# what "Star Wars" books are worth reading?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-star-wars-books-are-worth-reading/282169>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 30, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-star-wars-books-are-worth-reading/282169 "2004-12-30T00:06:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-star-wars-books-are-worth-reading/282169/1 "2004-12-30T00:06:45Z")

</div>

I hate bad writing, especially bad franchise writing. Are any of the “Star Wars” extended universe novels worth reading?

I recently got the DVD set and have rediscovered my youthful enthusiasm for the cosmology of the SW universe. I loved reading the schlocky Han Solo novels like “han solo and the lost legacy” and “Splinter of the Mind’s eye” back in the eighties. I know a million have been written since.

What’s good? What’s closest in spirit to the films?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-star-wars-books-are-worth-reading/282169/2 "2004-12-30T00:13:42Z")

</div>

Definately read **Timothy Zahn’s** books. They take place right after the fall of the Empire. They are, in order:

_Heir To The Empire  
Dark Force Rising  
The Last Command  
Specter of the Past  
Vision of the Future_

They are, AFAIK, canon. They are also excellent reads. Thrawn is a marvelous character, and you get some more back story on Vader, too. 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-star-wars-books-are-worth-reading/282169/3 "2004-12-30T00:19:34Z")

</div>

For the prequel era, try _Shatterpoint_ by Matthew Stover. Post ROTJ, the _X-Wing_ series is a must, especially the ones by Aaron Allston.

YUB YUB COMMANDER!!!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-star-wars-books-are-worth-reading/282169/4 "2004-12-30T02:32:22Z")

</div>

I second **silenus’** recommendation of the Timothy Zahn books, especially the first three (the Heir to the Empire trilogy), for I haven’t read the last two.