A few years ago I started wondering what happened to the Rebels after the Death Star II. In the back of some book I saw a timetable of events after ROTJ. From then on I was entralled and decided to read all the books I could get my hands on.
The first series I started to read was the Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. I really enjoyed it and the characters within. After that I read the Boba Fett trilogy and enjoyed it (and I can actually admit I don't believe Boba Fett died in ROTJ). Many others were read by myself and I enjoyed most of them. Note that I said most. [u]The Crystal Star about a fifth-dimensional being trying to get enough "anti-force" to get back to its world. Weird, too weird. Also, [i]Darksaber seemed a bit odd and Crix Madine being killed was too much for me. If only I knew what was to follow.
Further on my reading list came Vector Prime, the first book in the New Jedi Order series looked good. But then Chewbacca died. NOW, this is what I have problems with. Authors should not be able to tamper with GL's creations and kill them off in petty ways. "It was to demonstrate the power of the new alien race." Oh, come on. Do that by blowing up a fleet or something. Authors have no right to kill characters. The series got worse!!! Coruscant, a core planet in Star Wars, is invaded and particially destroyed. Again, messing with GL's world. The series makes Luke seem like a weakling and his "jedi" are killed left and right. And don't even get me talking about the wierd "Sith" than ran up against on Coruscant. Some wierd guy with lightsabers coming out of him. Too much. Also, the series starts getting a "little weird" with a species "alive with the force." I personally don't believe that GL wanted to get too in-depth about the force. Sure, it penetrates us and stuff, but to get into weird specifics is wrong.
My overall problem with some of the EU and the NJO in particular is that they alter the "Star Wars Universe" beyond repair. Sure, the good guys win in the end, but at what cost? If GL wanted it that way, he wouldn't have invested his precious time into creating unique environments and characters. Another problem, two words: Resurrected Emperor.
What on earth was the author of this series (or comics if you prefer) thinking? This is even worse than Chewie dying, Coruscant being scarred. What justifies bringing back a dead character for a good plot line, when it utterly damages the movies? Just think, in ROTS Sidious commits many terrible acts, but at least you have the assurance that he gets what is coming to him in ROTJ. Wrong! He didn't really die, just lost one of his many "bodies". Did Vader bring balance to the force? No. Did good triumph? Kind of, but only until he can get back into another body. How about the storyline of the comics themselves. This "Emperor" seduces Luke to the dark side (something GL never intended to happen!), it takes Leia to get him back which contradicts the movies! Yoda remarks that once you start down the dark path, you can't escape. While Luke got out of that just fine. Overall, this comic series makes a farce of ROTJ, because in the end, Vader didn't redeem himself and died for nothing. Okay, I'll stop.
Now, this is not to say that all of the EU is bad. Many of the Clone Wars novels are good, because they cannot radically alter GL's vision. But after ROTJ, some stories became too odd and more sci-fi than Star Wars. I can't answer why GL licensed them, but they are a bunch of stuff that shouldn't be there and I believe should be considered uncanon.
Thanks for sitting through my little rant, but I believe these are some serious issues to be considered and discussed.

Darth Irv