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No, waiting for live action series. Current Results Stephen's Top 10 Expanded Universe Works Posted By Stephen on February 7, 2008 As Paul and Adrick noted, the TFN's Book Staff is doing a Top 10 countdown of Star Wars EU works. Below, are my top 10. For good or ill, these are things which have made an impact on me as an individual consumer of the Star Wars franchise, as well as the fandom as a whole. So take note that I do not believe that these are necessarily the BEST stories from a personal point of view, but rather these are what I see as the greatest stories (in one way or another) in the EU. Honorable Mention. Knights of the Old Republic (video game) Star Wars has long been in video games. From the paddle lightsaber game for the Atari 2600 and onwards. Yet, for me and thousands of others, BioWare's 2003 entry for LucasArts, Knights of the Old Republic, was a startlingly reminder about everything a game could be. It was singularly responsible for reminding me that I loved RPGs, and had a compelling storyline (with a wonderful twist at the end) in addition to beautiful graphics. This is what a Star Wars video game should be: immersive, compelling, and above all fun to play. Unfortunately, because the dismal Star Wars Galaxies was being released at the same time, BioWare was unable to release an online component to this game; nor a module building system (like they have for their Neverwinter Nights game). Despite the fun of an RPG, the lack of online play and expandability seriously damaged the reuse for this expensive piece of software. 10. Splinter of the Mind's Eye Outside of the novelization of the Original Trilogy, this was the first book published in the Star Wars universe (yes, I know the comics were earlier). This book had it all: sexual tension, kissing, sword fights, possession and even some of the most gruesome death scenes in the EU. Above all, it was a fun romp staring Luke, Leia and R2. Of course the fact that all the flirting and sexual tension was between Luke and Leia did become somewhat creepy post Empire. 9. I, Jedi This is the novel ultimately responsible for my love affair with Star Wars. Additionally, not only is it a wonderfully written novel, but it has a couple of rather unique attributes. First it is one of the few Star Wars stories told in the first person, and certainly the only novel told this way, and secondly it is not the story of a movie character, yet is set within the post-RotJ time-frame. This novel shows that we can have strong, well-written Star Wars novels that features characters who don't appear in any movie. 8. The Thrawn Trilogy This is the trilogy which is credited for breathing new life into the Expanded Universe. After years of having nothing, LFL gave us what has become the benchmark against what all other Star Wars EU is compared. Love him or hate him, Zahn created some of the most compelling and beloved characters that have not appeared in a Lucas film. In fact his novels read almost like the films--a very cinematic experience filled with the Empire, Jedi, and romance. 7. Dark Empire, Dark Empire II & Empire's End This is the Thrawn Trilogy for the comic tie-ins. The premier series when Dark Horse brought back the comics, and it saw the birth of Anakin Solo, as well as the ultimate death of the Emperor. Beautiful artwork, a host of new technologies, and of course a trip to the Dark Side and back; this series is what George Lucas has claimed to be the closest to the third trilogy that would ever be produced. Happily ignoring most of the Marvel continuity, Dark Empire is a beautiful piece of art and literature. 6. Revenge of the Sith (Novelization) This is probably the ultimate in movie novelizations. It took the somewhat trite and tired plot, and the uneasy characterizations which appeared on celluloid and gave them a breadth and dimension not seen in any other novelization which I have ever read. A number of things are explained here, things which are totally glossed over (or outright ignored) in the movie itself. For example, why did Yoda leave the battle? Why did he tell Bail that he had to go into exile. If you want to know, then read the book. 5. Traitor Philosophy, darkness, light, torture and an insane attempt to destroy the good/evil theology upon which the entire franchise is built. That is the novel Traitor in a nutshell. This is one of, if not the best novel found in the NJO, and as a result it is one of those stories which fractured the fandom, causing countless threads on various forums in a vain attempt to determine if Vergere was a Sith or not, and if Jacen was going to end up going dark or not. This book had the potential to shift how all the fans viewed the EU and the Force itself, yet, the authors and editors had apparently forgotten that Jacen had learned those lessons at the hands of the Shadow Academy during the YJK. Despite all this, Traitor succeeded in its effort, and pushed the Solo child that nobody liked into the limelight and actually gave him fans--a far cry from what his sister's Dark Journey did for her character. And then to top all of that, there was Ganner. 4. The Star Wars Holiday Special (TV Show) There have been a number of attempts at bringing Star Wars to the small screen. Droids, Ewoks, those Ewok movies, and of course the Clone Wars series for Cartoon Network. Yet they weren't the first. The first was the Star Wars Holiday Special. This is a holiday television special so bad that it makes even hard core Christmas special lovers, like my wife, look upon it with horror; forget about what it does to the average Star Wars fan. Actually, scratch that, even George Lucas despised this, as he's on record as saying "If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it." From virtual Wookiee porn to Carrie Fisher's singing, there is literally nothing as bad as this in the rest of the EU (and that includes the almost equally awful Star Wars Christmas album featuring R2-D2 and C3-PO). And until the release of the Clone Wars cartoon, every other Star Wars television attempt was snarled by the train wreck which was the Holiday Special. 3. Tales of the Jedi: Redemption Themes are important in Star Wars. Concepts and myths are the building blocks of the entire franchise, and as such, certain themes are by default built in. Good fighting evil despite overwhelming odds. Love conquering all. Of course one of the more powerful themes in the franchise is redemption. The thought that someone can be absolved of the crimes and evil they have done. As the title suggests, Redemption is just about that. Told through the brilliant colors of Yavin IV and the Jedi Concave to the stark barrenness of Rhen Var; this is the story of one man's hunt for absolution. Powerful, haunting, and with a finale that gives us all hope that we can be Jedi Masters even without being able to touch the Force. 2. Edge of Victory: Conquest & Rebirth Anakin Solo & Tahiri Veila. Two simple names which mean so much to so many fans. They are the stars of the JJK series, the youngest son of Han Solo & Princess Leia and an orphan girl from Tatooine. Despite being the stars of a juvenile series, it is in this duology that they are truly defined, and given a breadth of character that is startling in its brilliance and pain. Likewise, most fans of Anakin Solo's character can trace their way to this duology. It is where his character starts to outshine that of his uncle's and firmly begins its climb to being the sort of hero that we expect in Star Wars. Which brings us to my #1 EU story 1. Star By Star This is the book where Del Rey destroyed all that work that they had just done in giving us a next generation character that we liked, that we rooted for. The great Jimmy fiasco of 2001, if you will. It is this point that Star Wars completed its shift away from a focus on the Hero's Journey (and what we view as traditional SW heroes), and towards a more post-modern concept of antagonists/protagonists (anti-heroes, misunderstood evil, etc). Outcry over this novel was huge, helped in part because the destruction of Coruscant so closely paralleled the falling of the Twin Towers here in the States. While there were numerous other deaths in the NJO, and in this novel, it is Anakin's which still polarizes fandom into three camps: returners, anti-returners, and those who want both sides to shut up. The mid-point of the massively long mutli-novel story arc, the New Jedi Order, Star By Star is often said to be the NJO's ESB, and I can understand why. The Yuuzhan Vong are nearly triumphant, while the heroes are left reeling from the events of the novel--many of which are still causing ripples in the franchise today. Those are the stories which I believe have affected Star Wars EU the most over the past 30 odd years. Here's to hoping that we get another thirty years of stories. email this story discuss in forums Select Date 2009, November 2009, October 2009, September 2009, August 2009, July 2009, June 2009, May 2009, April 2009, March 2009, February 2009, January 2008, December 2008, November 2008, October 2008, September 2008, August 2008, July 2008, June 2008, May 2008, April 2008, March 2008, February 2008, January 2007, December 2007, November 2007, October 2007, September 2007, August 2007, July 2007, June 2007, May 2007, April 2007, March 2007, February 2007, January 2006, December 2006, November 2006, October 2006, September 2006, August 2006, July 2006, June 2006, May 2006, April 2006, March 2006, February 2006, January 2005, December 2005, November 2005, October 2005, September 2005, August 2005, July 2005, June 2005, May 2005, April 2005, March 2005, February 2005, January 2004, December 2004, November 2004, October 2004, September 2004, August 2004, July 2004, June 2004, May 2004, April 2004, March 2004, February 2004, January 2003, December 2003, November 2003, October 2003, September 2003, August 2003, July 2003, June 2003, May 2003, April 2003, March 2003, February 2003, January 2002, December 2002, November 2002, October 2002, September 2002, August 2002, July 2002, June 2002, May 2002, April 2002, March 2002, February 2002, January 2001, December 2001, November 2001, October 2001, September 2001, August 2001, July 2001, June 2001, May 2001, April 2001, March 2001, February 2001, January 2000, December 2000, November 2000, October 2000, September 2000, August 2000, July 2000, June 2000, May 2000, April 2000, March 2000, February 2000, January 1999, December 1999, November 1999, October 1999, September 1999, August 1999, July 1999, June 1999, May 1999, April 1999, March 1999, February 1999, January 1998, December 1998, November 1998, October 1998, July 1998, June Sean Williams TOR Novel Gets A Title Posted By Mike on November 23, 2009: Now showing up on the Amazon listing DYD: Dooku's Secret Army Cover & Blurb Posted By Mike on November 22, 2009: Showing up at Amazon.co.uk Bohnhoff Talks Parody "Filk" Music Posted By Mike on November 21, 2009: And shares a new diddy Draw SW: The Clone Wars Artist Tips Posted By Justin on November 19, 2009: Grant Gould gives us some advice A Couple Book Release Delays? Posted By Mike on November 17, 2009: Making of ESB & Celebration of Fandom Paul Kemp Posts Crosscurrent Excerpt Posted By Mike on November 17, 2009: Check it out at the author's LiveJournal Scavenger's Guide to Droids RPG Book Posted By JF on November 15, 2009: The next release from WotC for Nov.17th FOTJ: Allies Blurb Online At Amazon Posted By Mike on November 15, 2009: First plot summary for book #5 of the series Jedi Journals Focus: Draw Star Wars-The Clone Wars Posted By Jay on November 13, 2009: Here's your chance to 'draw' on the Force! FOTJ Paperback Size To Remain The Same Posted By Mike on November 11, 2009: Which is contrary to previous reports Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff Blogging Returns! Posted By Mike on November 11, 2009: With 2 new A Padawan's Journal entries New FOTJ: Backlash Release Date Posted By Mike on November 11, 2009: A month later than previously listed Art Of SW: TCW Concept Art Images Posted By Mike on November 11, 2009: Updated! With Ahsoka, Mace, R2 and more! Joe Schreiber Signing In Tulsa, OK Posted By Mike on November 7, 2009: One more stop on the Death Troopers Tour New Release Date For The Complete Vader Posted By Mike on November 7, 2009: Those printing errors created quite the delay Karpyshyn Blogs On Bane & More Posted By Mike on November 7, 2009: Dynasty of Evil comes out next month! New Han & Chewie Youngling Book Series? Posted By Mike on November 4, 2009: Updated! SW.com confirmation & Windham Q&A More Juvie TCW Books On The Way Posted By Mike on November 4, 2009: From Amazon and Penguin's winter catalog Sean Williams To Pen TOR Novel? Posted By Mike on November 4, 2009: Updated! A couple updates on the new book Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle Posted By Mike on November 4, 2009: Updated! Announcement now up at SW.com Art Of SW: TCW Concept Art Images Posted By Mike on November 4, 2009: With Ahsoka, Mace, R2 and more! The Book Discusion Group Strikes Back! Posted By Paul on November 1, 2009: Now reading: Rogue Squadron... More Info On George Lucas Blockbusting Book Posted By Mike on October 31, 2009: Updated! Cover art & an ebook version Imperial Commando: 501st In Stores Now Posted By Mike on October 27, 2009: Read Traviss & SW while you still can! Death Troopers Fan Video Winner Announced Posted By Mike on October 27, 2009: And it's now Zombie Week at Suvudu! TCW: Gambit Duology Release Date Revisions Posted By Mike on October 26, 2009: Still due out next year by Karen Miller Is FOTJ: Backlash Gonna Be Delayed Again? Posted By Mike on October 25, 2009: Looks like it, but only by a month Death Troopers On A Couple Best Seller Lists Posted By Mike on October 25, 2009: New York Times and Publisher's Weekly A Few EU Interviews From Around The Web Posted By Mike on October 24, 2009: Allston, Chee, Peņa and Stackpole Back Cover Revealed For FOTJ: Backlash Posted By Mike on October 23, 2009: Along with a plot summary at the main site The Complete Vader Released Date Postponed Posted By Mike on October 22, 2009: No new date yet, but we'll keep you posted! New Star Wars DK Readers Posted By Mike on October 21, 2009: Youngling titles show up on Amazon Star Wars: A Scanimation Book Posted By Mike on October 18, 2009: Listed on Amazon by Rufus Butler Seder Death Troopers And Zombie Week At SW.com Posted By Mike on October 18, 2009: Updated! Joe Schreiber interview FOTJ Paperback Size Matters Not Posted By Mike on October 17, 2009: Updated! But does it matter to your wallet? Abel G. Pena Interview Posted By JF on October 15, 2009: Fan-favorite Star Wars author! Jedi Journal Books: Death Troopers On Sale! Posted By Jay on October 14, 2009: Get your zombie fix on! Fate of the Jedi: Allies Uncovered At SW.com Posted By Mike on October 14, 2009: Who's that dude with a red lightsaber? Crosscurrent Dramatis Personae Online Posted By Mike on October 13, 2009: Posted on Paul S. Kemp's blog A Couple TCW Youngling Book Updates Posted By Mike on October 12, 2009: What's new on Amazon today? Joe Schreiber's Death Troopers Book Tour Posted By Mike on October 12, 2009: Updated! Kicks off tomorrow! Glimpses Of Star Wars: Visions Posted By Mike on October 8, 2009: Mysterious 2010 project... New Star Wars Sounds Book On The Way! Posted By Mike on October 8, 2009: Updated! Announcement now up at SW.com Stormtrooper Tweets From Star Destroyer Posted By Mike on October 8, 2009: Updated! I have a bad feeling about this! Death Troopers Fan Video Re-Voting Posted By Mike on October 8, 2009: Voting so nice they're doing it twice! DK Reader's Stand Aside - Bounty Hunters! Posted By Mike on October 8, 2009: Level 2 TCW youngling book on the way! Scholastic's Star Wars: Head To Head Posted By Mike on October 8, 2009: Updated! Announcement now at SW.com Ten Years Ago: The New Jedi Order Posted By Wes on October 5, 2009: Vector Prime and Chewbacca Remembered. KOTOR Novel Tidbits From Alex Irvine Posted By Mike on October 3, 2009: Does the name Sunrider mean anything? Rebel Force #6 Gets A Title Posted By Mike on October 3, 2009: And a summary's now up at Amazon Death Troopers: The Trailers! Posted By Paul on October 1, 2009: Vote now for your favourite video... Bohnhoff, Sci-Fi, Star Wars & Philosophy Posted By Mike on September 30, 2009: Check out A Padawan's Journal Entry #30! Rostoni Confirms Crosscurrent Sequel Posted By Mike on September 30, 2009: And updates her release schedule! Sansweet Talks Star Wars: 1,000 Collectibles Posted By Mike on September 29, 2009: New book to be released on November 17th! Paul Kemp To Pen Crosscurrent Follow-Up Posted By Mike on September 28, 2009: Jaden Korr is happy, if he makes it there... Schreiber Shares His Death Troopers Journals Posted By Mike on September 26, 2009: Novel due out in just a couple weeks! "CONTINUUM" - A Book By Tim Dry Posted By Chris on September 25, 2009: New ebook from Return of the Jedi actor A Couple Hyperspace Fiction Reprints Online Posted By Mike on September 23, 2009: For your viewing pleasure at SW.com Bonhoff Discusses Star Wars & Music Posted By Mike on September 23, 2009: Musical parody to be specific! Decide Your Destiny TCW Trailer Posted By Mike on September 22, 2009: Yet another trailer up at SW.com Views Inside Draw Star Wars: TCW Posted By Mike on September 22, 2009: Updated! Trailer now online at SW.com! TCW: Decide Your Destiny: Crisis On Coruscant Posted By Mike on September 19, 2009: Author and book details revealed Death Troopers Excerpt Online At SW.com Posted By Mike on September 19, 2009: Less than a month away from the release! Bohnhoff Touches On SW & American Culture Posted By Mike on September 16, 2009: In her latest entry to A Padawan's Journal TCW Japanese Magna Books Posted By Mike on September 16, 2009: Get a peak at SW.com SW.com Interviews Complete Vader Authors Posted By Mike on September 16, 2009: Windham and Vilmur talk their upcoming book Short Blurb For Clone Wars Gambit: Siege Posted By Mike on September 15, 2009: Book 2 of Karen Miller's TCW duology Clone Commander Training Manual Posted By Justin on September 12, 2009: Become a lean, mean, fighting machine! Holostar's Bohnhoff Blogs On SW Knowledge Posted By Mike on September 12, 2009: References, references and more references! More Essential Atlas Fun At Starwars.com Posted By Mike on September 12, 2009: Updated! Check out the Outer Rim Sectors Jedi Journals: Death Troopers Book Tour & More Posted By Jay on September 10, 2009: Coming to your neighborhood in October! Enter Email Address: Find Out More... AllPosters.com Search For Posters, Cardboard Stand-Ups & T-Shirts! THEFORCE.NET IS NOT ENDORSED BY LUCASFILM, LTD. PLEASE READ OUR DISCLAIMER. © 2009 COPYRIGHT TF.N, LLC