Klonor
09-06-2005, 04:59
For those who don't know, Michael A. Stackpole is a writer (It means he writes stuff) and is the author of the first four X-Wing series novels in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, in addition to many of the comics and other novels. What's excellent about him is that he introdced several major characters to Star Wars, and expanded on other already existing minor characters, with no connection made to Luke, Leia, Han, or any of the other main Star Wars characters. As far as I know, he's the first author to write several novels where the main SW figures are, at best, small cameo appearances without even ten lines to their names. While I do love Chewie and the Droids and Admiral Ackbar, when you've got several dozen novels out you do need to branch out. Hell, even Star Trek has itself a whole bunch of different ships and crews. Well, Stackpole brought us the likes of Corran Horn, Ooryl Qrygg, an in-depth Wedge Antilles, and even a look into how the Alliance to Restore the Republic managed to take Coruscant from the Empire. Many questions answered, much goodness.
But not everybody is perfect, and people make mistakes. Stackpole made a particularly big one with the novel I, Jedi.
WARNING: SPOLERS FOR I, JEDI AND OTHER STAR WARS NOVELS TO FOLLOW!
For those who don't know, I, Jedi details the exploits of Rogue Squadron pilot Corran Horn as he attempts to locate and save his wife, Mirax Terrik, after she's kidnapped and held imprisoned by an unknown foe. To do so he enrolls at Luke Skywalkers brand-spankin-new Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. But....wait.....problems. Wasn't Luke Skywalkers Jedi Academy assembled and detailed in the Kevin J. Anderson Jedi Academy Trilogy? Yes, in Jedi Search, Dark Apprentice, and Champions of the Force if I'm not mistaken. This wouldn't be that big of a deal, many novels take place during the time period of other novels and in the settings of other novels, except that this isn't just in the same time or place, it's in those other novels. Stackpole is now writting a novel with characters, events, and dialogue that were written by somebody else.
That, I think, is Stackpoles biggest mistake. Besides the fact that the outcome of large portions of the novel were written years ago and are thus no mystery to the reader, there's also the fact that Stackpole is now editing somebody elses work. Now, I don't know about you, but if somebody came in and started dropping characters into my RP's I wouldn't be very appreciative. Especially when he begins to take credit for......well, everything.
That's the kick: Stackpole is giving his characters the credit for pretty much everything. It turns out that Corran Horn is the hero and savior of the entire Jedi Academy, it's all his doing that good triumphs and evil is defeated. He gives Luke vital and obvious advice that the great Jedi Master somehow missed, he discovered Exar Kuns influence among the other students, he bonds with Mara Jade beyond anybody else and provides the key for her journey to the Light, and it's all his doing and powers that enable the Jedi Apprentices to finally defeat Kun. Horn is the Big Hero. Yay! But that's just the problem, he originally wasn't.
I, Jedi is a good book, it really is, but I think that Stackpoles sections at the Jedi Academy just shouldn't have been there. It detracted from the whole book. It puts Corran up as to much of a hero, better than Luke SKywalker and a dozen Jedi Apprentices combined, and seems to expect the reader to just accept it all despite the fact that the Jedi Academy Trilogy made absolutely no mention of 'Keiran Halcyon' (Corran Horns alias while studying at the Academy) at all.
An alternate possibility would have easily been for the novel to have taken place a few months earlier, still after Thrawn and Lukes rise to Master but before the actual founding of the Academy. Corran could have undergone personal instruction from Luke, which was actually offered to him years ago at the end of The Krytos Trap, and the rest of the novel could have continued exactly the same with such minor changes as Wedge not having met Qui Xux yet. Or even a few months later, when the Academy was up and running and the events of the Jedi Academy Trilogy had already passed. Again, some minor changes would be necessary, but I think the overall benefit to the novel would have been better.
Again, Stackpole is a good writer and I, Jedi is a goo book, but putting Corran into the Jedi Academy at that time was one of the worst mistakes I think he's made in all his Star Wars compositions.
But not everybody is perfect, and people make mistakes. Stackpole made a particularly big one with the novel I, Jedi.
WARNING: SPOLERS FOR I, JEDI AND OTHER STAR WARS NOVELS TO FOLLOW!
For those who don't know, I, Jedi details the exploits of Rogue Squadron pilot Corran Horn as he attempts to locate and save his wife, Mirax Terrik, after she's kidnapped and held imprisoned by an unknown foe. To do so he enrolls at Luke Skywalkers brand-spankin-new Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. But....wait.....problems. Wasn't Luke Skywalkers Jedi Academy assembled and detailed in the Kevin J. Anderson Jedi Academy Trilogy? Yes, in Jedi Search, Dark Apprentice, and Champions of the Force if I'm not mistaken. This wouldn't be that big of a deal, many novels take place during the time period of other novels and in the settings of other novels, except that this isn't just in the same time or place, it's in those other novels. Stackpole is now writting a novel with characters, events, and dialogue that were written by somebody else.
That, I think, is Stackpoles biggest mistake. Besides the fact that the outcome of large portions of the novel were written years ago and are thus no mystery to the reader, there's also the fact that Stackpole is now editing somebody elses work. Now, I don't know about you, but if somebody came in and started dropping characters into my RP's I wouldn't be very appreciative. Especially when he begins to take credit for......well, everything.
That's the kick: Stackpole is giving his characters the credit for pretty much everything. It turns out that Corran Horn is the hero and savior of the entire Jedi Academy, it's all his doing that good triumphs and evil is defeated. He gives Luke vital and obvious advice that the great Jedi Master somehow missed, he discovered Exar Kuns influence among the other students, he bonds with Mara Jade beyond anybody else and provides the key for her journey to the Light, and it's all his doing and powers that enable the Jedi Apprentices to finally defeat Kun. Horn is the Big Hero. Yay! But that's just the problem, he originally wasn't.
I, Jedi is a good book, it really is, but I think that Stackpoles sections at the Jedi Academy just shouldn't have been there. It detracted from the whole book. It puts Corran up as to much of a hero, better than Luke SKywalker and a dozen Jedi Apprentices combined, and seems to expect the reader to just accept it all despite the fact that the Jedi Academy Trilogy made absolutely no mention of 'Keiran Halcyon' (Corran Horns alias while studying at the Academy) at all.
An alternate possibility would have easily been for the novel to have taken place a few months earlier, still after Thrawn and Lukes rise to Master but before the actual founding of the Academy. Corran could have undergone personal instruction from Luke, which was actually offered to him years ago at the end of The Krytos Trap, and the rest of the novel could have continued exactly the same with such minor changes as Wedge not having met Qui Xux yet. Or even a few months later, when the Academy was up and running and the events of the Jedi Academy Trilogy had already passed. Again, some minor changes would be necessary, but I think the overall benefit to the novel would have been better.
Again, Stackpole is a good writer and I, Jedi is a goo book, but putting Corran into the Jedi Academy at that time was one of the worst mistakes I think he's made in all his Star Wars compositions.