Top 10 Star Wars Books/Novels

We seem to have a difference of taste in what makes a good Star Wars book as everyone seems to be gang banging Inferno, a trend that has happened for most of the LOTF books.

So, to locate the problem, I propose we list our top 10 Star Wars books. And I want to limit it to books (i.e no comics, computer games, or the like). I want to compare aplples to apples. Also, if there is a series telling one story by a single author, you can count that as one book: i.e The Jedi Academy trilogy or the first 4 x-wing books (but not the entire X-wing series).

Here is a convenient list to jog your memory

So without further ado:

1. Tales from Jabba's Palace
2. The Thrawn Tilogy
3. Rouge Squadron
4. Wraith Sqaudron
5. I, Jedi
6. Traitor (if Vergere is not retconned as Sith)
7. Edge of Victory Duology
8. Starfighters of Adumar
9. Star by Star
10. Jedi Academy Trilogy

Honorable Mention:
11. Vector Prime
12. Han Solo Trilogy (even though it doesn't fit well with the older Han Solo Adventures, which are fun in their own way)
13. The Black Fleet Crisis
14. Shatterpoint

Remember, you don't have to like them all or think they are equally good. You should definitely be getting less worshipful as you move down the list.

Also, I think it might be good to have a "negative" top 10 list:

Negative top 10 (the ones I actively dislike):
1. The Crystal Star
2. Children of the Jedi
3. Darksaber
4. Splinter of the Minds Eye
5. Planet of Twilight
6. The Dark Nest Trilogy (I hate bugs, hive minds, and Alema)
7. The New Rebellion

No, this type of thing pretty much gets locked regardless of discussion.

 

You best include some kind of discussion caveat, else this'll likely be locked.

 

The discussion (once we get a few lists) should center on a couple of things:

1. Are there certain categories that people consistently fall in (i.e. similar authors, similar force power limitations/uberness)?
2. Are there certain time periods (are newbies just not widely read in the classic EU)?
3. Is there really a nostagial factor that makes oldbies like EU better than say Vong or LOTF, or is it simply the quality/writing of the novel?
4. Is there a break between those who value continuity and those who simply want the title Star Wars, some force powers, and space battles?
5. What impact does treating each Star Wars novel that comes out like it is manna from heaven have on the Literature forum/community?

 

Curse William C. Dietz for not making the Kyle Trilogy into full blown novels...

1. Revenge of the Sith/Shatterpoint/Traitor(Sorry, I couldn't choose between them... )
2. X-Wing Series Part 2 (AA)
3. The Thrawn Trilogy/Hand of Thrawn Duology
4. Medstar Duology
5. Darth Bane: Path of Destruction: A Novel of the Old Republic
6. I, Jedi
7. Betrayal
8. Outbound Flight/Survivor's Quest
9. Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
10. Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

It was hard to choose a top 10, I could interchange any of those any day of the week, some may not even be on there some days...

It'd be better ask me what I don't like.

 

Favorites topics aren't allowed here. Best to lock it before a Mod locks it for you.

 

In no particular order...

- Traitor
- Shatterpoint
- Hard Contact
- The Corellian Trilogy
- Revenge of the Sith
- The Final Prophecy
- Labyrinth of Evil
- "Empire Blues"/"Last One Standing"/"A Barve Like That"
- Isard's Revenge
- Betrayal

 

Think of this thread as AFI list the Amphitheatre is always using to generate discussion on films.

Also, I think this will add some much needed perspective on what posters mean when they review a book with a 9/10 or 10/10.

 

Hope I'm wrong, but...

IBTL

 

Having a limited SW library (no NJO+, but I'm getting there):

-Labyrinth of Evil
-Thrawn Trilogy
-Dark Rendezvous
-Rogue Squadron
-I, Jedi
EDIT: ROTS

I have read many more, but alot aren't deserving: HoT (just doesn't do it for me), Truce at Burkura, Hard Contact among others...

 

Not sure if I can come up with ten but here goes.

1. Thrawn Trilogy
2. Specter of the Past
3. Vision of the Future
4. X-wing books
5. Wraith Books
6. Tales from Jabbas Palace
7. I Jedi
8. My copy of the three original SW movie novels
9. Shadows of the Empire
10. Truce at Bakura

Reasons: Fun books, Fun reads. Didn't make me want to throw them across the room. Nothing good to say about Del Rey so I won't.

 

The top books for me are the 9 X-Wing books, the Heir to the Empire trilogy, the duology (Specter of the Past/Vision of the Future), and probably both Republic Commando books. They stand out as the best for me.

Why? Well for one thing, the war is the rebellion against the empire, their are no super jedi's or magic welding super sith's, no need to retcon stories due to contradictions, feel pretty hard edged and fast paced, and above all has the star wars feel to it.

On the other hand, the rest of the books are pretty good ecexpt for a few here and their, but they are way over board on certain areas. For example, in the second Medstar book, I haave a problem with this magnifying the force through bota. In Shatterpoint, I couldn't understand what was going on. Was it the Clone Wars? the Summertime War? Was it super Mace, or super Vastor and the list could go on and on. In the Cesetus Deception, the idea of the force being used/fused with droids was almost like clone soilders being grown with the force.

The bottom line for me is that, in most of the EU per say, we have seen the religious sects of both the jedi and the sith magnified into something far bigger than what I thought it should be. The above stories, though they have their jedi stuff in them, keep things in check as compared to the Kevin J. Anderson books, the Dark Empire comics, The Crystal Star, Children of the Jedi, The New Rebellion, the Old Tales of the Jedi comic books series and stuff like that.

 

"You don't have to agree with me that this book is crap, you just have to agree that it's not nearly as good as the good books."

"We really don't have to."

"What? You're disagreeing with me? I'll start a thread to tell you which books are good and fix this 'problem'* in which people give high ratings to books I don't like!"

Yes, this thread was a great idea.

*Actual quote.

 

No particular order.
The Last Command
Traitor
Shatterpoint
Revenge of the Sith
Darth Maul
Star By Star
Starfighters of Admuar
Hard Contact
LOE
Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor

 

I'm bored so I'll go for it.

1. Traitor - The only Star Wars books that left me really truly THINKING at the end.
2. RoTS Novel - "This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker Forever." Seriously, there were some powerful passages in this book.
3. Star By Star - About as Epic as it gets.
4. Dark Force Rising - The entire Trilogy was good, but I particularily like the middle child. When I first read it, (Granted I was 13 or something) I was blown away.
5. Shatterpoint - Notice a trend? Stover is a fantastic author.
6. Outbound Flight. The concept of Outbound flight was cool. The first chronological look at Thrawn was great, and I can't tell if C'Boath or his clone was more insane.
7. The Unifying Force - I felt it was a pretty strong close to a series that I really enjoyed.
8. I, Jedi - A really enjoyable novel through and through.
9. Inferno - I have not let it sink in yet, but Inferno really had the "Wow" factor for me. I felt like Del Rey decided they needed to kick it up a notch here.
10. HoT duology - I thought the idea of the deception was great. Luke changing, Mara and luke getting together, and just generally having a sprawling adventure makes these two books work very well for me.

 

In no particular order:

The Han Solo Trilogy
The Han Solo Adventures
The Lando Calrissian Adventures
The Thrawn Trilogy
Splinter of the Mind's Eye
Legacy of the Jedi
Hard Contact
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
Cloak of Deception
The Corellian Trilogy

TC