Star Wars Books Thread

[WebLurker]

The YA isn't branching out, its telling mostly pointless stories that don't effect anything (like Lost Stars), and I'd rather they do that then take good stories away from the general audience books.

When you say "pointless," what does a book need to do to be "pointed"? (Also, stories that don't affect anything outside of themselves have always been a thing. A lot of Legends stuff was like that too. Sometime, they were the best stuff of any given year as well.)

The problem is that, in my opinion, only video game tie in in SW that's actually worked was the Republic Commando books in the old EU.

Read 'em, didn't like 'em very much.

Twilight Company in the new canon is an especially dreadful pile of boring trash, and that was based off the first game that's sequel is what Inferno Squad is connected to.

I do want to read Twilight Company, but I do like the other's other stuff, to there's that. To be totally honest, I'm not exactly eager for Inferno Squad, but that has more to do with me being less interested in a Stormtrooper novel than me worrying that it'll be bad.

When they bother to buy the books. My local library system has still never gotten Dark Disciple, Heir to the Jedi or Bloodlines.

Do they allow patrons to request materials be added or have an interlibrary loan program?

I don't want to argue that again. All I'll say is that you're wrong, and absolutely nothing fixes any issues. No backstory is given to any RO character (outside of the two who didn't need it, Galen Erso and Krennic), and apparently the new canon is refusing to do anything with the backstory of the RO characters. They're too busy publishing shit like Fake Thrawn and more YA Twilight-ish books.

Everything I know says I'm not wrong, but whatever.

At any rate, given that they've created/are creating some things that cover backstories (even if you don't think they count), I would't hold your breath for a Del Rey-published Jyn Erso backstory novel or something.

 

[kirk55555]

When you say "pointless," what does a book need to do to be "pointed"? (Also, stories that don't affect anything outside of themselves have always been a thing. A lot of Legends stuff was like that too. Sometime, they were the best stuff of any given year as well.)

Well, they need to be about something besides two angsty YA characters re-enacting parts of Romeo and Juliet while Forrest Gumping themselves through the OT and Battle of Jakku. But, like I said, I don't want them to do anything more important then that. Two completely useless characters fighting on the outskirts of OT events is the most involved a YA book should ever get. Sticking to "characters" that add literally nothing to the events, and stay out of the books/comics way is what the YA division needs to do. They also need to stop labeling something like Ahsoka YA, because comparing that to what I could stomach of Lost Stars shows how very much Ahsoka is not YA.

I do want to read Twilight Company, but I do like the other's other stuff, to there's that. To be totally honest, I'm not exactly eager for Inferno Squad, but that has more to do with me being less interested in a Stormtrooper novel than me worrying that it'll be bad.

I'd like a good Stormtrooper book. Back when Timothy Zahn was a writer and not Filoni's puppet, he wrote two very good books which split focus between Mara Jade and a group of stormtroopers (the book set before RotJ, so she was still the emperor's hand). The stormtroopers were basically super loyal to the empire, but corruption made them leave service and kind of act like th A-Team, except the still fought for the Empire, just taking out corruption in the Empire from the outside.

The concept of Inferno Squad is very interesting to me. But Twilight Company was so boring it basically showed the general lack of effort they'll be putting into their video game tie ins, and Christie Golden isn't exactly an interesting author anyway (her only book I've read was a very average Voyager book from back in the numbered pocket book ST novel days).

Do they allow patrons to request materials be added or have an interlibrary loan program?

Sometimes, but a lot of requests just get rejected with no comment. They did buy Twilight Company on request, but that didn't turn out well.

At any rate, given that they've created/are creating some things that cover backstories (even if you don't think they count), I would't hold your breath for a Del Rey-published Jyn Erso backstory novel or something.

I'm not holding my breath. I fully expect the book division to remain the group of brain dead morons they've been since the EU got rebooted. They'll skip any opportunity to publish a book that is both important and an extension of a movie that another movie will never cover. There is no Rogue One 2, the books and comics have seemingly complete freedom to tell stories of the RO characters, at least "freedom" in that the movies are completely done with them.

But, no, they will never publish anything as interesting and useful as a book about the backstories of Jyn or Cassian or Donnie Yen, etc. That's what competent people who care about the SW Universe would do. The book division right now wants its YA money, and it will crap out its (probably contractually obligated) books for people over the age of 13 with the least amount of effort and with generally the most pointless, badly thought out topics. I know its a corporation, but it was a corporation under Lucas, too, and they put 1000 times more effort into everything they did then Disney does. You can just tell how little everyone involved in the book division cares about the universe and characters, and how much of a blatant quick cash grab everything is.

The old EU generally had people with a passion for the universe and characters. It stumbled sometimes, but I never felt, even in the few really bad books, like the people involved didn't care. I think a few new canon authors care, but not nearly all of them and absolutely no one on the production/editing side cares at all. I get they want to make money, but the old EU made money and put out good stuff. They aren't mutually exclusive concepts. Except for the new canon it generally is, and its only because of a lack of caring and general incompetence in my opinion.

 

[fireproof78]

When the Vong showed up, is when I felt the powers that be stopped caring. So, I at least can appreciate the new canon attempting work together as a whole, even if the initial step is hit and miss, versus the awful overpowered villain of the Vong.

I'll take the YA stuff over the Vong right now. I think that the PTB are playing it safe and establishing their footprint within the larger canon and will take more risks as the ST unfolds. we wouldn't have gotten villains like the Vong, or even Thrawn, when ANH was still new, and I think that the new canon is going through the same growing pains.

 

[kirk55555]

I thought the Vong were fine as villains As for the growing pains, its on its third year (the books are, at least). It keeps missing opportunities, publishing bad stuff and is just a giant clusterf^&k in general at this point. In 2017, the concept of tie in media and an extended universe isn't a rare or particularly new thing, especially for Star Wars. Its a bit different then if they were trying to start one in 1977. They know how to do it, or they really should, and even if they have to scale down the scope of a lot of the stories that doesn't excuse most of the new canon books problems.

 

[fireproof78]

The Vong sucked. Overpowered and ridiculous.

It also depends on what parameters the story group is putting out. If they don't want the thunder stolen on specific plot lines in the films, then I can see them playing it safe for a bit, before expanding more so as each film comes out.

They know how to do it and they are doing it in a particular way. I don't have to like it, but I certainly don't think it comes from a place of incompetence or malice.

 

[JD]

Well I'd ignore the shows anyway, but with the movies there is still a lot of time the movies won't be touching. There is also, like I said, stories they could tell take place around the same time of the movies but not connected to them (like X-Wing style books that say what, for example, Wedge was doing when he was offscreen during the OT). I doubt we'll be getting a Wedge Antilles movie or cartoon anytime soon. That's just one example, and it would all be more interesting then Phasma who, if she didn't have shiny armor, no one would even remember.

We really don't really know enough about the movies to say what they will or won't touch.

The connection to the actual plot of the movie isn't the problem. The problem is that the movie has huge flaws regarding its main characters and how little characterization and backstory they get. That is what needed a book, not two characters who got all the backstory they needed and had absolutely no story to tell. We get all we need in the few flashbacks Jyn has. Galen worked with the Empire, then decided they were evil and left, then Krennic found them, killed Galen's wife and Galen joined him to protect Jyn and to sabotage Krennic from the inside. That's all in the movie, and didn't need a single sentence of expansion. We don't need to know how theymet, or how Galen started working for the Empire in the first place, especially since the movie has legitimate problems that a book could really help fix.

I haven't read it myself, but I believe Jyn does play a fairly significant part in the book. Granted it's her as a kid, but I think her realtionship with her parents is a pretty significant part of her backstory.

I don't want to argue that again. All I'll say is that you're wrong, and absolutely nothing fixes any issues. No backstory is given to any RO character (outside of the two who didn't need it, Galen Erso and Krennic), and apparently the new canon is refusing to do anything with the backstory of the RO characters. They're too busy publishing shit like Fake Thrawn and more YA Twilight-ish books.

Honestly, I was pretty happy with what we got from the characters in RO. I thought we got enough to follow their stories in the movie, and I think spending to much more time on there backstories would have dragged the movie away from the story they were telling.

Well, they need to be about something besides two angsty YA characters re-enacting parts of Romeo and Juliet while Forrest Gumping themselves through the OT and Battle of Jakku. But, like I said, I don't want them to do anything more important then that. Two completely useless characters fighting on the outskirts of OT events is the most involved a YA book should ever get. Sticking to "characters" that add literally nothing to the events, and stay out of the books/comics way is what the YA division needs to do. They also need to stop labeling something like Ahsoka YA, because comparing that to what I could stomach of Lost Stars shows how very much Ahsoka is not YA.

Ahsoka is YA because it is geared towards a teen audience, the YA label has nothing to do with the story, it is purely about who it is written for. Lost Stars and Ahsoka are perfect examples of the amount of variety found in YA books.

I'm not holding my breath. I fully expect the book division to remain the group of brain dead morons they've been since the EU got rebooted. They'll skip any opportunity to publish a book that is both important and an extension of a movie that another movie will never cover. There is no Rogue One 2, the books and comics have seemingly complete freedom to tell stories of the RO characters, at least "freedom" in that the movies are completely done with them.

You need to knock this fucking shit off right the fuck now. I'm getting seriously fucking sick and tired of you insulting people just because they've released a few things you don't like. You don't like the stuff being published, then don't read and shut the fuck up about it already. Some of us actually want to talk about the books without it being dragged into another one of your fucking pissy little shit fits.

But, no, they will never publish anything as interesting and useful as a book about the backstories of Jyn or Cassian or Donnie Yen, etc. That's what competent people who care about the SW Universe would do. The book division right now wants its YA money, and it will crap out its (probably contractually obligated) books for people over the age of 13 with the least amount of effort and with generally the most pointless, badly thought out topics. I know its a corporation, but it was a corporation under Lucas, too, and they put 1000 times more effort into everything they did then Disney does. You can just tell how little everyone involved in the book division cares about the universe and characters, and how much of a blatant quick cash grab everything is.

Rebel Rising by Beth Revis, which comes out May 2 will be dealing with Jyn's backstory, and Guardians of the Whills by Greg Rucka, also out May 2, will deal with Baze and Chirrut's backstories. You've made your dissatisfaction with their format very clear, but that doesn't change the fact that they're coming out and they're canon. So either accept it and move on, suck it up and read them, or just shut the fuck up already.

The old EU generally had people with a passion for the universe and characters. It stumbled sometimes, but I never felt, even in the few really bad books, like the people involved didn't care. I think a few new canon authors care, but not nearly all of them and absolutely no one on the production/editing side cares at all. I get they want to make money, but the old EU made money and put out good stuff. They aren't mutually exclusive concepts. Except for the new canon it generally is, and its only because of a lack of caring and general incompetence in my opinion.

And here I'll just refer you back to what I said earlier about knocking this shit the fuck off.

 

[kirk55555]

We really don't really know enough about the movies to say what they will or won't touch.

Well, I think we can make some assumtions. Even with the anthology/side movies, if they ever did one about someone like Wedge it would probably be 10+ side movies (not movies in total, but side movies) before they'd probably get through all the more money making side movie ideas to get there.

I haven't read it myself, but I believe Jyn does play a fairly significant part in the book. Granted it's her as a kid, but I think her realtionship with her parents is a pretty significant part of her backstory.

Well, I personally care a bit more about the gap between her getting rescued by Saw as a kid and then getting rescued from Prison as an adult. Especially things like why she was in prison in the first place.

Honestly, I was pretty happy with what we got from the characters in RO. I thought we got enough to follow their stories in the movie, and I think spending to much more time on there backstories would have dragged the movie away from the story they were telling.

Yeah, I get what you're saying. Still, I think we did need a bit more with them, and books would have been perfect for that.

Ahsoka is YA because it is geared towards a teen audience, the YA label has nothing to do with the story, it is purely about who it is written for. Lost Stars and Ahsoka are perfect examples of the amount of variety found in YA books.

I don't want to argue YA again. My opinion is well known (YA is a terrible style of book, and one Ahsoka doesn't conform to in any way, unless the library's copy was missing all the pages where she gets a love interest and gets all angsty).

Those two books are one book for ten year olds that doesn't count any more then the kiddie books that help kids read, and one YA book about Teen Jyn doing YA teen things (so angst, probably romance, and not actually any of the character stuff she could probably use). There is nothing abot Jyn, Cassian, K2, Donnie Yen, Donnie yen's Friend or the imperial pilots backstories getting published this year, at least anything important or for readers over the age of 14.. All we're getting this year is a video game tie-in, a pointless book about a popular toy (Phasma), and a anthology book that's existence really makes no sense to me.

As for the rest, I'm not responding to your rude comments that are trying to start a fight.

 

[Jedi_Master]

The Vong sucked. Overpowered and ridiculous.

.

Yep. They killed the EU.
Once the heroes of the EU could just smoothly move past the fact that something like 30 trillion beings were killed in the Vong War, it took the starch right out of the story telling.

 

[fireproof78]

I must be a 14 year old at heart. I am excited about all the SW content coming out.

Yep. They killed the EU.
Once the heroes of the EU could just smoothly move past the fact that something like 30 trillion beings were killed in the Vong War, it took the starch right out of the story telling.

Yup. It was a tragedy of story telling that sought to capitalize on the slaughter of an entire galaxy save for the heroes. Super invested

 

[Jedi_Master]

But... but Anakin Solo died, a death that hung over the heroes for several years.

Some other major character was also killed, but that didn't seem to matter all that much.

 

[fireproof78]

But... but Anakin Solo died, a death that hung over the heroes for several years.

Some other major character was also killed, but that didn't seem to matter all that much.

Only when the story called for it, which was more my frustration.

 

[Tuskin38]

I'd never actually read the short story 'Mist Encounter' from Legends, but I read the summery on Wookieepedia. Zahn basically retells it in the Thrawn novel, like the summery on Wookieepedia is nearly identical to the beginning of of the novel.

 

[tenmei]

Rebel Rising by Beth Revis, which comes out May 2 will be dealing with Jyn's backstory, and Guardians of the Whills by Greg Rucka, also out May 2, will deal with Baze and Chirrut's backstories.

I'm not sure about the Baze and Chirrut story - more likely to pick up the Jyn one. But still stunned they went with Baze and Chirrut than a Cassian one.

I know I've said this before, though

 

[Ithekro]

The trouble the current Canon has with regard to novel material is that the Story Group, Lucasfilm, and Disney, are keeping a lot of ground open for film and TV ideas first and are already at least two or three years ahead of us in development of materials. The old EU had the benefit of having the films done and little to no prospect of new content coming out of Lucasfilm's live action or animation departments when it came to the Heroes of Yavin.

The X-wing novels, for example, all take place years after the Battle of Endor. They aren't what Wedge was doing during the OT, it was what he did after the OT. The Sequel Trilogy has no such openings right now. It is still in production on a relatively tight schedule. The Last Jedi will be out in December and Episode IX will be out two years after that. During that time, there will be very little ST setting novels and other such things around things that could need to be kept secret or available for Episode IX. After the ST is finished, but before they get to the Fourth Trilogy, they can finally do stuff in the Sequel era.

But because there is a Sequel era that is still intentionally mysterious, it has also limited what they release regarding the aftermath of the OT era...those 30 years between eras that use to be were the majority of the EU novels existed. There are some books and comics in that era, but there are at best informing on situations seen in TFA so far, and as they get into next year, likely will add to TLJ. After Ep9 comes out, I fully expect Lucasfilm to take the gloves off the authors and let them run wild in the 30 year gap again as well as do stuff in the ST era, but not right now. They have too many irons in the fire for that just yet.

Plus we don't know were Lucasfilm's 3D animation department will head in terms of era/story direction after Rebels ends next year. They have a 2D animation shorts project focusing on the heroines of Star Wars for the most part, but that's not the 3D animation department, who will be gearing up for something else after Rebels ends.

a Cassian one.

I get the feeling he might show up on Rebels.

 

[Tuskin38]

But because there is a Sequel era that is still intentionally mysterious, it has also limited what they release regarding the aftermath of the OT era...those 30 years between eras that use to be were the majority of the EU novels existed. There are some books and comics in that era, but there are at best informing on situations seen in TFA so far, and as they get into next year, likely will add to TLJ. After Ep9 comes out, I fully expect Lucasfilm to take the gloves off the authors and let them run wild in the 30 year gap again as well as do stuff in the ST era, but not right now. They have too many irons in the fire for that just yet.

While not a novel, Battlefront II's single player will cover some of those 30 years from an Imperial perspective, and it is confirmed Canon.

 

[tenmei]

Ithekro, I think you've just summed up my thoughts on why we're getting very little intra-ST novels - even the Poe comic has a very definite end point with the throughline being the search for Lor San Tekka. I imagine when TLJ comes out, they could shift it to connect TFA and TLJ - and so on with Ep9.

 

[Ithekro]

While not a novel, Battlefront II's single player will cover some of those 30 years from an Imperial perspective, and it is confirmed Canon.

Which looks to be from Endor to Jakku, and than picking up with the survivors on Starkiller base, 30 years later. The territory covered by the Aftermath novels for the most part.

 

[Tuskin38]

Makes me wonder if we'll see Sloane.

 

[fireproof78]

The trouble the current Canon has with regard to novel material is that the Story Group, Lucasfilm, and Disney, are keeping a lot of ground open for film and TV ideas first and are already at least two or three years ahead of us in development of materials. The old EU had the benefit of having the films done and little to no prospect of new content coming out of Lucasfilm's live action or animation departments when it came to the Heroes of Yavin.

The X-wing novels, for example, all take place years after the Battle of Endor. They aren't what Wedge was doing during the OT, it was what he did after the OT. The Sequel Trilogy has no such openings right now. It is still in production on a relatively tight schedule. The Last Jedi will be out in December and Episode IX will be out two years after that. During that time, there will be very little ST setting novels and other such things around things that could need to be kept secret or available for Episode IX. After the ST is finished, but before they get to the Fourth Trilogy, they can finally do stuff in the Sequel era.

But because there is a Sequel era that is still intentionally mysterious, it has also limited what they release regarding the aftermath of the OT era...those 30 years between eras that use to be were the majority of the EU novels existed. There are some books and comics in that era, but there are at best informing on situations seen in TFA so far, and as they get into next year, likely will add to TLJ. After Ep9 comes out, I fully expect Lucasfilm to take the gloves off the authors and let them run wild in the 30 year gap again as well as do stuff in the ST era, but not right now. They have too many irons in the fire for that just yet.

Plus we don't know were Lucasfilm's 3D animation department will head in terms of era/story direction after Rebels ends next year. They have a 2D animation shorts project focusing on the heroines of Star Wars for the most part, but that's not the 3D animation department, who will be gearing up for something else after Rebels ends.

Precisely so. With films still in production, the idea that the writers have free range to just write whatever idea pops in to their minds ignores the complex nature of the story group. "Agents of Shield" ran in to a similar issue before "Winter Soldier" (I think-might have been "Age of Ultron) came out, because so many plot lines were hinging upon that event.

When the sequel trilogy is done, I can image more flexibility being offered.

 

[JD]

Well, I think we can make some assumtions. Even with the anthology/side movies, if they ever did one about someone like Wedge it would probably be 10+ side movies (not movies in total, but side movies) before they'd probably get through all the more money making side movie ideas to get there.

Sure, but even if he doesn't get his own movie, that doesn't mean he won't pop up in whatever TV series we get after Rebels. Rebels already used him in the last season, so we already know they are open to him being on the shows, and we could theoretically still get a cameo from him in Ep IX, that might establish what he's done for the last 30 years.

Well, I personally care a bit more about the gap between her getting rescued by Saw as a kid and then getting rescued from Prison as an adult. Especially things like why she was in prison in the first place.

I thought somebody said they already explained why she was in prison in one of the books, and even if they didn't there's nothing to stop them from doing another book about Jyn later.

I don't want to argue YA again. My opinion is well known (YA is a terrible style of book, and one Ahsoka doesn't conform to in any way, unless the library's copy was missing all the pages where she gets a love interest and gets all angsty).

I would think that would be proof that not every YA book is the same. Every time you spout off your YA bullshit I'm going to correct you. If you don't want me to correct you, then just don't post about it.

Those two books are one book for ten year olds that doesn't count any more then the kiddie books that help kids read, and one YA book about Teen Jyn doing YA teen things (so angst, probably romance, and not actually any of the character stuff she could probably use).

Even if Guardians of the Whills is for 10 year olds, that doesn't mean it can't explore their backstory.
And would you mind sharing your source on the info you've got for Rebel Rising, because there's not mention of the stuff you're talking in the description, don't worry about spoilers I don't mind them.
There is nothing abot Jyn, Cassian, K2, Donnie Yen, Donnie yen's Friend or the imperial pilots backstories getting published this year, at least anything important or for readers over the age of 14.. All we're getting this year is a video game tie-in, a pointless book about a popular toy (Phasma), and a anthology book that's existence really makes no sense to me.

Sounds good to me.

As for the rest, I'm not responding to your rude comments that are trying to start a fight.

I'm not trying to start a fight, I'm just of your bullshit and I'm not going to hide it.