Novels - worth it?
Moderator: Vympel
- Sonnenburg
- Official Dave Barry Clone
- Posts: 2305
- Joined: 2002-11-05 08:35pm
- Location: Gotham City
- Contact:
Novels - worth it?
I've become somewhat jaded over the recent years. What's the opinion; are these books worth reading?
Labyrinth of Evil
Dark Lord
Survivor's Quest
Outbound Flight
Thanks.
Labyrinth of Evil
Dark Lord
Survivor's Quest
Outbound Flight
Thanks.
Chuck
- Coyote
- Rabid Monkey
- Posts: 12464
- Joined: 2002-08-23 01:20am
- Location: The glorious Sun-Barge! Isis, Isis, Ra,Ra,Ra!
- Contact:
There's been a few threads on this, especially recently. We may want to put a sticky up sometime with "Stardestroyer Denizens Rate the Novels" and let everyone comment & review as they see fit, then folks can come in and see for themselves.
Although I'd put money on it that "Crystal Star" would be universally voted the worst of the worst overall.
Although I'd put money on it that "Crystal Star" would be universally voted the worst of the worst overall.
Something about Libertarianism always bothered me. Then one day, I realized what it was:
Libertarian philosophy can be boiled down to the phrase, "Work Will Make You Free."
In Libertarianism, there is no Government, so the Bosses are free to exploit the Workers.
In Communism, there is no Government, so the Workers are free to exploit the Bosses.
So in Libertarianism, man exploits man, but in Communism, its the other way around!
If all you want to do is have some harmless, mindless fun, go H3RE INST3ADZ0RZ!!
Grrr! Fight my Brute, you pansy!
Libertarian philosophy can be boiled down to the phrase, "Work Will Make You Free."
In Libertarianism, there is no Government, so the Bosses are free to exploit the Workers.
In Communism, there is no Government, so the Workers are free to exploit the Bosses.
So in Libertarianism, man exploits man, but in Communism, its the other way around!
If all you want to do is have some harmless, mindless fun, go H3RE INST3ADZ0RZ!!
Grrr! Fight my Brute, you pansy!
-
- BANNED
- Posts: 154
- Joined: 2006-01-24 05:54pm
- Location: A galaxy long, long away
Well it depends. If your one of those kind of people like me that would be interested during the CWs. Ex. how Anikan got his scar, why Grivious caughs all the time in ROTS, what realy happened on Cato Nemodia. But there are other people that just like the movies' but you don't get as much detail out of that.
-
- Emperor's Hand
- Posts: 11952
- Joined: 2003-04-10 03:45pm
- Location: Cheshire, England
The only one of those I've read is Survivor's Quest and although its readable its far from the best Zahn book out there. Not knowing your tastes its hard to say whether you'd like it.
Its probably best just to see if you can get it out of a libary, seeing as then if you don't like it you've omly wasted your time and not your money.
Its probably best just to see if you can get it out of a libary, seeing as then if you don't like it you've omly wasted your time and not your money.
Re: Novels - worth it?
I haven't read Outbound Flight (it was only just published), but my advice is that you read read James Luceno's novels Labyrinth of Evil and Dark Lord.Sonnenburg wrote:I've become somewhat jaded over the recent years. What's the opinion; are these books worth reading?
Labyrinth of Evil
Dark Lord
Survivor's Quest
Outbound Flight
Thanks.
Tiriol wrote:I found both Dark Lord and Labyrinth of Evil both quite excellent, although the latter had the normal problem with minimalism (Dark Lord didn't go much into detailed numbers except when counting Wookiee prisoners).
True, but James Luceno is, IMHO, one of the authors that best conveys SW (and he's not as minimalist as some other authors...).
Last edited by Mange on 2006-02-05 12:30pm, edited 1 time in total.
I found both Dark Lord and Labyrinth of Evil both quite excellent, although the latter had the normal problem with minimalism (Dark Lord didn't go much into detailed numbers except when counting Wookiee prisoners).
Confiteor Deo omnipotenti; beatae Mariae semper Virgini; beato Michaeli Archangelo; sanctis Apostolis, omnibus sanctis... Tibit Pater, quia peccavi nimis, cogitatione, verbo et opere, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! Kyrie Eleison!
The Imperial Senate (defunct) * Knights Astrum Clades * The Mess
The Imperial Senate (defunct) * Knights Astrum Clades * The Mess
Can't give an opinion either way about anything else, but I can second that James Luceno's prequel-era books are definitely worth reading. Labyrinth of Evil, the Revenge of the Sith novelization (if you haven't already read it) and Dark Lord make for a great trilogy of sorts.
"..history has shown the best defense against heavy cavalry are pikemen, so aircraft should mount lances on their noses and fly in tight squares to fend off bombers". - RedImperator
"ha ha, raping puppies is FUN!" - Johonebesus
"It would just be Unicron with pew pew instead of nom nom". - Vendetta, explaining his justified disinterest in the idea of the movie Allspark affecting the Death Star
"ha ha, raping puppies is FUN!" - Johonebesus
"It would just be Unicron with pew pew instead of nom nom". - Vendetta, explaining his justified disinterest in the idea of the movie Allspark affecting the Death Star
- Ghost Rider
- Spirit of Vengeance
- Posts: 27779
- Joined: 2002-09-24 01:48pm
- Location: DC...looking up from the gutters to the stars
Re: Novels - worth it?
Labyrinth: an okay set up to RoTS. Can be a bit moving to one set of Jedi to another, but ti does show some interesting bits in regards to Palpatine, Anakin, and Obi Wan, and how aware and unaware they are of the whole manipulation that Palps was pulling. Luceno can be a bit overwinded at times, but not too bad.Sonnenburg wrote:I've become somewhat jaded over the recent years. What's the opinion; are these books worth reading?
Labyrinth of Evil
Dark Lord
Survivor's Quest
Outbound Flight
Thanks.
Dark Lord: Iffy. The Vader parts are excellent reading in regards to Anakin realizing he's not the agile mother he was.You get a better understanding of the Sith and Palpatine which are good, but the Jedi in this book are pointless and forgettable. Too bad they take up nearly half the book. The ending is a nice nod to RoTS.
Survivor's Quest: Can't say, been too long and while Zahn is still a good writer, I don't remember anything significant about this book, honestly.
Outbound Flight: Decent. A bit too much Thrawn wanking(significant honestly, basically Thrawn is using a garbage scow versus an ISD type fight and wins), but the C'boath parts are pretty good but for me, it doesn't add much to the character.
MM /CF/WG/BOTM/JL/Original Warsie/ACPATHNTDWATGODW FOREVER!!
Sometimes we can choose the path we follow. Sometimes our choices are made for us. And sometimes we have no choice at all
Saying and doing are chocolate and concrete
Sometimes we can choose the path we follow. Sometimes our choices are made for us. And sometimes we have no choice at all
Saying and doing are chocolate and concrete
- Ghost Rider
- Spirit of Vengeance
- Posts: 27779
- Joined: 2002-09-24 01:48pm
- Location: DC...looking up from the gutters to the stars
- General Soontir Fel
- Padawan Learner
- Posts: 449
- Joined: 2005-07-05 02:08pm
Re: Novels - worth it?
Yes, yes, yes, and I don't know (I haven't read it yet).Sonnenburg wrote:I've become somewhat jaded over the recent years. What's the opinion; are these books worth reading?
Labyrinth of Evil
Dark Lord
Survivor's Quest
Outbound Flight
Thanks.
Labyrinth of Evil is the best SW novel I've read since Star by Star, and rather creative way of leading up to ROTS without making the *cough*Palpatine is Sidious*cough* revelation.
And the start of the relationship between Vader and Tarkin in Dark Lord is quite interesting as well.
Survivor's Quest is not in the same league as the other two, but it is a departure from the usual pre-NJO plot scheme, and it does stay with you.
Jesse Helms died on the 4th of July and the nation celebrated with fireworks, BBQs and a day off for everyone. -- Ed Brayton, Dispatches from the Culture Wars
"And a force-sensitive mandalorian female Bountyhunter, who is also the granddaughter of Darth Vader is as cool as it can get. Almost absolute zero." -- FTeik
"And a force-sensitive mandalorian female Bountyhunter, who is also the granddaughter of Darth Vader is as cool as it can get. Almost absolute zero." -- FTeik
- Dalton
- For Those About to Rock We Salute You
- Posts: 22640
- Joined: 2002-07-03 06:16pm
- Location: New York, the Fuck You State
- Contact:
I'd go with all four Chuck. Then again, I'm of the opinion that anything Zahn writes is worth the money, and I've heard good things about Dark Lord. Labyrinth of Evil was pretty good.
To Absent Friends
"y = mx + bro" - Surlethe
"You try THAT shit again, kid, and I will mod you. I will
mod you so hard, you'll wish I were Dalton." - Lagmonster
May the way of the Hero lead to the Triforce.
- Lord Pounder
- Pretty Hate Machine
- Posts: 9695
- Joined: 2002-11-19 04:40pm
- Location: Belfast, unfortunately
- Contact:
Personally I found Survivors Quest really dissapointing. Ever since AotC and RotS came out the EU story lines have been painfully written to back track on things that the movies contradicted. In the case of Survivors quest i found the use of Destroyer Droids annoying. The Chiss also annoyed me.
RIP Yosemite Bear
Gone, Never Forgotten
Gone, Never Forgotten
- K. A. Pital
- Glamorous Commie
- Posts: 20813
- Joined: 2003-02-26 11:39am
- Location: Elysium
Labyrinth of Evil
Dark Lord
Survivor's Quest
Outbound Flight
This depends on what you expect of the books. All of them are decent Star Wars books, actually, but not above average sci-fi. In fact, no Star Wars book is above average sci-fi.
Dark Lord
Survivor's Quest
Outbound Flight
This depends on what you expect of the books. All of them are decent Star Wars books, actually, but not above average sci-fi. In fact, no Star Wars book is above average sci-fi.
Lì ci sono chiese, macerie, moschee e questure, lì frontiere, prezzi inaccessibile e freddure
Lì paludi, minacce, cecchini coi fucili, documenti, file notturne e clandestini
Qui incontri, lotte, passi sincronizzati, colori, capannelli non autorizzati,
Uccelli migratori, reti, informazioni, piazze di Tutti i like pazze di passioni...
...La tranquillità è importante ma la libertà è tutto!
Lì paludi, minacce, cecchini coi fucili, documenti, file notturne e clandestini
Qui incontri, lotte, passi sincronizzati, colori, capannelli non autorizzati,
Uccelli migratori, reti, informazioni, piazze di Tutti i like pazze di passioni...
...La tranquillità è importante ma la libertà è tutto!
Assalti Frontali
- Dalton
- For Those About to Rock We Salute You
- Posts: 22640
- Joined: 2002-07-03 06:16pm
- Location: New York, the Fuck You State
- Contact:
I have just completed Outbound Flight. Now, as a Star Wars EU book, it does stand above most of the rest, but as a Zahn book, it is definitely not up to his other works. HOWEVER, that being said, it is an excellent companion to Survivor's Quest. Not only does it answer everything having to do with Outbound Flight (well, almost everything), but we get to see Thrawn, Jorj Car'das and Jorus C'Baoth in action. There are also, near the end of the book, several startling revelations which are subtly placed in the dialogue, but which have pretty far-reaching implications in terms of the threads Zahn has woven throughout the EU.
To Absent Friends
"y = mx + bro" - Surlethe
"You try THAT shit again, kid, and I will mod you. I will
mod you so hard, you'll wish I were Dalton." - Lagmonster
May the way of the Hero lead to the Triforce.