The Expanded Universe discussion

All right folks, Alli suggested a new topic for our little Star Wars Expanded Universe Book Club so I thought I would take the initiative.

As you can see I called us The EU Holocronies...because we're all friends here and so I took the word "crony" and added it to Holocron and...uh...yeah.

Hopefully in the next few days we'll come to some sort of consensus as to what we'll be reading. I'm down with kicking off June 1st if you all are. Plus that gives me a good excuse to walk away from this enormous Mark Twain travelogue I got myself into...

Are we going to use a nomination/voting system to pick books/series?

I wouldn't see why not! :)
I haven't made my list yet. I shall do that tonight. :3

Despite my Sith-ish tendencies, it is indeed a pure democracy here in the Reading Room. Nomination/voting will be the order of the day!

Until I call for Order 66 that is... :D

Oh and because you don't exist unless you are on social media these days, I cooked up a little Facebook page for our group too. Probably won't be necessary but ya' never know...Goodreads explodes or something, we want to continue the party over at the tavern next door right?

https://www.facebook.com/TheEuHolocro...

I'm out of it for a little while...

I like the idea of having a monthly group book, as well. I tried doing this before, but it never really got off the ground. But maybe this time!

I'm going to nominate a few, and maybe post up a few options in a poll based on suggestions already submitted later today. (I live in Japan, so it'll be the middle of the night for most everyone here when the voting starts.)

Count me in.

Sounds good to me.

Kewl! ^_^

More than likely, seeing as I have a tumblr for it... I'll be doing book reviews as we read too. At least until school makes me quit. However a book a month should be... easily accomplished. Hopefully. While keeping my grades up. ;__;

My suggestions off the top of my head:
1. Thrawn Trilogy, which I have not read. But I have the novels and the graphic novels.
2. X-wing series, though while this 9(?) books long, I've heard it's a good series.
3. Lost Tribe of the Sith, despite the brand new "Into the Void" this is the earliest novel/short story collection in the Essential Reader's Companion. I know there are books following that, and comics that proceed it, but...
4. Republic Commando series, I haven't read these either, and I know the continuity is kind of wonky when it comes to these books. I have the first three... I think... on my bookshelf.
5. We could start with the movie novelizations... xD
6. Medstar and Coruscant Nights and the Last Jedi. I'm just kind of grouping all of these together.
7. We could start with the Dawn of the Jedi comics, though if we went to Into the Void afterwards I would have to skip it because I have no access to that novel at this point.

Where I do not want to start:
New Jedi Order or beyond. Simply because that is such a LARGE series and not to mention I want to lay my foundations in the EU with the guidance of this one book a month guideline, and then maybe I can try to get to the NJO.

Nice list, but i don`t see the Bane Trilogy mentioned there.

Bane trilogy would be fine as well. I'm open to anything, I swear. Well besides what I can't get ahold of, anyway.

I actually just finished the Trawn Trilogy, but if any of you haven`t read it yet it is probably the best place to start.

I'm probably the only one who hasn't read it. I've read bits of the first one but I haven't finished it yet.

You're probably not; I got halfway through the series, but I abandoned it all together when I found another interesting book

Ohhh... I got maybe 100 pages into the first one and stopped. xD

Edit: Does anyone wanna advertise on the Force.net? Those people scare me.

According to Goodreads, I'm 51% into the second one, and that's been the case for the last five months. Sorry Zahn...

I managed to get through Allegiance and Choices of One without any problem... the Thrawn trilogy... not so much.

Guys, I made an actual facebook group that you can join. c:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/11876...

I'm in for the monthly Star Wars read! Has anyone considered starting with one of the older "Tales" books....

If you wanted to do the X-Wing novels, you could split them into smaller pieces with the Rogue Squadron ones (original 4 make a good set) and Wraith Squadron (next 3?)

I am currently listening to the Thrawn trilogy now and just started the Last Command.

Intriguing ideas. I am a little bias I would like to start with NJO since I am on 2nd book in that era.

We could always clone war stuff.

The only problem I have with NJO is... I don't have any background to the EU with that. I mean, I basically know everything that happens essentially up to the NJO, but I still want to read stuff before that. That's all. ;-;

I can recap everything for you. Two things try to destroy the world the super villain that comes back from the dead or the latest greatest weapon to blow up worlds or rule the world.

Haha. But I have so much to read before hand, and I want to warm up to Luke and Mara's romance.

Honestly it really doesn't matter to me, I've got them all. xD
However to get a book a month, including the short stories? That's close to two years worth of books.

I'd say my top three choices, in no particular order, are Thrawn Trilogy, Coruscant Nights/Last Jedi, and X-Wing, but I'm up for whatever.

How about we suggest top 2-3 series we want to read. Then we take a poll on them.

Top series I want to read, in no order:
MedStar/Coruscant Nights/Last Jedi
X-wing series
And I suppose the Thrawn trilogy

I'll go with the Thrawn trilogy as well with X-wing series a runner up. I haven't read a single X-wing novel and I must assume that, since they were written so long ago, they have very little bearing on the EU as a whole and are pretty self-contained...

Actually, the X-wing novels have significant impact on the EU as a whole if nothing other than they introduce Corran Horn. He becomes a central character in the NJO and FOTJ series'. The individual stories may have limited long-lasting impact, but many of the characters introduced have become integral at various points.

The X-wing series does introduce and/or develop some important characters. However, since they are some of the earliest novels in the post-ROTJ Star Wars chronology, they are a good place to start if you haven't read a lot of the EU.

Well then I'm sold. Offering up my two votes:

1. The Thrawn Trilogy
2. The X-Wing series (which is, what, like four books? six? I think a new one hit the shelves last year right???)

There are 10 total.
9 right after ROTJ, and 1 in the LOTF era.

wow...10! well that'll keep us busy...if we do one a month, we're booked solid until next Passover!

I think chronologically it's 7 X-wing books, then courtship of Princess Leia and Tatooine Ghost and then the Thrawn Trilogy... I think.

I will go with NJO, coruscant nights, and sith-Jedi wars (thinking Revan and that time)

Should I be making a list?

All right folks, I slapped this silly little thing together...vote and we'll see where we're at come 12:01am, June 1st. Sound like a plan?

http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=...

I voted! :)

Voted! ^_^

Voted.

Voted

The way things are looking I'd best head off to the library and pick up a copy of Heir to the Empire eh? :D

Thanks for voting folks, this is turning out to be a LOT of fun!

I've done my own re-read of the Thrawn trilogy earlier this year (just started Last Command on audio this week) but at least since the reading was recent the details are still fresh for discussion. I wish I could get some of the earlier books unabridged on audio.

For the record, if you enjoy audiobooks and the Thrawn trilogy wins, I highly encouraged getting the anniversary unabridged editions of the novels. They guy reading them is exceptional and has several of the voices dead-on for the actors (to the point I think they manipulated his voice with a machine).

I figure if you've read the book before or didn't like it or don't feel like reading it again, you can read something else during the month. :)

It has been ages since I've read the Thrawn trilogy, and it will be a great way for me to get into my re-read of the EU, also known as what will be consuming my summer vacation.

I'm just excited to spend my summer reading the EU for the first time. I know the key points but there's a lot I don't know too. :3

Get your vote in now, folks...the 'polls' close at midnight!

Barring a sudden influx of votes for the others on the list, I'd say you'd best find that old copy of Heir to the Empire you've got laying around and dust it off...

Y'know this new project has put this notion in my craw: perhaps I should read the EU novels in PUBLICATION order instead of TIMELINE order??? Could be equally satisfying... hmmm... there IS a pretty comprehensive list here:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/List_o...

Glove of Darth Vader
Hehehehehehehe