Sfdebris.net

Need a distraction from real life drama, so I wanted to say I'm reading Heir to the Empire - the only EU everyone acknowledges since it's the only EU everyone read. I've tried to read bits and pieces over the years, but I never had the time and the actual first impression I had didn't leave me wanting more, compared to other books or games. I'm on Chapter 16 atm. As I'd said, my first impression wasn't good - I felt it was a bit below par, especially compared to the other novels I've read, a bit too dry and matter-of-fact, but then as I've progressed, I can see how cool it is. Indicative of the general quality for the EU, I'll defend that, but good. I love the detail, and I like the world-building. It's excellent fun all around.

As a Legends guy, with all my other experiences, however, my thoughts so far have been making the connections to other books I've read. Examples. When Luke and Leia are talking about the positive-negative cancel-out reaction that helped Yoda hide from the Empire, speculating about C'baoth, all I can remember is the Jedi Civil War in the Old Sith Wars, and where the Jedi Masters went to hide to flush out the Sith, on the planets touched by the dark side, with war, underworld trafficking, horrors, and other nastiness, and that led me to think about how in the wake of the Jedi Purge at the dawn of the New Order, Olee Starstone talked about how "Palpatine isn't a Sith (LOL)," but that he wasn't the first to try it, and that "the Sith" failed thousands of years ago, so will he, and... OMG, KOTOR 2 connections! But that's not the end! In that same book, if you've read Heir to the Empire, you'd know Pellaeon was at Kashyyyk when they invaded and subjugated the Wookiees. That's three connections right there between a video game and two novels.

When you compare this to something like the Disney EU, which insists the Rule of Two was misinterpreted, and it was more the Sith were always "Ruled by Two," then try to connect that to how Yoda just somehow randomly knows who the ghost of Darth Bane is, well... it just reminds me so much of why I love this series. It's so cool. The raw creativity like Lando's new moneymaking venture with the mining city contraption on Nkllon, and the intricacies of the requirements to land there... awesome sauce. Anyway, back to my stuff. But as I said, AMA.

Rule of thumb for these books that predate the prequels and even subsequent EU books is not to take too much stock in what is written in it as far as Lore.

They were afterall pretty much the beginning of the EU as we know it.

For example, Luke in these books isnt the son of the Chosen One with the same potential. He is just a very powerful Jedi.

Yes, this is the oldest EU other than the Marvel comics. If you see connections, it's probably because they're ribbing on Heir to the Empire.

CharlesPhipps wrote: ↑Sun Sep 26, 2021 4:29 am Yes, this is the oldest EU other than the Marvel comics. If you see connections, it's probably because they're ribbing on Heir to the Empire.

Zahn pulled a lot of stuff from the West End Games RPG, so not quite the oldest.

hammerofglass wrote: ↑Sun Sep 26, 2021 12:52 pm

CharlesPhipps wrote: ↑Sun Sep 26, 2021 4:29 am Yes, this is the oldest EU other than the Marvel comics. If you see connections, it's probably because they're ribbing on Heir to the Empire.

Zahn pulled a lot of stuff from the West End Games RPG, so not quite the oldest.

True, I loved how the RPG was given as resource books to the authors.

One thing I've always found fascinating about Heir is how it's not what you would expect from a Star Wars story, let alone a sequel to the Original Trilogy, and that's the fact that it's more of a spy thriller then it is a action story. In fact the next chapter in the Trilogy, Dark Force Rising, is a political thriller with a lot of focusing on how the politics work in Star Wars. It's not until The Last Command that we get a more traditional Star Wars type story with a lot of action and a lot of call backs to TOT (the final battle is has more then a few passing similarities to the one in Return of the Jedi).

The reason TTT works is because it takes the story in a direction that makes NARRATIVE sense. Of course Heir is more of a spy thriller the Imperial Remnant isn't ready to go to war at this point so Thrawn has rely on spies and assassins more then his fleet. Of course there is a lot of focus on politics with some allies of the Alliance being jerks the war is over and they want compensation for their losses in said war.

I won't get into my issues with the Disney Sequel Trilogy to much but you take one look at TTT and see that there really was no need to play things as safe as it did. Sure, it killed off the original Trio and made Luke into a jerk who acts nothing like himself but it didn't really DO Anything with these ideas while TTT goes takes full advantage of its ideas and takes chances.

Zahn is a competent writer who has an excellent grasp of pace, development, and plot. I can see where you're coming from when you talk about dry and matter-of-fact. But it is part of his style, and let's face it: to the characters, wandering around the galaxy isn't going to be awe-inspiring or emotional, it's just Tuesday. I'm sure a medieval person walking down my town's main street would be agog, but to me it's just the bookstore, the tavern, the hairstylist, and not a collection of wonders.

I think part of the appeal was it felt more mature. Thrawn didn't read like a cartoon and was a more respectable villain even if the Vader smack talk got a bit thick.

A bit late in the game but I highly recommend the audiobook. Mark Thompson's performance adds a lot of emotion back into it. They also add music and sound effects, but all the Star Wars audiobooks do that.