Post by Darth Kairos on Oct 25, 2015 3:13:41 GMT
The Star Wars Legends continuity is expansive, dense, and honestly a bit convoluted. This can make it quite difficult for new readers to know where to start. If you're interested in brushing up on your Legends continuity - which our metaplot takes place in - to better understand the universe or to add some additional depth and Star Wars feeling to your GMing, we have a short recommended reading list for you to consider. There are many books, comics, and games in the old expanded universe, but these novels should help you get started:
The Thrawn Trilogy: Arguably the quintessential EU publication, the Thrawn Trilogy revived the failing Star Wars brand the early 90s and introduced a huge number of characters and concepts that were not only used throughout the entire Legends continuity, but have been carried through to the new Disney canon as well. For any interested reader Heir to the Empire, the first book in the series, should be your first stop.
Darth Plagueis: Darth Plagueis had the benefit of being one of the last published books in the EU, meaning it was able to incorporate all of the content that came before. In the process of chronicling the life of Palpatine's master Plagueis and Palpatine's own rise to power, the novel also provides an excellent summary of Sith history, philosophy, and teachings, packaged in what is easily one of the better novels the old EU produced. If you're looking for details on the Sith, Plagueis is an excellent and easy entry point. If you're looking for a more comprehensive compilation of Sith Lore, you might want to try the Book of Sith.
X-Wing: All of the X-Wing novels, starting with Rogue Squadron, by Mike Stackpole and Aaron Allston, provide a much more boots-on-the-ground feeling of the Star Wars EU, giving a much better sense of what it's like to be a citizen of the galaxy than many of the other stories. Lots of little aspects of daily life crop up throughout the series, and it's got plenty of legendary starfighter action to keep you engrossed. You certainly don't need to read them all, but any one of them will give a very good sense of what life in the galaxy is like.
Revenge of the Sith (novelization): Written by Matt Stover, the novelization is often argued to be better than the film itself. This won't provide much essential lore, but it is an extremely well-written novel that truly makes Anakin's fall tragic, and injects a great deal of subtlety and nuance into the movie's story.
For additional reading you may also wish to consider the Essential Reader's Companion, a compendium of the various Star Wars stories and novels with summaries of events, books, comics, games, arcs, and characters, as well as some excellent illustrations, covering every single published Star Wars Legends story except for the very last (Crucible).
The Thrawn Trilogy: Arguably the quintessential EU publication, the Thrawn Trilogy revived the failing Star Wars brand the early 90s and introduced a huge number of characters and concepts that were not only used throughout the entire Legends continuity, but have been carried through to the new Disney canon as well. For any interested reader Heir to the Empire, the first book in the series, should be your first stop.
Darth Plagueis: Darth Plagueis had the benefit of being one of the last published books in the EU, meaning it was able to incorporate all of the content that came before. In the process of chronicling the life of Palpatine's master Plagueis and Palpatine's own rise to power, the novel also provides an excellent summary of Sith history, philosophy, and teachings, packaged in what is easily one of the better novels the old EU produced. If you're looking for details on the Sith, Plagueis is an excellent and easy entry point. If you're looking for a more comprehensive compilation of Sith Lore, you might want to try the Book of Sith.
X-Wing: All of the X-Wing novels, starting with Rogue Squadron, by Mike Stackpole and Aaron Allston, provide a much more boots-on-the-ground feeling of the Star Wars EU, giving a much better sense of what it's like to be a citizen of the galaxy than many of the other stories. Lots of little aspects of daily life crop up throughout the series, and it's got plenty of legendary starfighter action to keep you engrossed. You certainly don't need to read them all, but any one of them will give a very good sense of what life in the galaxy is like.
Revenge of the Sith (novelization): Written by Matt Stover, the novelization is often argued to be better than the film itself. This won't provide much essential lore, but it is an extremely well-written novel that truly makes Anakin's fall tragic, and injects a great deal of subtlety and nuance into the movie's story.
For additional reading you may also wish to consider the Essential Reader's Companion, a compendium of the various Star Wars stories and novels with summaries of events, books, comics, games, arcs, and characters, as well as some excellent illustrations, covering every single published Star Wars Legends story except for the very last (Crucible).