clowndaddy
im a big fan of star wars (who isn't) and i know there are a lot of books on star wars out there. I don't know where to start, i would like to read a book or series that does not have to do with the characters in the movies.
Answer
I have to say that I was actually surprised with the answers that you've got so far ... usually a question like this brings the "haters" out in full force. You've got some pretty good suggestions here so I thought I'd add my two cents to the "fray" ... well, it'll be more like $2.50 because I'm kind of long winded ...
First I have to echo what others have said ... you won't find too many books that don't have the "Big 3" of Han, Luke, & Leia in them. The "Tales" books mentioned are really only short stories about minor and unknown characters ... they are a good read but if you don't know the back story they won't make much sense to you.
That's actually one of the main problems, if you want to call it that, with the Star Wars EU (Expanded Universe) ... the books all build on each other and move the story along. You do have a big "perk" in that you are starting to read the books now and not when they all started coming out in 1990 ... first we had books set 5 years after ROTJ, then came out a book that happened the day after ROTJ, then one set 4 years after ROTJ ... etc, etc. Man, it's hard to believe that its been almost 20 years since I saw "Heir To The Empire" in the book store. Being able to read them in "order" will make them much easier to follow.
Anyways, "Krypton" mentions "The Adventures Of Luke Skywalker" ... this book never really existed ... it was the novel version of A New Hope and quite frankly it sucked big time ... even back then ... now it is a hopeless mess with all the info from the prequels. He mentions a book titled "Allegiance" by Timothy Zahn. VERY good book set in between ep IV and ep V. Timothy Zahn, IMHO, is the very best writer of the SW EU. If you read this book as one of the first you read remember the name Mara Jade ... she plays a very big role in the SW EU and with the Skywalker family ... I want to tell you more because she is one of the best "new" characters in the books but I don't want to spoil the story.
"SWdarklighter" ... love the ID BTW, could you be a fellow fan of Charmed ... anyways, she mentions the "Tales" books. These are basically a collection of short stories that tell us more about a lot of the minor characters in the movies that we didn't even know the names of from just the movies. These books are full of background info on the saga but in many cases you would know what or who the stories were talking about if you hadn't read other SW books. Also mentioned were the "Republic Commando" & "Med-Star" books ... good reads that you don't really need a lot of background info to understand. These books are set in between ep II & ep III. Also mentioned are the Darth Bane books ... these are set about 1000 years before ep I ... again, great reads that don't need a lot of background info to understand. She and "Worf" also mention the "Rogue Squadron" series as a place to start ... again, a good choice ... this series is # 2 on my list of what to read first. I never thought I would like them but I was wrong ... Wedge Antillies is one bad dude when it comes to flying an X-Wing. These books don't have much of the "Big 3" in them ... Luke and Leia have cameos in the first few and Han does play a kind of major part in the last couple of the books but they are a really great read.
"Worf" also mentions "The Thrawn Trilogy" by Timothy Zahn. These are the books that, no matter how ticked off Lucas gets about it, saved Star Wars. The books that came out after ROTJ were pure bantha poodu ... same for the comics put out by Marvel ... horrible stuff. Fans got turned off because these stories didn't make much sense and that put Star Wars in a back room in some hospital on life support. This trilogy of books was actually a last ditch effort by Lucas to find out if there was still a fan base out there for Star Wars. After each of the books of this series came out they went to the top of the best seller list within a week. It told Lucas that there were still a lot of fans out there but that we would not accept the crap that had been put out before this because the story was junk. If he gave us a good story like the one Zahn told then we the fans would eat it up ... it had to be a good story though and Zahn hit it out of the park with this set.
Anyways, whenever I am asked what books to start with I always say The Thrawn Trilogy ... then the X-Wing books. After that you are on your own ... lol ... For the most part most of the books that have come out since then have been pretty good ... a couple of "clunkers" but still good.
May The Force Be With You ...
I have to say that I was actually surprised with the answers that you've got so far ... usually a question like this brings the "haters" out in full force. You've got some pretty good suggestions here so I thought I'd add my two cents to the "fray" ... well, it'll be more like $2.50 because I'm kind of long winded ...
First I have to echo what others have said ... you won't find too many books that don't have the "Big 3" of Han, Luke, & Leia in them. The "Tales" books mentioned are really only short stories about minor and unknown characters ... they are a good read but if you don't know the back story they won't make much sense to you.
That's actually one of the main problems, if you want to call it that, with the Star Wars EU (Expanded Universe) ... the books all build on each other and move the story along. You do have a big "perk" in that you are starting to read the books now and not when they all started coming out in 1990 ... first we had books set 5 years after ROTJ, then came out a book that happened the day after ROTJ, then one set 4 years after ROTJ ... etc, etc. Man, it's hard to believe that its been almost 20 years since I saw "Heir To The Empire" in the book store. Being able to read them in "order" will make them much easier to follow.
Anyways, "Krypton" mentions "The Adventures Of Luke Skywalker" ... this book never really existed ... it was the novel version of A New Hope and quite frankly it sucked big time ... even back then ... now it is a hopeless mess with all the info from the prequels. He mentions a book titled "Allegiance" by Timothy Zahn. VERY good book set in between ep IV and ep V. Timothy Zahn, IMHO, is the very best writer of the SW EU. If you read this book as one of the first you read remember the name Mara Jade ... she plays a very big role in the SW EU and with the Skywalker family ... I want to tell you more because she is one of the best "new" characters in the books but I don't want to spoil the story.
"SWdarklighter" ... love the ID BTW, could you be a fellow fan of Charmed ... anyways, she mentions the "Tales" books. These are basically a collection of short stories that tell us more about a lot of the minor characters in the movies that we didn't even know the names of from just the movies. These books are full of background info on the saga but in many cases you would know what or who the stories were talking about if you hadn't read other SW books. Also mentioned were the "Republic Commando" & "Med-Star" books ... good reads that you don't really need a lot of background info to understand. These books are set in between ep II & ep III. Also mentioned are the Darth Bane books ... these are set about 1000 years before ep I ... again, great reads that don't need a lot of background info to understand. She and "Worf" also mention the "Rogue Squadron" series as a place to start ... again, a good choice ... this series is # 2 on my list of what to read first. I never thought I would like them but I was wrong ... Wedge Antillies is one bad dude when it comes to flying an X-Wing. These books don't have much of the "Big 3" in them ... Luke and Leia have cameos in the first few and Han does play a kind of major part in the last couple of the books but they are a really great read.
"Worf" also mentions "The Thrawn Trilogy" by Timothy Zahn. These are the books that, no matter how ticked off Lucas gets about it, saved Star Wars. The books that came out after ROTJ were pure bantha poodu ... same for the comics put out by Marvel ... horrible stuff. Fans got turned off because these stories didn't make much sense and that put Star Wars in a back room in some hospital on life support. This trilogy of books was actually a last ditch effort by Lucas to find out if there was still a fan base out there for Star Wars. After each of the books of this series came out they went to the top of the best seller list within a week. It told Lucas that there were still a lot of fans out there but that we would not accept the crap that had been put out before this because the story was junk. If he gave us a good story like the one Zahn told then we the fans would eat it up ... it had to be a good story though and Zahn hit it out of the park with this set.
Anyways, whenever I am asked what books to start with I always say The Thrawn Trilogy ... then the X-Wing books. After that you are on your own ... lol ... For the most part most of the books that have come out since then have been pretty good ... a couple of "clunkers" but still good.
May The Force Be With You ...
Great action/war/military book?
Cody
I'm kinda bored and would like to read a book but not quite sure what to read. I'm looking for a book about like modern military operations or an action book, like something counterterrorism. I read "Act of Treason" by Vince Flynn and loved it, so anything along those lines. Any suggestions would be extremely appreciated. Thank you! Oh fiction only please!
Answer
Hunger Games is a war/kinda love story, but there is alot of fighting
Hunger Games is a war/kinda love story, but there is alot of fighting
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