Smuggler Archive
Thread: Booklist Reading Order
Where do I start? What is a good suggested reading order?
Thanks!
It largely depends on which timeframe you want to start in...
the EU is basically broken into 2 sections:
a) Before "A New Hope"
b) After ANH
Here's a handy timeline that should get you started down the right path.
Ahhh, you beat me to it Dreven. 
Yes, you are correct by stating there are really 2 parts. You just need to decide upon what your more intrested in. The origions of characters, or what happens to then after the movies.
If your intrested in the origional SW characters, I'd start with the Han Solo Trilogy.
10-0 Years Before STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE
THE HAN SOLO TRILOGY:
I'll elaborate on some of the AFTER ANH timeline in this post...
I have to throw Rogue Planet in here as well, even though it's a B-ANH book, it'll play a larger role when you get to the NJO.
The "Tales from...." books are very enjoyable. They are collections of short stories thatmainly focus on the people you see in the background of some of the movie scenes. Such as giving histories of the various patrons in the Mos Eisley Cantina or Jabba's Palace.
The "Tales of..." books are more short stories about completely original characters that are not seen in the films, and are for the most part, never seen again in the EU.
The X-Wing books are perhaps some of the greatest reading in the EU. They get you away from the "big three" of Luke, Leia, and Han, and focus on a completely different story arc. And Starfighters of Adumar gets my vote for the most enjoyable and funny book in the entire EU.
Courtship of Princess Leia is an ok book...not the best, but it introduces you to characters you will see and hear more about as you read farther into the EU.
The Thrawn Trilogy isa MUST READ. Many of the characters introduced here will have a lasting effect on the rest of the EU. And...they're just damn good books...
The Jedi Academy Trilogy...while not the best series, is important to read simply because of some of the characters that are established. You'll need to know who some of these people are in the future.
I, Jedi. Excellent book. Again, takes a step away from the "big three" and gives some insight into another character who will play a larger role in the future. (Read the X-Wing books first)
Skip Planet of Twilight, Darksaber, Children of the Jedi, Crystal Star, and the entire Black Fleet Crisis. I can't think of a single character introduced in those books who plays any sort of role in the rest of the EU. If you want, you can always get them from the library and fill in the minor details that may be alluded to at some other point. But, overall this was a dark time in the EU when the writers appear to be grasping for straws...
The New Rebellion is ok...not much else to say about it...
The Corellian Trilogy is a definite must. Even though it's not the greatest writing, there's some important things in here that you'll need to know when you get to the NJO.
The Hand of Thrawn Duology is another MUST READ. This is sort of the stepping stone into the NJO.
Young Jedi Knights and Junior Jedi Knights. You'll need at least some knowledge of the people in these books, as they play a larger role in the NJO.
The New Jedi Order. Some good...some bad...but ALL definitely worth the read. But, as I've pointed out...you don't want to go here until you've read a large majority of the other books.
Message Edited by DrevenStrobe on 05-11-2004 09:03 AM
<target Dreven> /bonk
You forgot the trilogy based on the biggest pimp in SW, Lando. The Lando Calrissian trilogy is a really good read actually.
fishbrains wrote:
/bonk
You forgot the trilogy based on the biggest pimp in SW, Lando. The Lando Calrissian trilogy is a really good read actually.
A) That's B-ANH....I was mainly focusing on stuff that happens after ANH.
B) I've never read it...so I don't have any insight into it at all.
It is sitting on my shelf though, along with the Han Solo Adventures. Perhaps I'll pick them up after I finish Survivor's Quest (which btw, isn't on that timeline link, but follows the Hand of Thrawn Duology).
DrevenStrobe wrote:
fishbrains wrote:
/bonk
You forgot the trilogy based on the biggest pimp in SW, Lando. The Lando Calrissian trilogy is a really good read actually.
A) That's B-ANH....I was mainly focusing on stuff that happens after ANH.
B) I've never read it...so I don't have any insight into it at all.
It is sitting on my shelf though, along with the Han Solo Adventures. Perhaps I'll pick them up after I finish Survivor's Quest (which btw, isn't on that timeline link, but follows the Hand of Thrawn Duology).
<target Dreven> /forgive
Message Edited by DrevenStrobe on 05-11-2004 10:25 AM
I would encourage you to read the Han Solo Trilogy if you are a smuggler and looking for a good way to ease into theEU.
I've been reading Tales from Jabba's Palace, and I'm not impressed. I usually like anthologies, but this one isn't my cup of tea.
Has anyone read Ruins of Dantooine, the book by Haden Blackmon (and someone else)? He's the LucasArts consultant to the SOE team, so we might see what SWG was supposed to be. :shrug:
*shrug*...I didn't enjoy TfJP as much as I liked TftMEC. I think it has something to do with the characters. The patrons of the Mos Eisley Cantina were just more "colorful" than the bunch at Jabba's.
Oh...and you might note that I don't seem as excited about the Prequel Era novels as I was about the A-ANH novels. I think that largely has something to do with the fact that the Prequel stuff was released mostly between NJO books. I found it hard to downshift from the high-action content of the NJO and go into the more political storylines that run through the Prequel Era...