Number of Star Wars films

The Delta Flyer · **Fri Feb 28, 2003 4:40 am Number of Star Wars films**

Just wondering how many Star Wars films are there going to be. I had heard that A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were the 3 middle films and that there would be 3 prequels (Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Episode 3) and that there would also be 3 films set after Return of the Jedi. Is this true? Or is Episode 3 the final Star Wars film?

Lindley · **Fri Feb 28, 2003 5:39 am**

Episode 3 is the final Star Wars film. Originally there were supposed to be nine, but Lucas decided a long time ago that he wasn't going to do the third trilogy. In fact, much of what was to happen in that trilogy ended up being jammed into ROTJ.

It was a direct result of that decision that made Lucas decide to authorize the novels to continue the story post-ROTJ. Many people consider the Thrawn trilogy (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command) by Timothy Zhan to be the "third trilogy".

Of course, now there are scores of SW books out----some bad, but most either good or at least decent. Since they all follow a single continuity, refer to each other, and use each others' original characters, I tend to think of the novels as being just as much part of Star Wars as the movies.

In fact, its my opinion that the events of the New Jedi Order series are far more interesting than the prequel trilogy.

The Delta Flyer · **Fri Feb 28, 2003 1:48 pm**

Boohoo

I read the Thrawn trilogy and thought it was pretty good-never knew that about the films though...I thought Episode 1 was pretty poor but I thought Episode 2 was really good...don't suppose you can recommend a NJO book to me can you? I once bought a "Lando Calrissian" trilogy of books (Mindharp of Sharu, Starcave of Thonboka were 2 that I can remember) and I remember them being terrible...I think they are the worst Star Wars books I have read...the best I have read were the "X-Wing" series- I thought they were great!

Lindley · **Fri Feb 28, 2003 3:59 pm**

^Ah, yes, the Adventures of Lando Calrissian. They were....OK at best. Not as bad as the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy, but not terrific.

Recommended reading includes (since you've read Thrawn tril and X-Wing):
I, Jedi
The Jedi Academy Trilogy (note: after reading I, Jedi, you should be able to just skim these---you'll understand why. Much of it is the same story, retold from another perspective.)
The Corellian Trilogy (there's an artifact in it that becomes important in the NJO)
The Hand of Thrawn duology (some rather important changes are made)
Young Jedi Knights #1-6 (the characters become important to the NJO starting with the Edge of Victory duology)
Junior Jedi Knights #1 (ditto. Even if it is written for a very young age.)

Anyway.

About the NJO series----although you should *start* at Vector Prime, and it *is* a good series from the start, it doesn't become spectacular until several books in. Personally, the Yuuzhan Vong didn't really "click" with me as an interesting race until Balance Point. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Balance Point is the turning point of the series----the first few are decent, but after Balance Point the quality goes steadily upwards. Star by Star and Traitor are incredible. Here's a list of all NJO books out so far, in order:

Vector Prime
Dark Tide 1: Onslaught
Dark Tide 2: Ruin
Agents of Chaos 1: Hero's Trial
Agents of Chaos 2: Jedi Eclipse
Balance Point
Recovery (ebook; available in the paperback of Star by Star)
Edge of Victory 1: Conquest
Edge of Victory 2: Rebirth
Star by Star
Dark Journey
Enemy Lines 1: Rebel Dream
Enemy Lines 2: Rebel Stand
Traitor
Destiny's Way (Hardback only so far)
Ylesia (ebook; will be available in paperback of DW)
Force Heretic 1: ?

And the upcoming books, to the best of my memory:

Force Heretic 2
Force Heretic 3
The Final Prophecy
The Unifying Force (Hardcover)

The Delta Flyer · **Fri Feb 28, 2003 6:15 pm**

Wow, you sure know your Star Wars stuff don't you!

I read Bounty Hunter Wars books as well and I know what you mean...they were pretty terrible as well. I've read I, Jedi and the Jedi Academy Trilogy. I, Jedi was pretty good but I'm not really a fan of first-person books. Academy trilogy was alright. I think I might have a look round for Balance Point.

Lindley · **Fri Feb 28, 2003 7:04 pm**

^If you're planning to read only a single NJO book rather than in order, I'd recommend Star by Star instead. Balance Point was good, but not terribly epic.

Matrix881 · Captain Joined: 19 Feb 2003 Posts: 520

my favourite is the phantom mennace

The Delta Flyer · **Sat Mar 01, 2003 5:52 pm**

Whilst I was looking at the synopses of the titles you recommended I noticed that Allston had written two "Rebel Dream" NJO books. As he's one of my all-time favourite authors (because of his Wraith Squadron series of X-Wing books) I've ordered those two (pretty daring me thinks lol

)...they should come March 4th according to Amazon...the covers look very good, particularly the first one. Can't wait to get them

.

you're the first person I know who likes Episode 1 the best...personally I thought they did too much in too short a time if you know what I mean. Have you noticed how in the prequels none of the ships are named? I mean in the first trilogy we got the Millennium Falcon but the queen's transport (for example) is never named. Nor is her transport in Episode 2. Just some random thing I noticed lol

The Delta Flyer · **Sat Mar 01, 2003 6:10 pm**

Lindley · **Sat Mar 01, 2003 6:41 pm**

^All right. But I should warn you that reading those two first would be akin to starting Babylon 5 from season 4-----you're seeing the aftermath of one of the greatest turning points of the war in those two.

Link, the Hero of Time · **Sat Mar 01, 2003 6:49 pm**

I don't know about you Lindley but I personally hated Vector Prime...

They had no business Doing what they Did to Chewy.

Lindley · **Sat Mar 01, 2003 7:45 pm**

^It was a rather depressing plot twist, wasn't it? But it sets the tone for the rest of the NJO. When you have entire planets being destroyed, the loss of one individual seems more heroic than tragic.

The Delta Flyer · **Sun Mar 02, 2003 6:46 am**

Matrix881 · Captain Joined: 19 Feb 2003 Posts: 520

does anybody else like the phantom mennace?

Matrix881 · Captain Joined: 19 Feb 2003 Posts: 520

i loved it

Lindley · **Sun Mar 02, 2003 5:04 pm**

Matrix881 · Captain Joined: 19 Feb 2003 Posts: 520

i dont think attack of the clones did either?

The Delta Flyer · **Tue Mar 04, 2003 1:39 pm**

I don't think Episode 2 captured the originals either although I think the special effects are amazing. It's so long since I've seen the originals, I've bought the "official VCDs" off of ebay (they're the special edition sets)...I think my order of favourites goes:
1) Return of the Jedi/ Attack of the Clones
2) Return of the Jedi/ Attack of the Clones
3) The Empire Strikes Back
4) The Phantom Menace/ A New Hope
5) A New Hope/ The Phantom Menace

I don't know where Episode 3 comes in...how far ahead of Episode 2 is 3 set does anybody know? and when does it come out? Im guessing either next year or the year after

Link, the Hero of Time · **Wed Mar 05, 2003 9:33 am**

Episode 3 should be about 5 to 10 years ahead of Episode 2.

and it hasn't been decided when it will come out..

Lindley · **Wed Mar 05, 2003 11:10 am**

^No, but if past history is any indication, my bet would be on May 2005....

The Delta Flyer · **Sat Mar 08, 2003 1:17 pm**

I have done a sacrilegous thing. I have sold Babylon 5 seasons 4 and 5 for �70 (as I will probably be getting them on DVD as they are released although after you've seen each episode they do get a bit repetive I think) and what started with buying the Allston books has developed quite considerably. We got given World Book Day tokens at college (2 each) and so I went into town today and I was going to get 2 books (wanted the first 2 NJO books -flicked through a few pages of Rebel Dream and it looked great). However, there is an offer on all fiction books in WHSmiths for "Buy 2 get 1 Free" so I got as many as I could lol and so I bought all the books up to Balance Point (Didn't get that duology though). And then just now I ordered the other books up to and including Traitor. I've spent loads lol...time to start saving up again me thinks. The only reason I have the money in the first place is through selling lots of my stuff on eBay so I think I'm entitled to spend a *cough* little *cough*. lol, well better go read some books now MWA HA HA HA...uh hum...and take some of the anti-insanity tablets

Lindley · **Sat Mar 08, 2003 3:28 pm**

^Mwhahaha! Another one falls to the Dark Side.......

Tell me, are you aware of the really big plot twist in Vector Prime? If you don't know what I mean, you probably aren't.

Don't read the back of Hero's Trial if you aren't aware......

The Delta Flyer · **Sat Mar 08, 2003 4:42 pm**

Yeah, Chewbacca finds some dust to bite doesn't he? I read it a while ago somewhere...and Anakin Solo dies in one of the books doesn't he? I just checked Amazon and the books should come on Tuesday or monday woohoo...I now have a HUGE pile of books on my desk by my bed...it's gonna take me an age to read em!

Now that I have fallen to the dark side does anybody know how to change my blue lightsaber into an evil red one? I tried hair dye but it just fizzled a little...

Lindley · **Sat Mar 08, 2003 4:46 pm**

^Install Windows on it.

The Delta Flyer · **Sat Mar 08, 2003 4:56 pm**

"Your program has performed an illegal operation and will be closed. Anything of value you store on your computer will be erased. Any work you have will be edited so that when you hand it in you will look like a fool. Please download countless drivers that will not help the problem but will run up your phonebill enormously. Please buy a new copy of Windows. Despite countless pointless improvements Windows will still continue to crash repeatedly"

<Inserts disc>

Windows Crashes

Dammit.