What do you like about the EU Pre-Disney?

I’ll start, I like the ancient Sith and Starkiller.

Wexter said:

assuming you mean the “old” EU…

the Shadows Of The Empire multi-media project
the X-Wing book series and its characters
the Republic comic series
Knights Of The Old Republic
Mara Jade and Trawn
Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars
the basic idea behing The New Jedi Order (the execution didn’t always work for me)

Yes and fantastic choices!

I like the idea of Jedi having families and children like normal people, especially since it makes their extermination by Vader a thousand times more tragic.

NeverarGreat said:

I like the idea of Jedi having families and children like normal people, especially since it makes their extermination by Vader a thousand times more tragic.

I actually never knew that this was a thing.

JackNapier said:

NeverarGreat said:

I like the idea of Jedi having families and children like normal people, especially since it makes their extermination by Vader a thousand times more tragic.

I actually never knew that this was a thing.

I only read of it in Children of the Jedi, an otherwise underwhelming book.

Most of the old Thrawn trilogy works for me (sans Luuke), and I really liked the inclusion of truly alien Celestial technology in Corellia’s Centerpoint Station for example. Really, the old EU had a lot of stock and unremarkable stories but was built on the foundations of a more interesting universe than the new EU.

the original Marvel Star Wars comics

Al Williamson classic newspaper strips and collected color dark horse comics of same .

Tales of The Jedi series ,dark lords of the sith and it’s audio drama ,the sith war and redemption

truce at bakura

original thrawn trilogy

droids animated series and Boba Fett cartoon from the holiday special

Rebel Mission To Ord Mantell audio drama and original Han Solo novels , as well as the A.C. Crispin Han trilogy

both Clone Wars animated series

original radio dramas of the ot , on par with the films and sometimes even better

Hand of Thrawn duology and Outbound Flight novel

x-wing rogue squadron novels and comics ,the phantom affair being the highlight .

Dark Empire 1 ,the other 2 were terrible imo . I could accept the emperor coming back once ,but it got ridiculous after that ,and I thought it was handled far better in DE 1 than TROS.

Crimson Empire comics and audio drama

The New Jedi order novels . After these novels , the main EU story beyond the films became too over bloated for me and I had a hard time following it . When I need to read a dramatis personae on every character before starting to read , it gets a bit too much . I know the new jedi order started the trend , but it got way too over blown for me after that .

LeperMessiah117 said:

Vision of the Future

The reason I’m posting this is that I know there some books here less warmly received than others and I’d really appreciate any Star Wars veterans to give me a bit of advice on what I should maybe skip (and what they’d consider essential). These are all pre-Phantom Menace, but it’s still quite a sizable amount of books to buy and read through and I’d like to maybe not waste as much time and money as I might. I should maybe note that there is “skippable bad” and “it’s bad, but some really important stuff happens in this book” and I’d prefer to not miss anything that’s maybe too important for the setup of other stories, even if the quality of the book is on the poor side.

I’m in the same place - I’ve read the Thrawn trilogy, The Truce at Bakura, and Shadows of the Empire, as well as SOTME and 2 Revenge of the Sith era novels. I’m particularly interested in the post-Endor period, so a few days ago I ordered the Dark Empire collection (I hear 1 and 2 at least are good)

I’ve love some advice on what the most beloved legends books are. I often go quite easy on SW content, so I expect to like most of it.

Shadows Of The Empire
Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars
The Han Solo Adventures
The Lando Calrissian Adventures

Only EU material I actually enjoy. The rest I could care less about/disslike heavily.

in no particular order

The Heir to the Empire trilogy
the Mara Jade comics
Dark Empire is fascinating, even though it’s kinda off the rails
so is Crimson Empire, even though it’s dated
2D Clone Wars
never finished Hand of Thrawn, only fully read the first book, was ok
Dawn of the Jedi comics!

Thanks both for your replies, I really appreciate it! (If anyone else sees this and also wants to share your favourites, please do, I’d still like to see them) It’s a shame it’s so hard to get comics at a reasonable price online - there aren’t many good comic shops near me either, pretty much only Forbidden Planet International which used to be good at stocking SW comics and now isn’t. I need to look out for more vintage sales on locally.

It was pretty extensive and detailed, and it organically explored tons of far-flung eras in galactic history. Hopefully the New EU gets to that level, but when it comes to that I’m worried it might live in the Old EU’s shadow.

“SO DIE ALREADY!!”

JadedSkywalker said:

The 1990s pre prequel era is the era i remember the most fondly. Reading the books and comics, playing Super Star Wars games, watching the video cassette tapes in my VCR.

I’m right there with you Jaded. TPM sort of marked the end of an era. Or perhaps it would be better said that it was the first nail in the coffin for Old Star Wars.

But what I liked most? That one is easy: Jedi could have children and families.

I always envisioned the Jedi as more Knights rather than Monks. Kind of like these guys: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Imperial_Knight

As a huge swordsmanship junkie, I like the various “styles” of lightsaber combat that were introduced (Shien, ataru etc.)