Is anyone a super crazy Star Wars fan?

[buzz lightbeer]

I have some questions about the expanded Star Wars Universe and the non-movie novels.

I am just an average fan that would like to start reading some of the novels, but don't have a clue where to begin.

If there is a SW aficionado out there that can help, PM me!

Thanks,
Aaron

[Arnie]

I have read a lot of the books but not all, there's a lot of them. Follow this link for a timeline of the books: Star Wars Books Timeline

Most of what I have read is from A New Hope up untill The New Jedi Order series, which I am going to start on soon. The Young Jedi Knights and Junior Jedi Knights series are more Kid Oriented so I have not even bothered to look at those.

The "Tales of" and "X-Wing" series a spinoffs sort of and don't really focus on the main characters from the Original Triology.

It really all depends on what your era your interested in reading about, and the are still releasing new books that cover every era. Probably will be several new ones after ROTS gets released.

Hope this helps.

[pjdonnell]

Well I'd recommend getting anything by Timothy Zahn. Survivor's Quest wasn't the greatest of the bunch, but he pretty much invented the Expanded Universe as we know it. He created the characters of Mara Jade, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Joruus C'baoth, and Talon Karrde. All in one novel! In the order made (and chronologically ordered in the continuity), he made:

Heir to the Empire
Dark Force Rising
The Last Command
Specter of the Past
Vision of the Future
Survivor's Quest

This October will see the release of Outbound Flight, detailing a mystery which has threaded all these books together.

I also recommend picking up Shadows of the Empire, by Steve Perry. Shadows was actually a multimedia project developped by LucasFilm in 1996. It's pretty much a movie release without the movie. For Shadows there was a toy line, Micro Machines, trading cards, the novel, a soundtrack, comic book, and even a video game released. The story itself tells what happened between Eps 5 and 6.

Other than that, I'm not too knowledgeable about the EU. I haven't picked up anything from the prequel era, and I've stayed far away form the New Jedi Order series, since they kill off Chewbacca in the first book.

[buzz lightbeer]

Thanks to both of you, that is exactly the kind of direction I am looking for!

Like I said, I am just an average fan, but have always wanted to read a few of the novels.

Thanks again!
Aaron

[quasimodo1384]

I loved "The Corellian Trilogy" and I haven't had time to finish "The New Jedi Order Seris" but they are also very good. Actually there are very few I would NOT recomend reading...but that's just me

[cstephens]

I'll agree with the Timothy Zahn comment. I haven't read his last one yet, but his Heir to the Empire trilogy are awesome.

Avoid anything by Kevin J. Anderson at all costs.

[Bass Shakers]

I'll third the Timothy Zahn motion. His books are great.

[quasimodo1384]

a little overkill...but Timothy Zahn is AMAZING! I don't think he CAN write a bad book