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the best star wars books how many fit into EU continuity?

#1 User is offline   optimus_prime Icon

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Posted 22 August 2007 - 09:46 PM

I want to solicit the advice of those who know, and have read pretty much every star wars novel that can be found on a store shelf. well, maybe not every single piece of publication..but you know, the main major novels that have been printed.

everything from zahn, stackpole, tyers, anderson, brooks, etc etc.

i want to know what are the BEST novels, and how many novels (which are the best) can be compiled together to form one whole complete story without any break in storyline continuity.

thats a tough call, you might say. but, what im basically trying to figure out is what are the worst written novels in the EU, and what are the best novels., and of those best novels..which ones stick to the movies?

ok. so taking into account every EU novel thats pretty much out there, which theres a LOT out there, the real question is: how many novels can be compiled together (and obviously you would want to choose the best novels) before any break in overall storyline continuity is broken?

most agree that zahn is one of the best authors out there. i havent read all of his novels, but im assuming that with each novel he writes, he avoids and assures that no breakage occurs in his own stories as well as the overall SW film saga.

so, lets use this as a starting point:

TPM
AOTC
ROTS
ANH
ESB
ROTJ
HTTE
DFR
TLC

how many more stories can be added after, before, in between before storyline continuity breakage occurs with characters, locations, storyline, etc?

so..if you will,.just imagine that you are building this very long line line of books that are surrounded by the star wars films that we are all familiar with. you want to make this line of books as long as you possibly can. but if you come across a book that has just the slighest breakage in storyline continuity,.you have to discard that book aside into the "dumpster". however, if a book keeps within the storyline continuity,.and even if the story isnt all that great,.well..it would still get to remain in this long line that you are building.

so once everything is said and done..you will have books that are either formed together in the long complete line..making one huge long story that flows perfectly from beginning to end...and you will have all of the rejects in the dumpster,..those authors that just made up a bunch of wild shit just to earn a quick buck.

list the books that are still in the line...and the books that are in the dumpster.

i guess, in essence, what i am asking is: how many novels can you name that break in storyline continuity from the above mentioned stories?

This post has been edited by optimus_prime: 22 August 2007 - 09:57 PM

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Posted 30 August 2007 - 05:49 PM

You've got a break in the continuity already by including the prequel trilogy.

My list would be as follows:

Outbound Flight (by Timothy Zahn)
Star Wars
Allegiance (by Timothy Zahn)
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Heir to the Empire (by Timothy Zahn)
Dark Force Rising (by Timothy Zahn)
The Last Command (by Timothy Zahn)
Specter of the Past (by Timothy Zahn)
Vision of the Future (by Timothy Zahn)
Survivor's Quest (by Timothy Zahn)

And that's it. Trust me, I've read a lot of the other Extended Universe novels out there and they are just really bad - especially the ones written by Kevin J. Anderson. They are like the types of stories eight year old kids write - although in saying that, I wonder if I'm perhaps insulting eight year olds with that comparison.

Check out the thread 'Star Wars books... questions... help needed" in the Extended Universe sub-forum of the 'Star Wars' forum. I gave a little run-down on the general problems of the other 'Star Wars' novels.
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Posted 30 August 2007 - 06:14 PM

What about Cloak of Deception? That's a good pre-TPM novel, mostly focused on Palpatine's manipulations of both the galaxy at large and its' leader, Finis Valorum. It's a politically-minded thriller, so I think you might just like it, MG. wink.gif
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Posted 30 August 2007 - 08:02 PM

Maybe. I've always been a bit apprehensive about novels set around the prequel era though - for obvious reasons.
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#5 User is offline   optimus_prime Icon

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Posted 31 August 2007 - 02:27 AM

QUOTE (Just your average movie goer @ Aug 30 2007, 05:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You've got a break in the continuity already by including the prequel trilogy.


say whaaaaat??

Youre implying that the 3 prequel trilogy films break in storyline continuity with the OT films? Did I miss something? Man, I swear Ive watched those films one hundred times over by now..and now youre saying that I missed something??..that theres some overlooked contradiction I missed..

...good grief...

...please educate me (embarrassed) blushing.gif wacko.gif wink.gif
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Posted 31 August 2007 - 05:39 AM

Um, Op, this is a site where most users disregard and even trash the prequels, so I'm a bit confused as to why you are. unsure.gif
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#7 User is offline   optimus_prime Icon

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Posted 31 August 2007 - 12:26 PM

QUOTE (Bond @ Aug 31 2007, 05:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Um, Op, this is a site where most users disregard and even trash the prequels, so I'm a bit confused as to why you are. unsure.gif


i didnt care much for The Phantom Menace, but I feel that AOTC & ROTS were great films. Sure,.youre going to have SW purists, such as yourself Bond, who believe that nothing will ever compare to the original films.

Some will even say that the prequel trilogy should have never even been made. But its a catch 22, because the same die-hard fans that swear soley by the Original Trilogy, are the same hypocrits that know Lucas intended on a total of Nine films. Ive even read reports of twelve films..that report came straight from Hamill himself.

I would rather see the prequel trilogy as it is, than to try to see Fisher, Ford, Hamill and some others try to do a small cameo, or what not in the prequel films. But since we are on that topic of how the prequel trilogy can never be as good as the original trilogy, it would have made no sense to even feature actors like Hamill & Fisher, since Luke & Leia arent even born until the end of Ep III,..so get over it people..they had to use new actors in the new films.

while i will also agree that the prequel trilogy will never be as good as the original trilogy. i wont whole-heartedly try to bash the prequel trilogy either. They arent perfect films, but I know that if a few tweaks and edits were made to some of them..they would be pretty amazing. (namely the omission of Jar-Jar b.k.a Roger Rabbitt,.and Boss Nass,.b.k.a. Biggie Smalls)
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Posted 31 August 2007 - 01:44 PM

QUOTE (optimus_prime @ Aug 31 2007, 12:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
i didnt care much for The Phantom Menace, but I feel that AOTC & ROTS were great films. Sure,.youre going to have SW purists, such as yourself Bond, who believe that nothing will ever compare to the original films.


Actually, I'm not a purist; I do value the prequels.

Here'd how I rate the films, though:

1. TESB
2. ROTS
3. ANH
4. TPM
5. ROTJ
6. AOTC

Yourself? blush.gif
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#9 User is offline   optimus_prime Icon

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Posted 31 August 2007 - 03:57 PM

My list would go more like this:

ESB
ANH
ROTJ
ROTS
AOTC
TPM
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Posted 31 August 2007 - 04:05 PM

Ah. You value the OT more, I see; I myself try to order them by intensity, acting, and emotional heights, if you will. wink.gif
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Posted 01 September 2007 - 04:09 PM

well, Bond..its Labor Day weekend..looks like you didnt beat Barend in posts yet.

who knows,.as crazy as you are, you may go out on an all-out posting rampage just to beat him.

as for me, i plan to enjoy my labor day by cooking up some great food on my outdoor grill

have fun.
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Posted 01 September 2007 - 04:10 PM

You too, Blue. wink.gif
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Posted 02 September 2007 - 03:41 AM

Optimus, were you serious? Please do not make us go into the prequels. Most of us have written thousands of words in these forums about them.

However, I can explain why their inclusion in your list is a break with continuity. Simply put, it is because they heavily contradict the original movies. The two trilogies can't be reconciled.

You're welcome to like those movies if you want though - I can't stop you. But don't bother debating the issue with me because I've already had the debate a dozen times or more over the years. I'm not interested in trying to change anyone's mind on the subject any more.

This post has been edited by Just your average movie goer: 02 September 2007 - 03:42 AM

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Posted 02 September 2007 - 10:48 AM

Okay, MG; no more prequel talk. sleep.gif

Now, has Zahn written other books besides the assorted Thrawn novels? unsure.gif
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Posted 03 September 2007 - 06:54 AM

Don't be cheeky. He's written eight 'Star Wars' novels, in which Thrawn is only in four.

He's also written about twenty other novels and has won the Hugo and Nebula awards for science fiction.
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