(no subject)

[rynne]

Okay, so I spent today watching the whole original Star Wars trilogy...why the hell did I not see it before now? I concede that pretty much everyone in the universe is right; it is brilliant. I'm going to have to buy the DVDs sometime. (*sticks out tongue at thistlerose*--have I redeemed myself since I first announced I'd never seen it? *g*)

(Curse it, that's another thing my ex-boyfriend was right about! He was the one who first introduced me to Terry Pratchett and Discworld--though he would have had more success in converting me if he hadn't tried the Rincewind books--even if I did only start loving them years later. And he was the one who showed me Episode IV, which was the only one of the original trilogy that I'd seen, even if I didn't remember much of it, because he's a total Star Wars nut. Ah well. If he comes to my grad party, I'm going to have to tell him he was right.)

Now I must read the books. How many of them are there, and in what order do they go in? Is there some sort of website I can look up? I must know mooooore. ;)

ETA: Oh, just remembered. In Ep. IV, when Biggs and Wedge were first introduced, I was like "OMG BIGGS AND WEDGE SO THAT'S WHERE THEY COME FROM!" For those who don't know, Biggs and Wedge are recurring characters in the Final Fantasy series, but since SW came out before the first FF, I guess Square just took the names...

Comments

[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing you mean the Star Wars books. There are a whole bunch, but you can find the timeline here (http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/starwars/timeline.html)

I've read most of the books from the "A New Hope" novelization through the Hand of Thrawn stuff (19 years after). I haven't even attempted the prequel books, or the Junior/Young/New Jedi Order books nor do I really plan to at the moment. Splinter of the Mind's Eye is total crap. The others really read like novelized fanfic at times, but they're still pretty fun overall.

I'd suggest either buying them used through Amazon or at a used book store. Unless, of course, your library has got them. :)

[rynne.livejournal.com]

What I should so do is have my parents buy me them as either a graduation present or an eighteenth birthday present, especially considering how many of them there are...

That timeline will be immensely useful. Thanks! :D

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

Moo ha ha ha. Another convert. So, are you a Luke girl or a Han girl? :)

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Luke. *g* I like Han, but in pretty much everything, whether it be book, movie, video game, anime, whatever, I can't help but fall for the hero. And ohhhhhhh I loved Luke, and towards the end of RotJ, I couldn't help but contrast him with his father in Ep. III, and that made me love him even more because of how strong he was. :D:D:D

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I am another of the "love the hero" type. And I adore Luke, he's one of my favourite heroes. And I so felt the same when I saw Ep 3 - he's so wonderfully strong.

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

EEP! Yeah, I still need to watch ROTJ again after having seen Ep3 -- but I loved loved loved all the parallels.

And I love heroes too -- but there's just something about Han. Rar. ;)

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Firstly: All I can say is I told you so. *pokes tongue out*

Secondly: No! Don't read the books! They are utter evil.

(Note: I am a canon purist when it comes to Star Wars. Thus, for me, all I take as caon is the movies. The books are in my opinion nothing more than glorified fanfiction. And quite often, bad fanfiction. So be warned.)

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Well, I promise to take the Star Wars books with the same grain of salt I take the Harry Potter movies with, but I figure I'm going to end up reading SW fanfic anyway (and I know I am; lately I can't discover a new thing without wanting to read fanfic about it), so I might was well try the books.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Well, just as long as you are fore-warned. *nods head*

The problem is, a even if you are like me, and refuse to read most of the books, you tend to pick up plot details through fanfic. So I could tell you a basic plot arc post RotJ, without having read any of the books.

(Note - said plot arcs are probably the main reason I don't read them, because I have some serious disagreements with what they have happen to the characters, as well as all the prequel inconsistancies. I decided, if I'm going to read what is basically fanfic, I'd find something i liked. So I did - yay for the internet!)

[krabapple.livejournal.com]

Darling. As a reader of the Star Wars Extended Universe since 1994, I am more than happy to help you out in your quest for ever more Star Wars.

I say skip the books that came out in the '70s. None of them are very good, and they won't really get you started on EU canon.

My suggestion would be to start with Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire trilogy. All of the 90s and further canon starts there. Then go to the Dark Empire comics, which feature the story of Luke's dealings with the Dark Side. They're pivotal to EU canon.

After that, I'd say pick and choose through the rest of the Bantam line. Some of it is utter rubbish, some of it is okay rubbish, and some if it is even decent. I'm not the biggest fan of Keven J. Anderson's trilogy, and I think a nice summary can catch you up on the necessary parts of that canon. I'd also avoid the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy (everything's a triology!), but you should get that summed up, too, in case it shows up in further canon (though I don't think it does much). There are some one-shots: I myself like Kathy Tyer's Bantam one shot (Truce at Bakura). There's an absolutely horrible one about the kids being kidnapped that is just, well, the worst thing I've ever read in my life. Following that is another one shot that has Luke battling, I'm not kidding, pink goo. I forget the names to both of these; I'd have to look them up. The Corellian Trilogy is littered with typos, but it's a fairly fun read. And then there's Barbara Hambly's arc (with Keven Anderson in the middle). Eh. Can also be neatly summed up. Oh, and Michael Stackpole's "I, Jedi" about Corran Horn, which takes place at the same time as Anderson's Jedi Academy series.

To finish the Bantam line: read the Hand of Thrawn duology by Tim Zahn. Bantam knew it was losing the line to Del Ray, and they went back to him to tie up the pieces of all the other books--and those span 10 years worth of SW time, by the way.

Once you finish that, you'd be all gradumatated and ready to tackle the Del Ray line, which is a five year story arc called The New Jedi Order. Seriously, it's one big story; there was a hard back a year followed by paperbacks to fill in the pieces. It's a huge undertaking--those are five years of my life I'm never going to get back. Still, at this point the arc is complete--the last hardback was, well, I was still in New York at the time, so not this past fall, but the one before that. There's a post-NJO trilogy out this summer, but if you don't know the story arc, you'll be lost.

And that's just what covers Luke, Leia, Han and company. There's all sorts of books about more minor characters to flesh out the universe. My favorite of these is the X-Wing series, about Wedge Antilles and the other pilots of Rouge Squadron (the fighter pilot squadron Luke founded and was in in The Empire Strikes Back. I'm fond of all of those characters as well, and they're actually some of the better written novels--Aaron Allston's in particular.

Whew. And there's tons more I'm not thinking about/mentioning, including A.C. Crispin's Han Solo trilogy, where she attempts to cover Han's life pre-Luke and Leia.

Scared yet? :) In any event, I say start with Zhan's Heir to the Empire trilogy. It's crucial to the rest of EU canon, ever. Then you can decide whether or not you want to go from there.

Also, I completely have these books--every single one of them, practically--and I am happy to send them to you in doses if you want them. I can totally be your SW book buddy. :) Some of my copies are old and dusty and yellowing, but they'd be free to you for as long as you like them. Some I'd want back, some you could probably have at this point. :) They're all sitting on a huge, honkin' shelf in my room, so let me know.

Ending this comment now. I am a complete and utter uber-fangirl. It's so sad. ;)

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's...a lot. o.O I'll probably take you up on the offer to send them to me, if you don't mind--I've been looking them up on the library and getting confused as to what's what.

But whee, lots to read this summer! :D

[krabapple.livejournal.com]

Oh, Rouge, Rogue, same difference, right?

Ahahahaha! (See, geeky. :))

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

Bwahahaaaa!

I'm not gloating. I'm very happy! I have a friend who resisted, but you more than make up for her. :)

I actually haven't read any of the books. I started one, wasn't impressed with it, so I stopped and never restarted. Looks like krabapple can best advise you.

Yes! Yes! A convert! *happydance*

[rynne.livejournal.com]

Hee. Your friend should not resist--I did that for years, and now look at me. :D

*dances with you*

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

Alas, if I couldn't hook her with "Empire" I'm afraid it's a lost cause. :(

[passo.livejournal.com]

*looks around*

*whispers* I haven't watched the SW Trilogy either. Oh, I've watched segments of it--whenever I looked up from my readings while my brother watched . But I will someday. :D

You like Terry Pratchett too! *squee* I loved Rincewind wince I read The Colour of Magic.

[arislanchan.livejournal.com]

Hee, for me it was "Ahhh, there's Biggs and Wedge from Star Wars!" when I played final fantasy. XD

As for Star Wars books... I haven't read many, but I'll second Timothy Zahn's trilogy. :D

[morkeleb-black.livejournal.com]

Star Wars books? As others have said - some are like the worst the Pit of Voles has to offer.

Ones I found worth reading:

X-wing series (decent plots, good new characters)
Truce at Bakura
the Han Solo trilogy (prequels).

Congrats on *finally* seeing the Original Trilogy! :D