, and if so, what groups/albums?


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