How To Get Me To Read Star Wars Novels Again

[lazypadawan]

Del Rey has been asking fans for feedback on the Star Wars novel program, so I added in my .02 here:

http://www.facebook.com/starwarsbooks/posts/10150116427638713

I have to say that if Del Rey were to follow the advice of 60% of those replies, it would pretty much ensure I wouldn't even buy a SW novel to use as toilet paper or kindling. How ridiculous most EU fans have become. They're the ones polluting every Clone Wars discussion thread on TFN, wetting their diapers about "continuity."

But many of the responses seem to indicate what I've been unhappy with the EU for years, and that is its rather dark and dreary stories, especially post-ROTJ. There doesn't seem to be a lot of inspiration or love for the universe/characters in most of the novels over the past several years. Trash Karen Miller all you want for her fan fiction quirks, but at least you can tell she loves these characters (and is quite possibly the only Obi-Wan fangirl who can simultaneously do justice to Anakin). Whatever else I've read has been either boring or infuriating, i.e. killing off most of the Solo children and the Big 3 stupidly handing the Republic over to an enemy.

Life's too short and there are plenty of other things, fiction or non-fiction, that I can read. These books cost money, and since I haven't bought an iPad or Kindle yet, they take up space. If Del Rey wants my business back, it will have to consider the following:

1. End the post-ROTJ continuity and don't go back to it unless/until you do a reboot and start all over. Chewbacca lives, Anakin Solo lives, Jacen Solo never turns to the Dark Side, and Jaina gets to be part of the strong heroine tradition of Leia, Padmé, and Ahsoka. I might be willing to bring Mara back so long as she doesn't get to be Mary Sue Supreme. They completely wasted an opportunity for Luke and Leia to reconnect with their maternal roots.

2. I'm okay with books about the Sith; I liked the Darth Bane books. I'd be happy to read about Darth Plageuis or about Sidious/Palpatine's rise to power. I'd be happy to read about Dooku's fall. But no matter what, Del Rey has to remember the core values of the Star Wars saga. I'm sick of evil being good and good being dumb. I'm even more tired of "dark" being conflated with "quality."

3. They tried doing a couple of Clone Wars books but I actually would like to see more! I've always wanted to read a novel that focused on Ahsoka. I've seen some other ideas that suggested novels about Cad Bane. That would be cool. They have a hit show on their hands, and they're wasting an opportunity.

4. I'm looking forward to the upcoming Nomi Sunrider novel, who was one of my favorite comics characters from the '90s. I may not be interested in reading about every popular comics character or video game character, but it's not a bad idea.

5. I'm not really excited about original characters who have nothing to do with the movies or with Clone Wars. I may as well just read original sf instead.

6. There are still characters and eras from the films that have had little to no exploration in the expanded universe. What did Padmé do in the 10 years between TPM and AOTC? Why not a trilogy of books about Leia's pre-ANH adventures? How about another pre-ANH Vader novel like "Dark Lord?" There aren't a lot of books that take place between ANH and TESB for that matter. One series I liked were the "Tales From" anthologies back in the '90s. How about "Tales From The Clone Wars?" "Tales From The Jedi Temple?" "Tales From The Theed Palace?"

7. No matter what you decide to tackle, you have to pick the right authors. I want somebody who bleeds Star Wars when you cut him or her. Enthusiasm comes through on the page. The problem with a lot of these guys is that they are sf authors first and try to shoehorn Star Wars into hard sf and that doesn't always work. A fantasy author happened to have cranked out my favorite film novelization (TPM in case you're wondering). I'd be really excited to read a Star Wars novel by Neil Gaiman. And why not give fans a chance? I understand about maintaining quality and professionalism, but if the Trek publishing program gave a shot to former fan fic writers like Jean Lorrah and Jacqueline Lichtenberg, I don't see why Del Rey can't give a shot to some SW fan fic writers. (And not exclusively to their budsies in Club Jade either.)

Comments

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

Good post. I agree with what you wrote.

Like you, I don't find stories that don't involve the original characters or the Clone Wars to be interesting. The video game stuff I just can't get into. If I wanted to read original fiction/characters, I wouldn't buy original fiction.

Padme's missing years between Ep 1 and 2 could make for a great story but sadly, I doubt that idea has EVER crossed the mind of Del Ray. They would just say there isn't a market for it. I find it hard to believe there wouldn't be a market for seeing Luke and Leia find out about Padme. I understand that they couldn't touch the the subject till after the prequels but it also leads to the problem that they don't find out anything until decades later, which is also ridiculous.

Like you pointed out, I've always hated the fact that in the EU, the victory at Endor meant absolutely nothing. Luke, Han, and Leia destroyed the Death Star and the Emperor only to engage in five decades plus of nonstop, constant warfare that was more horrific with each passing decade. It led to two failed governmenets, not the legacy that was supposed to be left behind after ROTJ. Then for good measure, they killed two of Han and Leia's children, made the other one a ***** and killed Luke's wife (Mara Jade, no lost there but still). This is the legacy that is left to the heroes of Star Wars?

Another book series I'd love to see...Tales of the Lost 20 Jedi. That seems like it would be fascinating. I realize that seems like a contradiction when I said I'm not interested with original characters but you could still end it with Dooku and Yoda could be involved with some of the Jedi. In the hands of good authors, I would love to see what made these Jedi leave the Order and what became of them.

[ansketil-rose.livejournal.com]

Oh, so much yes!

Especially number 5! Dear god, number 5!

[may-child.livejournal.com]

Great post! And I must say it pleases me a little bit that the EU fans are wetting their diapers about continuity re: the Clone Wars. Now they know what it feels like to see their precious EU get stomped all over, which is what the EU itself regularly does to the canon characters, storyline, and themes. The EU fans insist that their precious books are so much "better" than the canon, yet they desperately want their precious books to be PART of the canon and are insulted if anyone says otherwise.

I'd make a case for eliminating/rebooting the EU that takes place before the events of the OT, but was written before the prequels started coming out. To avoid confusion, I'm talking about books such as the Mary Sue fantasy fanfic known as the misnamed Han Solo Trilogy, which introduced a Mary Sue even more egregious than Mara Jade, if such is possible: Bria Tharen, aka the impossibly beautiful (even Boba Fett is weak-kneed in her presence) founder of the Rebellion, Han's First Loooooove who he pines over for 10 years, the one who got Alderaan involved in the Rebellion, and the one who transmitted the Death Star plans to Leia's ship before dying a martyr.

Get rid of THAT red-gold pest, and I might actually be able to tolerate the OTHER red-gold pest, Mara...as long as she wasn't Sue-ified and steadily given more and more importance to the Empire in general and to the Emperor personally, while STILL being painted as "totally pure" and "never dark" and all that nonsense. And don't pair her with Luke. PLEASE. It may be mean, but I'd much rather Luke be a solitary type than paired with the likes of HER...or anyone else, really. None of the EU "girlfriends" for Luke thrilled me, although Gaeriel Captison wasn't too bad. I suppose they could invent a decent girlfriend for him if they did a reboot, but I wouldn't count on it.

I would enjoy a book about Padmé set in the 10 years between TPM and AOTC, but darth_pipes is right, Del Rey would probably say there isn't a market for it. Luke and Leia finding out about their parents together would be a great thing. No stupid Mara mucking it up with her odious presence like in the EU...p-whipped Luke wants to call out to HER first (never mind that the shrew has no respect for his father, although she STILL uses his lightsaber) when he finds a recording of Anakin and Padmé, and Mara plunks her hateful hiney into the situation when Luke and Leia watch it, saying that "only C3PO could be that annoying." Pot, meet kettle.

Nah, I'm not annoyed with how the EU handled Luke and Leia finding out about their folks at all.

I think EU authors should be reminded that they are not the "gods" of SW, that it is Lucas's story and he invited THEM into HIS playground, not the other way around. If they consider themselves such superior writers to Lucas and would be insulted at the thought of him overriding what they put down, then they shouldn't take the assignment. And while I don't necessarily think they should be the biggest SW fans out there (that can lead to problems as well), they should at least have a genuine affection for the story...a story they want to stay true to, rather than remaking it according to their fantasies and philosophies. For better or for worse, the SW movies are the story, and that includes the movies' flaws, whatever you consider those flaws to be.

If Zahn was to write any more EU novels, they should put a leash on him, because of his arrogant tendency to write whole stories around his OCs, and to ignore the movies' continuity because he just likes HIS continuity better. What's remarkable is that Del Rey actually claims, with a collective straight face, that they DON'T let him do whatever he wants.

[designersdilemma.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

I know I'd like to see Lucas just move on from "Star Wars" in general, but at this point I'd support him writing and directing episodes 7, 8 and 9 just so we can trash all of the post-ROTJ EU entirely. I read "Shadows of the Empire", the "Dark Empire" comics that Cam Kennedy drew and a handful of other things, but really, I could care less about these books in general. I remember thinking it was slightly ridiculous how much people invested in that stupid "Chewbacca gets killed by a moon" novel, or whatnot. "Star Wars" is the movies, first and foremost, and now "The Clone Wars" after that. Anything else is just merchandise.

[metaraymek.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons why I love TCW so much is that, while Dave and co. do play it careful with the EU purists, they're not afraid to step on everyone else's toes while doing it.

I have to confess: I tried reading the novels. Mara Jade was okay in 'Heir to the Empire', but she quickly became a Possession Sue for every writer after that. Everyone else was just way too unlikeable and tbqh, I'm with you on point 5: If I wanted to read about an original character, I'd rather read original SF instead.

As for point 3, while I'm desperate for the EU to acknowledge Cad Bane's existence outside of a video game and one of the UK comics... I'm actually on the fence about a novel about him. While it would be a nice way to learn about his past that the show couldn't otherwise show (and I imagine that would be quite a lot), I just don't trust the current crop of EU writers to either "get" the character -as I have a feeling they'd probably overdo everything, though with Bane, that is easy to do- or do him justice. =/

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

I like Asajj too. I think The Clone Wars cartoon toned her down a little. Plus her relationship with Obi-Wan can be a source of offbeat humor. ;)

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

I liked the Tartakovsky series, even if the powers were out of control. I always found the fanboy complaints about the Jedi not being powerful enough to be silly. If the Jedi were supermen, they wouldn't need to block blaster bolts. They block them because blaster bolts can kill them.