Book Series Review: Star Wars Expanded Universe (the old stuff)
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
**I'm going to treat this like a normal book review, even though there are over a hundred books**
It used to be "canon," but now it's called "Legends." Some characters, planets and events made the jump—Grand Admiral Thrawn, the race called Pikes, the planet, Dathomir, Corellia, Kessel, the marriage between Han and Leia. Some didn't make the cut—Mara Jade (Nooooooo!) and her marriage to Luke Skywalker. Ben Skywalker, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin Solo. The planets Vjun, Selonia and Centerpoint Station.
The things we've lost from the Expanded Universe are ... mostly tragic. I personally love Mara Jade. I'm hoping that we can name a daughter Mara in the future if we have another girl. Luke Skywalker leading the charge against the Imperial Remnant and the galaxy coming together to fight the Yuuzhan Vong were all amazing stories. The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton is one of the best books out there. All removed from canon.
The things we've maintained are great, such as the locations and characters like Thrawn. But at the same time, many things were changed with the advent of the films—Luke's disappearance, Han and Leia's falling out, etc. It's at this point when my wife quotes Lord Business from the Lego Movie: "Would everyone stop messing with my stuff!"
Sure, there were things in the EU that didn't measure up in terms of quality when compared with the films or even other books. However, some were absolutely amazing—Heir to the Empire, Darth Plagueis, and Kenobi to name a few. Each of these brought out new characters and embellished on others to create a rich tapestry of story that deepened the Star Wars sandbox and enriched the galaxy far, far away.
Now, for the moment of truth.
Pros
Lots of stories, generally of good quality
Lots of adventure
Lots of character development
Cons
Sometimes spotty quality
Several boring/unresolved plots
Several under- and undeveloped characters
I may be biased because these are the Star Wars books I grew up with, but I'd give the overall EU a solid 4/5.
Thanks for wreading!
Jeff
**I'm going to treat this like a normal book review, even though there are over a hundred books**
It used to be "canon," but now it's called "Legends." Some characters, planets and events made the jump—Grand Admiral Thrawn, the race called Pikes, the planet, Dathomir, Corellia, Kessel, the marriage between Han and Leia. Some didn't make the cut—Mara Jade (Nooooooo!) and her marriage to Luke Skywalker. Ben Skywalker, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin Solo. The planets Vjun, Selonia and Centerpoint Station.
The things we've lost from the Expanded Universe are ... mostly tragic. I personally love Mara Jade. I'm hoping that we can name a daughter Mara in the future if we have another girl. Luke Skywalker leading the charge against the Imperial Remnant and the galaxy coming together to fight the Yuuzhan Vong were all amazing stories. The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton is one of the best books out there. All removed from canon.
The things we've maintained are great, such as the locations and characters like Thrawn. But at the same time, many things were changed with the advent of the films—Luke's disappearance, Han and Leia's falling out, etc. It's at this point when my wife quotes Lord Business from the Lego Movie: "Would everyone stop messing with my stuff!"
Sure, there were things in the EU that didn't measure up in terms of quality when compared with the films or even other books. However, some were absolutely amazing—Heir to the Empire, Darth Plagueis, and Kenobi to name a few. Each of these brought out new characters and embellished on others to create a rich tapestry of story that deepened the Star Wars sandbox and enriched the galaxy far, far away.
Now, for the moment of truth.
Pros
Lots of stories, generally of good quality
Lots of adventure
Lots of character development
Cons
Sometimes spotty quality
Several boring/unresolved plots
Several under- and undeveloped characters
I may be biased because these are the Star Wars books I grew up with, but I'd give the overall EU a solid 4/5.
Thanks for wreading!
Jeff
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