Star Wars query

[trinityvixen]

I'm absorbed by new fannish-ness, though not with the obsessive-compulsive fanficcing bug that I usually get. Mostly, it's my utter familiarity with the Star Wars franchise and the all-possessing fear I have of trying to read any fanfic in the genre. Like with Harry Potter, fanficcing Star Wars fans tend to be a little heavy on the slash and are generally terrifying. Please, recommend stories for me if you know of any.

But what I really want to ask is what of the published books are good? ivy03's favorite series sounds intriguing, especailly as her pathos attachment mirrors my own after Episode III. So, geektacular friends, what of the SW canon do we recommend? I've already blitzed the library for the Timothy Zahn books (I've read them before, but they're good and I don't remember them well enough). I have Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina at home somewhere, probably covered with paper if I remember correctly because there was a time when people made fun of me for that kind of reading...

Comments

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

You're in luck. I just read a good one this morning: The Magic Lamp in which Luke finds a holocron and lets a Jinn out of the lamp. If you haven't read enough to know what a holocron is, I'd be happy to explain.

I don't read much SW fanfic, and the above is the only original series fanfic I've ever read. I've read more of the Jedi Apprentice type - my favorite Jude Watson books have spawned a ton of fanfic. Most of what I have runs to the h/c side, but since this was some of the first fanfic I ever read, it's not slash. I'd be happy to share.

As for the books - I've read every SW book that came out before Phantom Menace. The Zahn books are far and away the cream of the crop, and I hear he's writing another. Avoid anything written by Kevin J. Anderson. You'll be sorry if you don't. I could go through book by book and give you recs, but most of them are sort of middle of the road swill. Some more swill-y than others. The Tales from Jabba's Palace has my two favorite short stories - "A Barve Like That" about Boba Fett and the one immediately preceding it in which a skiff guard tells Boba about Luke's near miss with the pit of Carkoon. There's also a great Boba story in the bounty hunter's anthology, if you're willing to completely ignore the canon established in Ep II. Other ones to avoid at all costs: "Splinter of the Mind's Eye" (written pre-ESB; heavy Luke/Leia), The Han Solo trilogy (either one, they both suck), The Young Jedi Knights and the Junior Jedi Knights (more Kevin J. Anderson), "The Crystal Star" (Luke as a spineless cult follower). They all blur together for me after awhile, but I have synopses and reviews of all of these written in a journal at home, so I can elaborate on any of them.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

The Han Solo trilogy? That's not the Corellian something-something trio, is it? I read that one, can't remember it.

And thank god another fan understands the pain of fanfic in this genre. It's just smarter to not hurt yourself...

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

No, not the Correllian trilogy. There's one that's titled "Han Solo at Star's End," etc etc that is by far the worst writing I've ever encountered in any media tie-in book. And I quote, "Hits off the Galactic Deck aren't always Right, but Right doesn't fill an egg-timer on Tatooine."

The other one is just called the Han Solo trilogy, I think. It covers the time immediately preceding A New Hope and explains that Han had just watched the love of his life die and fell for Leia on the rebound. Gag me. Character assassination! It's not just for fanfic writers anymore.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking about my fannishness for Star Wars and it's funny. The original trilogy were my first geeky obsession, but I've never wanted to write or read any fic in that universe. The prequels are awful movies that I try to avoid watching, but they inspire me to write and read fanfic. I guess this just means I'm only fannish about things I feel I need to fix.

My final analysis of Ep III is it had concepts and stories that I loved, but I still wasn't a fan of the presentation. It's not self-contained. Most of the things I liked were because I could see how that idea could and should be explored in fic. The original series never gave me that feeling. They are what they are, I don't feel the need to fix or change anything.

So what I'm saying is I need the bad stuff to feed my fannishness. I am a shameless masochist.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

And if you want to know what there truly is to be afraid of in this fandom, I can send you two (two! by different authors!) Obi-Wan meets Jesus Christ stories. Thank the Lord they weren't slash. Literally.