Somebody please explain to me why Troy Denning is still writing Star Wars...

[deaka]

I haven't read any FOTJ since about the second book -- mainly because I got busy and was losing interest anyway -- but wow, reading this review of Vortex reminds me just how much I loathe Troy Denning's contributions to the series and makes me so thankful I'm not wasting my money on this bile-filled rubbish anymore.

Let's check the highlights:

Comments

[juxtaposie]

We should just invite Tim Zahn back and he and Aaron Allston can write all the Star Wars books from nwo on. Good plan? Good plan...

[deaka]

Yes, competent writers free of bizarre fixations! And preferably doing one-offs or two- or three-story arcs, I think, not nine-story arcs that are six books of padding.

I even feel a bit nostalgic for NJO lately. It had numerous flaws but I didn't hate the characters and some of the writers were competent. *sigh*

[juxtaposie]

I even feel a bit nostalgic for NJO lately.

GOD ME TOO!!! I never thought I'd see the day! It's sad what we wish for, when faced with something even more terrible.

[deaka]

Ah, for the days of Han being a drunk and Jacen and Anakin having philosophy debates about the Force. And Jaina flirting with Kyp - no, Jag - no, Zekk. And the Vong, I don't know, cackling and torturing and invading the galaxy.

GOOD TIMES. I miss them, I really do. *g*

[treenahasthaal]

Not being a big fan of the EU I have avoided 100s of the books - but have kept up with events on the GFFA through friends and Wookieepedia. However, I had heard good things about this series and have ordered it for my Christmas present to myself. I have the first 3 in paperback and have the rest pre-ordered in paperback (hardback is more expensive).

Now I am wondering if I have, once more, wasted money on the EU. : (

[deaka]

Well, to be honest I've read the first few and didn't find them any worse than LOTF -- slightly better, in fact, because there's no Karen Traviss Agenda clogging up the plotline. But... this whole Abeloth plotline, which was just starting in the last book I picked up, makes me very wary because it seems to be heading into a bad place.

Besides which, I'm a bit biased against Denning anyway. You may have picked up the subtle signs in my post, LOL. :p The parts of the series that aren't penned by him are probably much less problematic.

[treenahasthaal]

Surely he can't be any worse than KJA? Or, dare I day it, Timothy Zahn? (Who I really really dislke! Sorry.... he ruined Star Wars for me and put me off the EU from the very beginning.)

I don't think I've read any of Troy Dennings previous books, so I should be going into this unbiased. I don't think that he will be deliberately degrading woman as I have always thought that to be female in Star Wars either means elaborate costumes and tons of make up, or tom boyish and brandishing a blaster. Not to mention the skimpy outfits that some have to wear - look at Ahsoka for heaven's sake! She's a child, dressed in a boob tube and hardly anything else. I found that more disturbing than anything else.

To be honest I much prefer fan fiction! : )

[deaka]

Personal opinion, but I'd much rather read KJA or Zahn than Denning. Your mileage may vary, as they say on the internets. :p

Denning's use of violence is what really turns me off him. His first few books were fine, and I still really enjoy Tatooine Ghost. From the Dark Nest trilogy on, though, I can't stand his work. Something about it just makes me very uncomfortable. *shrug*

[4thofeleven]

You know, there's times I actually miss Kevin J. Anderson - I mean, he was a terrible writer, but he wasn't actively aggravating to read... just generically low-quality with the occasional hilariously bad concept...

[deaka]

So true, KJA's awfulness was generally amusing rather than nauseatingly disturbing. (I say generally -- there was some weird stuff with a teenage centaur girl in the Junior Jedi Knights series that I'd rather just forget.)

But he's moved on to desecrating other long-standing and well-respected science fiction epics, so no more Darksaber superweapons or toddler vs. pterodactyl showdowns for us. :(

[blood_sorbet]

Ah man, and I was kind of looking forward to this book, too. Oh well, it's waiting for me at the library so I guess I'll just read it and cringe a bit. Sigh.

Star Wars =/

[deaka]

The library's always good that way. *g* Maybe it's better than it sounds? Stranger things have happened. I just wish they'd stop fridging female characters at such an alarming rate. *sigh*

[katajanmaria]

I've read the whole series so far - and I enjoy it. I contrast I absoluetly HATE Kevin J Anderson and his zombie characters... Well, not hate, he reveals a love and enthusiasm for Star Wars that redeems him - but still..

Vortex was a great book IMO. Not great literature, far from that, but great entertainment, which I expect Star Wars to be. Personally I don't understand this hate of Denning so many express. Maybe because I fail to see why he would be degrading towards women...

[deaka]

Yeah, I have to admit I read most of the KJA books in high school, so they're probably much worse than I remember.

Well, glad you enjoyed it. Each to their own.

[katajanmaria]

They ARE pretty bad

[london_writing]

If you don't mind a total lurker jumping in, who found deaka's livejournal thanks to reading her work on fanfiction.net, and then following her user name to the Mara Jade fanfic community here on LJ (and yes, deaka's fanfic ROCKS