I've always appreciated the Star Wars universe for its vastness. Not only is their galaxy teeming with worlds that each have an individual story, but the lore itself also spans thousands of years. A number of times I've found myself careening down a very deep Wookiepedia hole reading random articles on obscure subjects compiled from the films, books, and comics. This, of course, fueled a desire within me to go out and find some of those actual books and read them instead of somebody else's cheap synopsis. A burning curiosity filled me, along with a burning hatred.
When George Lucas thought up Star Wars, he didn't write it one movie at a time. He came up with a whole opera. He had an expansive story in mind and even a continuation in mind when he sold it to Disney. Disney threw all of that away. They even went to far as disowning other existing media like iconic video games and books out of the canon. I guess none of that ever happened. When the first installment of the new trilogy was released, it was generally loved even by me. That was until I realized it was only a carbon copy of Lucas' first film. It seemed to me like Disney had tried to boil down Star Wars into what they thought would be a successful formula and played on our nostalgia. Maybe this could have been forgivable, but they didn't really redeem themselves after that.
The new Disney Star Wars story seemed wishy-washy. At first it seemed to be going one way then suddenly giving up and turning on its heels. There was no clear direction. It became clear that they had no solid story in mind, as George Lucas did. Disney was simply catering to what they thought we wanted to see in order to make the most money. When there was backlash from fans online, it was like they read those comments and then rushed to revise their plan. Completely unconvinced and disillusioned with the new main installments, I decided to look elsewhere.
My search for Star Wars "Legends" books, stories that are not considered canon, was not fruitful but all the more serious. I never succeeded in finding anything at thrift stores. There wasn't so much as a Sci-Fi section even in those stores with a large collection of old books. Apparently people, people like me, just don't donate these types of books. Or perhaps they do and just get snatched up almost immediately? In my younger years, I recall wanting to ridicule a classmate for reading a novelized version of Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. I ended up becoming his friend but the joke is on me because I'm almost certain he owns the books I want and more.
I hadn't lucked out in my great search until only recently. I visited an antique mall with hundreds of individual lots owned by different people. It was so large that after three hours of perusing I still hadn't finished but the mall was near closing so I went home tired and empty-handed. It wasn't until a subsequent visit that I discovered one particular lot full to the brim with Star Wars literature. Its many shelves reminded me of a small library. There was so much content there that I felt overwhelmed. Titles like Darksaber, X-Wing: Rogue Squadron, and Showdown at Centerpoint caught my attention. I didn't know what to take but that the same time wanted it all.
After consulting the wiki, I learned that what I was looking for was a 19-book series called The New Jedi Order. Somehow, I was lucky enough to find book one, Vector Prime, along with several others on the bottom of one shelf. Vector Prime was yellowed and its spine heavily creased. This first edition was released in the year 2000. I carried it to the cashier in my arms like a fragile plant and she asked me, "Do you like to read?" I was thinking of replying something along the lines of, No, it's for my fireplace, but opted for something much less sarcastic.
This story begins in 25 ABY, or 25 years after the Battle of Yavin. They still feature iconic characters like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and even little R2-D2. In this series, the New Republic, only recently having made peace with the Imperial Remnant, now faces a new threat: cruel extragalactic invaders in search of a new home and bent on clearing out any and all infidels. Their reliance on purely biological technology and weapons challenges even the jedi, who now number only about a hundred, and whose Force abilities are somewhat limited against.
These are the books I've finished. So far, these first four have been incredible. The varying authors have similar styles. They transition seamlessly and I'm glad that there is no stark difference from book to book. It's taken me a while this far, since hunting for the books is almost just as exciting as the tales within. I've been able to find some originals, which are the ones that do not have "Legends" emblazoned across the top. Back in their day they were still considered canon. I've discovered an old book store near the mall where I can order some of the books that I've been missing. It's a quaint little shop with an older gentleman who always thanks me for stopping by. I still consider getting the books this way as cheating in my hunt but it is still better than ordering them from Amazon or something. The ordered books are in much better condition though and are also branded "Disney" on the back.
Soon I must resume my hunt. I have one more yet to read but it is book 6 and I'm missing book 5: Agents of Chaos II. Aren't the covers intriguing? I had to search up what the cover of Dark Tide II was depicting since I didn't really remember anything of the sort. According to the Wookiepedia, again a great resource, Michael Stackpole was originally going to author a third Dark Tide novel but it got cut and parts were condensed into the second. It depicts an orbital station in Imperial Space which Ambassador Leia Organa Solo briefly visits to request military aide which was supposed to be attacked by the invaders in the cut content. The article also shared slightly differing cover arts for the different international releases, which I found interesting. Mostly, though, I use the database to look up small details like what certain mentioned aliens specifically look like. That way, I feel much more immersed.
I don't know what I'll read after I finish this long series. If I stick to the Star Wars universe, there is almost no end. There are plenty of series both near the Clone Wars era and the Imperial era. I will probably stick to the latter as sometimes the characters in my books allude to recent past events which I really want to read about. Hopefully I will soon.
Thanks for reading!