
In
Star Wars Insider UK #77, Daniel Wallace recommends a number of essential EU must-reads/must-plays/must-sees recommending various EU media for you, some of which I think have done more harm than good to the constinuity, and others which I think are right on. I'd like to offer my additional recommendations in this entry (some of which have also proven unhealthy to the continuity, I might add).
The original list
Wallace's original list is as follows:
Novels:
Must read: Thrawn Trilogy (
Heir to the Empire,
Dark Force Rising,
The Last Command)
Don't overlook:
New Jedi Order series
Comicbooks:
Must read:
Dark Empire
Don't overlook:
Star Wars Legacy
Reference works:
Must read:
The New Essential Chronology
Don't overlook:
Behind the Magic
Games:
Must play:
Knights of the Old Republic
Don't overlook:
Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight
Television:
Must see:
Clone Wars, the microseries
Don't overlook:
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Expanding the Expanded Universe list
...And here are my recommendations:
Novels:
Must read:
Splinter of the Mind's Eye - it's quite well written, and then it's a seminal EU-novel - it does contain a couple of things that are perhaps a bit incompatible with present-day canon, but that makes it an even more interesting read
Don't overlook:
I, Jedi - stands out by being written in first person, and recounts, uiquely in the perspective of Corran Horn events known from other novels
Novellas:
Must read: The
Dark Forces trilogy (
Soldier for the Empire,
Rebel Agent,
Jedi Knight) - dynamic and action-packed canonical descriptions of many of the events of
Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight, which also fills many of the gaps in the computer game.
Don't overlook:
Side Trip - the first Zahn-Stackpole collaboration, which in itself makes it worth mentioning, this novella features a number of EU darling characters.
Short stories:
Must read:
A Boy and his Monster: the Rancor Keeper's Tale - the heartbreaking story behind the crying rancor keeper in EP VI
Don't overlook: Charlene Newcomb's Alex Winger stories, which carved out a corner of the Star Wars continuity of their own
Comics
Must read: Star Wars Marvel comics stories featuring Shia Brie/Lumiya (
Coffin in the Clouds,
Hello, Bespin, Goodbye,
Sundown,
Shira's Story,
Screams in the Void,
The Mind Spider,
Figurehead,
No Zeltrons,
Duel With a Dark Lady,
Escape,
First Strike,
All Together Now) - firstly, they tie in with the Legacy of the Force series, secondly, a lot of them are simply darn good stories, especially
Hello, Bespin, Goodbye,
Screams in the Void,
No Zeltrons, and
Duel with a Dark Lady.
Don't overlook:
Evasive Action - the story of a surviving pack of padawans, and I still think it should be released in TPB form! It features a number of popular characters.
Reference works:
Must read: any
Star Wars Adventure Journal gaming article - probably not reference works as such, but nonetheless full of canon.
Don't overlook:
Wookieepedia - not official, but full of info and growing every day.
Games:
Must play:
Galactic Battlegrounds - loads of epic canonical battles and missions
Don't overlook:
Shadows of the Empire - the video game aspect of the Shadows of the Empire multimedia project.
Television:
Must see:
Star Wars Holiday Special - of course :-P
Don't overlook: The
Ewoks movies - left a lot of retconning to be done
Honorable mentions
Novels:
Shadows of the Empire
Novellas:
Interlude at Darknell
Short stories:
Tales from Mos Eisley Cantina collection,
Tales from Jabba's Palace collection, Peter Schweighofer's Dirk Harkness stories,
Comics:
Shadows of the Empire,
Knights of the Old Republic (TOJ),
Redemption,
Knights of the Old Republic series,
Betrayal,
Darklighter,
The Savage Heart,
To the Last Man,
8 for Aduba-3,
Droidworld,
The Last Jedi,
Death in the City of Bone,
Outlander,
Oh! Jawajawa,
Perfect Evil 1 and 2,
Rookies,
Rogue Squadron.
Reference works:
Galactic Phrasebook and Travel Guide, all
New Essentials, StarWars.com database,
Star Wars Encyclopedia (although arguably outdated now - but I've heard there's a new edition on the way)
Games: Mysteries of the Sith,
Jedi Outcast,
Jedi Academy,
Force Commander,
X-Wing Alliance (although I dislike the last couple of levels),
Rebellion (only partially canonical).
Television:
Droids,
Ewoks (I wonder what they were on when they made that).
That was my list of Expanded Universe recommendations. You're invited to make your suggestions in the comments section.