Star Wars books, where to start?

Are you interested in getting into the expanded universe? Well, that can be a scary prospect. 

You have tons of novels, comics, novellas, short stories and everything in between. Some are really good, and some are just plain bad.

When i started delving deeper into the Star Wars lore, i spent a lot of time scratching my head as to where to start, and i kinda just went with my instincts and picked up some titles at my local store. That led to some confusion as some stories mentioned plots and characters that i was supposed to know from previous books. But i got lucky with a few titles.
Some people might not be interested in the old republic or what happened after the battle of Endor, and rather want something more tightly knit to the trilogy.
With that in mind, I`m gonna list three good Star Wars tales from the time of the original Saga. These are all anthologies, edited by the great sci-fi author Kevin J. Anderson:

Tales from Jabba`s palace.

If memory serves, this was the first expanded universe book i read. Being a huge fan of Tatooine, it`s weird creatures, desert scapes and myths, this was the perfect start.

Did you ever wonder about the one guy standing in a shadowy corner of Jabba`s palace? Did you notice the guy running into the Rancor`s pit after Luke slayed the monster, crying and hugging the wounded and dying beast?

Well, these are stories told in this book. You`ll get the back story of all the important characters, from the inquisitive Gamorrean guard on a mission to solve a murder, to the unfortunate Twilek dancer Oola who finally ended her days as food for a monster. The authors delve deeper into Jabba`s dungeon, giving you further knowledge on the inner workings among Jabba`s henchmen.Even the cook has his own story.

The authors brushes into both light comedy and tragedy, and makes for a varied and interesting read.
I recommend refreshing your memory by watching Return of The Jedi before you read the book.

Tales from Mos Eisley Cantina

Mos Eisley cantina, probably the most iconic place ever depicted in a sci-fi film. The crazy music and the weird denizens just makes for a fantastic setting. And i really envy the people who got to see this for the first time back in `77.
In the movie, Greedo, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan and Luke where the only ones who got proper screen time and lines, but there where several others in the cantina, with their own story and motives. Some are hiding from the law, some are ruthless serial killers, and the storm trooper we only know as the guy who said: "Look Sir, Droids!". They all get their own little tale.
This one is probably my favourite among the "Tales". And is a good start.


Tales of the Bounty Hunters

Most fans remember the scene from Vaders flagship The Executor, where Darth Vader assembled the galaxy`s most ruthless bounty hunters on a hunt for Han Solo.
These unsavory, but really cool, characters didn't get much screen time, except for of course, Boba Fett. And lot of fans, including me, really wanted to know more of these characters. And in this book you'll get five short stories starring each of the five hunters on screen in The Empire Strikes Back.

Honorable mentions in this one is the tale of Dengar and the tale of IG-88

So why are these books good ones to get you started? Well, the locations and characters are (somewhat)familiar, they are all fairly easy to read, and the stories compliment the movies in a way that probably will make you appreciate Star Wars even more. A nice gateway to get you hooked on the Expanded Universe of Star Wars.

I`ll review more good starters these coming weeks, so check by once in a while.

Now, go forth, and read!

If you are into comics, read my review of the first Knights Of The Old Republic volume here