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NJO : FAQs / Rants/ Raves/ Reviews


Astrotoy7

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Hello All. The NJO was quite easily the most contriversial development in lit EU since its inception and subsequent evolution. When it comes to NJO, you generally come across 3 types of ppl :

 

1. People who are very fond of the NJO for breathing a spark of life into a stagnating universe, full of clone emperors and superweapons

 

2. People who do not like the NJO at all, some of these people of course having read 'Vector Prime' (and maybe a cpl of others) thinking that this book typifies the NJO. It most certainly does NOT ! Then you have detractors who actually havent read any of the books

 

3. People who have not read the NJO. They might not know the NJO exists, or have heard mixed things about it.

 

I hope this thread will accomodate each of these groups. It has been stickied, because there always seems to be someone with a NJO question that ends up being a new thread

 

* * *

 

Firstly, some quick FAQs

 

What is the NJO ??

NJO stands for "New Jedi Order' It is a 21 book series. 19 of these being novels, 2 being in e-book format.

 

Which was the first book ??

Legendary fantasy author, R.A Salvatore penned the first novel in the NJO : Vector Prime. Many different authors contributed to the NJO, the most notable of which being James Luceno, Mike Stackpole, Troy Denning, Elaine Cunnigham and Matt Stover.

 

What's it about ??

The NJO commences at a time period appromximately 25 years after the events of SW : ANH. There is a relative peace between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant. A new threat to the safety of the entire galaxy arrives in the form of the Yuuzhan Vong. A warlike, deeply ritualistic and brutal species from just outside the galactic border. Their homeworld no longer exists, and they are now in the final leg of a 60 year journey they have made - to enter the 'galaxy far far away' and occupy Coruscant, the seat of the New Republic.

 

What other characters are in it ??

Almost *everyone* who has been in a previous EU novel seems to make an appearance in the NJO. But all the fave characters are there : Luke, Han, Leia, and their children Jacen & Jaina(twins) and Anakin. Chewie is in it of course, Lando, Mara Jade, Tallon Karrde, R2, 3PO, Wedge......etc

 

I've heard some main characters die - is this true ?

Yes, there are a few deaths, but 2 main characters die. they were both sad occasions indeed

 

Why are opinions so divided about NJO ??

Well, apart from being a matter of personal opinion of course, the NJO resulted from a conscious decision to try something new. A huge story arc, co-ordinating several writers and 21 separate pieces of work. New themes of religion, technology and social structure help define the Yuuzhan Vong. But despite all this, at the end of the day, the most interesting thing are the characters themselves. The NJo has allowed authors to explore our favourite characters, and even those of the Yuuzhan Vong, This is something that has never been done in SW EU effectively before.

 

What about that book, "Traitor" ??

Indeed, Traitor is arguably the most daring SW book ever published. It basically centres on 2 characters. Jacen and Vergere, a former jedi and agent of the Yuuzhan Vong. The book outlines the physical and mental torture Jacen Solo is subjected to following capture by the Yuuzhan Vong. It is written by Matt Stover, whom interestingly enough, will be doing the Ep3 novelisation.....

 

* * *

 

So I would hereby like to encourage and invite any and all NJO discussion, questions etc, to stay in *this* thread

 

mtfbwya

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You have to consider that this is an entire war that occurs in 19 books. It has all the members of the last war on one side against an entire new galaxy. A serious enemy that makes it all the way to the core of the original galaxy. Telling that in 19 books is very fast paced. The last one was told in about 3 movies, 40 books, tons of comics, and lots else that I cant think of right now.

 

I would say that the first books in the series are not quite as good as the series together. The problem is, the different technology makes it so that it just goes back and forth, and whoever has figured out some little trick is gonna win. Once you hit Star by Star (one of the best books ever IMO), the series really picks up, and is basically really good from there on out.

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Originally posted by Leper Messiah

ive reada couple of books from the EU and enjoyed them, and i read Vector Prime recently, first book of the quite extensive New Jedi Order. Vector Prime is the first EU book ive read that i thought was god-awful. So what i want to know is, is the rest of the New Jedi Order worth reading, what happens in it?

 

ive heard that

Coruscant falls to this new race thats been introduced

but thats about it

 

 

I am currently reading that book and liken it

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Originally posted by Shok_Tinoktin

....They killed Yoda. As far as I'm concerned, ROTJ doesn't exist. :D

 

HAHAHAHA ! :D

 

the 'they' who killed chewie only did so after GLs approval, this is a well documented fact. And heaven forbid if a main character dies....for me it just helped illustrate the impact of the new enemy very clearly :)

 

mtfbwya

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Originally posted by Rogue Nine

They killed Chewie. That turned me off to the whole damn thing. That and the Yuuzhan Vong are misplaced Star Trek aliens.

 

anyone familiar with star trek think (this is only based on vector prime) that the Yuuzhan Vong are a lot like species 8472?

 

Chewie dying wasnt a problem for me but he could have had a MUCH better death

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Originally posted by Astrotoy7

HAHAHAHA ! :D

 

the 'they' who killed chewie only did so after GLs approval, this is a well documented fact. And heaven forbid if a main character dies....for me it just helped illustrate the impact of the new enemy very clearly :)

 

mtfbwya

 

Don't get me started on GL's involvement in the EU. :/

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Chewie: "*sigh* well it was bound to happen eventually...:(

 

Coruscant: *choke* They did WHAT!?

 

 

Originally posted by Rogue Nine

As far as I'm concerned, the NJO doesn't exist.

 

I have to say, I must agree, though it was kind of nice to see all the EU characters brought together in such a grand manner.

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Originally posted by Rogue Nine

Don't get me started on GL's involvement in the EU. :/

 

theres no need to get upset about it. Of course GLs EU involvement is ceremonial more than instrumental, but he gave the green light to others deciding that chewie should bite the bullet(or the planet, in his case :p) and suggested a certain solo child be killed because of potential name confusion. I find that a bit strange, but thems the breaks, and whoozits dying had more of an impact I believe than if it was left with the original candidate :)

 

now its time for us to hug and exchange EU lore :D

 

oh, and Leper, dont do the 8472 comparison. theres acpl of others around who have made the same comparison, and yes their exposure to the njo has been as short as yours. Im a a big NJO fan and a big Voyager fan. I often describe the Vong to people as 'ugly like the predator' and obsessed with honour and battle like the Klingons ! At the end of the day, its really not the biotech and philosophy of the Vong that got me hooked, it was the CHARACTERS, just liek in any good book. Nom Anor, a scheming, calculating YV executor is one of the most interesting characters in EU ever, and his type of character is archetypal to many a good story, be it a murder mystery, a spy thriller or a sci-fi fantasy story....

 

mtfbwya

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