Ian Miller- I’m sorry if it came across as “Grammar Nitpicking.” My point was that, contrary to what the article states, if accidentally, Heir to the Empire, my ideal gateway book, actually introduced that plotpoint, which was later used in Truce at Bakura.

I also feel that since Heir is the first of Zahn’s books, which later expanded back to the past and forward to the future to show other events in the lives of his characters, it is the best to begin with. There are references to his other books in the more recent ones that readers beginning with Allegiance would miss.

It feels like these articles are written solely from the perspective of advertising upcoming releases, rather than actually helping new readers into the Star Wars Universe.

I also feel that the age of the reader should be a factor, to a degree. For example, a teen may be more into Allegiance, but an adult reader would enjoy HTTE more. Perhaps this angle should be considered in future articles.

I’d say it’s first up to the reader as to which era he prefers, and start with that. Since the majority want to know more about the characters they’ve come to love in the films (or, perhaps, in the Old Republic or KOTOR games), it makes sense to recommend great books/comics from that era.

1. Chronologically
2. Following certain story arc’s
3. Start with the “classics”

While I think it’s a great idea to come up with books that can help new readers get into such a large series such as Star Wars, picking books as start off points that match up with an upcoming release that ties in with the series, or a book’s sequel’s paperback release doesn’t cut it for me. If you’re thinking Zahn, then you have 2 logical starting spots – Outbound Flight or Heir to the Empire. Heir would be my choice as it is the one that leaves the reader wanting to read more. Allegiance fits in with the bigger Zahn picture, and to me isn’t a strong starting point to get someone into the EU.

I hope the rest of the series isn’t about taking books like Allegiance and Wraith and trying to argue that they’re good gateway books. There are some obvious choices that are obvious for reasons. It feels like these two so far have been forced.

While you raise some good points, it mostly seems like grammar nitpicking and harshness for the sake of harshness. It’s logical for Del Ray to promote their recent catalogue as well as their older stuff, and they also are wise to try to cross-market their two upcoming releases. Wraith Squadron’s highlight a few months back helped with Mercy Kill’s release, while Allegiance seems like a more logical lead-in (time period, focus, scope) to Scoundrels.

So why isn’t THAT your gateway recommendation?

“Truce At Bakura, the first novel to be set after Return of the Jedi, established that Old Ben’s connection to Luke was fading and about to disappear. ”

Actually Heir to the Empire was set after ROTJ and it was published three years earlier and Ben fading was clearly established in that book, which includes his final message to Luke. Truce at Bakura is the next story CHRONOLOGICALLY, and took the fading from Zahn’s work.

“Part of the fun of the novel is that while Mr. Zahn wrote it many years after Heir to the Empire, Allegiance takes place before Heir, so characters such as Luke and Mara, who will meet in Heir, cannot encounter each other in Allegiance. It’s a complicated, but fun, dance that Zahn conducts by weaving some of these characters in and out of events that shadow each other.”

And readers will not understand this unless they read Heir first and will be left wondering why the author didn’t let them meet.