Nine books into the Star Wars Expanded Universe re-read
I am currently on book seven of the X-Wing series. I am re-reading the Star Wars Expanded Universe this time in chronological order for everything post Return of the Jedi.
For me the Expanded Universe starts with Shadows of the Empire. And ends somewhere right after the Fate of the Jedi series. The main problem with that is these books were not published in chronological order. So even though George Lucas decreed that events in one book would affect the events in any other book...we really didn't get that because the books were published out of order.
Reading them based on when they happened I am now about nine books in; The Truce at Bakura, Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, plus the seven X-Wing books.
What that means is I started this reading adventure with the fourth book published. I am currently reading the 39th book published; pretty crazy since I am only nine books into this. Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor was the 108th book published. Which is just nuts because even when we factor in the Clone Wars era books, why did Lucas Books decided to go back and add another book this early in the timeline? It makes zero sense. Put aside the fact that it isn't a very good book and even for a Star Wars fanboy like myself was something of a tortured read.
However the real problem I have with this timeline is this...it took them nearly 20 books before they decided to fit new characters and other not as familiar characters from the movies into the core of the stories.
My man complaint abut the EU is the stories focused far too much on Luke, Leia, and Han. That's why reading them in chronological order is a lot of fun because we meet new characters faster, and we come to know sooner. Sure the Rogues and specifically Corran Horn were present in both the Thrawn Trilogy and the Jedi Academy series but getting their back stories in present tense is far more interesting. By the time I get to those two trilogies, I will already have a very good understanding of who Horn is as a man, a character, and how he serves t he overall story.
For me it really is a shame that Lucas Books did not do more of this. Sure along the way we meet new characters, and they play vital roles as the timeline unfolds. I think of Grand Admiral Thrawn, Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, Natasi Dalla, Mara Jade, the Solo children, and eventually Ben Skywalker. But again far too much of the story always revolves around Luke, Leia, and Han.
The real point here is while I am a huge fan of the EU, maybe it is better Disney hit the reset button because this timeline became a real mess. Which is why I hate that Shadows of Mindor book so much because not much happened in it because other books had already been published not talking about the events contained within.
For me the Expanded Universe starts with Shadows of the Empire. And ends somewhere right after the Fate of the Jedi series. The main problem with that is these books were not published in chronological order. So even though George Lucas decreed that events in one book would affect the events in any other book...we really didn't get that because the books were published out of order.
Reading them based on when they happened I am now about nine books in; The Truce at Bakura, Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, plus the seven X-Wing books.
What that means is I started this reading adventure with the fourth book published. I am currently reading the 39th book published; pretty crazy since I am only nine books into this. Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor was the 108th book published. Which is just nuts because even when we factor in the Clone Wars era books, why did Lucas Books decided to go back and add another book this early in the timeline? It makes zero sense. Put aside the fact that it isn't a very good book and even for a Star Wars fanboy like myself was something of a tortured read.
However the real problem I have with this timeline is this...it took them nearly 20 books before they decided to fit new characters and other not as familiar characters from the movies into the core of the stories.
My man complaint abut the EU is the stories focused far too much on Luke, Leia, and Han. That's why reading them in chronological order is a lot of fun because we meet new characters faster, and we come to know sooner. Sure the Rogues and specifically Corran Horn were present in both the Thrawn Trilogy and the Jedi Academy series but getting their back stories in present tense is far more interesting. By the time I get to those two trilogies, I will already have a very good understanding of who Horn is as a man, a character, and how he serves t he overall story.
For me it really is a shame that Lucas Books did not do more of this. Sure along the way we meet new characters, and they play vital roles as the timeline unfolds. I think of Grand Admiral Thrawn, Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, Natasi Dalla, Mara Jade, the Solo children, and eventually Ben Skywalker. But again far too much of the story always revolves around Luke, Leia, and Han.
The real point here is while I am a huge fan of the EU, maybe it is better Disney hit the reset button because this timeline became a real mess. Which is why I hate that Shadows of Mindor book so much because not much happened in it because other books had already been published not talking about the events contained within.
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