[Mithfânion]

Can anyone recommend me a good place to start with the Star Wars series? I heard Stover's Traitor was a very good recent one. I'm not very interested in the characters of the origial trilogy btw, but perhaps if there were new characters in novels from before or after that time, with new enemies and new concepts of the Force, I'd be interested in taking a peak at it.

Anything I should definitly stay clear off?

[DrBloodmoney1]

Yes, Stover's traitor is an excellent addition to the Star Wars Universe but it is not the proper place to start. It is right in the middle of the New Jedi Order Series so you would probably be a little lost. Start at the beginning of that series with Vector Prime by Salvatore. DrB

[Warewolf]

Mith, most of the books star the characters from the original trilogy, even the New Jedi Order ones, albeit with new characters as well. It will be difficult to find anything without them unless you read the ones that are being published that take place in the prequel era.

[Rob B]

Well for starters, you can check the following topics in the Science Fiction section, where this topic now resides.
The New Jedi Order (http://www.sffworld.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4599)
Star Wars (http://www.sffworld.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2881)

It's tough to avoid the original characters, but the New Jedi Order introduces new characters while still continuing the story of the original characters.

Also, Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy, which comprised of Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command is a good start. Yes it has all the characters from the films, but introduces a new villain and many credit this series with revitalizing the SW franchise. Good, entertaining reads at that.

Also, the Dark Empire graphic novel/comic book is pretty good, again though contains the original characters but some cool stuff on the force, IIRC.

[jbcohen]

Is Star Wars Sci-Fi or Fantasy? I think it might be fantasy becuase of the Force?

[Mithfânion]

I posted it in Fantasy because that is where the most people come, plain and simple :)

It has elements of both genres, obviously.

Warewolf and others

I think the NJO series is what I'm looking for. I don't mind seeing a bit of the old characters, I just don't want them to be the main focus, and I've been made to understand that NJO has lots of new ones. I may read Zahn's work later on, but I think I'll start with Stackpole's Dark Tide: Onslaught, thereby avoiding Vector Prime as the first book of the New Jedi Order series.

I'll try to read them in order, but the books by Keyes and Stover are what I'm most interested in.

[Twelve]

Originally posted by FitzFlagg

Also, Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy, which comprised of Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command is a good start. Yes it has all the characters from the films, but introduces a new villain and many credit this series with revitalizing the SW franchise. Good, entertaining reads at that.



Ditto. As a matter of fact, in my opinion as a Star Wars fan, there has never been a Star Wars book that matched the quality of this series. Here, Zahn is able to make a villain that is every bit as credible and scary as Darth Vader ever was.

12

[Rob B]

Originally posted by jbcohen
Is Star Wars Sci-Fi or Fantasy? I think it might be fantasy becuase of the Force?

Whoa boy, jb, we've tread that treacherous trail, times too many to count, with quite a few folks agreeing to disagree.

Seriously though it's got elements of both.
Space Opera is probably the best categorization. Or Science Fiction with Fantasy aspects.

Mithf, why avoiding Vector Prime, which is actually the first book in the saga? (I actually thought it was better than his Forgotten Realms stuff)

[Mithfânion]

Because it's been universally condemned?

I heard so many bad things about it, not to mention that I know something about what else Salvatore has done (and this being described as one of his worst) that I figured I'd skip it.

[fluffy bunny]

I'd say read Zahn's Thrawn trilogy (not sure if it's called that though), and skip most of the rest.