Honest Question to EU Novel Fans

[Rabid Whiphid]

Allright, EU fans. Any of you familiar with my posts know that I'm not an EU fan myself... But a good friend, whose literary opinions I trust, has continuously told me that "Dark Lord Rising" or whatever it's called - the recent book about Darth Vader's rise to power immediately following the events of Episode 3 - is a good book worth checking out, for any SW fan who loves Vader, which I do.

In the past I have always been severely disappointed by the SW EU material - most epsecially the novels. I've always found them to be poorly written, and often just simply untrue to the spirit of Star Wars as I have come to know it from the films.

But my friend assures me that this one is good, so, here is one life-long EU hater who is willing to go back and give an EU novel ONE MORE CHANCE! :banghead: purely out of curiosity and based on the recommendation of a trusted friend.

But here's the problem, with my current work schedule, I don't have time to read the actual novel. But I was considering buying it off iTunes as an audiobook, and listening to it while doing my work (my job allows for this).

But when I went and listened to a Preview of the audiobook recording of this novel on iTunes, I noticed that it was playing John William's music in the background while the narrator was reading.

This annoyed the living heck outta me. As a fan of John William's music it always annoys me to hear it accompanying other media (video games, TV cartoons) it was not intended for. It just seems like a blashemous misuse of that great music constructed note-by-note to serve a very specific, singular, and special function - which is to accompany the action in the films.

Secondly, I find it incredibly distracting to try and listen to the narration of literature and hearing music that recalls an entierely different, unrealted scene from the movies going on in the background.

I found this very off-putting, and didn't buy the Audiobook for this reason.

So here's my question - has anyone else out there heard the Audiobook of "Dark Lord Rising" and does it have music running in the background the entire time, from beginnning to end? Or - is that just something they do during the first few minutes to get you in the mood, and then it stops, and it's just narration?

Anybody who knows - please let me know, if you would be so kind. :bye:

[eddie]

I've not heard the audiobook myself, but my experiences with previous ones is that it will use Willliams-music at various places through the telling of the story... (I don't like that either, but then again, I am now big fan of audio-books either since I hate it when one voice does all the different characters)

[Cydon]

I don't recommend listening to it. I sometimes listen to audiobooks, but if I only find them at Goodwill for a buck. I find music accompanying books annoying. So, if you get the chance, read it. It is one of the better ones.

[Jedi Master Harrison]

It is definitely a novel worth making the time to read, perhaps once your work schedule has lessened and you have time to enjoy it. I hope you do enjoy it and it gives you a bit of faith in EU novels. I cannot comment on audio books as I have never listened to one.

[thepepgal]

Sorry I haven't listen to it either. Most of us novel fans love to read about SW so we grab the physical book. Also alot of audio books are abridged so you may miss portions of the story.

I found the book interesting but I wonder what you are hoping to find out about Vader. I felt there could have been more story and development of Vader in this book than there was.

[Darill Cyllem]

I agree with pepgal's assessment of Dark Lord concerning how much of the book is actually about Vader.
If you're looking to change your opinion of the EU, I'm not sure I'd tell you to start with that book. In fact, I'm quite sure that isn't a book I'd reccommend to you as a way to get you more interested in the EU.
I thought it was an OK book - don't get me wrong - but I really like the EU and I read all the novels. To me, Vader was really a peripheral character in Dark Lord, it didn't go into what he was thinking or feeling. Instead, the story primarily focused on a bunch of people we'd never heard of before and won't hear from again. I was dissappointed there wasn't more about Vader - perhaps those who didn't have the same expectations as me enjoyed it more than I did.

I must also admit that Luceno is not one of my preferred SW authors (don't hate me DM!), but a lot of sw fans love his work.

[Rabid Whiphid]

To me, Vader was really a peripheral character in Dark Lord, it didn't go into what he was thinking or feeling. Instead, the story primarily focused on a bunch of people we'd never heard of before and won't hear from again.

This happens to me about once every five or six years, I hear about some new EU novel that actually sounds like it might have a plot that doesn't sound totally stupid, and which someone I trust claims is "a good one" and I say, allright, I'll let go of all my EU-hating history and give it a fair chance.

What you describe in your quote above is exactly one of the main reasons I've been repeatedly disappointed by those few EU novels I've given that fair chance to in the past. They seem to focus on made up characters from the author's imagination, who I don't care about... a problem partly due to the fact that every EU author I've tried reading has displayed little to no ability to make me care about the new characters they create. And when they bring in the film characters, it never feels true to the "real" versions of those characters established in the films.

Honestly, folks, I didn't start this thread to give myself an excuse to bash on the EU some more. I started it out of an honest desire to give the EU another chance. But it sounds like I've just set myself up for another disappointment. Maybe I'll try again in another five or six years. Or maybe not.

[Rabid Whiphid]

Most of us novel fans love to read about SW so we grab the physical book. Also alot of audio books are abridged so you may miss portions of the story.

At risk of sounding hoity-toity... that's part of what makes it so difficult for me to get any enjoyment out of the EU books. I AM a novel fan. Try reading any quality fiction (Hemingway, Steinbeck, Poe, Dickens, Hammett, Chandler, Nobokov, Lovecraft, James M. Cain, James Ellroy, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, John D. MacDonald... need I go on...) and you'll see what I mean. Once you develop a taste for real fiction writing, it becomes very difficult to enjoy kiddie movie spin-off books anymore, because the hackwork quickly reveals itself.

And yes, when it comes to any kind of book, I prefer to read the physical article, too. I was considering going for the Audiobook format on this one simply because my current job situation doesn't give me much free reading time, and my past experience with EU novels has proven that they aren't worth investing much time in, anyway. I don't like abridged audiobooks either, which is why I'm giving up on this one... almost all of the SW novels I've looked at on iTunes appear to be abridged.

I guess the reason I wanted to give this book a try was (1.) because I was in the mood for an extra dose of Star Wars, (2.) curiosity and (3.) again, because a friend whose opionion I trust (and who usually has many of the same complaints I do about EU novels) recommended it.

[thepepgal]

At risk of sounding hoity-toity... that's part of what makes it so difficult for me to get any enjoyment out of the EU books. I AM a novel fan. Try reading any quality fiction (Hemingway, Steinbeck, Poe, Dickens, Hammett, Chandler, Nobokov, Lovecraft, James M. Cain, James Ellroy, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, John D. MacDonald... need I go on...) and you'll see what I mean. Once you develop a taste for real fiction writing, it becomes very difficult to enjoy kiddie movie spin-off books anymore, because the hackwork quickly reveals itself.

And yes, when it comes to any kind of book, I prefer to read the physical article, too. I was considering going for the Audiobook format on this one simply because my current job situation doesn't give me much free reading time, and my past experience with EU novels has proven that they aren't worth investing much time in, anyway. I don't like abridged audiobooks either, which is why I'm giving up on this one... almost all of the SW novels I've looked at on iTunes appear to be abridged.

I guess the reason I wanted to give this book a try was (1.) because I was in the mood for an extra dose of Star Wars, (2.) curiosity and (3.) again, because a friend whose opionion I trust (and who usually has many of the same complaints I do about EU novels) recommended it.

It is nice to know you love novels. I own over 300 so my author range is varied. I like many authors from Bradbury, Clarke, Crichton, Tolkien, Asimov, Dickens and Verne as well as many of the SW authors like Allston, Anderson, Zahn, Traviss and Stackpole. It depends on my mood. I like to light stuff to relax the mind and escape to the universe far far away.

If you are in the mood for extra dose of SW and want main movie characters dominating the story of recent novel then I would suggest Tattooine Ghost by Troy Denning.

Dark Lord is a darker novel and follows the ROTS story and feel. But to me the title was misleading to the amount Vader was in the story.

But to me from what you post it is probably better if you didn't read any of them.

[Darill Cyllem]

I thought Tatooine Ghost was good as well. Is it the best starting point for the EU, though? I'm not sure. I might reccommend Zahn's Heir to the Empire, though i seem to recall you tried that series, RW, and were unimpressed. Perhaps, like thepepgal says, it's better for you to just enjoy the movies.
And they'd be enough, wouldn't they? :)

[Kam Solusar]

I thought Tatooine Ghost was good as well. Is it the best starting point for the EU, though? I'm not sure. I might reccommend Zahn's Heir to the Empire, though i seem to recall you tried that series, RW, and were unimpressed. Perhaps, like thepepgal says, it's better for you to just enjoy the movies.
And they'd be enough, wouldn't they? :)

Wow, if he was unimpressed by Zahn, I don't think any of the EU novels will fly for him.

Tatooine Ghost was good plotwise, and had lots of nice little moments tying OT and PT together, but the dialogue made me want to throw the book across the room at times.

[Darill Cyllem]

but the dialogue made me want to throw the book across the room at times.

Nothing like that stands out for me in that book... though I can't say the same for all of the EU (*cough* Anderson *cough*).

[Rabid Whiphid]

Like I said above, thanks for the suggestions, guys, (even if the tone of pepgal's posts seemed a little unnecissarily snippy at times...) but I think my most recent 5 year weakness has come and gone.

I should have known better. I was in kindergarten in 1977 when A New Hope came out, so I've been a SW fan from the very beginning, and nothing EU has ever worked for me. Even those childish Han Solo and Lando trilogy novels that came out when I was in elementary school (if I remember correctly)... Being young and a rabid SW fan, I naturally gave them an enthusiastic try and was surprised to find, even at that young age, that they just felt totally off the mark, as if written by people who didn't really know, care about, or understand Han Solo or SW.

Maybe that experience gave me a permanent chip on my shoulder toward the EU. I don't know. Perhaps I'm being biased and unfair. Possibly. But like I said I've given certain EU novels a try here and there in the years since, and they all struck me the same way. They just felt cheezy to me, like obvious quick assignments handed out to obvious hack authors, for the obvious purpose of shaking up some extra profit from liscensing. That's why, when it comes to Star Wars, I've always been a movie-only fan, and I've always said, "if it didn't happen in the movies it doesn't count".

Bottom line, I agree with you guys - I'm much happier to just watch the films and pretend the extraneous junk doesn't exist.

So thanks for the suggestions... and you have my respectful apologies for not taking them, and for any time you may feel was wasted on a discussion that didn't go anywhere... but as far as I'm concerned this thread is done and over. I think I'll go grab my dvds and watch ANH again.

[Sam Kenobi]

If you still happen to read this, which other novels have you read?

[Vesper]

I pretty much agree with you, I'd consider giving Luceno a try, I read Dark Lord and it was okay - there were certainly some elements of literary style in there, some imagery, something I've found lacking in most of the EU novels I've found. It's nothing brilliant though, but I didn't hate most of the original characters, and liked most of them (didn't like the mother element though)

[RollaFett]

I've read Dark Lord and enjoyed it enough. I agree with most assessments, though, in that Vader was not involved enough.
And like RW, I generally stay away from EU as well. Only when something that sounds really cool comes along will I check i out. That, and the novelizations of the films.
I did, however, read the first Zahn trilogy back in the day and really liked it. I'm not sure if I'd like it quite as much now though.

[sithewok]

Its a good book to read, but I'm not sure it would be good in audiobook format though.

[lovelucas]

I'd like to have seen Matt Stover tackle it...

and...I really enjoy Jude Watson - even though she writes SW novels for juniors. Her series on The Last of the Jedi (esp the first one)* captures the very essence of SW for me.

Also enjoy her writing in the Jedi Apprentice series.

*an example is "Death on Naboo" where we learn Padme's grandmother (I think grandmother or grand aunt - I'm at work and can't access the book) is the one who oversaw every detail her grandaughter's funeral but she also "senses" (aha!) that she is going to die that day.... and there is a return to Polis Massa.

and in "Last of the Jedi" we read and know the anguish of Obi Wan's first days on Tatooine.


so..yeah, I love this stuff.

[Darth Massacrus]

a question: has anyone here noticed that more than a few EU novels make heavy reference to EU comics and the events that take place in previously published EU novels? You know, Rogue Squadron/X-Wing, anything by Kevin J. Anderson, and so forth. Does this enhance the reading experience for fans who understand the references, or does it confuse those who have'nt had the backstory of EU events? An example of this would be the Luceno novel Labyrinth of Evil, which an EU fan with broad knowledge base would admire for it's many EU references, but might confuse somone who is new to the EU or has only seen films (btw, I would recommend it to ANY SW fan, regardless). If anyone else has noticed this, I'd love to know.

[Master Magnus]

a question: has anyone here noticed that more than a few EU novels make heavy reference to EU comics and the events that take place in previously published EU novels? You know, Rogue Squadron/X-Wing, anything by Kevin J. Anderson, and so forth. Does this enhance the reading experience for fans who understand the references, or does it confuse those who have'nt had the backstory of EU events? An example of this would be the Luceno novel Labyrinth of Evil, which an EU fan with broad knowledge base would admire for it's many EU references, but might confuse somone who is new to the EU or has only seen films (btw, I would recommend it to ANY SW fan, regardless). If anyone else has noticed this, I'd love to know.
Absolutely. There is an official continuity for the movies+the EU (maintained by Lucasfilm) so it's nothing strange that there are references to other events etc. in the Star Wars universe.

[eddie]

That's what makes this universe so darn enjoyable!!!! (at least to me!!!)

[Nightvision90]

Dark Lord Rising is a great book for any EU fans. I havent picked up the audio version but I dont think it would have background music