# Zahn's thrawn trilogy: Worth it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 24, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307 "2005-05-24T18:47:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/1 "2005-05-24T18:47:34Z")
Summer’s coming up and in a recent thread, somebody mentioned the books of Timothy Zahn, as well as a plot synopsis. Being in a Star Wars mood recently, I must ask. Are the Zahn books worth the time and effort? I’ve never read any star wars fiction so I don’t have anything to compare them to, but I know not to expect literary masterpieces, but hopfully something interesting and entertaining and well-written. Thoughts? Comments? ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/2 "2005-05-24T18:54:06Z")
I read the trilogy once, in the 1990s, for about twenty minutes. Or maybe it took me a little longer than that. It was a decent read. Far better than some of the atrocious books that followed, but nowhere near the caliber of a Hugo or Nebula winner. It entertained me and the dialogue surpassed anything from the movies, and I’d recommend reading them if you’re in such a mood. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/3 "2005-05-24T18:54:41Z")
Well, this is just one fanboy’s opinion, but I liked them. Thrawn was a more capable villain than I thought he would be. They’re a fun read. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/4 "2005-05-24T18:55:51Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Summer’s coming up and in a recent thread, somebody mentioned the books of Timothy Zahn, as well as a plot synopsis. > > Being in a Star Wars mood recently, I must ask. > > Are the Zahn books worth the time and effort? I’ve never read any star wars fiction so I don’t have anything to compare them to, but I know not to expect literary masterpieces, but hopfully something interesting and entertaining and well-written. > > Thoughts? Comments? Well, some things from ROTS invalidate some stuff from Zahn’s trilogy but they’re still enjoyable books. It’s kind of a refreshing change to have an enemy that’s a supergenius rather than a psychotic, drooling lightsaber swinger. Just whatever you do, don’t read _The Crystal Star_. I have a rather huge tolerance for crap but that one was beyond me. Personally, I’d recommed avoiding anything by KJ Anderson who is both a terrible writer and a whining little chump. -Joe ---
**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:** [May 24, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/5 "2005-05-24T18:59:18Z")
Read them. They’re a good summer read, reasonably well-told. Good characters, interesting plotting, great bad guy(s), and generally worth your time. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/6 "2005-05-24T19:39:54Z")
While the books were well-written, Zahn’s plot was cliched. It was just cliched in a totally different way from other Star Wars books. Aside from that, his depiction of “the supergenius” was silly. ---
**Author:** ![SlyFrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@SlyFrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlyFrog)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/7 "2005-05-24T20:03:20Z")
They are mediocre. Read them if you have no other books, or the books you have are of the Dan Brown level of authorship. ---
**Author:** ![AmericanMaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@AmericanMaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanMaid)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/8 "2005-05-24T20:03:29Z")
I loved the Thrawn trilogy. Zahn’s dialogue and building of new worlds seamlessly fit into the Star Wars universe in my head. Plus, he introduced several integral and cool characters: Mara Jade and Talon Karde. I agree with Merijeek, Crystal Star was horrendous. Avoid at all costs. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/9 "2005-05-24T20:08:32Z")
> [@SlyFrog](#): > > They are mediocre. Read them if you have no other books, or the books you have are of the Dan Brown level of authorship. I’d agree with that. A few years back, I decided I was being a book snob by sneering at all these Star Wars books as being beneath me. So after some research, I found that the consensus was that these were the best of the lot, and read them. I found them just barely readable. I guess I’m a book snob after all. YMM, of course, V. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/10 "2005-05-24T20:12:07Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Well, some things from ROTS invalidate some stuff from Zahn’s trilogy but they’re still enjoyable books. That’s okay. I haven’t seen ROTS yet. It’ll probably be a while before I do(I’m waiting till it hits the local theater pubs). > [@Merijeek](#): > > Personally, I’d recommed avoiding anything by KJ Anderson who is both a terrible writer and a whining little chump. > > -Joe KJ Anderson? Of the Dune prequels fame? Not a problem. I already have a death wish againest him for those. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/11 "2005-05-24T20:26:34Z")
Mara Jade is as close as you can come to a full canon character outside of the movies. She’s shown up in video games, action figures, and other novelizations. That said, yes, I think they’re worth it. Worth it enough to be the ‘real’ 7-9. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/12 "2005-05-24T21:12:09Z")
I would have to say that of the EU novels I’ve read, the Thrawn trilogy was the best of the lot. Thrawn is a cool villian, mostly because he’s not _eeeeevvvvviiiiillllllllllllll_. He’s intelligent, believes in the Empire as an ideal that could have worked if it had been governed with the Good of the Emipire in mind rather than the personal ambitions and greed of the people who actual ran it, thinks Darth Vader was a schmuck, and runs his military campaign using _The Art of War_ or its SWU equivalent as a textbook. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/13 "2005-05-24T21:27:20Z")
The big problem I have with Thrawn is that his plans require his enemies to be idiots (fortunately, they are) and his little trick of pretending to read averythig about a culture or race by looking at a few art peices. And Joruus C’Boath was just silly. ---
**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:** [May 24, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/14 "2005-05-24T21:33:44Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > And Joruus C’Boath was just silly. No more so than 98% of the characters Lucas created. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/15 "2005-05-24T22:47:43Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > KJ Anderson? Of the Dune prequels fame? Not a problem. I already have a death wish againest him for those. KJA(whining): But I’ve won several major awaaaaards… Note that is his standard response to **everything** , including, presumably, when his wife complains that he left the toilet seat up. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/16 "2005-05-25T05:00:12Z")
I really liked them when I read them (of course, that was back in junior high school, so I might not feel the same way now.) Thrawn’s a great character. I didn’t like the ending, but you can’t have everything. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/17 "2005-05-25T06:39:21Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Are the Zahn books worth the time and effort? I’ve never read any star wars fiction so I don’t have anything to compare them to, but I know not to expect literary masterpieces, but hopfully something interesting and entertaining and well-written. I thought they were worth it back when I was still in high school but I’m not sure what I’d think now. What I do know is that Thrawn’s method of discerning the weakness of entire races is weak in the extreme. He examines their art and based on that gains insight into how they can be best defeated. Marc ---
**Author:** ![AmericanMaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@AmericanMaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanMaid)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/18 "2005-05-25T13:09:17Z")
The Noghri were also a welcome addition to the Star Wars universe. Who wouldn’t love creepy little alien killers with needle teeth who worship Darth Vader? ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zahns-thrawn-trilogy-worth-it/305307/19 "2005-05-25T13:26:57Z")
I started the first one when it was released in the early nineties but didn’t finish because I thought it was really stipid. After the first prequel, I picked it up again and was startled (and a little chagrined) to find how much better it and its sequels were than _The Phantom Menace_. All in all, a fun read. Star Wars novels are good vacation books.