From: ses52823@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Sven E. Skoog)
Subject: Re: Next Swars movieskip
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 20:46:35 GMT

I think Zahn might be under some pressures unacceptable for
other authors (he has to continue the STAR WARS tradition, for
Chrissake!)  To wit:

(1)  He can't really deal with Jedi or have actions of the Force
     gallavanting around as both are in a 'lull period' in the
     Galaxy at present.  Luke is 'the last of the old' and 'the
     first of the new', and IMHO that leaves precious little in
     between.  Even the inhabitants of the Galaxy still regard
     Jedi as semi-mythical (in the cantina when they ask Luke to
     settle their dispute).

(2)  True to form (as other posters have indicated), Zahn DOES
     lack many of the characterization and descriptive qualities
     that gave Star Wars its original 'space opera' designation.
     But many of the action scenes (Luke vs. Noghri, or vorskyrs)
     recapture the original feel of the trilogy.

(3)  As a result, Zahn is reduced to introducing what is essentially
     a new Vader.  Thrawn has no Force;  therefore Zahn gives him a
     resource making him immune to the Force.  Thrawn possesses many
     of the same ominous qualities Vader had, but Vader's downfall
     (his anger and impatience) are replaced by logic and cunning.
     The world would end before Thrawn would alter one of his carefully
     plotted schemes.

(4)  We do have to give Zahn a little credit, however.  He HAS
     introduced many new and interesting elements of the Star Wars
     universe;  for example, the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyk, the
     Noghri (I think it's sorta cute to imagine Gremlins with honor
     codes of samurai), the Clones (notably Joruus & Spaarti cylinders;
     this topic is long hinted at as a major historical focus but
     never really given any attention), the Katana fleet (a kinda hokey
     but nevertheless in-the-Star-Wars-tradition 'rarity' which could
     restore the Empire to its previous glory... or the Republic), and
     a whole lot of others.  Where Zahn cannot trespass on old ground,
     he has broken in upon new;  the resulting work is pleasing to the
     eye and historical sense of the Star Warsite, if not precisely
     of the old feel of the latter.

But let me get my one and only gripe with Zahn in here (what would life
be without a few flames?  :)

The characters (BOTH good and evil) seem to have been at a Mexican 
standoff for the past two novels.  The structure continues in this manner:

			Thrawn sets up a plan
			Republic thwarts it
			Thrawn has enough brains to
			   get out all right
 			Republic sets up power base
			Empire thwarts it
			Empire attacks Republic
			Republic makes an incredible
			  comeback (witness:  mole miners)
 			Noghri attack Leia (many times)
			Noghri never kill any of the people
			Leia captures & befriends Noghri
			Noghri will not join Republic
			Joruus seeks to corrupt Luke
			Luke sees right through the plan
			Empire tries to seize Katana fleet
			Republic tries to seize Katana fleet
			Empire gets most of it but Republic
			  gets the command ship(s)

and etcetera ad nauseum.  Each character is seemingly capable of undoing
the others' best efforts throughout the series;  Luke evades the Empire,
but burns out his hyperdrive.  Karrde imprisons Luke.  Luke escapes, but
crashes in the forest.  Mara goes out & intercepts Luke, but both of them
end up having to work together to escape the forest.  Luke is picked up
by his friends.  (Or gets away himself -- memory fails me at the moment)

How does everybody feel about this impasse situation?  The books otherwise
appear to be acceptable, exciting continuations of the saga, but the
continuous 'good--evil cancellations' remind me a bit of Thrawn's well-
intentioned but tediously boring logical platitudes.

							Just a Thought,

							Sven E. Skoog
 						ses52823@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu

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