Best Star Wars & Terminator novels-Need Recommendations...*SPOILERS*

[Joel_Kirk]

Looking for new novels (in this case, tie-in novels) to read, I was wondering which novels from these two franchises stand out...and expand on the situations and characters...

With Star Wars, I've heard the Karen Traviss novel focusing on the Clone Troopers is pretty good; I don't know about the novels taking place after the series....i.e. episodes 4-5-6...

There are a couple: 'Milennium Falcon' by James Luceno....some written by Christie Golden...etc...

With the Terminator novels, if it's something I wouldn't hav seen in a movie or television show(i.e. Sarah Conner Chronicles), I'm opened to reading something interesting....

I have read the novelization to Terminator: Salvation, and I wasn't impressed.

Interestingly, I pretty much know what happened (or 'is happening') in the Star Wars books by reading various synopsis online: Chewbacca is dead, Jacen Solo is dead after turning to the dark-side; the leather-clad, hot-looking, Mara Jade Skywalker is dead; there is something about the Sith trying to rise again...etc...

Help me out, folks...

Tks.

[RandyS]

There are 2 Terminator trilogies that take place right after T2 leaves off you could try. The subplot of one is The John Connor Chronicles (No relation to the later series). This one is a little invovled, telling the story of three different timelines, but everything is clearly labeled so you should have no trouble following it. I read it in Febuary 2006 and loved it.

The second is three different titles:

Inflitrator
Rising Storm
Future War

These also tell the story from the point where T2 leaves off, but I haven't read them yet, so that's all I know about them.

There are also two novels that continue the story from where T3 leaves off. I read both of these, and found them passable. Don't remember the titles anymore, but one of them have to do with dreams. Google Terminator Books, and you should be able to find them.

I hope this helps.

[Greg Cox]

Dare I mention that TERMINATOR SALVATION: COLD WAR went on sale last week?

(Like I was going to pass up an opening like this!)

[Joel_Kirk]

RandyS wrote:

---

There are 2 Terminator trilogies that take place right after T2 leaves off you could try. The subplot of one is The John Connor Chronicles (No relation to the later series). This one is a little invovled, telling the story of three different timelines, but everything is clearly labeled so you should have no trouble following it. I read it in Febuary 2006 and loved it.

The second is three different titles:

Inflitrator
Rising Storm
Future War

These also tell the story from the point where T2 leaves off, but I haven't read them yet, so that's all I know about them.

There are also two novels that continue the story from where T3 leaves off. I read both of these, and found them passable. Don't remember the titles anymore, but one of them have to do with dreams. Google Terminator Books, and you should be able to find them.

I hope this helps.

Tks, RandyS!

Greg Cox wrote:

---

Dare I mention that TERMINATOR SALVATION: COLD WAR went on sale last week?

(Like I was going to pass up an opening like this!)

I'll check it out Greg...

Tks...

[RandyS]

Greg Cox wrote:

---

Dare I mention that TERMINATOR SALVATION: COLD WAR went on sale last week?

(Like I was going to pass up an opening like this!)

I have my copy....

...but haven't read it yet.

Yeah....I do that.

[RandyS]

I just looked up those Post-T3 novels if you're interested Joel, they are:

Terminator Dreams
Terminator Hunt

[Caliburn24]

I've read a good chunk of the Terminator and Star Wars books out there, but have been slowing down over recent years. So my picks are slanted to older stuff.

My favorite Star Wars books were Timothy Zahn's first trilogy of Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and the Last Command.

While my favorite Terminator books were S.M. Stirling's trilogy of Infiltrator, Rising Storm, and The Future War.

[nx1701g]

RandyS wrote:

---

There are 2 Terminator trilogies that take place right after T2 leaves off you could try. The subplot of one is The John Connor Chronicles (No relation to the later series). This one is a little invovled, telling the story of three different timelines, but everything is clearly labeled so you should have no trouble following it. I read it in Febuary 2006 and loved it.

The second is three different titles:

Inflitrator
Rising Storm
Future War

These also tell the story from the point where T2 leaves off, but I haven't read them yet, so that's all I know about them.

These are, in my opinion, the best Terminator novels produced (I'm very sorry Greg - I haven't read your novel yet but I'm certain it'll be great too).

[Taran'atar]

I haven't read any of the Terminator novels but maybe I can help with the Star Wars ones.

As said before, you can't really go wrong with the Timothy Zahn Trilogy for post ROTJ novels. I also really enjoyed the Republic Commando novels you mentioned, easily Traviss' best work in the EU (Expanded Universe, in this context basically the novels). Shatterpoint (with Mace Windu) and the MedStar books (kinda like MASH) are also good reads and are also set in the Clone Wars era.

For more stuff set after the movies, I can heartily recommend the 9 X-Wing novels by Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston. The Jedi Academy books by Kevin J. Anderson are IMO not very good, but contain a lot of important plot points for the rest of the EU. As a point of caution, I would avoid any Star Wars novel written by Barbara Hambly, they are really awful.

The New Jedi Order series of books (NJO) is also really good. It contains 19 books and is set around 25 years after 'A New Hope'. And it contains the (IMHO, of course) best Star Wars novel out there, 'Traitor' by Matthew Stover. When I first read it, it almost literally blew my mind and it is also one my favorite books of all books not just Star Wars novels.

I also wouldn't read past the end of the NJO since it all really turned to shit after that. The Dark Nest trilogy was Ok, the Legacy of the Force 9 book series was pretty awful and after the last book in that series 'Invincible' I stopped reading (new) Star Wars novels altogether.

Well I hope my ramblings are of any help to you, if you have any further question, please don't hesitate to ask

[Lindley]

I second most of the above except that I haven't completely given up on the later novels....Legacy of the Force was a real step down, though.

I would say that I, Jedi is a great supplement for the Jedi Academy Trilogy. It tells much of the same story from a different point of view, and is a better book I feel. It should be read *after* the X-Wing series, though. (Whether you should choose to skip the JAT entirely in favor of this one or not I can't really decide. There are arguments to be made both ways.)

Most of the X-Wing novels take place prior to Zahn's trilogy, but #8 actually starts concurrent with the tail end of it. Just FYI.

[Taran'atar]

Lindley wrote:

---

I second most of the above except that I haven't completely given up on the later novels....Legacy of the Force was a real step down, though.

I guess I've just given up on novels featuring the Big Three, since the authors/editors seem incapable of just letting them go and let someone else save the galaxy for once. Which is why I liked the NJO so much, except that now pretty much every one of the new tier is dead or evil. I still intend to read the unrelated books like the newest Bane novel some day.

Lindley wrote:

---

I would say that I, Jedi is a great supplement for the Jedi Academy Trilogy. It tells much of the same story from a different point of view, and is a better book I feel. It should be read *after* the X-Wing series, though. (Whether you should choose to skip the JAT entirely in favor of this one or not I can't really decide. There are arguments to be made both ways.)

Most of the X-Wing novels take place prior to Zahn's trilogy, but #8 actually starts concurrent with the tail end of it. Just FYI.

Ah thanks, I totally forgot about I, Jedi, which is a shame since it also one of my favorites. Although I don't like them that much, I would still recommend reading the JAT at least once, they were some of the first SW novels I read, when I started ~10 years ago and I they didn't stop me from continuing. But they did manage to confuse me for a long time. Back then, I didn't have access to the internet and I tried for the longest time to find the novel in which Luke turned dark-side (which is mentioned in JAT). It was only much later, that I discovered that it happened in a comic book.

[Lindley]

I had the exact same problem, actually!

And ironically enough, Dark Empire wasn't nearly as good a story in reality as the one I had pieced together in my head based on the JAT references.

[Greg Cox]

RandyS wrote:

---

I have my copy....

...but haven't read it yet.

Yeah....I do that.

Me, too.

[Corran Horn]

Heartily recommend the x-wing novels, which can be enjoyed without having read other Star Wars EU works.

(though reading other novels will enhance your enjoyment, I'd say)

[Joel_Kirk]

RandyS wrote:

---

I just looked up those Post-T3 novels if you're interested Joel, they are:

Terminator Dreams
Terminator Hunt

Tks!

Caliburn24 wrote:

---

I've read a good chunk of the Terminator and Star Wars books out there, but have been slowing down over recent years. So my picks are slanted to older stuff.

My favorite Star Wars books were Timothy Zahn's first trilogy of Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and the Last Command.

While my favorite Terminator books were S.M. Stirling's trilogy of Infiltrator, Rising Storm, and The Future War.

Yeah, I read them during the Star Wars 'relaunch'...(I may check them out again)...

Tks...!

Taran'atar wrote:

---

I haven't read any of the Terminator novels but maybe I can help with the Star Wars ones.

As said before, you can't really go wrong with the Timothy Zahn Trilogy for post ROTJ novels. I also really enjoyed the Republic Commando novels you mentioned, easily Traviss' best work in the EU (Expanded Universe, in this context basically the novels). Shatterpoint (with Mace Windu) and the MedStar books (kinda like MASH) are also good reads and are also set in the Clone Wars era.

For more stuff set after the movies, I can heartily recommend the 9 X-Wing novels by Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston. The Jedi Academy books by Kevin J. Anderson are IMO not very good, but contain a lot of important plot points for the rest of the EU. As a point of caution, I would avoid any Star Wars novel written by Barbara Hambly, they are really awful.

The New Jedi Order series of books (NJO) is also really good. It contains 19 books and is set around 25 years after 'A New Hope'. And it contains the (IMHO, of course) best Star Wars novel out there, 'Traitor' by Matthew Stover. When I first read it, it almost literally blew my mind and it is also one my favorite books of all books not just Star Wars novels.

I also wouldn't read past the end of the NJO since it all really turned to shit after that. The Dark Nest trilogy was Ok, the Legacy of the Force 9 book series was pretty awful and after the last book in that series 'Invincible' I stopped reading (new) Star Wars novels altogether.

Well I hope my ramblings are of any help to you, if you have any further question, please don't hesitate to ask

Tks!

Lindley wrote:

---

I second most of the above except that I haven't completely given up on the later novels....Legacy of the Force was a real step down, though.

I would say that I, Jedi is a great supplement for the Jedi Academy Trilogy. It tells much of the same story from a different point of view, and is a better book I feel. It should be read *after* the X-Wing series, though. (Whether you should choose to skip the JAT entirely in favor of this one or not I can't really decide. There are arguments to be made both ways.)

Most of the X-Wing novels take place prior to Zahn's trilogy, but #8 actually starts concurrent with the tail end of it. Just FYI.

A friend of mine mentioned 'I, Jedi' as one of his favorites novels...

Tks!

Taran'atar wrote:

---

I guess I've just given up on novels featuring the Big Three, since the authors/editors seem incapable of just letting them go and let someone else save the galaxy for once. Which is why I liked the NJO so much, except that now pretty much every one of the new tier is dead or evil. I still intend to read the unrelated books like the newest Bane novel some day.

Ah thanks, I totally forgot about I, Jedi, which is a shame since it also one of my favorites. Although I don't like them that much, I would still recommend reading the JAT at least once, they were some of the first SW novels I read, when I started ~10 years ago and I they didn't stop me from continuing. But they did manage to confuse me for a long time. Back then, I didn't have access to the internet and I tried for the longest time to find the novel in which Luke turned dark-side (which is mentioned in JAT). It was only much later, that I discovered that it happened in a comic book.

I wouldn't mind seeing new characters myself, but I guess the writers are at the whim of Mr. Lucas and Lucasfilm...if he wanted to do something for a later film trilogy.

Tks!

Corran Horn wrote:

---

Heartily recommend the x-wing novels, which can be enjoyed without having read other Star Wars EU works.

(though reading other novels will enhance your enjoyment, I'd say)

Ah, this thread got me in the mood to listen to the Terminator themes...

Thank you Youtube...

Tks again to everyone with your novel recommendations....