By Lawrence Davis
The Star Wars Expanded Universe is very large and continuing to expand. Many key moments in the EU happen in the hardcover and paperback books. But with so many books, from children’s stories to adult fiction, where does one new to the books start?
Several different places and ways to start are an option. You could start by reading the books (1) in chronological order starting with Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, (2) where Return of the Jedi leaves off with The Truce at Bakura or even Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, (3) where the stories are currently with the Fate of the Jedi series, or (4) you could start with the books that kicked off the Expanded Universe once more in the 1990′s with Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy.
But which of these places is the best to start at? To be honest, I highly discourage just jumping into the Legacy of the Force series or any of the current running series. Chronological order may be a great place, but new books are coming out every year and occur at many different time periods. An example could be the soon to be released Darth Bane: Rule of Two (Sith Era) and Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor (Republic Era); this is a similar problem that occurs if you start where Return of the Jedi leaves off.
So it seems the place to start is with the Thrawn trilogy. These books revived the Expanded Universe at the start of the 1990s; this isn’t where I started although this is the place I always recommend for new readers to the Expanded Universe books. The Thrawn trilogy is a great bridge between the story in the original trilogy films and the introduction of new characters such as Talon Karrade, Mara Jade, Captain Pellaeon, and Grand Admiral Thrawn. You also see the evolution of the characters from the movies such as Han and Leia being married and expecting.
Heir to the Empire is an excellent spot to start following ROTJ
However, like I said, this isn’t where I started. I started with the X-wing series by Michael A. Stockpole and Aaron Allston. I started with these books because I had one sitting on my bookshelf and just decided to check it out. I avoided the books with Luke, Leia, and Han because I feared what had become of them from the movies, but this fear turned out to be the reverse.
The X-Wing series is where Lawrence's journey began
After reading the X-wing series, I didn’t have any other books to read that didn’t involve the movies’ heroes. So, one day out of nowhere, I walked into a bookstore and grabbed the New Jedi Order book Edge of Victory I: Conquest. I decided on purchasing the book because it dealt with the youngest Solo child, Anakin Solo; I decided to at least give him a shot to see how he was.
I loved the book, the character, and quickly expanded out to read all the other New Jedi Order books, which introduced me to both the characters from the movies as well as a large collection of new characters. The only problem with jumping in there was those were the new books coming out. But between the releases of the new books, I had plenty of time to read most of the books up to the New Jedi Order; some which I really enjoyed and others I may never read again.
When considering where to jump in, read the descriptions of books and see which appeals to you, which is what got me to purchase Conquest. Is there a certain period that sparks your interest like the New Jedi Order? Is there a character you loved in the movie and would like to see more of like Wedge Antilles? Or do you want a story that helps explain blanks in the movies like Labyrinth of Evil? Just read through descriptions and reviews until something stands out to you.
I always recommend the Thrawn trilogy as a great starting point since it did start it all. I also recommend getting hold of the Star Wars:Essential Chronology book and reading through it; it is written like a history book and some moments in it may get you all excited and want to check those books out. The older edition actually has a list of which books the chronology sections come from for those looking for a specific event.
The Essential Guide to Chronology is perfect for those wondering what happened when
Welcome to the Star Wars Expanded Universe of books, and enjoy the events that continue before and after the movies, all based on the galaxy far, far away.
