Kevin's Watch

This probably belongs in the Star Wars forum, but, you know, I'm evil. Anyway, I was wondering what are some good books about the Star Wars universe. I know there's about as many of them as there is hydrogen in the universe, so I'm not wading into them without full knowledge of which ones are keepers and which ones are stinkers. Lemme know! Thanks.

The "Attack of the Clones" book is much better than the film imo... lots of stuff that aren't included in the film are in this book... and also... you can actually see the reason of why Padme loves Anakin... which... in the film... is lacking. Also... the emotions expressed in this book are alot more realistic that the films version... I always thought the film as a let down... very poor... both in acting and delivery of the story... This makes up for that I think... Also... the Lightsader battles are amazingly written in this book... as are all other battles... the writer writes with such excellency that you can invision them in your head.

Also... there is a another book that I like... which is placed right before "Attack of the Clones" called: Approach of the Storm... an average story line... but what I like about it is the deeper sides of Anakin's, and Obi-Wans characters show up... about their motivations... goals... beliefs... Shows a lot of them in this book... It goes mainly on about Anakin though... and what he wants... there are also another pair of Jedi in this book that are excellency written... I forget how to spell their names... both females... and the Apprentice is quite a contrast to our young Anakin... and the exchanges bewteen the two are entertaining.

Another book I've read is called "The rogue planet" I believe... quite a good book... it occurs round about the time Anakin is thirteen... and features quite a lot about his character... the thing I enjoyed about this book though, is the interaction between Obi-Wan and Anakin... Plainly, Obi-Wan starts to love Anakin as a son... and Anakin loves Obi-Wan as a father... There is also a part where Anakin's "Dark Side" comes up... shows in a way that is uneexpected... also... Tarkin shows up for the first time... as both the beloved Death Star... or at least the plans of it...

Anyways... that's all for now Foul... I'll think about posting more on Star Wars books tomorrow... cause I haven't actually read that many...

The Heir to the Empire series, by Timothy Zahn. They were, I believe, the first books allowed to be published after the movies. Fantastic reads!!! On character, Grand Admiral Thrawn, studies a species art to learn about their psychological weaknesses and blindspots, then attacks them in ways that exploit these weaknesses.

There was one called I, Jedi by, IIRC, Michael Stackpole that was pretty good.

I don't know if anyone out there has done a guide for the newer SW books, but I have a trusty 1997 issue of Cinescape Magazine that did a roundup of SW fiction released up to that time. Cinescape's verdicts:

Very Good

Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina (setting: prior to Star Wars-A New Hope) -Edited by Kevin J. Anderson

Tales from Jabba's Palace (setting: between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) -Edited by Kevin J. Anderson

Timothy Zahn's trilogy: (setting: 5 years after Return of the Jedi)
Heir to the Empire
Dark Force Rising
The Last Command

Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy trilogy: (setting: 7 years after Return of the Jedi)
Jedi Search
Dark Apprentice
Champions of the Force

Fair

Children of the Jedi by Barbara Hambly (setting: 8 years after Return of the Jedi)
Darksaber by Kevin J. Anderson (setting: immediately after Children of the Jedi)

Roger MacBride Allen's Corellian trilogy: (setting: 14 years after Return of the Jedi)
Ambush at Corellia
Assault at Selonia
Showdown at Centerpoint

Not so good

Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry (setting: between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi)

The Truce at Bakura by Kathy Tyers (setting: immediately after Return of the Jedi)

The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton (setting: 4 years after Return of the Jedi)

The Crystal Star by Vonda N. McIntyre (setting: 10 years after Return of the Jedi)

duchess of malfi wrote:There was one called I, Jedi by, IIRC, Michael Stackpole that was pretty good.

In case LF wants to know, that novel fits into the Star Wars timeline after the Jedi Academy trilogy but before Children of the Jedi. It may not be terribly important, just some niggly details.

Ah, the Thrawn Trilogy. You are correct, Fist. They were the first SW novels authorized by Lucas; except, of course, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, written shortly after the first Star Wars film. Zahn wrote a pair of novels about the "Thrawn" characters called The Hand of Thrawn. Excellent, as well. I also liked Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy books. They were pretty cool. I was mostly in it for Admiral Daala Gilad Pellaeon from the Thrawn books is my fave all-time SW novel character, followed by Grand Admiral Thrawn. Then there the comic books, Foul. There are a ton of those. I believe the best, though, are the first ones about Emperor Palpatine's return from the dead.

edit: Oh yeah, Matrixman. Forgot about Darksaber. Cool as well. Features both Pellaeon and Daala not to mention your basics: Han, Leia, 3PO, Luke...Truce at Bakura was decent. About an alien race that attacks the Empire while it is being torn apart from within following the Battle of Endor. An early novel, I believe. Not bad.

Tales of the Bounty Hunters is awesome! I loved IGG-88 from the movies; I was just fascinted by him, and there's a long story about him (it?) in that collection.

Wow, I've read a lot of Star Wars books...

Matrixman wrote:Roger MacBride Allen's Corellian trilogy: (setting: 14 years after Return of the Jedi)
Ambush at Corellia
Assault at Selonia
Showdown at Centerpoint

hmmm... I've only got the first one of this series... (Ambush at Corellia) Can't get the other two... And I've given up of ever hoping to find them...

I thought that originally he had nine movies planned from the beginning. With the first three in the middle of the story, the next three at the beginning of the story, and the last three picking up where Jedi leaves off...

seems to me I heard that somewhere back in the day...

I heard that about ten years ago, and it was reputedly entitled "The Journal of the Whills" but there are so many Lucas rumours, it's almost impossibly to know which ones contain any grain of truth.