Comments on: ‘Star Wars’ Expanded Universe: Where Should a New Reader Begin?

By: EdoAon

EdoAon — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:09:47 +0000

I started with the X-Wing series, really preferred stackpole’s take over allston’s, then read the Thrawn trilogy. I had my sister start with Allegience, gives a good tie-in to the movies and introduces Mara Jade. My aunt is going by galactic chronological order, starting with the ancient republic stuff. Also, I think the \tales from\ short stories help give a nice introduction.

By: mandoclone3381

mandoclone3381 — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 05:14:41 +0000

I actually came into reading the EU by reading the Xwing series, mainly the Stackpole stuff. I find the stories moving and I liked the characters. I tried reading the Thrawn trilogy and it just seemed long winded to me for whatever reason. I listen to the old audiobooks though and that makes it a bit more palatable.

By: David

David — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:40:37 +0000

I am an avid believer in start at the beginning. I didn’t start there myself only due to a reference I read accidentally online that got me hooked on knowing what happened. I started with the New Jedi Order to find out how Darth Caedus came about. I then had to jump back to Vector Prime and go through the whole Yuuzhan Vong that I saw massive references to in NJO. I started back at the very beginning with a few out of sequence ones later when the library did not have what I was looking for next and have loved the entire EU thus far. I just finished the first two Lando novels that someone else dissed. I liked them too. I don’t think there is a bad book in the bunch. All that said, if I could manipulate the past, I would try not to find that reference to Darth Caedus and his prior identity and start with Crosscurrent. If someone were to ask my favorites I would be torn between the Darth Bane trilogy, the Yuuzhan Vong and NJO. Fair warning I think that no matter what Rogue Planet should be read before Vector Prime and the rest of the Yuuzhan Vong stuff.

By: Althaltallik

Althaltallik — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:11:50 +0000

I’d recommend them start where i started: with reading novelized forms of the movies. That way, they’d be used to how Star Wars books read, and there have been a few scenes and details in the novelizations that weren’t in the movies. (Ex: the scene where Luke hangs out with other teens from Tattoine in ANH)

Then, turn them to the Hand of Thrawn Books.
I, myself, read Shadows of Mindor first, simply because Star Wars was new to me, and i wasn’t even aware that there WAS an EU. I went to WalMart, and it was on the bestsellers rack. Since then, I’ve been hunting for them and grabbing with a quickness any time i see more SWEU books.

By: Branden

Branden — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:45:44 +0000

Im only 16 and the first Star Wars book i read was The Courtship of Princess Leia and i loved it! Since then ive powered my way through the big series. I would either reccomend TCOPL or The Truce at Bakura because they are fairly easy to understand in terms of lack of EU characters ect.

By: Ludek

Ludek — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:41:30 +0000

or sequel. It ought to be a book with familiar characters and setting, like Shadows of the Empire. My goal was to read chronologically already released books in Polish. And I stared from Jedi Apprentice Series The Rising Force.

By: Ludek

Ludek — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:36:30 +0000

or sequel. Generaly it should give wider view of what’s happening in this world and in minds of characters. For example if someons favourite episode is Empire Strikes Back I’d recommend Shadows of the Empire, if someon’s favourite character is Boba Fett I’d recommend Bounty Hunter Wars Trilogy. I stared when I was a teenage from Jedi Apprentice Series The Rising Force, and my goal was to read chronogically all the books, already released in Polish.

By: Ludek

Ludek — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:27:20 +0000

I think it’s ought to be phantom menace, or new hope, or some book which is prequel to the person’s favourite episode.

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:24:15 +0000

I have been a fan since the beginning. However, until the prequels I just watched the movies over and over every year or so. Played the games, Dark Forces and eventually the prequels and on to Clone Wars cartoons. But it still wasn’t enough.
After discovering the fun of audio books, I decided to open my Star Wars geekdom into the novels.
I recommend starting where you are most familiar. So I began with Dark Lord- Rise of Darth Vader. Next is the Han Solo Trilogy. Now worries. I will get through chronologically to Thrawn Trilogy (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, Last command), but not before Force Unleashed, Dark Forces, and Shadows of the Empire along with reviewing the beloved original trilogy once again in its respected place.
I’ve only been so excited since Return of the Jedi and later Revenge of the Sith as I am to uncover the connections between Han Solo, Chewbacca, the Millenium Falcon, Mara Jade, and the Jedi Academy!

By: Cosmosis

Cosmosis — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:00:01 +0000

I feel that the Heir to the empire pushers in this forum are from an older generation. Many of these new (possibly) younger readers will be starting in the Clone wars era and would be completely lost. I started into the EU with Shadows of the Empire. I think the main thing for a starting point into the EU is that it should be within the period from Phantom Menace to ROTJ. Personally I would never introduce someone to the prequels first so I think Allegiance or Shadows of the Empire are two of the best between the film books from the original trilogy.