Add me as a second who sees the EU differently. I can't speak to most of it, but the Foster, Daley, and Zahn EU is what saved me as a Star Wars fan.

I came here eight years ago looking for a way to preserve the only Star Wars thing that I was a fan of. That was the 1977 film.

In the process, this community reintroduced me to two things I'd lost touch with over the years. The first was the NPR Radio version of Star Wars, which I'd not heard since it first aired. It went on to replace the film as my go-to for the original story. The second was Splinter Of The Mind's Eye, which I'd partially read when it was first released. Both led me into EU - with some much needed and much appreciated peer pressure from several of the members here. ;-)

Those were both written by people who had a much better command of the characters Lucas had created and the world they existed in.

I last watched Star Wars (the film) in 2006 and it was really just to see how I felt about the DVD. It was fine for me, but for the most part I'd already moved on from the 1977 film. My EU is somewhat narrow focused, but it's rich and deep. It's become what the film was for me in 1977.

Contrary to the thread title, the EU didn't ruin the original films. It replaced them as my personal canon.