Star Wars Books Thread
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Catalyst started off okay, but once they got past the end of the Clone Wars, the story just seemed to putter and drift off until it just ends.
Anybody read the Rogue One novelization?
The page for it on Google Play advertises "new scenes and expanded material", and the table of contents does list several sections of "supplemental data". I looked in the sample, and the first piece "supplemental data" is a Rebel Intelligence Update about Jedha.
The page for it on Google Play advertises "new scenes and expanded material", and the table of contents does list several sections of "supplemental data". I looked in the sample, and the first piece "supplemental data" is a Rebel Intelligence Update about Jedha.
I'd say that's a fair critique. As a story in it's own right it's a bit weak, but I think it's real function is as a primer on Galen Erso & Krennic.
I had similar feelings about 'Bloodline' though that had a much stronger narrative focus. I think the problem with Catalyst is that there was no tension or mystery to the plot. Even if one hadn't seen the Rogue One trailers, it wouldn't take much insight to guess where things were going, right from the first chapter.
http://www.forcecast.net/story/topstory/Jedi_Journals_CatalystA_Rogue_One_Microcast_171694.asp
30 minute interview with Luceno about Catalyst
30 minute interview with Luceno about Catalyst
I started reading Star Wars (current series) Vol 2: Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon yesterday. So far I've made it through the Obi-Wan on Tattooine story in issue #7 and I really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun getting to see some of what Obi-Wan was up too on Tattooine.
I can't remember how things played out exactly in A New Hope, was that the first time Luke met Ob-Wan? I was expecting some kind of interaction between them here, but then I realized they might not have met until ANH.
I can't remember how things played out exactly in A New Hope, was that the first time Luke met Ob-Wan? I was expecting some kind of interaction between them here, but then I realized they might not have met until ANH.
Luke is definitely aware of Ben Kenobi, and doesn't react to Ob-Wan calling him by name. I doubt they had any kind of a meaningful relationship prior to ANH, indeed that may have been the first time they had any kind of a real conversation. But I'm sure there were occasions when Luke was at Anchorhead or whatever and would have bumped into Obi-Wan and they two of them would just greet each other in passing. "Hi, Luke." "Hey, Ben." Then they keep walking.
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No I think it's clear they've crossed paths before at some point. For one thing he talks like he's more than just vaguely aware of him. Not overly familiar like they see each other often, but in a general sense you might know a person who lives down the street, who other people occasionally mention and whom you bumped into that one time down the newsagents.
He also recognises him by sight, speaks to him in a somewhat familiar manner and Ben certainly speaks to Luke as if they know each other. Indeed, Kenobi makes no pretence of an introduction as if they've never met before.
Sure, yes of course we know Kenobi knows full well who Luke is, but if this is truly the first time not-baby Luke has come face to face with Ben Kenobi, you'd think the exchange would be less "Tell me, young Luke..." and more along the lines of "You must be young Luke Skywalker. Tell me, what brings you out this far?" It's a question of context really. Most of it is in Guinness & Hamill's performances.
So after reading Catalyst I went back to finish Before the Awakening. I enjoyed Poe's story but I thought both Rey and Finn's stories were kind of just there. Finn's at least gave us some insight into the day-to-day life of a First Order stormtrooper, and planted the seeds of his reluctance to kill innocents in TFA, but Rey's story just showed us stuff we already knew: life on Jakku sucks. I'm not terribly surprised we didn't get anything deeper since her full backstory is a big secret right now. Oh well.
Since I enjoyed BtA more than I expected to, I decided to check out the other young reader novels published in the "Journey to The Force Awakens" line: The Weapon of a Jedi, Smuggler's Run, and Moving Target. They were all very short, since they were written with a younger audience in mind, but honestly, aside from that one limitation, I feel like they fit in just fine with the novels meant for older readers, in terms of style and tone. They certainly weren't written in any sort of "simpler" or more juvenile way. My only regret about them is that even though the main stories take place shortly after ANH, or shortly before ROTJ in one case, they're each bookended by prologues and epilogues set just prior to TFA. It's not a big deal, and I understand the whole point in doing that, but honestly those bookends could be removed and the books wouldn't really lose anything important.
Well, now that I've finished all the new canon novels and short stories that are currently out, I'm not really sure where to go next. I'm still in a Star Wars mood thanks to Rogue One. Maybe I'll go through all of the comics. I've read most of them already, but not all.
Since I enjoyed BtA more than I expected to, I decided to check out the other young reader novels published in the "Journey to The Force Awakens" line: The Weapon of a Jedi, Smuggler's Run, and Moving Target. They were all very short, since they were written with a younger audience in mind, but honestly, aside from that one limitation, I feel like they fit in just fine with the novels meant for older readers, in terms of style and tone. They certainly weren't written in any sort of "simpler" or more juvenile way. My only regret about them is that even though the main stories take place shortly after ANH, or shortly before ROTJ in one case, they're each bookended by prologues and epilogues set just prior to TFA. It's not a big deal, and I understand the whole point in doing that, but honestly those bookends could be removed and the books wouldn't really lose anything important.
Well, now that I've finished all the new canon novels and short stories that are currently out, I'm not really sure where to go next. I'm still in a Star Wars mood thanks to Rogue One. Maybe I'll go through all of the comics. I've read most of them already, but not all.
Kind of funny, but I felt the least engaged in Poe's story. I think it may be because the other two were may favorite characters in the movie. Rey's was actually my favorite. I really liked the overall narrative and character insight. Finn's was pretty good, although it did feel more like a chain of events and less like a narrative like the other two. Still, I think Before the Awakening is probably my favorite original novel in the new canon book line to date.
I only read the Luke one, but I did like the bookend. It kind of emphasized the way things had changed since the original movies and made them seem like a return to a simpler era, much like how in real life, those of us who first saw the movies as kids (on video, in my case) have changed in comparison to seeing them now.
Is the Rogue One novelization out yet?
Yeah, Poe and Rey were actually my favorites in TFA, and I've always been drawn to the starfighter stuff in SW, so both of those might have contributed to my liking Poe's story best.* I just felt like Rey's story didn't really give us anything new, aside from some minor Jakku worldbuilding. I definitely agree that Finn's felt more like a chain of events than a narrative.
*ETA: I think having read (and enjoyed) Shattered Empire beforehand also added to my appreciation of Poe's story.
I mean, there's nothing really wrong with the bookends in terms of narrative, it's just that they're obviously there to justify the TFA tie-in, otherwise they have no real purpose. Both Han's and Luke's stories are set not long after ANH and Leia's is right before ROTJ, they don't really have any connection to the characters' lives in the TFA era, they're basically just memories the characters are recalling (well, C-3PO is recalling the events of Luke's story, for obvious reasons).
Yeah, but I don't usually read movie novelizations. I dunno, maybe I'll check it out later.
I did decide to go through the canon comics, though. Already read through all of Obi-Wan & Anakin, Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir, and the first story arc of Kanan. (Thank you, work commute.)
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Just got done with the 'Rogue One' novelization an overall it was pretty good. Added a lot more depth in terms of character motivations, mindset etc. The kind of thing you only pick up from the movie after multiple viewings.
The highlight though is the supplemental material they slipped in between chapters. It's as if the book itself is an historical dramatisation and the author is including excepts from their research material like communiques between Galen and Krennic. Alliance intelligence reports, religious texts from Jedah, Mon Mothma's memoirs etc. It's a neat way to compliment the movie's almost cinéma vérité style.
Oh and those that still claim "30% of the movie was changed!" I'm officially calling bullshit. While yes there are some tonal differences in some character scenes and there's a line or two of dialogue that wasn't in the movie, the book shows a version of events damn near identical the the final product and there's no way this whole book was written *after* the re-shoots.
The highlight though is the supplemental material they slipped in between chapters. It's as if the book itself is an historical dramatisation and the author is including excepts from their research material like communiques between Galen and Krennic. Alliance intelligence reports, religious texts from Jedah, Mon Mothma's memoirs etc. It's a neat way to compliment the movie's almost cinéma vérité style.
Oh and those that still claim "30% of the movie was changed!" I'm officially calling bullshit. While yes there are some tonal differences in some character scenes and there's a line or two of dialogue that wasn't in the movie, the book shows a version of events damn near identical the the final product and there's no way this whole book was written *after* the re-shoots.
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I've been enjoying this book recently
http://io9.gizmodo.com/an-exclusive-look-inside-the-gorgeous-art-of-rogue-one-1790185737
http://io9.gizmodo.com/an-exclusive-look-inside-the-gorgeous-art-of-rogue-one-1790185737
Got a chance to read it, myself. Agree with a lot of that. I esp. liked the additional material in regard to Jyn's relationship with her father it gave a lot more meaning to the scenes. I'd actually say that I think this one is probably the best adult novelization written to date, even over the Revenge of the Sith one.
If I recall correctly, a lot of the re-shoots were early in the movie. Apparently we first met adult Jyn when she's being briefed by the Rebels; the scenes with her being busted out where added to give the character better establishment. That material was also included in the Rebel Dossier book, as well, so it does seem that the changes were made early enough to include them in the tie-ins (unlike how all the books used a different version of the "Rey doesn't sell BB-8 in TFA).
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