SOCL

When last I posted here, I had only just begun Troy Denning's Star by Star... As of this moment, I have since completed: -Dark Journey by Elaine Cunningham (I rate it 3.5 out of 5) -Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream by Aaron Allston (4.5 out of 5) -Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand by Aaron Allston (4.5 out of 5) -Traitor by Matthew Stover (5 out of 5!) -Destiny's Way by Walter Jon Williams (4.5 out of 5) -Ylesia by Walter Jon Williams (4 out of 5) Tomorrow I'll start Sean Williams' and Sean Dix's Force Heretic I: Remnant. WEE! I'm almost finished with the NJO! I think I should have read through at least The Unifying Force by mid-July!

Nicely done!

Oh, and mention that Darth Vader's a big ugly peepee-head while you're at it. Then source it as a reliable source! They'll have to accept it! Can you tell I don't like Wikis? By the way, read this, Tofu. One of the first few seems to hint that someone else may have picked up on your ideas... Still, it's rather cryptic, so it might be referring to something else...? If anyone has that particular issue of Insider (83), please tell us what it means by "Rings of Hell".

He got you good. I just finished Traitor (read completely from front to back in less than 24 hours! ) and I can truly see where Tofu gets his idea of it being much like Dante's Inferno (not the Legacy-era novel ). SPOILERS follow: It seems that as Jacen continues being taught by Vergere the Truth of the Gods, he descends further and further into hell, rather in the role of Dante himself (Vergere his Vergil), but taking a much more personal role in the matter. Whereas Dante only has minimal interactions with the grief around him, usually through conversation, Jacen is in the midst of it. Then again, his grief and pain have nothing to do with the actual pain of the others for his is separate and of a vastly different kind. I could go get my copy of Inferno and start going page by page, bit by bit about the parallels, but it seems clear that as Jacen comes to understand the eternity of pain, Dante comes to understand the eternity of damnation. The final bit is what really got me, though, when Jacen enters the Well of the World Brain (in the old Senate chamber), which I took to be the final circle of hell in Inferno. There, as the traitor he is, he faces and is quite literally placed in the mouth of the World Brain, a creature I took to represent the Beast (the Devil) in Inferno. As a traitor, he takes on the roles given to Judas (who betrayed Jesus), Cassius, and Brutus (who both betrayed Caesar). I don't believe he takes on the role of all three characters for Vergere (a traitor to the Yuuzhan Vong and, in some ways, initially, to Jacen) and Nom Anor (a traitor to the Yuuzhan Vong in his greed for personal gain) are very close by, directly beneath the World Brain in the old Chancellor's office (as seen in Revenge of the Sith where Palpatine and Yoda begin their duel). Indeed, Vergere and Nom Anor are lower in hell than even Jacen, at this point, which is enough for me to accept as making them the other two to Jacen's one traitor in the mouth of the Beast. Then it ends with Vergere (Vergil) leading Jacen (Dante) out of hell. So, why haven't I covered Purgatorio and Paradiso? Because the novel ended! Simply, I wouldn't say that Traitor is sufficient to be compared to all of Dante's Divine Comedy, but I certainly believe it reads a stark, Star Wars-style parallel to the first book, Inferno. A very good read! Likely the single most psychological novel I have read in a long time, and the only Star Wars novel that will make you think to the point your head might actually hurt...a bit. Easily one of my favorite Star Wars novels, up there with Heir to the Empire and Vision of the Future!

Reading Dark Journey now. I'll get back to you.

Like a Force-wielding Charles Darwin?

Pity about Connery. But then, I've been waiting for him to return in the "next James Bond film", and the next one was right after Goldeneye. No point in getting any hopes up. I just saw Ocean's 13 and though it may not be an Ocean's 11, it was definitely worth the watch. It wasn't worth the $10.50 I paid for tickets at this particular theater, but it was worth seeing. Maybe Dane Cook is right and every guy deep down likes heist movies because they want to be a part of one (the heist, not the movie), but I can't say I've ever seen a series of movies about heists that continue to surprise and please. Al Pacino was a very good villain, though I fear Andy Garcia as Benedict in the first two was much better in the role of antagonist. The trio of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon as always was a magnificent treat, and though it was rather unfortunate that neither Catherine Zeta Jones or Julia Robert were not in the film, the film was not any less without them. Though I certainly suggest everyone see the original (and by that I mean the recent Ocean's 11 and not the stupidity that was the Frank Sanatra original), it won't be necessary to see either that one or Ocean's 12 in order to understand and enjoy 13.

All but the khaki part. He had jeans on. Did he unexpectedly have to sit down and bemoan about the loss of millions in an ant-hive at any point? Okay, I must be missing a joke...

All but the khaki part. He had jeans on.

Fantastic, Jahled!

I agree completely, but it seems 2008 will bring a revisit of the Clone Wars with the inherent marketing campaign that will surround the new 3-D Clone Wars series, not to mention the run-up to the live-action series. I seem to believe that following the ninth Legacy novel, the shift will turn towards the Coruscant Nights series while they plan where to go next. With the Legacy era comics in place, though, mapping out the further future (130 ABY!), they at least have something of an outline for where they're headed. Then again, we may not see them progress the novels further and let the comics take over... Okay, I don't really believe that. I just finished Edge of Victory II: Rebirth by Greg Keyes and must say, that has been one of the best novels in the series (NJO) thus far! I believe it and the first Agents of Chaos novel were both very good! Now it's on to Troy Denning's ominous Star by Star...

Name? No, no name yet. Feel free to use it and come up with a name though M-m-me-sa? You don't mind letting me-sa come up with a name, suh? Something that reflects the crafts utility ability, and yet fits in well with the legacy of the LAAT of the Clone Wars... I'll get back to you.

I am thoroughly impressed! Have a name for this vehicle? Mind if I use it in a short story I'm writing?

...kestrel? What the hell is a kestrel? Did I even type that... I think I may be going crazy... Heres Kestrel Right, but I don't remember typing that... Or at least, that exact phrase. Never mind.

I actually rather enjoy the mistakes, though I don't enjoy knowing about them: discovering them is 75% of the fun! Besides, the Stormtrooper bonking his head is a classic! It's the reason Jango Fett bonked his head in Attack of the Clones (or is it the other way around? Since Jango is the template, then it must mean head-bonking is genetic! )

Well, basically, that was my intention back when I started in 2001: to read all of them so I would remain current with the latest novels. That way I could go on and read other things while waiting. As it is, the only series I can do that with is Harry Turtledove's "Southern Victory" series, and that's only eleven books! I'm currently waiting for the eleventh, to be released in July. (I've been waiting a year!!) It's actually something of a headache whenever I think of how many books I still have in order to "catch up", and the way new novels are being released... Let's just say, I cringe. Luckily, the way they're coordinating story lines now, it takes a few years to transition from one major series to the next, that is, from release to release (The Unifying Force in 2003 and Betrayal in 2006). Sure, the Dark Nest trilogy came in between, but three books for three intervening years is nothing. I'll get there...some day. UPDATE (11 June 2007): Just started Edge of Victory II: Rebirth.

It's like a game of "Where's Waldo?", only much better!

...kestrel? What the hell is a kestrel? Did I even type that... I think I may be going crazy...

Evaders...BEAKing? Oh, and Tofu, it's James Luceno. Well, don't ruin my expectations, Tofu! I have zero expectations, which is to say, they are all being met or surpassed! I'm very much looking forward to getting to Legacy, but then again, my plan in 2001 was to go from The Truce at Barkura to Vision of the Future within a few years in order to start the NJO. Needless to say, it wasn't until May (2007) that I completed that goal. Even so, I've managed to finish off nine books in two weeks. If I can keep up that momentum before classes start again in the fall (and accounting for my brief no-books period at Fort Knox...well, no Star Wars books: no need to give the drill instructors a reason to taunt you), I should finish with the NJO sometime in early August. Then I can read Dark Nest...to then read Legacy...to then read whatever's next... It's a vicious cycle.

Tofu, when he asks for a price, don't give more than $10, if that! You can get the two games at Wal-Mart for about that price, if not less. Besides, he paid for the regular game and got the expansion "free", so why should you pay for it? Be a shred buyer! Good things it has Barbarian Invasions because Rome: Total Realism (the mod I mentioned) will be releasing a version 7.0 (or was it 8.0?...), which will make use of many of the innovations of the expansion in the original game play, but, of course, making use of new and update (to be accurate) factions! WOO YAY!

I just finished Balance Point. In general, not a fantastic novel, but I wouldn't call it nearly the worse in the saga. Kathy Tyers didn't redeem herself for the yawner of The Truce at Bakura--which is likely why she no longer writes Star Wars--but it was certainly an improvement over her other works. I personally gave it a 3 out of 5: about average, but then, I actually liked the Black Fleet Crisis and didn't find The Crystal Star to be that bad, so... I also just read the ebook Recovery by Troy Denning, which takes place immediately after Balance Point, but nothing marvelous there. Some interesting characters and a neat scene which sheds some light on the chaotic functions of the New Republic government, which has changed in nature from American-style Congressional to Parliament to something between. The NJO seems be working (or have worked, since it's over...) pretty well at wrapping up loose ends from the Bantam Books era of novels and solidifying the nature of government and society. Indeed, the very fact that the Solo children are no longer just kids, but have matured into Jedi is very telling of how far Star Wars novels have come from the sporadic and inconsistent story lines post-Return of the Jedi/pre-Vision of the Future. Indeed, Star Wars novels in general have come a long way; rather than spending years with Solo children as infants, we now have Ben Skywalker born in the NJO and a matured Jedi in Legacy of the Force. Quite the change from stunting his growth in novel after novel, children's book after book where he continues to be a child. Ah, whatever. On to Greg Keyes' Edge of Victory I: Conquest.

I wish it were...

*wipes tears* Yes, gasoline is far more precious than games. Hell, I just started playing RollerCoaster Tycoon again versus buying a new game in order to save some dollars. Too bad we can't use money cheats in real-life. He uses a money cheat, though? Man, he must not be very good at all! Unless you are terrible at managing simple game economics, there's very little reason to use the money cheat. By the way, how much does he want for it? And is it just Rome: Total War, or is it the one that comes with the expansion Barbarian Invasions?

Tofu, Rome: Total War is great, but I would suggest modding it for better and more historically-accurate gameplay (as the plain or "vanilla" game is rather inaccurate...). Download Rome Total Realism, whatever the latest version is, and load that on top of your game. It's MUCH better! Go here: http://www.rometotalrealism.com/ Or better, go here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=26 Trust me on this one!

Watch the scene when Anakin and Kenobi return Palpatine to the Senate building after the Invisible Hand crash-lands. In the lower, lower right-hand corner, there's a quick blur of white and blue. It's the Falcon. It's about as clear as the Outrider taking off from Mos Eisely in the Special Edition of A New Hope--you'll likely have to pause the movie to actually see it. Here's an enhanced photo from Wookieepedia: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Episode_3_Falcon.jpg