Books The Official Outbound Flight Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

I have to admit, even though I think it would be a bad storyline, Thrawn is just such a great character, and I love reading about him.

 

Ex, we didn't know the story though. All we knew is "Thrawn blows up OF." And trust me when I say that nothing that happens before it is at all expected or predictable. Give it a chance, man.

 

Its a hardcover.. hence Ex wont buy it.

 

As I said last page, in this case we know the ending and the storyline. There's no story to discover as the chapters go on as you already know the premise.

 

Eh, so Did I Ex but I still liked it.. after SQ I went in with doubts as to whether Zahn was able to even measure up to the "Gold Standard" of his original Works.. I actually loved it because It was my style of SW story.. it wasnt a galaxy spanning threat.. mostly second and third tier characters (I would have prefered it if Obi-Wan and Anakin woulda stayed out of it entirely but hey.. at least maybe it will calm some of the Zahn haters and thier whole "Zahn hates Vader" rhetoric.. but I doubt it.)

I actually laughed several times during the reading.. mostly at Kinman and C'boaths kooky antics..

 

Well, there's also the fact he copies his character personalities and endings and people each book. And that's not bringing up his rigid and repetitve prose. I'm essentially reading the same book each time, and believe me, after 11 Zahn books I've reach a limit. So in a way, I have read Outbound Flight.

 

I thought it was the best one. He really made up for 'Survivors Quest'. It was awful.

 

Yeah, it really improved "Survivor's Quest" when I reread that book. I personally loved it, but I'll admit, if you're not a Zahn fan, you probably would have many of the same complaints you'd have before. To each their own, though.

 

Excellence, it is pretty well accepted that all writes always write the same novel all over. You just have to find one you like. I have to agree that Zahn has his topics and ways to write a book, but I'm fond of it. OK, I had SQ somewhat spoit for me because I had just read his 'Conqueror Trilogy' before and the pattern is the same. Still I liked it a lot.
Not only because I like his style (matter of taste) but also because, as Rohniss said it's not a galaxy-wide war again. I think I got enough of those for a while.
I liked the way he connects things (admittedly ony those he likes) and he even made me like young Obi-Wan a little.
I would have preferrd to have him and Anakin out of the book though, it felt a little forced.
Still I think he wrote Sidious/Palps well. Zahn writes a lot of ploticial power struggles, second thoughts and agendas, so I was sure he'd do very well. Whenerver I wonder 'how', 'what' or 'why' he has an answer for me. More than I can say of others.
I liked it a lot when everybody aborad the of had to get thoroughly tested and blodd and stuff taken. Palps was surely happy to get such good cloneable material.


And for something I knew the ending already I enjoyed it much more than the PT.
At least Zahn seems to take into consideration what he wrote already...

 

Excellence, it is pretty well accepted that all writers always write the same novel all over. You just have to find one you like.

"And he did, Gandalf," Sauron's Mouth grinned back in his Transylvannian accent. "He did."

Over 4800 pages of Steven Erikson, and counting.

 

I guess because C'boath's insanity caused it to be less than effective?

 

Feedback from lots of dying Vagaari, I thought...

- The Imperial Ewok

 

As I understand it, the Jedi linked with the Vagaari to take control of their minds. When the droid fighters attacked the Vagaari fleet the massive amount of Vagaari deaths caused a shockwave in the Force like Obi-Wan experienced when Alderaan was blown up, only much more intense because their minds were linked with the Vagaari and the shock killed most of the Jedi.

 

Yeah, that sounds like it makes a little more sense.

 

That's what I assumed earlier on in this thread, yes. It seems to make sense and seems to be the only opportunity (at least that we see) where this could have occured.

 

So, I wrapped up Zahn's latest endeavor into the SW Universe. i found it to be a better read than "Survivor's Quest." I am curious if anyone else thought C'Baoth was done away with a bit to easily? Anyone else think there might be another story kicking around in Zahn's head about C'Baoth?

Any thoughts, please post!

 

What, hit with a neutron bomb?

 

just a question. Since thrawn saw crazy jedi c'boath, shouldn't he show more recognition when they interact again at mt tantiss? or do we think this is a result of ttt being written way before OF was even a thought?

 

We could always assume that Thrawn - being able to keep his emotions under control - just did not let his recognition of C'Baoth show.

But of course it is more likely as you suggest: When Timothy Zahn wrote TTT he had not yet worked out a detailed OF background. For example, in his most recent interview he even said: 'If I'd known that I'd eventually write two books dealing with the project, I'd have definitely tried to come up with a classier name.'

The interview can be found here:Timothy Zahn: Outbound Flight Arrival

 

It occurred to me after reading that Zahn did manage to make OF fit the Thrawn Trilogy, with the added complication of the prequels coming out, fairly well. Though obviously we can do without C'baoth being "Personal Jedi Advisor to Senator Palpatine" now.
Since I'm diving into the end of the thread, anyone figure why Palpatine would have the last-minute blood samples taken so he could have C'baoth cloned? Did he figure that Jorus was prime Dark Side material with just a bit of nudging? Because the clone wouldn't have grown up the exact same way... and all that.

As far as the neutron bomb thing: Count on Thrawn to figure out in his first meeting with the Jedi that the safest way to deal with them was to blow them all up BUT GOOD from a safe distance.


Oh, and McEwok: I'm alive again.

 

What, just him? I don't get a mention? I'm gonna take the BPT and leave.



As for C'baoth and Palpatine, there's no saying C'baoth wasn't Palpatine's advisor at one point. Maybe the relationship just soured. As for the genetic sampling, I was more intrigued at the notion that Palpatine would then have genetic material from both Anakin and Obi-Wan as well . . .

KW

 

About to crack this book open. Did anyone go to the Beaverton Powell's for the book signing with Zahn?