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Post by Pinwig on Dec 30, 2014 10:08:22 GMT
See also STAR WARS: Films tmukhub.proboards.com/thread/3448Comics tmukhub.proboards.com/thread/8031/Stickers tmukhub.proboards.com/thread/8571/Toys tmukhub.proboards.com/thread/487
Wookieepedia has a list of canon books here. There's also a list of everything canon here. Cool, thanks. I've ordered Tarkin. Been a while since I read any Star Wars fiction so I'm looking forward to it. Read this a week or so back and quite enjoyed it. Definitely prose in the style of the character himself, verbose and aloof in places; it's more eloquently written than you'd expect from a tie-in novel. It's a sort of cat and mouse chase story with Tarkin trying to work out where a bunch of rebels will appear next with a stolen Imperial ship. That's interspersed with chapters set in his childhood which go some way to explaining his personality. Lurking in the background but never really part of the plot is the beginnings of the construction of the Death Star. The story kind of steers Tarkin toward his place in that, and there's a healthy dose of Vader in there too. It's quite a technical book. The space battles are great, they have a genuine Star Wars feel, but unless you're an out and out expert on ships of the Imperial line you'll probably want some kind of visual reference like I did to know what exactly is shooting at what. The ships are referred to largely by name and class, so unless you're au fait with the differences between (say) Imperial, Victory and Victory II class Star Destroyers then it's easy to get lost. That isn't a criticism, I like that kind of preciseness, but it did have me reaching for the old reference guides. The only criticism I think I would level at the book is that it's very one sided. It's Tarkin's narrative despite being third person, so you only get to meet the rebels he's tracking half way through the book, and their chapters feel perfunctory and mechanical. They're there by necessity because Tarkin needs an antagonist to make the plot work, but beyond that the writer doesn't invest any word count in making them interesting. Given this book is quite short by modern standards (around 260 pages iirc) I think a bit more could have been done to give the reader the chance of forming an opinion about them. It makes the eventual conclusion a little inconsequential. I think what makes this book special is that it's in that forbidden gap between episodes 3 and 4, which makes it feel relevant to and part of the original film. I'm keen to read more from this era and will give Heir to the Jedi a go when it comes out in Feb. Even though the taster chapter at the end of Tarkin shows it's first person written from Luke's point of view, which could go horribly wrong if the characterisation isn't spot on. |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Dec 30, 2014 10:13:44 GMT
For my money the only Star Wars stuff worth reading is:
Any book by Timothy Zahn
Any X-Wing Rogue Squadron book (mainly by Michael Stackpole)
The X-Wing Rogue Squadron comics
The Dark Empire comics
The Crimson Empire comics
The originl Marvel comic series
ALL have been jetisoned in the continuity reboot
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 30, 2014 13:01:46 GMT
The reboot is an interesting thing. I was a die hard Star Wars fan in the time before the expanded continuity got going, but had given up with it all by the 90s. I read the Thrawn trilogy, the Dark/Crimson Empire graphic novels (still have them) and played the Tie/X-Wing and Rogue Squadron games to death, but never got into anything else. I read the Marvel UK comic at the time it came out, and in the last few years have re-read that through the Dark Horse collected trades (well, I'm part through. I've got all five books, but am on the third).
So I'm coming at this reboot from the point of view of someone who quite likes the idea of reading new stories that are regarded as canon and don't need me to know the whole expanded universe history (although I understand stuff in these new novels is being bled in from the old expanded universe by the writers who want to keep what they did alive, obviously I wouldn't know what that is. For all I know the rebels in Tarkin may be recognisable characters from the Expanded Universe being reused and reintegrated, which is why they don't get much background).
I can understand there's probably a tidal wave of discontent about it though. I guess it comes down to how much you're invested in the expanded stuff. My only equivalent would be to look at the Doctor Who novels and Big Finish's stuff that has proliferated through the last 25 years. If the BBC had stated in 2005 that none of that was canon and they were joining their nuWho continuity directly on to the old series I don't think I would have been that fussed, after all, none of it was ever said to be canon. Has the Expanded Star Wars Universe stuff ever been made officially canon? If it has, then I can understand there's probably a lot of protesting.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Dec 30, 2014 13:27:05 GMT
Implicitly yes. The same storylines and expanded universe characters have survived through several different publishers and some characters introduced in expanded universe material have appeared several years later in the prequel films.
Chucking the Zahn novels out is an act of sacrilage because that's what is ultimately responsible for the Star Wars fiction industry existing today. Before that there had been nothing for years since SW at Marvel was cancelled (c1985) bar a limited series that had been teased in Marvel Age and never showed up (it surfaced shortly afterwards as Dark Empire from Dark Horse)
Effectively we're being told 20 years of stuff.... gone.
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Post by Shockprowl on Dec 30, 2014 21:03:56 GMT
I've never read any of the expanded universe stuff. But I must admit, the casting aside of all of it does seem a trifle.... unkind.
Could they have done an Episode VII whilst keeping the established fiction intact?
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 1, 2015 21:42:20 GMT
Nope.
The EU existed for thousands of die-hard fans. The movies are there for millions of people to watch. To bend the latter to the former would have been an idiotic headache and completely unworkable. The EU still exists for the fans. Indeed a lot of it is being put back into print under the Legends banner.
On a related note I really enjoy the Star Trek Expanded Universe Pocket Books developed when it became obvious Proper Trek was dead on screen. Under no illusions it would be brought to a quick end should CBS/Paramount ever revive the original continuity on screen.
Heck a lot of Doctor Who spin-offs made between 1996-2005 don't 'count' anymore but I still enjoy them.
-Ralph
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Post by Pinwig on Jan 1, 2015 22:16:22 GMT
I think that's where I am with this. Both continuities can exist and be enjoyed by different types of fans. I listen to big finish stuff and enjoy it, but I don't get too bogged down in trying to retro fit it into classic continuity. Although Night of the Doctor did throw a spanner in the works.
Besides, I can see a lot of this new era stuff creating its own side continuity that may just sit alongside without too many contradictions. The writers will probably want to make it all fit, Disney probably just want to avoid the fan protests about clashes.
Saw the trailer last night when I went to see the Hobbit. Having watched it a fair few times on YouTube doesn't prepare you for seeing the Falcon on the big screen again. Would have been punching the air if it wouldn't have sent my nachos flying.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 2, 2015 8:11:08 GMT
I read tons of Star Wars and Star Trek novels at university but they are only a hazy memory now. I remember the X-Wing ones being particularly good, and also some of the SW ones that were said to be rubbish not being as bad as everyone said (and the Timothy Zahn ones not being that much better than the rest). There were some cracking ST ones too... the Borg in 'Vendetta', which I'm sure must have been later contradicted on screen. Then I discovered Tolkien, and then more classic literature, and haven't really ever gone back to franchise novels since. But they gave me much pleasure at the time.
What no-one can take away from people who are fans of that SW universe is that it was (and indeed remains and will always remain) the _original_ authorised continuation of the story. Even if the new movies reach a hundred times as many people, they will never be the original authorised continuation.
Much as in Transformers, Marvel could never take away the fact that the original authorised position was (and remains if you read those comics) that TFs were part of the mainstream Marvel superheroes universe, and that the original official present-day storyline in 1990-1991 was the Earthforce one, not US #71-80, and that the original authorised sequel to US #80 was 'Another Time and Place', not G2 or RG1, etc. However good or popular or widely known the current version of something, there can only ever be one 'first' released version of it.
I doubt many fans of mainstream Marvel superheroes comics feel threatened by the existence of the Marvel cinematic universe and its spin-off comics, or fans of IDW's main universe by the live-action TF movies universe. But then of course none of the current versions can ever be the original authorised versions either, which is a title that can never be revoked - even by the discovery of unpublished earlier drafts.
Martin
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 2, 2015 22:51:18 GMT
I agree.
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 3, 2015 19:28:57 GMT
Couldn't have put it better myself Martin.
Andy
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 3, 2015 19:44:03 GMT
Martin, what a great post, really makes sense.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 5, 2015 7:51:03 GMT
I have just thought of one benefit of the reset: whole swathes of Kevin J Anderson's work are gone :-)
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 5, 2015 15:20:44 GMT
Every cloud has it's silver lining.
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 5, 2015 17:23:11 GMT
Is the Jedi tree gone?
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 5, 2015 17:25:06 GMT
Is the Jedi tree gone? -Ralph Yes, for he was in Dark Empire 2. Andy |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 5, 2015 17:26:24 GMT
Nooooooooooooo.
Let's also hope IG-88 is still behind EVERYTHING.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 5, 2015 17:26:58 GMT
GONE
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 5, 2015 17:27:35 GMT
Phew. Let's also hope IG-88 is still behind EVERYTHING. -Ralph If it wasn't in the film it's up for grabs though so at the moment IG-88 doesn't count! Andy |
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 5, 2015 22:06:35 GMT
Nooooooooo.
-Ralph
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Stomski
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
YOU INTERRUPTED MY SPEECH!! But don't worry. It won't happen again.
Posts: 6,121
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Post by Stomski on Jan 6, 2015 12:59:45 GMT
Does all these changes mean that all the stuff that wasn't canon is now movie-canon? Y'know, Tag and Bink for example?
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 6, 2015 18:01:28 GMT
There is a 'Lucasfilm Story Group' in which people are paid as their job to work out what is now official Star Wars canon. Initially sounds daft until you think of what you have to do for your daily labour and then realise that they have won at life.
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 7, 2015 15:30:53 GMT
It's true.
What a gig, I imagine some right proper bitchy fighting going on though.
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 7, 2015 18:58:34 GMT
Someone sneak a webcam in there!
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 7, 2015 22:36:08 GMT
I'd pay to see it!
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Post by legios on Mar 3, 2017 14:14:08 GMT
Boo. An onsale Thrawn might have been an impulse purchase for me. Timothy Zahns books were what bought me back into Star Wars. A lot of the later fiction made me drop it again, mind; but the thought is there. Yes... To this day my rule of thumb is that when it comes to Star Wars spin-off novels if I want a decent space adventure story I'll go with one of Zahn's books, if I want "ra-ra-Space 'Merica and its Mandalorian Clone Special Forces D00ds" hilarity the Karen Travitz books are entertaining for often reasons other than intended... And outside of that when it comes to print novels it is wise to exercise caution as quality can be...variable...like most movie and game spin-off fiction in fairness... Karl |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 3, 2017 17:18:29 GMT
The Rogue One novelisation is quite good though. Worth a read. Much darker in tone than the movie. A palpable sense of doom.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Mar 3, 2017 18:41:09 GMT
I've seen that several times in the local Waterstones, and I am considering picking it up after payday this month actually. I could do with some good new Star Wars stuff, and by then I might just have finished hacking my way through Peter F Hamilton's "Great North Road". (That's hacking as in "with a machete through the Bush" as opposed to "with an Ono-Sendai Cyberspace deck".)
Karl
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Post by Benn on Mar 3, 2017 20:06:24 GMT
I did like the Revenge Of The Sith novelisation, and it's immediate prequel, Labyrinth Of Evil. The Clone Wars stuff never grabbed me, and I think even the Jedi Acadamy I found a slog.
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Mar 3, 2017 20:25:47 GMT
Yeah the Sith novelisation was decent.
The Jedi academy trilogy by Kevin J Quotemachine were pish.
Zahn is the gold standard.
Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry is pretty good.
Andy
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Post by Philip Ayres on Mar 3, 2017 20:33:30 GMT
Any book by Anderson is Pish though.
The Michael Stackpole X-Wing novels are superb.
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