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Rocksicles posted:I just finished Empire's end. I didn't like the conclusion with Sloane. I know everyone has issues with the writing style, and it definitely works better as an audio book. But from the beginning of the Battle of Jakku to the brutal confrontation between Norra, Sloane and Rax, I found the present-time narrative voice to be perfect to describe the action as it was going on.
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Mar 11, 2017 13:22
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Wheat Loaf posted:On a scale of one to ten, how inevitable is Darth Vader getting a solo Anthology movie? The Republic, Empire and Rebellion comics were my favourite because they were short stories that barely had involvement with the Big Three. If they ever did a TV series I still think adapting their stories would be the best bet.
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Mar 11, 2017 16:04
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SeanBeansShako posted:The Republic, Empire and Rebellion comics were my favourite because they were short stories that barely had involvement with the Big Three. If they ever did a TV series I still think adapting their stories would be the best bet. Did Padme ever appear in Republic? She must have but I don't think anything really occurs to me. She was in the miniseries "Obsession" for about one page (where she and Anakin are having breakfast on Naboo when Obi-Wan shows up to collect him and, when Anakin asks how he knew where to find him, says, "Anakin, every padawan on Coruscant knows where to find you.  ") and that tied into Republic, but it wasn't part of the series.As much as Quinlan Vos's story arc is what everyone remembers from Republic, my favourite stories were the Ki-Adi-Mundi ones from the early part of the run.
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Mar 11, 2017 18:30
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Wheat Loaf posted:Did Padme ever appear in Republic? She must have but I don't think anything really occurs to me. She was in the miniseries "Obsession" for about one page (where she and Anakin are having breakfast on Naboo when Obi-Wan shows up to collect him and, when Anakin asks how he knew where to find him, says, "Anakin, every padawan on Coruscant knows where to find you. I'm pretty sure she did show up, but like you I can't think of anything. Republic was my absolute favorite. Only story arc I liked from Empire was the first one.
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Mar 11, 2017 19:42
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pubic works project posted:Only story arc I liked from Empire was the first one. That was the one where Imperial officers are plotting a coup against Palpatine, right? I liked the parts of that which were about the conspiracy itself but thought the Vader subplot where he goes off to some backwater to find this a Force-sensitive outlaw he thinks might be his kid and randomly teams up with Boba Fett was a bit naff. I like the ones with Luke's childhood friend, Tank, who has a sort of parallel career to Luke except he joins the Empire rather than the Rebellion. Those were pretty good as war comics set in the Star Wars universe.
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Mar 11, 2017 19:55
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Here's something interesting I learned today: before Bantam Spectra received the licence in 1989 and contracted Zahn to write Heir to the Empire, the licence to publish Star Wars fiction was held by Ballantine through its Del Rey imprint, and before it was withdrawn there was a reasonable prospect of James Luceno and Brian Daley being tapped to write the foundational post-ROTJ continuation books in the late eighties. Luceno has speculated that they likely would've taken it in more of a Dune-style space fantasy direction than the military SF route Zahn pursued and they would have aimed for every book to take place in a continuous series, rather than jumping back and forth about the timeline as the Bantam era books did. What could have been, indeed!
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Mar 12, 2017 00:28
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Wheat Loaf posted:Did Padme ever appear in Republic? She must have but I don't think anything really occurs to me. She was in the miniseries "Obsession" for about one page (where she and Anakin are having breakfast on Naboo when Obi-Wan shows up to collect him and, when Anakin asks how he knew where to find him, says, "Anakin, every padawan on Coruscant knows where to find you. At the time they were coming out, I remember the explanation being that Lucas didn't let the comics or books use Padme in anything more than a brief scene, because he still didn't know the timeline of when the twins were going to be born. Not sure how truthful that is, but I remember that back in the early 2000s. Wheat Loaf posted:Here's something interesting I learned today: before Bantam Spectra received the licence in 1989 and contracted Zahn to write Heir to the Empire, the licence to publish Star Wars fiction was held by Ballantine through its Del Rey imprint, and before it was withdrawn there was a reasonable prospect of James Luceno and Brian Daley being tapped to write the foundational post-ROTJ continuation books in the late eighties. This would have been awesome. I felt like I remember reading somewhere that Luceno and Daley had had an idea for a Star Wars invasion story, which was one of the reasons Luceno later got brought onboard for NJO.
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Mar 12, 2017 02:22
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Is there a Dune thread buried somewhere in bookbarn? I could use one of those. Back on topic. I "read" the book "Tarkin" Which is a backstory of Grand Moff Tarkins childhood and upbringing. The child parts are a bit lame: tl:dr He was born into a rich family and then sent out into the space-jungle to prove himself and he exceeds all expectations to the surprise of all adults. Now back in the current post-clone-wars timeline The rest of the book features Tarkin teaming up with Darth Vader in a buddy cop movie to find a missing spaceship and it is awesome! Features panicking spaceship thieves freaking out over Tarkin and Vader showing up constantly to space-murder and force choke them until they eventually run out of redshirts.
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Mar 12, 2017 07:45
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Dune/Star Wars would have been an interesting direction too, but I'm happy with what Zahn wanted to do. Speaking of which we only have a month to go till Thrawn comes out. We haven't had a Zahn book for 4 years. This will be the first book of the new canon that I'm not just cautiously excited for.
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Mar 12, 2017 08:28
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The original Dune books are a bit too smart (later weird) for me. But I gobble up the prequels like the deliciously unhealthy junk food that they are. Baron Harkonnen and his wacky side kicks as "villains of the week" was just my thing.
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Mar 12, 2017 08:37
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I'm finding that rather than Star Wars stories, I am more interested in genre stories set in a Star Wars setting. While Zahn is probably the closest we'll get to a true Star Wars experience in novel form, I appreciate the rare book that takes a different approach to the setting. It's why I enjoy the Republic Commando books for their adherence to military science fiction, and while the Death Troopers novel is pretty bad, it's at least different. I really want to see that approach applied to the spinoff films. Don't just make a Han Solo Star Wars film, make it a heist film or a crime film, and apply those tropes to the story. Make Rogue One more of an espionage film than a disjointed mishmash of war movie, cameos and stilted family drama. Actually make a Seven Samurai inspired film that isn't lovely like that Clone Wars episode was. Make a freaking Star Wars comedy film. Arc Hammer fucked around with this message at 08:56 on Mar 12, 2017 |
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Mar 12, 2017 08:53
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Arcsquad12 posted:I'm finding that rather than Star Wars stories, I am more interested in genre stories set in a Star Wars setting. While Zahn is probably the closest we'll get to a true Star Wars experience in novel form, I appreciate the rare book that takes a different approach to the setting. It's why I enjoy the Republic Commando books for their adherence to military science fiction, and while the Death Troopers novel is pretty bad, it's at least different. Pretty sure the Han Solo movie is going to be a comedy, given its cast and directors. But I agree with you about liking genre stuff. Kenobi was a good example of that. Actually, going with Zahn, so was Scoundrels, something that was both a great heist story and something way outside what he usually wrote for SW. It's a shame it came out in the dying days of the EU and kind of got forgotten with the rest, since I think it would otherwise have a pretty good reputation.
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Mar 13, 2017 01:15
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Wheat Loaf posted:It's a bit tricky to say so without seeming like I'm picking on an octogenarian, but it's a bit distracting how JEJ's voice has changed in Rebels and Rogue One. I'm not sure if they've just changed whatever modulator they use on it or if his voice has gotten slightly higher (?) in his old age, but it made me go, "Is that definitely JEJ?" The man got old. His pitch and affect slightly changed, which tends to happen. Like it's taking a little more effort. Which certainly makes sense. I can still always tell it's him, though, and hope they keep using him as long as he's willing and able.
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Mar 13, 2017 01:44
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Chairman Capone posted:Pretty sure the Han Solo movie is going to be a comedy, given its cast and directors. But I agree with you about liking genre stuff. Kenobi was a good example of that. Actually, going with Zahn, so was Scoundrels, something that was both a great heist story and something way outside what he usually wrote for SW. It's a shame it came out in the dying days of the EU and kind of got forgotten with the rest, since I think it would otherwise have a pretty good reputation. Scoundrels is pretty great. Also I just found out that Omar Little's actor is in the new Han movie
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Mar 13, 2017 05:06
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I just want a proper Star Wars noir detective film, shot in black and white, with narration by the protagonist. Please do this thing, Disney.
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Mar 13, 2017 10:25
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Same but just adapt Zahn's Quadrail books
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Mar 13, 2017 19:37
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StashAugustine posted:Same but just adapt Zahn's Quadrail books Yeah that works for me.
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Mar 14, 2017 13:52
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Got my tickets to Celebration in the mail today. Pretty. 
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Mar 15, 2017 02:18
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Wheat Loaf posted:Luceno has speculated that they likely would've taken it in more of a Dune-style space fantasy direction than the military SF route Zahn pursued and they would have aimed for every book to take place in a continuous series, rather than jumping back and forth about the timeline as the Bantam era books did. Chairman Capone posted:This would have been awesome. I felt like I remember reading somewhere that Luceno and Daley had had an idea for a Star Wars invasion story, which was one of the reasons Luceno later got brought onboard for NJO. fake edit: Huh, I looked up the Dark Horse invasion article on Wookieepedia for more info, and what you said is mentioned in the first paragraph, although apparently unconfirmed. Interesting, first I've heard of it.
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Mar 15, 2017 19:06
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When is Mister Bones going to get his own movie?
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Mar 16, 2017 16:13
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Lord Hydronium posted:Man, I would have liked to have seen that. While I like The Thrawn Trilogy, I'm not sure Zahn's mil-SF direction really fit with the feel of the movies, and I think you could argue that between the focus on the military and emphasizing the failures of political institutions, it set the stage for a lot of the worst aspects of the post-ROTJ (and post-NJO in particular) EU. While Dark Empire is written more poorly, I think that side of the EU worked better thematically as a continuation of the saga. Of course, that would also probably mean no X-Wing, so... I mean really among all the old EU authors how many are actually good? Zahn, Allston, Luceno, Stover, maybe Stackpole? Of them that's 3/5 milSF authors and Stover is pretty Dark&Gritty. There's a fair amount of space opera stuff in the EU it just mostly sucks.
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Mar 16, 2017 17:18
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Dark Fleet Crisis is what I think of when it comes to bad military sf in star wars. Blueballing Luke, stoner Lando and lobot, and really boring space combat
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Mar 16, 2017 17:36
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To be honest, I think the Black Fleet Crisis is the trilogy I dislike the most. As lovely as the Dark nest trilogy was, at least it kinda had vaguely interesting ideas. Black fleet crisis was just so loving boring and numbing, and Akanah was the worst.
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Mar 16, 2017 20:12
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Lord Hydronium posted:Man, I would have liked to have seen that. While I like The Thrawn Trilogy, I'm not sure Zahn's mil-SF direction really fit with the feel of the movies, and I think you could argue that between the focus on the military and emphasizing the failures of political institutions, it set the stage for a lot of the worst aspects of the post-ROTJ (and post-NJO in particular) EU. While Dark Empire is written more poorly, I think that side of the EU worked better thematically as a continuation of the saga. Of course, that would also probably mean no X-Wing, so... I definitely think that if a sequel trilogy had happened in the 1990s, it would have been a whole lot closer tonally to Dark Empire than the Thrawn trilogy. VaultAggie posted:To be honest, I think the Black Fleet Crisis is the trilogy I dislike the most. As lovely as the Dark nest trilogy was, at least it kinda had vaguely interesting ideas. Black fleet crisis was just so loving boring and numbing, and Akanah was the worst. Now, on the one hand, it was pretty naff, but at the same time, I appreciate that it at least tried to move the technology of the universe forward. You got Luke trading in his X-Wing for a brand new state of the art E-wing and the front line of the New Republic's fleet were the new K-Wing heavy bombers. Plenty of people have complained and not without justification about how technology is stuck in movie-era stasis (and not just in subsequent novels, such as the NJO and its constant string of new iterations of the X-Wing, but quite prominently with The Force Awakens as well) but moving forward had been tried. If it taken place in a better novel series, it might even have stuck. Who can say?
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Mar 16, 2017 22:52
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There are things I dislike about the Black Fleet books, especially Luke and Akanah, but I like the overall concept(s) of it and I think the first book at least is still pretty good. I like that it's one of the few times, especially in Bantam, that an author actually tried to shift the characters and the setting to something beyond being perpetually stuck where they were at the end of ROTJ. Leia has to deal with actually being a galactic leader and holding a giant diverse government together peacefully. Chewie remembers he has a family and deals with them. Han is a general rather than playing smuggler despite being married to the president of the universe. Luke tries to contemplate a deeper meaning to the Force than just a ninja with a laser sword. Lando isn't a charming gambler/failed businessman but explores a giant alien relic. The villains aren't the Empire, darksiders, or a galactic threat. Even the ships are pretty much all new rather than just the stuff we saw onscreen in ROTJ. It probably would have been better if each of the storylines (Leia/Han/Chewie/the Yevetha; Luke's quest; and Lando, Lobot, and the droids) was just reshuffled and released as an independent book.
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Mar 16, 2017 23:29
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Or if they had any connection whatsoever. I mean they came out with some weak explanation of how it all fit together but that was it.
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Mar 16, 2017 23:32
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The only thing I ever remember about the Black Fleet Crisis is that it's the one where Lando does some nude lounging with Lobot while 3PO and R2 hang out.
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Mar 16, 2017 23:32
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Yeah that and Chewbacca's ANGRY loving WOOKIEE COMMANDO RAID.
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Mar 16, 2017 23:34
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Don't spoil me but I'm currently reading some Sloan stories. I like her but so far they have been very lacking in her motivations. She seems to care about "The empire" but the story never goes into detail (so far) as to why or what specifically. Some imperials care about the empire because the order it brings protects the people they genuinely care for. (For example a planet formerly ruled by gangs and crime lords before the empire brought order) One Imperial officer swore an oath of loyalty to the empire and so her planets almost fanatical (and slightly ridiculous) obsession with honor meant that she couldn't abandon it. Tarkin grew up in a family that valued personal strength to the point where weak children were killed off and so he was just a a natural fit for the empire/dark side. But I have yet to see any motivations at all from Sloan to be as loyal as she is to the dying empire. She's clever and ambitious but she never goes deeper than "the empire"
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Mar 17, 2017 07:42
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Life Debt touches on her motivations a bit. The Empire picked her up, and gave her a job so she didn't have to be a scared street kid for the rest of her life.
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Mar 17, 2017 08:06
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Chairman Capone posted:Lando isn't a charming gambler/failed businessman but explores a giant alien relic. I think I remember that one. Lando and a bunch of other people are trapped by a really hostile super hot atmosphere effect and are about to be bruned up in their flimsy shuttle. Lando points out that he's done industrial management in all sorts of hostile environment (Bespin, a planet closer to its sun than Mercury is to ours, etc.) and paid attention to the safety lectures. He then gets everyone to safety using knowledge he picked up through the course of all his failed industrial ventures. I liked that scene. It fits, he really has spent a lot of time on planets with hostile environments. It's also a nice touch of science for something that's allegedly science fiction.
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Mar 17, 2017 08:30
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My favourite bad EU novels were The Truce at Bakura and The New Rebellion.
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Mar 17, 2017 12:47
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Catberry posted:Some imperials care about the empire because the order it brings protects the people they genuinely care for. (For example a planet formerly ruled by gangs and crime lords before the empire brought order) She's this one, mostly. To follow what Casimir said, she ran away when she was a kid, and was immediately almost kidnapped. She started to hate the chaos and lawlessness on her planet. When the Empire came in, they swept through and brought order, taking out the crime and gangs. So she sees the Empire as a necessary force in a galaxy gone mad.
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Mar 17, 2017 15:04
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thrawn527 posted:She's this one, mostly. To follow what Casimir said, she ran away when she was a kid, and was immediately almost kidnapped. She started to hate the chaos and lawlessness on her planet. When the Empire came in, they swept through and brought order, taking out the crime and gangs. So she sees the Empire as a necessary force in a galaxy gone mad. I know at least in the old EU there were a few "good Imperials" who were given this motivation, and it's always bothered me, especially for books written after the prequels. Imperials who are loyal to the Empire because Palpatine brought stability... despite the fact that Palpatine was the one who caused the Clone Wars and tanked the Old Republic, and the Sith before him were the ones chipping away at it for the last 1000 years. I know that there are in-universe reasons why most Imperials probably wouldn't know the full details during the OT era, but at least in the old EU (not sure about the new continuity) after the Battle of Endor the knowledge about Palpatine's role was made public by the Rebels/New Republic. Authors writing people in the NJO/DN/LOTF era supporting the Empire because it brought order is just dumb. More directly about why it's hard for me to have sympathy for Sloane specifically: she's supposed to be a "good Imperial" who at the end of the Aftermath trilogy wants to rebuild the Empire from scratch and "get it right" but, A) The core she decides to build this empire around is a cadre of brainwashed child soldiers, and she decides to build it in the Unknown Regions so her new followers will have nowhere to turn for alternate views or even the chance to rebel; and B) we know her "good new empire" will become the First Order that goes right back to blowing up planets and hunting down Jedi and burning civilian villages.
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Mar 17, 2017 23:11
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Chairman Capone posted:More directly about why it's hard for me to have sympathy for Sloane specifically: she's supposed to be a "good Imperial" who at the end of the Aftermath trilogy wants to rebuild the Empire from scratch and "get it right" but, A) The core she decides to build this empire around is a cadre of brainwashed child soldiers, and she decides to build it in the Unknown Regions so her new followers will have nowhere to turn for alternate views or even the chance to rebel; and B) we know her "good new empire" will become the First Order that goes right back to blowing up planets and hunting down Jedi and burning civilian villages.
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Mar 17, 2017 23:15
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Chairman Capone posted:There are things I dislike about the Black Fleet books, especially Luke and Akanah, but I like the overall concept(s) of it and I think the first book at least is still pretty good. I like that it's one of the few times, especially in Bantam, that an author actually tried to shift the characters and the setting to something beyond being perpetually stuck where they were at the end of ROTJ. Leia has to deal with actually being a galactic leader and holding a giant diverse government together peacefully. Chewie remembers he has a family and deals with them. Han is a general rather than playing smuggler despite being married to the president of the universe. Luke tries to contemplate a deeper meaning to the Force than just a ninja with a laser sword. Lando isn't a charming gambler/failed businessman but explores a giant alien relic. The villains aren't the Empire, darksiders, or a galactic threat. Even the ships are pretty much all new rather than just the stuff we saw onscreen in ROTJ. I agree with pretty much all that. For all its clunkyness and disjointed narratives, it tried new ideas and developed the setting. (Nebula Star Destroyer!  )There's quite a few other old EU books I have similar mixed responses to: Truce at Bakura has an interesting premise but some odd character actions, the JAT has crucial events and creativity all over but some pretty big missteps and fumbles, Crystal Star is really weird but it is really weird.
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Mar 18, 2017 06:53
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Mar 18, 2017 10:11
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He did not choose the Sith Life; the Sith Life chose him.
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Mar 18, 2017 10:20
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Wheat Loaf posted:I definitely think that if a sequel trilogy had happened in the 1990s, it would have been a whole lot closer tonally to Dark Empire than the Thrawn trilogy. 
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Mar 18, 2017 10:47
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I like how some books highlight that the main loss of the two death stars were not credits or materials or effort but in the staggering amount of competent officers and soldiers that were stationed on them. Still I would have probably liked it more if there was only ever a single death star and if it was given more time to play an important role in the franchise. As is they barely have a chance to show up, get fired once and then get blown up. They are supposed to be moon sized near impervious super weapons but they just seem ridiculously fragile and impotent. Defeating them doesn't seem like that much of an accomplishment either. Most imperials roll their eyes when they hear about the second death star as "Not another one. Who's going to take the suicide mission of manning that?" Catberry fucked around with this message at 11:02 on Mar 18, 2017 |
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Mar 18, 2017 10:58
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