TighFighter's Expanded Universe Crash Couse

Television, Movies Games and Books Star Wars
#1

I promised a few folks a list of the Star Wars Novels. I might make a list for Comics and Video Games if anyone is interested. I will list each book separated into ERA and in chronological order. I will give a rating of either Recommend,Optional,Skip, or Haven’t Read.

Old Republic Era

Darth Bane: Path of Destruction (Recommend)
Darth Bane: Rule of Two (Recommend)

Rise of the Empire

Legacy of the Jedi:Young Adult (Optional)
Jedi Apprentice:Young Adult Series
1-18, Special Edition 1,2 (Optional)
Secrets of the Jedi:Young Adult (Optional)
Cloak of Deception (Recommend)
Darth Maul:Saboteur E-book (Recommend)
Darth Maul:Shadow Hunter (Recommend)
The Phantom Menace:Episode 1 (Optional)
Rogue Planet (Skip)
*You may want to read this for the major New Jedi Order connection
Jedi Quest:Young Adult Series
1-11 (Optional)
Outbound Flight (Recommend)
The Approaching Storm (Optional)

The Clone Wars

Attack of the Clones:Episode 2 (Optional)
Republic Commando Series
1-4 (Recommend)
Boba Fett :Young Adult Series
1-6 (Recommend)
Shatterpoint (Recommend)
The Cestus Deception (Optional)
The Hive:E-book (Optional)
MedStar Duology
1,2 (Optional)
Jedi Trial (Recommend)
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous (Recommend)
Labyrinth of Evil (Recommend)
Revenge of the Sith:Episode 3 (Recommend)

Imperial

Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Recommend)
Last of the Jedi:Young Adult Series
1-11 (Haven’t Read)
The Han Solo Trilogy (Recommend)
The Adventures of Lando Calrissian Trilogy (Optional)
The Han Solo Adventures Trilogy (Optional)
Dark Forces:Soldier for the Empire (Recommend)

Rebellion

Death Star (Haven’t Read)
A New Hope (Optional)
Allegiance (Haven’t Read)
Star Wars Galaxies:The Ruins of Dantooine (Haven’t Read)
Splinter of the Mind’s Eye (Optional)
The Empire Strikes Back:Episode 5 (Optional)
Shadows of the Empire (Recommend)
Return of the Jedi:Episode 6 (Optional)
The Bounty Hunter Wars Trilogy (Skip)
*If you’re a huge Boba Fett fan, like me, it’s worth a read.
The Truce at Bakura (Optional)

New Republic

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor (Haven’t Read)
Dark Forces: Rebel Agent (Recommend)
Dark Forces: Jedi Knight (Recommend)
X-Wing Series
1-9 (Recommend)
The Courtship of Princess Leia (Recommend)
Tatooine Ghost (Recommend)
A Forest Apart E-book (Recommend)
The Thrawn Trilogy (Recommend)
Jedi Academy Trilogy (Recommend)
I,Jedi (Recommend)
Children of the Jedi (Optional)
Darksaber (Recommend)
Planet of Twilight (Skip)
*Though, if you read Children of the Jedi you might want to read this one to get a resolution for Callista.
The Crystal Star (Skip)
The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy (Skip)

  • I’m torn on this series. There are parts I love, yet there are other parts that had me scratching my head.
    The New Rebellion (Optional)
    The Corellian Trilogy (Recommend)
    The Hand of Thrawn Duology (Recommend)
    Fool’s Bargain E-book (Recommend)
    Survivor’s Quest (Recommend)
    Junior Jedi Knights:Young Adult Series
    1-6 (Optional)
    Young Jedi Knights: Young Adult Series
    1-14 (Recomend)
    *This Young Adult series is for more mature teens unlike the others.

New Jedi Order

Boba Fett: A Practical Man E-Book (Recommend)
NJO Series
1-19 (Highly Recommend)
*This series was a turning point in post ROTJ storytelling. Basically Geroge Lucas decided he wasn’t gong to make Episode 7-9 and let his publishing group go to town and practically do whatever they wanted to do with the main characters. Before this series there was always a sense that the mains would turn out ok in the end of a book. That changed with this series’ long story.

I should also mention that there are a number of NJO E-books and short stories in addition to the main story. I think you can find most of the e-books within the NJO paperbacks.

Dark Nest Trilogy (Haven’t Read)

Legacy
Legacy of the Force Series
1-9 (Haven’t Read)

Anthologies
Tales from Jabba’s Palace (Optional)
Tales from the Empire (Recommend)
Tales from Mos Eisley (Optional)
Tales from the New Republic (Recommend)
Tales of the Bounty Hunters (Optional)

Addendum

The New Essential Guide to Chronology
*For the quickest crash course on the EU pick up this book, or any of the Essential Guides for that matter. The New Essential Guides have the most up to date information.

#2

Thanks for that TighFighter. I’ve been wondering where to start/what’s where, and this helps !

#3

No problem. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

#4

LOL. Good advice. It took me about three months just to force my way through Children of the Jedi. As a lover of the EU, I totally agree with your recommendations. Nice list!

#5

I agree (mostly ) as well. I ahven’t had a chance to read the Darth Bane books but I’ve been told many times they’re fantastic.

This is my only opposition:

Children of the Jedi (Optional)
Darksaber (Recommend)
Planet of Twilight (Skip)
*Though, if you read Children of the Jedi you might want to read this one to get a resolution for Callista.
The Crystal Star (Skip)
The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy (Skip)

  • I’m torn on this series. There are parts I love, yet there are other parts that had me scratching my head.

In my eyes you can skip everything in that block. I mean Callista, well I wanted her dead from the moment she was introduced. Crystal Star is the only book in the series I couldn’t even force myself to finish. And Planet of Twilight wasn’t any better.

Now for the end of your list:

Dark Nest trilogy (avoid at all costs)- unless you really want to know what happened to Lomi Plo and Raynar Thul from NJO. Other than that it’s much less painful to read they synopsis on Wookiepedia. *** adendum to that, there is a very important plot point in this series that will be carried over to the Legacy of the Force series and it’s really important.

Legacy of the Force series - (highly recomend). It’s a fantastic series (even the parts that no one really cared about are pretty decent) and to illustrate that, one of the main characters in the series is Boba Fett! If you liked the dark undertones of NJO then read this one!

#6

In my eyes you can skip everything in that block. I mean Callista, well I wanted her dead from the moment she was introduced. Crystal Star is the only book in the series I couldn’t even force myself to finish. And Planet of Twilight wasn’t any better.

You can’t pass up Darksaber. Anything by Kevin J. Anderson is gold. I liked the concept of the Eye of Palpatine in Children of the Jedi. That’s why I gave it an optional rating. Just treat Callista like the JarJar of the novels. Ignore her and you can enjoy the rest.

#7

New Jedi Order Fan Trailer.

//youtu.be/8_LULTDGJ60

#8

How about the Clone Wars cartoon? I really like those.

#9

Are the cartoons considered Expanded Universe? Yes. All the television projects are considered EU. This includes Ewoks cartoon series, Droids cartoon series, Clone Wars series (Both the orginal and the new one coming out soon), and the Ewok movies.

The only exception is the Star Wars Holiday Special. George Lucas doesn’t want to touch that with a ten foot pole. It’s worth at least one viewing if you’ve never seen it.

If you liked the original Clone Wars cartoons. There are a few comics done in the same animation style out there.

#10

There are some really good Clone Wars comics out there that are very much like the mini series that were on.

Yeah Tigh, I’ll give you some credit for KJA. He is a good writer and he does add lots of good stuff to the plot/cannon. Okay, Darksaber stays. :smiley:

#11

Frakin-A I’m right. :stuck_out_tongue: KJA co-wrote arguably the best Star Wars comic series TOTJ: Dark Lords of the Sith and The Sith War

#12

//youtu.be/paAaPv_trVU

#13

I forgot about that fan trailer. Heh, it was funny when that trailer came out just b4 the clone wars new trailer. Everyone thought it was real. I wish it was. An animated series in the new republic era would rock.

#14

Yeah it would be pretty sweet.

#15

So, due to the Star Wars podcast arc I am officially going to dive into the extended universe.

Wiki has an excellent reference to use in this conversation, Link.

Thank you TighFighter for starting this thread…I have gone back and edited my subsequent post as it was clearly redundant.

#16

Not big on the Star Wars EU but I have read the Trawn triology. And some other stuff with Han and Leia’s kids. I don’t know what titles they were - the hub left them in the “library” and I read them. There’s a jillion more on the bookshelves but I’m currently engrossed in my latest XMen and the last Y: The Last Man trade paperback and everything else is on hold for a day or so!

#17

I’m far from being a maven on the EU, I’ve only read a handful of novels, but from what I’ve heard and seen, no other work has created a greater buzz in the EU than the Thrawn trilogy.

#18

Thank You So Much! You’ve answered exactly the question I’ve been wondering which is “What to read after I finishing re-reading the Thrawn Trilogy?”. (The Thrawn Trilogy is the only EU stuff I’ve read–and that was maybe 10 years ago.)
Sounds like the Jedi Academy Trilogy is next up for me.

#19

Hmm…from a few reviews I have read the “Jedi Academy” trilogy gets panned. I am starting to wonder if I simply leap to Legacy.

#20

I have read about 90% of all SW books and comics. This includes the Prequels. I’ve been reading these books since I was in second grade.