Skinkie Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 I'd just like to say I thought Dark Empire was one of the worst story lines of all the EU stuf I've read. It's been awhile, but wasn't it a bunch of cloned Emperor's and Luke throwing himself to the Dakside and being saved by love? Never read the other parts to see if they imporved it, but I do remember being let down by that series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abespam Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 A bit of topic... A lot of the older comics seem entirely too radical when u consider the EU in its entirety at present day. However comics require more than just telling another story in the star wars scene, it requires certain elements that are inherent in a lot of the 'superhero' type comics - ie a hero who is uber powerful and a uber powerful enemy. These comics are pretty old, and though it seems farfetched that luke could "bring down an at-at with the force" or that the emperor is suddenly reborn by clones.. comics as a medium require this sort of thing. Hey you could argue there still doing these sorts of things.. just look at the clone wars cartoon series , windu was carving up the battle droids by the hundreds. But as a cartoon it seemed normal enough. Personally i disliked that comic as well but i had read a lot of the other EU so my judgement is kinda bias. Its got nothing on the rogue-squadron or republic series. Back on topic.. (puts on 'I Love Zahn' T-Shirt) Though TTT wasn't the first EU work, its easy to see that it was the turning point into making the EU. Without some 'pioneers' like Zahn, most storylines would never have deviated from the OT storyline at all, and the entire New Republic era might not have been what it is today. Even other eras only developed properly once the New Republic Era started losing potential. Secondly we have to consider the context that Zahn's books were written in. If Zahn had started something along the lines of an extra-galactic invasion a la NJO, ppl would be wondering what was happening, why all the loveable SW characters were fighting aliens from another galaxy. Thus it was essential at the time to keep fighting the imps, and even then if the emperor was brought back like in Dark Empire, it would just seem like another Star Wars film novelised. By introducing characters like Thrawn and Mara Jade, the EU could truly develop away from the typical rebellion against vader/palpatine. This lead to other great books, which may or may not be better written than Zahn (matter of opinion) but may have ended up being the same overused idea. Im still pludging along the NJO, and i read Stover's "Traitor" recently. It was an excellent novel, and well written but the storyline did close to nothing to the NJO overall plot. Even shatterpoint was excellently written but was also a side story. Though these novels are great, they could be not be made without the rest of the EU, since in essence the plot has gone no where. These sorts of books can barely considered fantasy. It is clear that TTT is no "Dune" (havent read it) but since he was constrained in a universe that was largely undeveloped but didnt give much lee-way as to what he could infer, i think he did a good job. Since Anderson was already scheduled to make his trilogy, obviously the TTT could not go indepth on how Luke recreates the jedi order. Finally, whenever anyone asks about the EU and that they want to start reading it, the first books i tell them to read is TTT and if they like that then continue with the others. Rite enuf rambling, But Im also happy to hear any criticism Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nur Ab Sal Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 Every EU novel is a side story to the movies actually. Especially Thrawn Trilogy is about some insignificant campaign that is an offspring of Galactic Civil War - surely less important that return of the Cloned Emperor in DE. So that argument is incorrect. Stover novels are most important EU masterpieces cause they show heroes as beings from flesh and blood and their inner complexity for the first time in star wars literature. Zahn's paper puppets don't have half of Stover's depth (not to mention how primitive is Zahn's language compared to Stover's). My main intention was to prove that certainly Zahn's production isn't any ep7-9 as guy who started this thread was trying to tell us. I really hate Zahn and everything he has brought to Star Wars: Pellaeon, arrogant bitch Mara Jade, idiotic Jacen and Jaina, unrealistic genius Thrawn and above all his primitive and pompous language taken from some pulp criminal fiction. The only scribbler I hate more is Michael Stackpole. My first EU novel was Heir to the Empire and after I read it I swore to never touch any EU novel again - I couldn't believe that some unknown schmuck could devour Lucas' vision so awfully I started to read EU novels again after I read Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina in 1999. SW books are inferior to comics and video games in every aspect becouse Star Wars is mostly visual experience and thus comics and games are ideal to continue what movies started. Books as a medium don't fit into SW well cause they can't show properly all action and alien atmosphere you can see in AOTC or KOTOR and I consider them as an abomination. Writers are mostly unoriginal and I dare to say that guys responsible for comics and games are more creative than Rostoni and her writers, here's my examples: -90% of books are about 3 movie characters and few supporting EU characters and you can read one and know all of them cause they are just clones of each other. -only original idea presented in books is Yuuzhang Vong race but I wouldn't consider them something positive to Star Wars. It's like putting Hannibal Lecter to Winnie the Pooh - on the other hand creators of games and comics are more creative and brave, they don't hesitate to enter new areas and introduce completely new heroes instead of endless chewing same plots and characters like writers do. -Lucasarts invented complicated Kyle Katarn, together with a great plot, that is one of most interesting characters of the EU (certainly he had more depth than unreliable Mara or Thrawn) and who is ignored by the writers - this apply to wonderful KOTOR developers who introduced new conflict with new villain (Malak) and new heroes (Bastila, Atris) set in different times and with great explosive plot. And KOTOR was greater success than all lame books taken together. -Dark Horse team which introduced completely new Star Wars Era in Tales of the Jedi comics that were very original and added more important lore to SW than all SW books... Great Sith War, Golden Age of the Republic, Ancient Jedi Knights, origins of the Sith, background for Yavin IV in ANH. TOTJ is probably only part of EU that gives more than takes from the original movies - also Dark Horse alone developed Prequel Era. While Lucasbooks virtually ignored Prequel times, DH provided background for all movie characters (like Windu or Adi Gallia) that showed their exploits and later with blockbuster Republic series had a decisive voice in creating Clone Wars as a really epic conflict. - Comic creators also introduced wonderful Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura that even appeared in the movies (as only EU character) and their adventures are more popular and better than those in the novels. It is obvious to me that most original and interesting elements of star wars were introduced in games and comics while in books you can find most stupid, lame and non-starwars crap you can imagine. Quality of books is aften terrible and this even makes things worse for books cause as I said before don't fit into SW well. I rate star wars books as a weakest element of Expanded Universe. You can find there greatest crap in the entire EU. While Dark Horse comics' are all of great quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrotoy7 Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 Originally posted by Nur Ab Sal ....arrogant bitch Mara Jade, idiotic Jacen and Jaina, unrealistic genius Thrawn and above all his primitive and pompous language taken from some ..... yeah, Mara was arrogant and bitchy in TTT, but she is easily the coolest cookie in EU evar ! Astro + Mara = Babies I like Jaina and Jacen for some reason... though Jaina was starting to get on my nerves by the end of NJO Thrawn.....sure, the Emperor didnt like non-humans...but Thrawn was much too valuable an asset to squander out in the unknown regions... really, someone who is so smart, and studies art etc, isnt silly enough to be done in by his own bodyguards.... though we could say similar things about similar characters in our own history yep, I dont like Zahn and his "milking the OFP for all its worth" niche in the SW universe...but he's cliched 2-dimensional antics were as good start for the modern EU as any. If we were hit with the NJO from day one, many people would have just been totally freaked out..... the complexity and scope of the njo are only something that could have evolved out of a beginning like the TTT see it as a 'necessary evil', if you must mtfbwya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celibi87 Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 i read them all though i dont own it ...it was a good series and yes mara was all bitchy and the end ...dunno if spoilers are ok in this thread or not so ill make it so u can highlite it..***Spoiler***She kills lukes clone...man it was awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinkie Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 You hate how the books focus on the main characters, and aren't visual, and you hate Stackpole. The whole X-Wing series, and his bok I, Jedi were about side characters indtead of the main ones, and he wrote the X-Wing comic series too, which is very visible and one of the best series, by my standards anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nur Ab Sal Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 Yes, Stackpole used new characters, but the problem is, that these characters are IMO more lame than even Zahn cliches. OK I say we stop this. I don't want to look as a flamestarter and forum arsonist. I'm a newbie here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrotoy7 Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 Originally posted by Nur Ab Sal ...OK I say we stop this. I don't want to look as a flamestarter and forum arsonist. ... heh...no biggie.. as long as no one is insulting each other, discussing what we like and dislike about EU are what we are all here for I still havent gotten around to reading Survivors Quest yet, and Im not sure about how excited I'll be about the Outbound Flight book... However, I definitely am looking forward to Zahns Jade book mtfbwya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe© Posted May 12, 2005 Share Posted May 12, 2005 I dunno much about the comics, did not really read those, so no comment. TTT were fun books, but not any more, I have all of them, and have not read them since I first bought 'em The great thing about Zahn in my Eyes is he brought the major players into the EU and while they were in sad shape with Zahn, they did great in the hands of other authors, making the whole thing worth it. To The games thing, they are great fun, but only a RPG could really do as good a job with plots as a book can, sorry but Kyle blasting stormies is not advancing the star wars plot very fast. Don?t get me wrong, the games are awesome, but they just don't do the same thing as the books do. you know though, to each his own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abespam Posted May 12, 2005 Share Posted May 12, 2005 i agree with joe about gaming, RPG: kotor games were the bomb. Both of these have done amazing things to that era of the EU. Granted some of the characters in kotor2 were never developed well (damn u LA) but overall they have contributed a lot more than most other games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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