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 should read The Thrawn Trilogy: Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command. These were Zahn's first SW books. They came out in the early 90's and their popularity spurred the surfeit of other SW books and comic books. Before him there really hadn't been anything since the execrable "Splinter of the Mind's Eye" in the 70's. The Thrawn Trilogy really is a remarkable set of books. In addition to good characterization, he paints a believable portrait of the galaxy post-RotJ, fills in a few blanks from the films and, most importantly, creates an absolutely fantastic villain. Thrawn is the classic example of the principle that you need a brilliant villain to show how brilliant your heroes are, and Thrawn is a genius.

The Hand of Thrawn trilogy will probably not make as much sense unless you've read a lot of the other tie-in books. SW is different than Trek in that every book, comic book, TV special, etc., is canon. Trek books are very much on the principle that you put all the toys back in the box at the end of the story - you're not allowed to make lasting changes to continuity. Not the case for SW. There have been cases of one author having to rewrite large sections of their book to accomodate developments in someone else's book. These means that a ton of mediocre authors have come in and crapped all over the universe. The Hand of Thrawn books are noteworthy because Zahn comes in with a little whisk broom and cleans up all the other authors' mistakes, straightening out the universe once again. I'm sure they're not as satisfying if you haven't slapped your forehead a few times while reading other SW books.

I have the Thrawn books, by the way, if you want to borrow. I also might have the books on tape. They're abridged, but they're read by Anthony Daniels and Denis Lawson. And if you don't know who those people are, you're not a fan.

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

little whisk broom and cleans up all the other authors' mistakes
When you said this, I had a vision of the Grand Admiral himself, bustling about with a broom and dustpan in the corners of a SSD bridge.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha! That's a great image. Well, Vader's cape always was long enough to double as a duster.

[ecmyers.livejournal.com]

Cool. I think I will read the Thrawn books...but maybe not right away. Yeah, I've got a lot to get through right now. I may borrow them at some point, though, unless I find them really cheap somewhere.