Star Wars Expanded Universe Primer: Official Discussion

[Nathan Butler]

To accompany the Star Wars Timeline Gold, check out the Star Wars Expanded Universe Primer podcast!

http://www.starwarsfanworks.com/euprimer.html

[Zarm R'keeg]

Sounds like fun!

[Zarm R'keeg]

Having just finished the first part, I can honestly say... WOW! That's the first time the whole KOTOR/Old Republic time period has actually made sense to me, especially in relation to itself. I'm surprised to say that, despite my gripes against it, it sounds as if the new MMORPG might not be TOO awkward a fit into the continuity . I'm looking forward to listening to the rest!

What I was surprised to learn (and yes, I rather arrogantly assumed at the outset that I wouldn't learn anything from a simple primer on the EU... ):
-The relatively open-ended KOTOR ending (having never played the 2nd game) leaving room for a potentially awesome Unknown-Regions-based 3rd.
-The storyline of the KOTOR comics (having only read the 1st volume) and what the identities of Revan and Malak turned out to be
-That the new MMORPG storyline, while definitely gimmicky (a split-ruled galaxy? ) is not actually so stupid or gimmicky as I thought it would have to be in order to throw another Sith War story into KOTOR continuity.

[leandar]

I'm on part four and I'm really enjoying the files.

[Nathan Butler]

I figure 1 and 5 will be of most interest to those not really into EU already, while 2, 3, and 4 spend an inordinate amount of time recapping the films to make it all link together. But, y'know . . .

[Darth_Corndog]

I live in insane jealousy.

Nathan does a primer for Star Wars Eu covering 25,000 years, give or take a century, and it's in total about an hour forty long.

I'm about to drop a primer for a project that is also around an hour forty long... and only covers about twenty years.

Mad crammin skillz, you has `dem.

Seriously, I listened to all five of these today and was really, really impressed. Andrew's right, the KOTOR era is a vast morass of ret-conned plot points and vague mentionings almost as fluid as the Clone Wars era has become. You managed to cut through it all nicely, while not bogging down.

As for "re-telling" the movies Don't worry about it. It didn't bog either.

[Zarm R'keeg]

Great series, Nathan! I agree, I enjoyed your 're-telling' of the films, and now I am very interested to begin the Fate of the Jedi series! Despite one clearly oversighted omission (as you neglected to mention any of Han Solo's adventures with Jaxxon, which are clearly crucial to understanding the rest of the events of the EU... ), it was a lot of fun, and quite educational- making all of the pieces 'fit' much better than they ever did for me before.

[KadeBendu]

Nathan,

Very nicely done. I downloaded and listened to parts 3 and 4, which are the parts of Star Wars history that most interest me. Your recap of the movies was thorough but concise. As you reviewed events, it was nice that you would mention tie-ins to past and future events. If your objective was to provide sound footing for an otherwise lost EU "beginner," I think you accomplished it.

I would've liked to have heard a more broad treatment of the Zahn trilogy. It arguably remains the single most influential piece of media on the Star Wars universe (second only to the movies), and by my reckoning still stands as the ultimate standard of Star Wars literary quality.

Again, nice work,
Kade

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Wait! What the crap! Why the heck didn't I know about this. Son of a fleeting honey-willow bear! With that said, just finished the last episode Awesome series, Nathan! More comments to come but I've got some work I have to get done.

[Darth_Corndog]

... Son of a fleeting honey-willow bear!

Watch that language Joe, there are women and children present.