REVIEW: Fate of the Jedi: Conviction by Aaron Allston

My overall reaction to Conviction is similar to what I felt about Vortex, and it echoes what others have said about this book, as well. On the one hand, standing purely on its own terms, Conviction has solid writing, good characterization, and some classic Allston hilarity. On the other hand, Conviction is seriously dragged down by the weakness and defects in the story design of the Fate of the Jedi series as a whole.

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Luke Skywalker Must Die

I think killing Luke Skywalker in an Expanded Universe novel, and doing it in the near future – both in the real world and in-universe – is the perfect opportunity to revive the stagnating EU storyline, rebuild enthusiasm in the EU fanbase, and bring in a whole bunch of new fans to the EU in the process. To save the EU novels, Luke Skywalker must die. I hope you’ll hear me out on my reasons why.

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Fangirl Speaks Up: Reenergizing the EU Novels

In my recent Fangirl Speaks Up blogs, I’ve been critical of the direction taken by Del Rey and Lucas Books in the recent Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, and offered some explanations for how I think they got off track. I thought it was time made some more specific suggestions about how the Star Wars EU can get its groove back. I think in large part it comes down to two main themes. First, Del Rey and Lucas Books need to change their perspective on the scope of their target audience and the nature of their marketing. Second, the Powers That Be need to assert firm editorial control over the future directions of the stories and the characters. If they do those things, I think they’ll find success once again.

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