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What book are you reading at the moment?
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Jeff Diamond, Grand Moff
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Apr 29, 2013 05:23AM
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Just started reading these novels. Have loved Stars Wars for years and decided to try the books. Just started reading Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi - Into the Void after much research on the interweb to try and find a chronological reading order. There are so many books does anyone have a good point to start at? Can sections of the series' be read out of chronology? Just curious as I said this is my first foray into the Star Wars series of books.
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Well, if you're looking for chronological order, you certainly did the right thing in going for Into the Void. We've had some discussions in this group about your specific questions, so I think I'd recommend checking through those threads to see if you can find a good answer for you. But keep posting, and asking questions.
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Because I'm an unhealthy completist about everything, I've been trying to hit the EU novels (and, to a lesser extent, Dark Horse comics because there does seem to be a link) in chronological order. I began this 'project' two years ago and have been on and off (I read lots of other genres because a strict SW diet wouldn't be wise...) back when the furthest backwards into history you could go was Karpyshyn's Darth Bane trilogy.So I remain in the Old Republic era and will for some time, doubling back when something new is published. And for the most part I've enjoyed this process.
In response to the subject of this thread, I'm about to put Schreiber's RED HARVEST to bed, about 40 pages remaining. It's been...okay. Schreiber's a pretty good scribe (he seems to EXCEL at describing the minutia of carnage and gore!) but the story just kinda' lays there. Still, not that anyone asked for this but if you HAVE to write a Star Wars zombie novel, this is the way to do it.
Presumably my next read will be INTO THE VOID, which sounds fun, and I will have to tackle Miller's Lost Tribe on the Sith collection as well.
My favorite has been Paul Kemp's DECEIVED. I'm not a gamer so I haven't played the Knights game but this novel was beautifully written and I enjoyed Malgus quite a bit.
Anyway I'm so glad I found this group. There really is no one else I know that I can talk to about this odd compulsion to digest all these books in order of the timeline, it's nice to know there's a home for me! :)
Haydensdad wrote: "Just started reading these novels. Have loved Stars Wars for years and decided to try the books. Just started reading Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi - Into the Void after much research on the interweb..."I also utilize the 'timeline' as my reading checklist, Haydensdad. For me, it's the only way I can go because I have "that kind" of personality...heh heh. I'm certain one can bounce around just the same, the novels, for the most part, stand on their own very well except for the little sub-trilogies that crop up here and there.
But, like I said, since the back catalogue is SO dense I figure the best way to go is to just tick 'em off in 'historical' order. I read many other genres (I have Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi next up after I finish SW: Red Harvest) but I always digest at least one SW novel in per month.
Er, and at that rate, I'll be done with the entire EU well after I'm dead! ;)
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My parents and I have been watching Hannibal, and we have three episodes left and then on to Game of Thrones. I figure if I can possibly dedicate as much time reading a day as I do watching shows with my parents. I can manage to finish a good majority of the Star Wars timeline this summer.
Because novels are a struggle to get through quickly (I'm a fairly slow reader) but I can read the heck out of some graphic novels. So I'm looking forward to when I get to the Thrawn trilogy and get to read the book and then the graphic novel straight after.
Also, buying a ticket to GMX to see Timothy Zahn in November on Wednesday. Ahhhhh. :)
Jeff wrote: "Haydensdad wrote: "Just started reading these novels. Have loved Stars Wars for years and decided to try the books. Just started reading Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi - Into the Void after much resea..."Yeah I'm the same want to read everything in order. I like to have backstory if possible and watch characters, storey lines, universes etc.. develop or devolve as the case may be.
That said I'm sure you can jump around the series but I can't too anal retentive/OCD for that.So as you can probably guess I'm now onto Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories
The only issue I've had with reading the EU in chronological order is that of course new books are released in different parts of the timeline throughout the year. Sometimes it's easier for people to get started by picking one trilogy or series and then go from there. For example, read through Zahn's Thrawn trilogy, then jump over to Traviss's 501st series. That way you get more of a mix of the eras, and then you can pick your favorite!
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I know that most of you have read more than I have, but I think we should have a group book of the month... or something. Seeing as June is right around the corner (even though I probably won't be done with Rogue Squadron by the first, but whatever)... c:
Alli wrote: "Guuuyssss... I know that most of you have read more than I have, but I think we should have a group book of the month... or something. Seeing as June is right around the corner (even though I prob..."
I'm all for it! I'm still wandering around the Mississippi with Mark Twain (and it would appear that he's going to describe every single blade of grass on the journey...) so a nice leap into hyperspace would definitely be welcome. How should we go about choosing the book?
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Well to get things rolling I will throw out there where I'm at on the Timeline. I'm still hovering around the Old Republic era and the books I have yet to digest in that realm are:- the 'hot off the press' Into the Void
- The Lost Tribes of the Sith collection
- Fatal Alliance
- Annihilation
- Knight Errant
So there's that. My obsessive nature in reading these things chronologically, though, is more of an M.P., not a Y.P. (My Problem)
Beyond that, I've been hankering to give the original Zahn books a re-read. I gobbled 'em up back in the early 90's when they first hit and my recollection of them is shoddy at best.
So, like I said, whatever works, I'm pretty wide open. I guess I wouldn't mind others joining me in Fatal Alliance...it's a larger book than the usual Star Wars fare and nobody has anything nice to say about it so...y'know...share the suffering n' all that!
So, will the book group read just progress chronologically? Each month reading the next book in the Star Wars timeline?
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Poor college student. I can see if I have access to Fatal Alliance. Though I probably do... Hmm... I know I have the Lost Tribe of the Sith short stories, I've been aching to read those. After I read this dang X-wing book. xD
I haven't read anything before... well the first Han Solo trilogy book chronologically.
What /is/ the first book/comic/thing to read in chrono order?
Alli wrote: "We could do that. However I don't think I could get Into the Void right away. I might be able to... ask my grandmother for money but... that's not something I want to do, because of the fact that I..."C'mon grandma, step up to the plate, this is important! ;) Actually as a stay at home dad of 5 kids (and before you say it, yes, I know, we ARE nuts) funds for my Star Wars reading habits are not exactly in the budget but my local library system has been incredibly accommodating and I've been able to score just about every book thus far.
Until this past year Revan was as far back as you could go in SW history...then the Lost Tribe collection and Into the Void had to show up and screw everything up! :) But that's what I kinda' dig about the Timeline...the expansion of eras that you become accustomed to through reading the books.
I'm less well versed in the Dark Horse comics, though I do own a pretty solid pile of them. I collected them HEAVILY when they first started to drop back in the 90's (Tales of the Jedi, Droids, Dark Empire, etc.) but fell off. I did pick up a somewhat ratty copy of The Golden Age of the Sith graphic novel last year and I think that's as deep into the past as those go...could be wrong, haven't kept up lately...though all this chit-chat about them probably will inspire me to get back into them...dammit!!! (my wife'll kill me when she sees Amazon charges for Star Wars comics...eek!)
Well Alli I say let's give this a few more days to marinade, see who else chimes in, and move forward from there eh?
Robert wrote: "So, will the book group read just progress chronologically? Each month reading the next book in the Star Wars timeline?"I definitely like that idea Robert, the only drawback is that some of us might be in different places in EU history... figure we should give it a few days, see who else chimes in.
Haydensdad wrote: "Jeff wrote: "Haydensdad wrote: "Just started reading these novels. Have loved Stars Wars for years and decided to try the books. Just started reading Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi - Into the Void aft..."Looking forward to jumping into The Lost Tribe book myself! I read bits of them when they were published as free eBooks and they seemed like fun reads.
Okay, I definitely see what you mean; personally, I'm still stuck on Dark Force Rising in the post-Empire era, so I should be the last one suggesting that...
Jeff wrote: "Alli wrote: "We could do that. However I don't think I could get Into the Void right away. I might be able to... ask my grandmother for money but... that's not something I want to do, because of th..."OK I just checked and it looks like there are two Dawn of the Jedi series that Dark Horse put out in the past year or so, the first one called "Force Storm."
And the collected graphic novel is on Amazon.
And I pushed "purchase now."
Dammit!!!
Mod
ffffffffffff
Someone should buy the kindle version of Into the Void and share it with me. XD
(No, I'll probably just ask my grandmother for money this summer and sucker her into buying it for me... or I'll get a job... whatever. Or she'll just come over and hand me 20 bucks for no reason...)
Jeff wrote: "Alli wrote: "We could do that. However I don't think I could get Into the Void right away. I might be able to... ask my grandmother for money but... that's not something I want to do, because of th..."I think the only books that I haven't read are most clone wars era books (I've been avoiding those)and Annihilation, X-Wing: Mercy Kills, Last Jedi, or Into the Void. I really want to read The Last Jedi. I really enjoyed the Coruscant Nights Trilogy (I would enjoy a reread of those books) and am looking forward to seeing what Jax Pavan is up to.
The only comics I've read is the Knight of the Old Republic series and the Legacy series.
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I'll be making a list of books I want to read for discussion. :3
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OK folks, per Alli's idea, I opened up a topic under Group Stuff, if you like we can move this dog n' pony show over there and continue the discussion over there!http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
Started on X wing Mercy Kill. Its good to read about the old wraith squadron gang again.
Have just finished Dark Tide Ruin and now am starting Agents of Chaos Hero's Trial
I have finally decided to read whole NJO series. I'm in the middle of Balance Point right now.
Just startedDeceived yesterday. As I said reading chronological order. Pretty good so far, starts off with a bang, hopefully the rest of the book continues in the same vein.
Haydensdad wrote: "Just startedDeceived yesterday. As I said reading chronological order. Pretty good so far, starts off with a bang, hopefully the rest of the book continues in the same vein."It's one of my favorites, Haydensdad. The midsection bogs just a bit but I must say Kemp is one of the best writers in all the EU when it comes to describing action. And Malgus is REALLY interesting, a very conflicted, multi-layered character.
Haydensdad wrote: "Just finishedDeceivedtaking a little Star Wars break and an readingWhite Night excellent series."What did you think of Deceived?
Robert wrote: "Haydensdad wrote: "Just finishedDeceivedtaking a little Star Wars break and an readingWhite Night excellent series."What did you think of Deceived?"
I really liked it. Moved along quickly from some of the others I read(although I haven't read that many). Likeable characters, hatable characters too. "Bad" guys were more grey than black which was refreshing. I am finding most of the novels I've read so far not the stereotypical Star Wars that I know as a late thirties male. Would have been easy to co-opt the series into a whole bunch of foolish adventures with the same cast of characters from the movies. That being said I am hoping that at some point I will get some stories with the characters I grew up on, particularly Yoda.
The Horus Heresy: The First Heretic
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On the other hand, I think I'll be starting Vector Prime.... soon-ish... I'm scared.
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So I guess I'm off to enter the NJO.
I mean I know some stuff, I guess, but I'm trying to block spoilers out of my head and go through this as spoiler free as possible. But when I read wookiepedia for like four years... it's hard!
Okay I'm shutting up, grabbing my book light and starting.
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Okay seriously, I am going to read.
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The characters are the same age as me. .___.
I still haven't read more than the first paragraph. Some people, my father who is watching under the dome, are distracting me. Oh and my cats.
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Just finished Mercy Kill and while its isnt as good as the previous books in the X-wing it is still a good read lots of new characters some of who would have been mentioned before but who didnt really feature in any of the books. I think this is a passing of the torch from the old to the new much like i assume Crucible is going to be like
Alli wrote: "Oh! How old are Jaina and Jacen and Anakin at this point or will I find out?"NJO starts 25 years after A New Hope. Since they were born in the Thrawn Trilogy at 9 years after a New Hope, they were about 16 at the beginning of NJO. Anakin was about 14.
Started reading Crucible lately. Comments will be in the holocronies room.On a related note, I went to Indianapolis today to the Star Wars: Where Science meets Imagination exhibit. If you are a star wars fan and this museum exhibit comes near you, you need to go see it. It was awesome. All sorts of movie props (Luke's full size landspeeder) and video clips as well as relating the star wars tech to real technology (robots, medical, transportation) and hands-on activities. Great for kids and adults. Plus, the Millenium Falcon experience lets you sit in a full size replica of the cockpit and make the just to lightspeed. I made 0.6 past lightspeed and completed the Kessel Run in 11 parsecs.
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I'm glad you enjoyed it. xD
Also I like Vector Prime thus far.
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