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Hello all.

Long time reader here who has a question...

My wife is about to give birth to our second son. Last time I think I read about every Dragon Lance novel out there while doing feedings, rocking, etc.

This time I would like to read SW books! However I am having a problem finding a good list that tells what order to read them in...

I have read the origional Thrawn series, years ago, and I am in the process of reading the last one again now. What I am looking for is what order to read the rest.

Many thanks!

Drew

Book Chronology

Sorry about the low quality image there ... theforce.net or SW.com should have a full list somewhere.

EDIT :: P.S. Most of them are crap anyway, don't waste your money and try and borrow them from the public library.

Thanks Crown!

That is what I was looking for. If most are crap... Are there any you suggest?

Thanks again!

D

-Putting the Fiction in Sci Fi-

SW_Wins wrote:Thanks Crown!

That is what I was looking for. If most are crap... Are there any you suggest?

Thanks again!

D

-Putting the Fiction in Sci Fi-

You definitely want to avoid the Kevin J Anderson books. All of them.

I personally enjoy Timothy Zahn's books most of all. In fact, I have a hard time getting into other authors' SW books. I have heard that Troy Denning's books are good, but haven't had time (or inclination, really) to start them yet.

Bob the Gunslinger wrote:

SW_Wins wrote:Thanks Crown!

That is what I was looking for. If most are crap... Are there any you suggest?

Thanks again!

D

-Putting the Fiction in Sci Fi-

I'll reiterate what Bob the Gunslinger said. I enjoyed all of the Timothy Zahn novels and I've reread most of them. Stick with Zahn and check out the rest at your library before you buy.

I tried to read "Shadows of the Empire" but really had to stop at chapter 2. I couldn't stomach all the "narrative embellishment" that the author felt the need to give to every single paragraph in the novel. Like the 20 times in the first pages talking about how clever Xizor was and how he thought "somebody is going to pay for this" every time he heard something he didn't know...

And the rehashing of the carbonite scene, the descriptions made me think of those sensual romance novels with expressions like "heaving bossom"

I would say to avoid the Jedi Academy series. Against the advice of people
here I did read those, and now wish I had not.

Avoid NJO, I've read 5 into the series and 2 are really meh, 2 weren't bad, and 1 cept making me thing "This isn't how that character, no, anyone would act.."

Anarchist Bunny wrote:Avoid NJO, I've read 5 into the series and 2 are really meh, 2 weren't bad, and 1 cept making me thing "This isn't how that character, no, anyone would act.."

If you're speaking of 'Season 1' (1999-2000 = Vector Prime, Dark Tide 1: Onslaught, Dark Tide 2: Ruin, Agents of Chaos 1: Hero's Trial, and Agents of Chaos 2: Jedi Eclipse) it's understanable. They had never tried anything like that before and so the first year, like the first year of any other series, was shaky and uneven. It really got going with Star by Star in my personal opinion.

Timothy Zahn, a minimalist who isn't very concerned about the overall continuity of SW, but graced with that rare talent of actually being able to write something readable.

- "The Thrawn Trilogy": Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command

- The Hand of Thrawn Duology: Spectre of the Past, Vision of the Future

- Survivor's Quest

I'd also recommend Troy Denning, but since that's part of a massive book series of mostly terrible quality, The New Jedi Order, I'd pass on him because Star by Star doesn't make much sense as a standalone.

He is, however, coming out with his own trilogy in a year, and I'd definitely look at that.

Also see Aaron Allston's X-Wing series novels: Wraith Squadron, Iron Fist, Solo Command, and Starfighters of Adumar

Also, the Han Solo Trilogy by A. C. Crispin: The Paradise Snare, The Hutt Gambit, and Rebel Dawn.

Another novel excellent as an icebreaker due to being a standalone and fitting in right with the films is Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry. It takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi movies.

If you're into graphic novels/comics as well, I recommend the Dark Empire by Tim Vietch and illustrated by Cam Kennedy trade paperback, which immediately follows the Thrawn Trilogy chronologically, but due to publishing screw-ups and multiple communication failings you may notice some discrepencies, most notably in scale and the Empire's aims and character. Avoid the sequels to it, however.

Also the Knights of the Old Republic comic series.

Basically, to sum up, me personally, I feel those are the only novels which are worth the money it takes to buy them.

Thanks all! That is just what I wanted to know.

Be safe,

D