This the first of weekly “reviews” of favorite authors. These are people I highly recommend and someday hope to publish reviews of all their books. However, logistically, that’s going to take a while since they’ve been writing since before I’ve been blogging.
In my college Shakespeare class the professor summed up the Complete Works by saying she liked her least favorite Shakespeare play a lot more than most of the other plays out there. That’s how I feel about books by Timothy Zahn. My least favorite of his novels ranks higher on my list than most other science fiction novels. And to be honest, if it were another author’s book, I’d probably put them on my favorite authors list immediately. In the myriad of books Mr. Zahn has written though, a few are bound to get lost in the brilliance of the collective whole.
I’ve read through all but five of Mr. Zahn’s books and with the exception of language content in a few that would raise the rating to PG-13, I can recommend them without reservation. And for anyone over eighteen who enjoys science fiction, I do whole heartedly recommend grabbing whatever your library has on the shelves.
It is very likely that readers who recognize the name Timothy Zahn, recognize it from the Star Wars universe. Mr. Zahn is traditionally credited with being the author who first made Star Wars books popular. Novelizations of the original trilogy and comics pre-existed his novels, but Heir to the Empire was the first chapter in “what happened next” in a galaxy far, far away. Even now, if new readers ask where to start reading in the Expanded Universe, nine times out of ten they will be told to start by reading all the books Mr. Zahn has contributed, and many, if not most, Star Wars readers consider his books to be the best in the canon.
Beyond his contributions to Star Wars, Mr. Zahn has penned several series and many stand alone novels that are largely science fiction although a few have touches of fantasy. Many of his books are very militaristic such as the Cobra books and the Conqueror Trilogy. I personally have always struggled with books that are driven by tactics and military engagements. I find that while Mr. Zahn includes these elements, it is nearly always the characters that drive his stories, and when those elements are present, they are presented with clarity and enhance rather than bog down the story.
Unlike many of his stories, the newly finished Quadrail Series is a nod to the old film noir detective stories like Big Sleep and Maltese Falcon as well as classic murder mysteries such as Murder on the Orient Express. But in this case, it is murder on the Quadrail, an interplanetary rail system, and the gun slinging Frank Compton and his partner Bayta must solve many crimes as they race to stop an alien conspiracy.
As far as a recommended reader order, make sure you start at the beginning of each series as several of them have complicated plots it is hard to jump into part way through. Other than that, the three non-Star Wars books I have enjoyed most are Deadman Switch, Icarus Hunt, and Angelmass. If you are a Star Wars fan, Mr. Zahn has a Han Solo based book coming out January 1st called Scoudrels. It is set in between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and Mr. Zahn has described it as an Ocean’s Eleven style caper.
Timothy Zahn Bibliography provided on his Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/notes/timothy-zahn/book-bibliography-as-of-may-2011/208516699179550
Book Bibliography as of May 2011
by Timothy Zahn on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 12:30pm •
Books by Timothy Zahn in chronological order
(title, publisher, original pub date)
The Blackcollar, DAW Books, July 1983
A Coming of Age, Bluejay Books, February 1985
Cobra, Baen Books, May 1985
Spinneret, Bluejay Books, November 1985
Cobra Strike, Baen Books, February 1986
Cascade Point and Other Stories, Bluejay Books (collection), April 1986
The Backlash Mission, DAW Books, September 1986
Triplet, Baen Books, August 1987
Cobra Bargain, Baen Books, February 1988
Time Bomb and Zahndry Others, Baen Books (collection), September 1988
Deadman Switch, Baen Books, October 1988
Warhorse, Baen Books, April 1990
Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, Bantam Books, June 1991
Cobras Two, (compilation of Cobra and Cobra Strike), Baen Books, April 1992
Distant Friends, Baen Books (collection), August 1992
Star Wars: Dark Force Rising, Bantam Books, June 1992
Star Wars: The Last Command, Bantam Books, May 1993
Conquerors’ Pride, Bantam Books, September 1994
Conquerors’ Heritage, Bantam Books, September 1995
Conquerors’ Legacy, Bantam Books, July 1996
The Hand of Thrawn, Book 1: Specter of the Past, Bantam Books, December 1997
The Hand of Thrawn, Book 2: Vision of the Future, Bantam Books, September 1998
The Icarus Hunt, Bantam Books, August 1999
Angelmass, Tor Books, September 2001
Manta’s Gift, Tor Books, September 2002
Starsong and Other Stories, Five Star Books, September, 2002
Dragonback Book 1: Dragon and Thief, Tor Books, February 2003
Star Wars: Survivor’s Quest, Del Rey Books, February 2004
Dragonback Book 2: Dragon and Soldier, Tor Books, June 2004
The Green and the Gray, Tor Books, September 2004
The Cobra Trilogy (omnibus edition), Baen Books, September 2004
Dragonback Book 3: Dragon and Slave, Tor Books, June 2005
Night Train to Rigel, Tor Books, September 2005
Star Wars: Outbound Flight, Del Rey Books, January 2006
Blackcollar (omnibus of The Blackcollar and The Backlash Mission), Baen Books, January 2006
Dragonback Book 4: Dragon and Herdsman, Tor Books, June 2006
Blackcollar: The Judas Solution, Baen Books, June 2006
Star Wars: Allegiance, Del Rey Books, February 2007
Dragonback Book 5: Dragon and Judge, Tor Books, May 2007
The Third Lynx, Tor Books, November 2007
Dragonback Book 6: Dragon and Liberator, Tor Books, May 2008
Odd Girl Out, Tor Books, September 2008
From the Ashes, Titan Books, March, 2009
Cobra War Book 1: Cobra Alliance, Baen Books, December 2009
The Domino Pattern, Tor Books, January 2010
Terminator Salvation: Trial by Fire, Titan Books, July 2010
Cobra War Book 2: Cobra Guardian, Baen Books, January 2011
Upcoming:
Judgment at Proteus, Tor Books
Star Wars: Choices of One, Del Rey Books
Star Wars: Heir to the Empire (20th Anniversary Edition), Del Rey Books
Cobra War Book 3: Cobra Gamble, Baen Books