Things you wanted to see in the novels

[BrokenTusk]

what if they were legit or at least the new novels were consider canon by Fox ?  a longshot I know but humor me.

[SM]

Fox can say all they like.  Despite the best intentions of the authors of said material, they're research is often severely lacking.  They barely pay attention the the films sometimes never mind other EU material.

It's an exercise in futility.

[BrokenTusk]

one of the reasons John Shirley didn't have yautja in his book, but in his defense he was told only to be concern of the movies and nothing else.

makes me wish either Fox took a chance and actually care for it's fan basis.

I'm glad Lucas was very stubborn to owning his own franchise, though there have been contradictions, they usually get a retconn in the future. If he didn't I imagine SW would be much like where the AVP,A, and P franchises are now.

[SM]

LFL was a bit all over the place in the early days - around the time of the Zahn books and the Dark Empire comics, and again the prequels meant they had to go back and change a lot of things, but yes at least they pay attention and try to correct errors where possible.

And yet Lucas doesn't consider the comics/ novels/ games etc. canon either.  As far as he's concerned Boba Fett is dead.

And I don't have a problem with John Shirly not calling Predators yautja - yes, he was given his brief and - afaic - stuck to it.  Without a continuity department these current crop of books are more all over the place than the original comics - and Dark Horse had strict guidelines too.

However, there are immense amounts of fan created resources that these authors could refer too, because let's face it, they can't be expected to read a dozen other books to make sure theirs fits.

Yet these resources appear to be roundly ignored.

(And that's not sour grapes because I researched/ wrote a lot of the Alien resources... Well not only because of that...)

[BrokenTusk]

LFL was a bit all over the place in the early days - around the time of the Zahn books and the Dark Empire comics, and again the prequels meant they had to go back and change a lot of things, but yes at least they pay attention and try to correct errors where possible.


even the first book they started off with Splinter of the Mind's Eye has been retconned since Vader was using lighting, though this would malfunction his suit for breathing. With all the publishers changes(Bantam to Del-Rey, Marvel to Darkhorse) and no knowledge of the prequels being made, it has been dicey but they have fix it. (Dark Empire is one my favorites out of SW EU) Though I'm starting to dislike how they keep adding on new canon with a new project, like Force Unleashed following the footsteps of Shadows of the Empire, being released in all media formats except the movie itself. Still looking foreward to the game itself and possibly the book. Sounds like your an EU fan, you still keep up with the new books ?


And yet Lucas doesn't consider the comics/ novels/ games etc. canon either.  As far as he's concerned Boba Fett is dead.

From what I have heard he believes that after ROTJ, everything ended happily ever after. Though he wasn't blind to fan opinions, so he veto Fett to be brought back, also personally veto Luke not to die in the NJO series(this I'm thankful for).


And I don't have a problem with John Shirly not calling Predators yautja - yes, he was given his brief and - afaic - stuck to it.  Without a continuity department these current crop of books are more all over the place than the original comics - and Dark Horse had strict guidelines too.

all I want is a series of legit books in league with the movies. what-if stories are nice, SW has their own batch called Infinties and SW Tales. What we need is some canon in our stories.


However, there are immense amounts of fan created resources that these authors could refer too, because let's face it, they can't be expected to read a dozen other books to make sure theirs fits.

I figure that when Shirley started researching on wikipedia for his Alien book.


Yet these resources appear to be roundly ignored.


what do you think of John actually using research from other then movies ?


(And that's not sour grapes because I researched/ wrote a lot of the Alien resources... Well not only because of that...)

lol, longtime fan I see.

[SM]

I dunno what research John S did for his book(s).  Beyond the movies he should look into the stuff most fans consider canon - novelisations, scripts, production info that includes background material.  Stuff like that.  Obviously where it serves his story and within reason.  It's not hard to find out this info these days.

[BrokenTusk]

well in his interview or ask the author thread he admits that'll be doing that, but according to him DH told him to only follow the movies. Though just one question off topic do you keep up with the SW novels ? you know more then an average fan it seems.

[SM]

I think it's refreshing that at least one author will be doing more than the bare minimum of homework.  Perhaps we'll see some novels with a bit more depth and trust the authors more that they know what their doing with the material.

As for SW, I stopped buying the books and comics around 5 years ago when I started having kids and no money.  I've yet to read the last two NJO books and anything set after that, and I haven't much of the prequel era novels (Cloak of Deception, Shadow Hunter etc.).  But I've read pretty much everything else from the Zahn books onwards (plus the old Han Solo/ Lando/ SOTME).

[BrokenTusk]

I think it's refreshing that at least one author will be doing more than the bare minimum of homework.  Perhaps we'll see some novels with a bit more depth and trust the authors more that they know what their doing with the material.

perhap we'll also get some cameo of previous character or nods to the previous authors. Yes it's great to hear that they will be using research beside do their own original twist with the species. What surprises me is that they didn't do it to begin with.


As for SW, I stopped buying the books and comics around 5 years ago when I started having kids and no money.  I've yet to read the last two NJO books and anything set after that, and I haven't much of the prequel era novels (Cloak of Deception, Shadow Hunter etc.).  But I've read pretty much everything else from the Zahn books onwards (plus the old Han Solo/ Lando/ SOTME).

Final Prophecy don't waste your time(nothing significant really happens), The Unifying Force is one of the best NJO books and has a good conclusion to the 19 book series. After Njo they release the Dark Nest Trilogy made by Troy Denning and now they made a new era called Legacy with 3 books out so far. Right now I'm rereading Legacy of the Force: Betrayal(first book of the Legacy era) and Dark Lord. Besides the Del-Rey line I have a couple of books and read several of the Bantam line, including Jedi Academy Trilogy, Thrawn Trilogy, Dark Empire trilogy.

[Hankerson]

As far as "Aliens" novels go, I would like to explore the ramifications of Ripley 8's genetic crossing.

Maybe Ripley 8 can now bear children without the benefit of a man, how would those children fit into society?

Maybe she will develop a second reproductive system the way the queen did. Ripley 8 may be the progenitor of the very apocalypse that she was trying to prevent?

The human/alien genetic crossing has opened things up for some very strange and dark new worlds that just aren't being explored at this point.

[SM]

Michael Jan Friedman had a prefect opportunity to explore this in Original Sin, but instead presented a Ripley that bore little resemblence to the the more human Ripley we saw at the end of Resurrection.  The human side coming to the fore was largely due to Call.  Now she been around Call for a long while - but she's gone backwards? 

And the whole setting seemed derivative of the ditched 'garden scene' from Resurrection too.

[Hankerson]

I'm actually surprised. Friedman contributed some fairly unique concepts to the "Star Trek" universe. I expected more from "Original Sin".

I came up with some very strange fan fiction centered around the genetic crossing and 8's children, but I was wasting some of my best ideas on things that I couldn't publish. I changed Ripley 8 to Catryn and the aliens to gyvers (aquatic beast if Celtic ledgend).

[Fury_616]

As far as "Aliens" novels go, I would like to explore the ramifications of Ripley 8's genetic crossing.

The human/alien genetic crossing has opened things up for some very strange and dark new worlds that just aren't being explored at this point.

I second that.  Given the sub-theme of horrible, freakish genetic mutations that was present throughout A:R, I'm still disappointed that David Cronenberg didn't direct that movie, since stuff like that fits him like a glove.  I could only imagine how much more gory and messed up the Newborn would've been if he were in charge.

As for future Alien and Predator novels and comics, I would like to see if there are any connections between the Space Jockeys and the Predators.  Also, if they ever do another crossover involving AvP, I would like to see how these two monsters would handle the title monster from John Carpenter's The Thing.  I remember years ago on another fan site that someone speculated that the reason why Aliens could never get infected by The Thing because of their acid blood.  I'd love to see that played out in a comic or novel.

[BrokenTusk]

^ fan speculation, the only thing we know that would hinder the creature was burning or freezing it and that didn't actually kill the creature. the thing would probably assimlate the other 2 species before they knew anything was up, since it can make a perfect genetic copy, so it would be very difficult for the hive to figure that out or a fellow Predator to tell the difference. though a crossover is highly unlikely, it's Unviversal owned.

[Fury_616]

^ fan speculation, the only thing we know that would hinder the creature was burning or freezing it and that didn't actually kill the creature.

Exactly--The Thing would be burned if it tried to assimilate the Alien, due to the acid blood.   At the very least, The Thing couldn't finish making a complete copy of an Alien because the acid blood would disrupt the replication process.  However, if a facehugger inadvertantly impregnated a creature that was infected by The Thing...that would lead to some VERY interesting possibilities...

the thing would probably assimlate the other 2 species before they knew anything was up, since it can make a perfect genetic copy, so it would be very difficult for the hive to figure that out or a fellow Predator to tell the difference.

I sort of figured that the Predators would probably handle the situation similar to humans, although they'd have a wider range of weapons to choose from in fighting The Thing.   Also, who knows what a Thing-infested organism looks like in infrared Predator vision--could be some kind of fluctuating image due to the unstable DNA, something akin to the invisibility cloak that the Predators use.

though a crossover is highly unlikely, it's Unviversal owned.

Don't you just hate it when that happens?