So I read Truce at Bakurra and then Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. The book timeline I have printed out has the X-wing series followed by the Courtship of Princess Leia and then Tatooine Ghost. Then the Thrawn Trilogy follows after those. My question is: Is is necessary for me to read the seemingly long X-wing series to keep track of the stories or follow the history? Will I be missing anything crucial to the EU by not reading the X-wing series and skipping to The Courtship of Princess Leia and Tatooine Ghost?

Not really; the Wraith Squadron segment of the X-wing series gives you some backstory (written well after the fact) on the Warlord Zsinj stuff from Courtship of Princess Leia (Han working with the Wraiths to track him down). I never read Courtship, but after finishing the Wraith books I kinda wanted to, just to see Zsinj's downfall.

 

HOWEVER, the X-wing books are great reads. Lots of fun, focusing on Wedge Antilles, Wes Janson, Derek "Hobbie" Klivian (all pilots from the OT), Corran Horn, Tycho Celchu, Garik "Face" Loran, etc. Not much Jedi action, but it'll set you up nicely for later when you read the Jedi Academy Trilogy and--more importantly--"I, Jedi". Corran has some Jedi action in the X-wing books, then "I, Jedi" sees him doing some more serious training a few years later intertwined with the storyline of the Jedi Academy Trilogy, but with lots of Rogue Squadron activity as well.

 

You'd be doing yourself a disservice to skip 'em if it's GOOD EU you're after; Stackpole and Allston wrote some of the best of the '90s.

So I read Truce at Bakurra and then Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. The book timeline I have printed out has the X-wing series followed by the Courtship of Princess Leia and then Tatooine Ghost. Then the Thrawn Trilogy follows after those. My question is: Is is necessary for me to read the seemingly long X-wing series to keep track of the stories or follow the history? Will I be missing anything crucial to the EU by not reading the X-wing series and skipping to The Courtship of Princess Leia and Tatooine Ghost?

 

As far as timeline goes, the Rogue Squadron portion of the X-Wing series deals with when the New Republic takes back Coruscant, as well as the reemergence of Jan Dodonna and the storylines of Corran Horn and Ysanne Isard. The Wraith Squadron bit takes place after Thrawn's emergence, I believe.

 

Like the other guy said, you are missing out if you skip the X-Wing series. It was that series that got me into the EU in the first place. Ton Phanan remains to this day one of my favorite characters in the EU. Best lines ever.

 

You will also miss out the awesomeness that is Lieutenant Kettch.

no you wont miss out the x-wing set arnt exactly literary genius.

 

I missed out the x-wing series and had forgot it existed until you mentioned it.

tatooine ghost is very interesting!

The Wraith Squadron bit takes place after Thrawn's emergence, I believe.

Nope, that's before Thrawn, too (there's one or two X-wing books that DO take place after Thrawn). The early Wraith books lead into Solo's hunt for Zsinj, which leads into Courtship of Princess Leia.

 

You will also miss out the awesomeness that is Lieutenant Kettch.

THIS!

 

no you wont miss out the x-wing set arnt exactly literary genius.

 

I missed out the x-wing series and had forgot it existed until you mentioned it.

You missed out, so how can you judge? Most who've read 'em seem to think they're among the best of the '90s EU.

 

And you'd rather he skip the X-wing books and wander right into the 'literary genius' of Children of the Jedi and The Crystal Star on his trek through the EU timeline?

 

If anything, Children of the Jedi, Darksaber, Planet of Twilight, The Crystal Star, and maybe Black Fleet Crisis are better to skip if you're trying to cut out a big chunk of post-ROTJ reading. I've only read two of those, but have heard SO MUCH BAD about all of them (while I've NOT heard "so much bad" about the X-wing books). But skipping 'the Callista era' means being unfamiliar with Callista during Fate of the Jedi... I can only imagine the FOTJ authors put enough in to bring new readers up to speed on Callista's history with Luke, though.

Wes Janson: "His name is Kettch, and he's an Ewok."

 

Wedge Antilles: "No."

 

Janson: "Oh, yes. Determined to fight. You should hear him say, 'Yub, yub.' He makes it a battle cry."

 

Antilles: "Wes, assuming he could be educated up to Alliance fighter-pilot standards, an Ewok couldn't even reach an X-wing's controls."

 

Janson: "He wears arm and leg extensions, prosthetics built for him by a sympathetic medical droid. And he's anxious to go, Commander."

 

Antilles: "Please tell me you're kidding."

 

Janson: "Of course I'm kidding. Pilot-candidate number one is a Human female from Tatooine, Falynn Sandskimmer."

 

Antilles: "I'm going to get you, Janson."

 

Janson: "Yub, yub, Commander."

 

He has his own action figure, I hear.

Definitely read the X-Wing series. I started reading them at a friends house one night and was instantly hooked. I have read almost every SW novel since.

 

I would skip The Crystal Star, however. Worst novel in the EU. There is a reason why the author NEVER wrote another SW novel. Black Fleet Crisis, Children of the Jedi...so-so at best. Read at your own discretion.

 

But definitely read the X-Wing series. Great stuff.

Look at it this way, the first EU book to be released was Heir to the Empire (the first Thrawn trilogy book). All other stories that surround that time frame take into account that trilogy.

 

but like so many others have said, X-wing series is a great read.

He has his own action figure, I hear.

Yes and no... there's an Ewok figure from a 3-pack based on a Marvel Comics issue, and they gave the figure the name Kettch. But in-universe the character doesn't exist as Janson made him up...

 

...until Kolot came along. The joke/story of Kettch led to a warlord experimenting on a real Ewok, turning it into a pilot (at least of shuttles).

Edited April 11, 2012 by Toonimator

Yes and no... there's an Ewok figure from a 3-pack based on a Marvel Comics issue, and they gave the figure the name Kettch. But in-universe the character doesn't exist as Janson made him up...

 

...until Kolot came along. The joke/story of Kettch led to a warlord experimenting on a real Ewok, turning it into a pilot (at least of shuttles).

 

RIP Zsinj. To date the only man to ever tick off Solo enough to try and order Chewbacca to sexually assault somebody.

Edited April 11, 2012 by Malles