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I've finally decided to begin reading a lot of the EU novels but still avoid the bad ones. I like the ones that more "military sci-fi" focused so what EU novels are particularly so?

In order:

Heir to the Empire Timothy Zahn
Dark Force Rising Timothy Zahn
The Last Command Timothy Zahn
Path of Destruction Drew Karpshyn
Rule of Two Drew Karpshyn
Dynasty of Evil Drew Karpshyn
Attack of the Clones RA Salvatore
The Clone Wars Karen Traviss
The Clone Wars-Wild Space Karen Miller
The Clone Wars-No Prisoners Karen Traviss
Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth Karen Miller
Shatterpoint Matthew Stover
The Cestus Deception Steven Barnes
Jedi Trial Steven Stewart
Yoda:Dark Rendezvous David Sherman
Battle Surgeons Steve Perry
Jedi Healer Steve Perry
Labrynith of Evil James Lucerno
Revenge of the Sith James Lucerno
Dark Lord James Lucerno
Jedi Twilight Michael Reaves
Street of Shadows Michael Reaves
Patterns of Force Michael Reaves
Death Star Steve Perry
A New Hope Randy Thornton
Allegiance Timothy Zahn
The Ruins of Dantooine Veronica Whitney-Robinson
Empire Strikes Back Donald F. Glut
Return of the Jedi Elizabeth Levy
The Truce at Bakura Kathy Tyers
Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor Matthew Stover
Rouge Squadron Michael Stackpole
Wedge's Gamble Michael Stackpole
The Kryptos Trap Michael Stackpole
The Bacta War Michael Stackpole
Wraith Squadron Aaron Allston
Iron Fist Aaron Allston
Solo Command Aaron Allston
Tatooine Ghost Troy Denning
Isard's Revenge Michael Stackpole
I, Jedi Michael Stackpole
Before the Storm Michael P Kube-McDowell
Shield of Lies Michael P Kube-McDowell
Tyrant's Test Michael P Kube-McDowell
Specter of the Past Timothy Zahn
Vision of the Future Timothy Zahn

Any advice on what to take off or add?

NOTE: I haven't added the following:

-Novels that haven't been published yet
-New Jedi Order and later novels (waiting for recommandations on that)
-Short story collections

You got some of the authors wrong. Matthew Stover wrote the RotS novelisation, George Lucas is credited to the ghost-written Star Wars novelisation, I have no idea who Elizabeth Levy is and I am pretty sure certain it was James Kahn who wrote the RotJ novelisation. Also, it's rogue not rouge.

Some of those books are good, some of them are so-so or subpar, some of them are shit. But why ask advice on what to read or not? I mean, I can say that the Traviss books are shit but that's because what I've seen of them, what others have said of them, what little snippets of them I have read, tells me they're not worth the paper they're printed on. I haven't actually read a Traviss book from beginning to end, so what makes my advice worth anything in that regard? But I'd rather not waste time reading a shitty book by a shitty author, just to find out whether that book and author are shit to my estimation or not. I trust the people who have read it and have criticised it ruthlessly.

I wouldn't read Death Star either, from what I've heard about it, btw Steve Perry I am pretty sure co-authored that one. Incidentally Steve Perry wrote Shadows of the Empire, which I actually liked. The Ruins of Dantooine has been bashed as well since its a Galaxies tie-in novel that some thought was truly horrible. I also liked the Han Solo books, mainly the ones by Brian Daley, but the ones by A.C Crispin were also nice. The Rogue Squadron books were annoying but its been years since I read them. The Outbound Flight and Survivor's Quest books by Tim Zahn are worth a look as well (actually any Zahn book is worth the read, since he writes consistently good novels - even his weakest novels are better than a good majority of the EU).

Scratch off everything Traviss. Prioritize everything Luceno, Stover, and Zahn.

Battle Suregons/Jedi Healer & Death Star are all Steve Perry/Micheal Reeves.

That nitpick aside you've left of the final and best X-Wing Novel: Starfighters of Adumar. By Aaron Alston.

General Mung Beans wrote:I've finally decided to begin reading a lot of the EU novels but still avoid the bad ones. I like the ones that more "military sci-fi" focused so what EU novels are particularly so?

In order:

Basically, there are three things there:

a) The MUST READS, I've arranged them in the order they should be read IMO:

Heir to the Empire Timothy Zahn
Dark Force Rising Timothy Zahn
The Last Command Timothy Zahn - start with these three. Definitely.
Specter of the Past Timothy Zahn
Vision of the Future Timothy Zahn
Survivor's Quest by Timothy Zahn
Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn
Allegiance Timothy Zahn[/b]

The Truce at Bakura Kathy Tyers - a personal favorite of mine and excellent character work
Tatooine Ghost Troy Denning - another personal favorite, though maybe not everyone else's.


Labrynith of Evil James Lucerno
Dark Lord James Lucerno
Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor Matthew Stover

These are all excellent books.

Now, the maybe list:

Rouge Squadron Michael Stackpole
Wedge's Gamble Michael Stackpole
The Kryptos Trap Michael Stackpole
The Bacta War Michael Stackpole
Wraith Squadron Aaron Allston
Iron Fist Aaron Allston
Solo Command Aaron Allston
The Courtship of Princess Leia (Dave Wolverton)
Isard's Revenge Michael Stackpole
I, Jedi Michael Stackpole

These can be good reads, if you like some hilarity and X-wing wanking.


Avoid everything else.

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor? Really? I haven't read it but with a title like that it better be good.

Also no love for the Han Solo books?

Stofsk wrote:Also no love for the Han Solo books?

Sorry, but like the Calrissian books, they just have to much retarded plot elements.

What about the shadows of mindor book? What's it like? I never read it.

Stofsk wrote:What about the shadows of mindor book? What's it like? I never read it.

It basically deals about one of the most brutal battles of the Rebel takeover of the core. Imagine several legions of stormtroopers dug in and not surrendering. Rebel Iwo Jima.

Of course, it does include a last minute redemption of the main villain (apparently besides Thrawn, any good villain can be redeemed at the last minute....especially if he is a force user....UGH) which kinda detracts from the quality, but it is quite good overall IMO.

Thanas wrote: Of course, it does include a last minute redemption of the main villain (apparently besides Thrawn, any good villain can be redeemed at the last minute....especially if he is a force user....UGH) which kinda detracts from the quality, but it is quite good overall IMO.

??
Spoiler

Yeah, you're right, but this
Spoiler

Some of the NJO is good (Traitor, Destiny's Way, Final Prophecy, The Unifying Force). Some is mediocre (Dark Journey), some is shit (Remnant.) The Unifying Force is easily one of the best EU books of all time.

As to Luke Skywalker And The Shadows Of Mindor, I feel its important to point out that its dubious whether the content of the book is entirely accurate to what is supposed to have happened. The book deals with holodramas and its probable that the majority of the book is in fact fictional in-universe as well as out.

It's not bad, there's a lot of fun character moments but I don't think its better than Stover's other works. Traitor And Shatterpoint.
Spoiler

Zhan is good,

The Han Solo trilogy

Paradise Snare
Hutt Gambit
Rebel Dawn

All by A.C. Crispin and detail Han Solo's history and the rise of the Rebellion is definitely worth a read.

The Stackpole X-wing books are meh with some alright bits, though my favorites of those are the Wraith Squadron books by Aaron Allston, about a group of Rebel Commandos post-Endor.

Also, Seconding Crazedwraith's recommendation of Starfighters of Adumar. The EU's funniest, and best book IMO as it doesn't deal with main characters ad nauseum. (Wedge is central)

(Anything by Allston is awesome.)


I Jedi by Stackpole is also a fun read, and does a better job telling what happened in Kevin J Andersons books than he did (By the way, avoid Anderson like the plague. His work is shite.)

Crazedwraith wrote: It's not bad, there's a lot of fun character moments but I don't think its better than Stover's other works. Traitor And Shatterpoint.

I would argue that Stover's best novel is actually his Revenge of the Sith adaptation, and that the only thing that fell flat in that book was his Shatterpoint-esque hard on for Mace Windu that was jarring to me at times. Still, a cut above many other EU authors which I know isn't always saying much.

DrMckay wrote:
(Anything by Allston up until NJO is awesome.)

Fixed . Allston's NJO books and post NJO work have not nearly been as entertaining. The two things he had going for him was that he writes for Wedge and Wes Janson very well, and he created some outstanding characters with Wraith Squadron. When the time came though for Allston to collaborate though or be a part of series with other authors though I think it detracted from his work.

I think that in Shadows of Mindor its mentioned near the end that what happens in the book is what actually happened, with Spoiler Anyway, I'm actually going to go out there and say that the Fate of the Jedi series is actually worth reading. It actually tries to fix some of the shit that went on in Legacy of the Force i.e. Daala and Traviss' Wankalorians.

Also, if you like Shadows of the Empire then Death Star isn't such a bad idea.

Death Star was great.

Are the Clone Wars novels by Karen Miller readable?

Darth Paxis wrote:I think that in Shadows of Mindor its mentioned near the end that what happens in the book is what actually happened, with Spoiler

Geptun making a holodrama that tweaks the events somewhat.

Now I assumed that: Spoiler Fanboy, RotS novelisation is by far his best work but then its not entirely his work is it? His work to someone else outline seems to work very well. His original stuff, sometimes less so.

Crazedwraith wrote: Fanboy, RotS novelisation is by far his best work but then its not entirely his work is it? His work to someone else outline seems to work very well. His original stuff, sometimes less so.

Exactly my point.

Crazedwraith wrote:

Darth Paxis wrote:I think that in Shadows of Mindor its mentioned near the end that what happens in the book is what actually happened, with Spoiler

Geptun making a holodrama that tweaks the events somewhat.

Now I assumed that: Spoiler

What we saw in the book was Geptun's rewritten Holodrama. Note how it misses out Luke saying good bye to Nick? Exactly like he complained Geptun's holodrama did?

But doesn't Spoiler I don't have the book on me right now, but honestly I got the opposite vibe from it.

Stofsk wrote:, I have no idea who Elizabeth Levy is

Levy wrote the young readers version of RotJ. She is most famous for the "Something Queer is Going on" and Fletcher stories

Darth Paxis wrote:
But doesn't Spoiler

Luke also complain that Geptun cut out the redemption of Kar Vastor and replaced it with a cliche battle between the two.

I don't have the book on me right now, but honestly I got the opposite vibe from it.

Again, I assumed it was the re-written version.
Spoiler

General Mung Beans wrote:The Cestus Deception by Steven Barnes

I think this one is under-rated. One of the main characters is a clone sent with a detachment along with Obi-Wan, and he's characterized pretty well.

Darth Fanboy wrote:Exactly my point.

I agree on that, for the most part. I liked Traitor, but other than that Stover's stuff was only so-so. Take away the ROTS novelization (which Lucas was heavily involved with), and he's below James Luceno, in my opinion.

Thanas wrote:The Truce at Bakura Kathy Tyers - a personal favorite of mine and excellent character work

As long as you stayed away from the Ssi-ruuk, it was okay. The problem I had with that novel was that it was constantly portraying the Ssi-Ruuk as if they were a dire threat to the galaxy, when in the book they had a hard time dealing with one Outer Rim planet/sector.

Aside from the bits with Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker, I thought most of the post-Thrawn Trilogy Timothy Zahn stuff was forgettable. They almost felt like they were taking place in their own weird bubbles compared to some of the events surrounding them in the Extended Universe.

General Mung Beans wrote:I, Jedi Michael Stackpole

I really enjoyed I, Jedi *ducks*, but I'd suggest reading it if only for the Jedi Academy parts. Stackpole does a much better job showing the Academy than Kevin J. Anderson does.

Guardsman Bass wrote: As long as you stayed away from the Ssi-ruuk, it was okay. The problem I had with that novel was that it was constantly portraying the Ssi-Ruuk as if they were a dire threat to the galaxy, when in the book they had a hard time dealing with one Outer Rim planet/sector.

It was one Alliance Escort Carrier with some Corellian Gunships, and a single Carrack Cruiser. Pathetically sized fleet even by minimalist standards. The Ssi-Ruuk were craptastic.

I really enjoyed I, Jedi *ducks*

Fuck! I missed! Let me grab some more debris to throw.

That book couldn't have been any more wank if Hackpole had just jerked off onto some empty pages and submitted it to the publisher. Fucking Corran Horn...