Starwars books, where to begin ?

[Deadlift]

So have been looking at reading some of the star wars books, but really have no idea where to start, there are just so many of them and so many story series.
what do you guys suggest ?

[Denzark]

Deady

I am a quite rabid follower and have some 30+ of them. I would suggest the following approach:

1. Get on wiki/wookieepedia and get a list of Star Wars novels in chronological order.

2. Dispense with the old republic, 1 million years before Yavin arcs. They are just crap. Personally I would probably start with the Han Solo Trilogy and go on from there.

3. Avoid anything which are 'young adult' fiction, ie Junior jedi Knights or some such. They are pulp teeny crap.

4. Highlights include: Anything by Timothy Zahn, the X-Wing Series, and the short stories such as 'Tales from Jabba's Palace'.

5. Once you get to Yuuzhan Vong it gets well wierd and I have stopped. Luckily enough people go back and fill holes in the back story now and again.

6. After you have gone from sort of 10 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin) to around 25 ABY (After Battle of Yavin) you could, iff sufficiently hooked, go back and read the stuff I have so viciously dismissed at points 2,3 and 5 - it would take a true fan to do so though...

Hope this helps old Horse.

[Psychosplodge]

I've got nearly everything except the young jedi series from The Han solo Trilogy through to X-wing: Mercy kill And Denzark pretty much sums up to the best approach.

[eldargal]

Yep, what Denzark says. Don't bother with the Yuuzhan War stuff though it's just silly. The Legacy comics aren't bad either, though I've not read all of them. They are set a37 years after the battle of Yavin. I know they aren't technically books but whatever.

[Psychosplodge]

The only Good thing about the Vong wars is Jaina Solo's character development...

Stackpole's I, Jedi is a good book, but read the X-wing series first as he uses a lot of his own characters.

[jgebi]

It for me is alot like the 40k books just jump in go with what sounds good and see how screwed up you end up at the end... also the video games can be a good point of reference when reading some of the books. But a place to start would come down to what sort you like really but the han solo books are good so start their and just sorta go from their

[Deadlift]

Thanks everyone, especially Denzark. That's just what I needed. I had no idea there were so many books.
Oh and "old horse" lol cheeky sod ;)

[eldargal]

I like what they did with Jacen and Jaina Solo in the later books but everyone else was really silly.

[Psychosplodge]

Them and Mara Jade were what kept it going...

[Mr Mystery]

Sod it and read Pratchett?

j/k

[Deadlift]

Lol, I have tried and just couldn't get on with what I read. :)

[Mr Mystery]

There is a knack to Pratchett enjoyment I'll admit. The lack of chapters is...off putting I find.

But, persevered with one, and now I'm on a roll! Not reading in any particular order, but now on The Fifth Elephant, which is win!

Definitely worth persevering with!

[Phototoxin]

There is a knack to Pratchett enjoyment I'll admit. The lack of chapters is...off putting I find.

But, persevered with one, and now I'm on a roll! Not reading in any particular order, but now on The Fifth Elephant, which is win!

Definitely worth persevering with!

I can't stand it. They seem clichéd to the extreme. Hate the style and don't understand the hype. He seems to be one of those marmite things.

[Psychosplodge]

I can't stand it. They seem clichéd to the extreme. Hate the style and don't understand the hype. He seems to be one of those marmite things.

^this

[lobster-overlord]

i used to read all of them until 99 when the old rep stuff came out and the license moved back to Del Ray books. There were just too many. Pick an era you like and start with those. If you are someone who likes the movies and really wants to keep that mystique going, stick with, as the others have said, Zahn and Stackpole. The Xwing series (first 4 books) is a lot of fun, and Zahn's books are really thrilling compared to some of the other drivvel. He has a new one out that i"d like to pick up but can't afford until it's in MMPB.

At all costs, avoid Crystal Star, New REbellion and Rogue Planet. These book sare just horrible.

[White Tiger88]

Start in this order.

-X-Wing Series
-Thrawn trilogy
-Hand of thrawn books
-Young Jedi Knights
-New Republic
-So on

[eldargal]

I can't stand it. They seem clichéd to the extreme. Hate the style and don't understand the hype. He seems to be one of those marmite things.
I can't see this at all, he actually undermines most of the traditional fantasy cliches or uses them to take them in completely original places. But whatever floats your boat (or sinks it in this case).:)

I actually went back and re-read the Thrawn trilogy a couple of years back expecting my memories of 'omg awesome' to mostly be nostalgia and youthful stupidity and was pleasantly surprised to discover they were actually excellent books.

[Deadlift]

As we talking about other authors too and series of books, I would like to share this with you guys

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Painted_Man

The Painted man trilogy. They are a fantastic read and as we're all sci fi / fantasy fans I think you guys would appreciate them.

I copied and pasted the summery from the above wiki

The novel follows three POV characters in their passage from childhood to maturity. They are inhabitants of a world plagued by the attacks of demons known as corelings, which rise from the planet's core each night to feast upon humans. The ongoing attrition of these attacks have reduced humanity from an advanced state of technology to a 'dark age'. The only defense against the corelings are wards (magical runes) that can be drawn, painted, or inscribed to form protective barriers around human settlements. These are, however, fragile and prone to failure unless properly maintained.
As the novel progresses, the protagonists each embark upon their own "hero's journey" in an effort to save humanity.

[White Tiger88]

*sigh* you all forgot the most important thing about star wars...

Ewok's eat people.....Always remember Ewoks eat people.

[Psychosplodge]

Ewoks eat anything they can catch...

[Deadlift]

Looking at their furry little faces, I bet they would love beaver.

[Psychosplodge]

Looking at their furry little faces, I bet they would love beaver.

Who doesn't?

[Denzark]

I'll buy that for a dollar...