Top 10 Novels: Part 2

Here is the continuation of my Top 10 Novels of all-time. Please remember that this is a list of my personal favorite novels and that the visual medium of film is more my forte than the written word. For a full explanation of my how I made my choices, you can click here to read the first part of the list, if you have not already.

At Number 7: Watchmen

Blasphemy you say!? How can a comic book make a list of best novels, you say!? Well, if Entertainment Weekly can include it at 13th their list of 50 Best Novels of the last 25 years, then I can surely include it on my favorite novels list, however no other graphic novels will be included. While the Watchmen film was a general disappoint in comparison to the novel, it did serve to spark my interest in the novel. Watchmen is an intelligent and though-provoking deconstruction of the superhero genre that ushered in an era of more mature storytelling in comic books. The story itself is rife with symbolism and metaphors, as well as strongly developed characters with understandable motivations. Too bad the movie could not have the same intriguing characters and thought-provoking themes thanks to Zack Sndyer's lifeless directing, however, he should be credited for bring the novel to life visually, albeit with an excessive amount of sexual content and profanity that is mostly not present in the novel.

At Number 6: Star Wars: Dark Force Rising

The second book in the Thrawn Trilogy, Dark Force Rising was not really The Empire Strikes of the trilogy, however, it was a nice followup that follows everyone's favorite Star Wars heroes. Too bad the trilogy can never be adapted into films, or at least live-action films, but please Disney, do not forget the years of these fantastic Expanded Universe stories in your upcoming films!

At Number 5: Star Wars: Heir to the Empire

Considering that Luke, Han, and Leia are basically my three favorite characters ever, it should be no surprise that a continuation of the greatest story ever told is something I would enjoy. The books capture the great feel that made the Original Trilogy classic, while throwing in some political intrigue, espionage, and a deeper exploration of the characters makes for a story that surpasses the prequels for sure (which I like more than most). Also, Heir to the Empire was my first introduction into the Star Wars Expanded Universe books, and it is where I believe everyone should start if you love the Original Trilogy. Of course, the novel introduced the first iconic EU (Expanded Universe) character to make an impact on the Star Wars universe, Grand Admiral Thrawn.  

At Number 4: Star Wars: The Last Command

The Last Command concludes the Thrawn Trilogy perfectly with shocking revelations and a climax that completely satisfies. The interplay between Mara Jade, one of the best EU characters, and Luke Skywalker was a lot of fun, and so was reading more about Han and Leia. Even though some of the plot conflicts with the prequels, which were made several years afterwards, the story is fun with the classic Star Wars feel, and Timothy Zahn really knows how to capture these iconic characters on the page. As a whole, the Thrawn trilogy felt like a blast from the past that reminded me how much I miss these characters, and the unabridged audiobook by Marc Thompson is positively magnificent! 

At Number 3: The Fellowship of the Ring

If it was not obvious enough, the first part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring takes one of the top three spots on the list. It is one of the best work of fiction ever written. Tolkien created a mythos that set the standard for all fantasy works to come. The difficult part about writing the Lord of the Rings trilogy is that everything can be said about the trilogy has already been said. 

At Number 2: The Two Towers

As enjoyable as the Fellowship of the Ring was, The Two Towers bested by the slightest of margins. Even though I might rank one Lord of the Rings book above another, they really are one giant story that was originally intended to be one book. You cannot read one without the other.

At Number 1: The Return of the King

How could I choose any other book for the number one spot? It's the Return of the King, the epic conclusion of one of the greatest stories ever told. The Lord of the Rings trilogy are undeniable classics, and there is almost nothing that can be said that has not already been said. Sure, Tolkien can be a little wordy and the books are not light readings, but he crafted a brilliantly realized world that has few rivals in terms of scale and detail. It is essentially perfect. If you have never experienced the Lord of the Rings, go watch the movies and read the books, like right now!

What did you think of my list? Please comment below and check back soon for my review of on Friday for my review of "Spice and Wolf" and a couple of guest posts on Wednesday and Thursday.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 10 Novels: Part 1

You voted for it, so here it is, my Top 10 Favorite Novels.

Before we had movies to tell us epic quests to save the world or whodunit murder mysteries, there were books and novels. While not the earliest form of storytelling, literature, particularly fiction, has captivated the masses for centuries. Novels are not really my area of expertise. Even though my ability to decipher an author's meaning and better analyze literature from a critical perspective has certainly improved since taking English 2 in college, which I received an A in, I am not particularly experienced when it comes to literature. While I am no expert on movies, having seen around 800 movies and having written well over 100 reviews, my knowledge of what defines a "good" movie is most definitely higher than my knowledge of books. Why am I telling you this you may ask? Unlike my list of favorite movies, this list of my favorite novels is heavily based on my personal preference and the fact that I am a fan of certain franchises, however the top three on my list are undeniable classics. Also, unlike movies, reading highly recommended books is not an easy task. Reading a book takes a lot of time that I simply do not have. Ever since I started college, all of my book reading has been relegated to the Bible and the tons of textbooks. If I wanted to read more books, I would have to stop writing this blog and stop reading your blogs, and that is not something I would ever want to do. I know a lot of avid book readers follow my blog and basically all of my friends are aspiring authors (online and real life), so I do not have anything against reading books in the slightest. That being said, I much rather watch 6 movies than read one book because reviewing movies and other visual media is my passion. One last thing to keep in mind while reading my list, I am a massive Star Wars fan, and even though some of the Star Wars books are not necessarily "great" books, they are the ones that I typically enjoy more because they are about some of my favorite characters in all of fiction. I have read a few "classics" but few have interested me to a great degree. If most of your favorite novels are "classics" that is great, but they are not my favorites. Keeping all of that in mind, here is my list.

At Number 10: Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet

"A Study in Scarlet" is currently the only Sherlock Holmes story I have read to completion in recent years. Despite the odd side story with the Latter-day Saints and the lack of clues given to the reader to solve the mystery, "A Study in Scarlet" is a fun origin story of sorts for the iconic detective. Reading how Sherlock and Watson got started is fun, which, as a fan of multiple adaptations, is a lot of fun to read.

Note: I did not read the graphic novel of A Study in Scarlet, but I could not find a good cover picture for the book.

At Number 9: Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan

Being a massive fan of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video game, which I still hold as the second greatest story ever told in video games, "The Old Republic: Revan" continues the story of the game and it provides a satisfyingly bittersweet conclusion to the character. The novel is far from a masterpiece, but fans of the video game and Star Wars will sure find something to enjoy. *Massive spoilers for the video game* Since you, the player, are literally Revan in the game, although you do not know it through most of the game, reading about what you basically did was a unique reading experience. That is particularly emphasized by the fact that I unknowingly made choices that fall in line with the cannon version of Revan's story, which made the connection even greater for me. *End Spoilers* 

At Number 8: Star Wars: Darth Plagueis

In Revenge of the Sith, Emperor Palpatine tells Anakin the story of Death Plagueis, a Sith Lord that had supposedly discover how to prevent death itself. The novel essentially tells this story in great detail. Darth Plagueis is an intriguing character with a lot of depth that could be explored in a film, if Disney so chooses. Since many of the events of the book affect the events of the Phantom Menace, reading the novel makes the Phantom Menace a better movie in retrospect since it fills in most of the plot holes from the film. Throughout the book, there are references to The Clone Wars and other Star Wars expanded universe works, which fans of the franchise will surely enjoy. 

Hopefully you have enjoyed the list thus far, even if almost no would rank these books so highly on their lists. Also, since I had such a long opening, I have decided to only three entries of the list on this post and have the rest on the next one so that the word count is even. 

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.