Rogue Planet (Star Wars)

Amazon.com

It's an unexpected combination: Greg Bear, author of so many ambitiously complex SF novels, writing about the colorful simplicities of the Star Wars universe. But he carries it off well, with a mix of action-adventure and thoughtful world building that entertains while keeping to the spirit of Lucas's saga.

A few years after the events of The Phantom Menace, young Anakin Skywalker is getting restless--sneaking away from Jedi Temple training to gamble his life in a flying game that's much more bizarre and dangerous than the movie's podracing, even before an alien Blood Carver assassin intervenes. Anakin's character is taking shape now:

But above all, he loved winning.

To turn the boy's frustrated energy to useful ends, the Jedi Council has Obi-Wan Kenobi take Anakin to investigate the remote, enigmatic world Zonama Sekot, whose organic technologies produce magnificent spacecraft, and where a Jedi has vanished without a trace. Secretly pursuing them is a battle squadron captained by the weapons designer who has already blueprinted the Death Star and is being double-crossed by his employer Commander Tarkin.

Rogue Planet's action climaxes as the Jedis learn to grow their own spaceship, the Blood Carver strikes, and two heavily armed fleets converge on helpless-seeming Zonama Sekot. Every faction has secret cards up its sleeve--and Anakin's is a very dangerous wild card indeed. There's final victory and heartbreak, but also loose ends (including even stranger, deadlier aliens) that suggest sequels to follow. Bear does a solidly workmanlike job. --David Langford, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

MASTER AND APPRENTICE

The Force is strong in twelve-year-old Anakin Skywalker . . . so strong that the Jedi Council, despite misgivings, entrusted young Obi-Wan Kenobi with the mission of training him to become a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan? like his slain Master Qui-Gon?believes Anakin may be the chosen one, the Jedi destined to bring balance to the Force. But first Obi-Wan must help his undisciplined apprentice, who still bears the scars of slavery, find his own balance.

Dispatched to the mysterious planet of Zonama Sekot, source of the fastest ships in the galaxy, Obi-Wan and Anakin are swept up in a swirl of deadly intrigue and betrayal. They sense a disturbance in the Force unlike any they have encountered before. It seems there are more secrets on Zonama Sekot than meet the eye. But the search for those secrets will threaten the bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin . . . and bring the troubled young apprentice face-to-face with his deepest fears?and his darkest destiny.

Customer Reviews:

Rogue Novel.......2007-06-19

Generally reviews are on the mark as a whole. I should have followed the trend for this book because the negative leanings are there for a reason. Any Star Wars novel will be read with a critical eye and is certain to have flaws. The weaknesses of "Rogue Planet" are much more profound than the strengths.

While Star Wars novels are far from fine literature, I was immediately aggravated by the structure of the chapters. Many chapter are literally less than a page in length and add little to the story. The story would have flowed better if some of the shorter chapters were combined. In terms of the plot, I found it humorous that certain elements of the story seemed to be similar to other movies. A powerful leader ruling from behind a mask of deception reminded me of "The Wizard of Oz". A planet where everything is alive reminded me of an episode of Star Trek gone horribly wrong.

There are some positive aspects of the story. The theme of Anakin's struggle with fear and anger is developed. Also, the young Anakin character is not nearly as annoying as he is in the movies. "Rogue Planet" also furthers the theme of Qui-Gon Gin being a rebel Jedi and having a negative impact on young Anakin is brought to light.

This is the first Star Wars novel that I really did not like. At times, the pace made it painful to read. A better plot would have also helped to develop the Anakin character. The living planet theme seems terribly out of place as a vehicle for developing Anakin.

Shockingly Great and the details....WOW.......2007-06-13

I purchased the audio cassette because it was cheap. I listened to it and listened again and again. This book is one of the best in the Star Wars series. You wouldn't think it would be, but it is. It takes place on a living planet called Zonoma Sekot (which plays a huge role down the road in the Vong war). The description of the planet and the seeds that make the ships are awesome. Once you get past the oddities of it, it truly is genious. It is different and excellent. Not only do we see the very beginnings of Anakin's turn to the dark side, but we also get confusion and concern from Obi wan and an intro to the future Moff Tarkin and the designer of the first Death Star Seinar. There is even a reference to Darth Sidious. This book is exciting, original and entertaining. It can be had cheap right here on Amazon in any format (though the one penny CD might be your best value). If you love Star Wars, this is one to read or listen to right away

rogue novel.......2007-05-20

This novel has a little action in the beginning, a long boring middle, and a little more action at the end. The middle was mostly composed of great details about the process of growing a living starship. You read that right, living starships. Now, I'm sure Greg Bear is a great sci-fi author. But the problem here is that Star Wars is NOT sci-fi! It is space opera, a very different genre. I feel the whole premise of this story was way out of place in the Star Wars universe. This book also lacked that galactic feel as it concentrated on this one, starship-growing planet.

Another issue is that parts of this story were contradictory to things established in Episode II, like the fact that Jedi are forbidden to get married and have children. The Coda felt tacked on and was also proven untrue by Attack of the Clones anyway. Now we know the TRUE origin of the Death Star project (Geonosians). And Episode II implies that Anakin's slaughter of the Tuskan Camp is the first time he has killed in rage. (It definitely makes more sense that way.)

The only nice touch in this book is that Anakin talks to the spirit of a planet, reminiscent of an earth goddess.

If you like sci-fi, like the idea of growing living starships, don't mind a sci-fi Star Wars story and don't mind all the contradictions to the movies, then you might like this novel. But I think it sucked and I don't recommend this book. The only book worse than this is one is Crystal Star. Instead of this book, I highly recommend the following 5-star novels that are much more relevant to the film series:

Cloak of Deception (Star Wars)
Shadow Hunter (Star Wars: Darth Maul)
Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars, Episode III Prequel Novel)
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars)
Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars)

Great Book! Ties the Old Republic to the New Jedi Order! .......2007-01-06

First up, I thought Bear nailed the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin. Kind of a father/son, brother, master/student, rival thing going. It seems that all aspects of their bonds were explored as hinted at in Episode I and A New Hope.

Anakin was great. He's definitely in that transition state between a boy and a Jedi. He misses his mother while still mastering becoming a Jedi Knight. Most intriguing of all is getting to see the first hints of Darth Vader emerging in his mind. It was also interesting to see how the Jedi Council treated him after their rather cold reception in Episode I.

Bear also did a great job with some of the new aliens. They are definitely strange and otherworldly, as you'd hope for. They also play upon the "symbiosis" themes that George Lucas loves so much.

As you know, Tarkin is one of the major bad guys in this book. It was truly a treat to finally see him in action outside of A New Hope. I've always wanted to know more about Tarkin, and Bear delivers. He's cold, ruthless, and overconfident just as Peter Cusing portrayed him.

Final Thoughts: I love the fact this novel ties the Prequel Era, A New Hope era, and the Post-Return of the Jedi Era all together. There's a subtle tie in with the New Jedi Order series that will suprise you. This is a must read for true Star Wars fans!!

rogue planet.......2006-11-20

quickly-growing anakin and maturing master obi-wan are sent to a mysterious planet to investigate both the amazing ships suddenly being constructed there and the disappearance of a previous knight. unbeknownst to the council, however, are the nefarious plans of one wilhuff tarkin, intent on taking the secrets of the ship-builders regardless of the cost.
this is an enjoyable entry in the reasonably unexplored era between 'the phantom menace' and 'attack of the clones'. while the middle of the book reads as very episodic, with the chapters strictly alternating between two plotlines, everything comes together for an exciting climax. the look at raith seinar is interesting, and the characterisation of tarkin is perfect. if you have not read the 'new jedi order' series, this book contains many fascinating surprises; unfortunately, i have read the series, so all i could do was sit back and be told what i already knew. one or two mentions suffer due to age (such as thracia cho-leem, jedi knight's many husbands), but overall 'rogue planet' is a great entry to the 'star wars' universe.

Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

A pleasing transition piece...

Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Vol. 1
Haden Blackman , Michael Stackpole , Mike Baron , Various , Tomas Giorello , and Allen Nunis
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Dark Horse | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Star Wars | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1593075723

Book Description

The greatest starfighters of the Rebel Alliance become the defenders of a New Republic in this massive collection of stories featuring Wedge Antilles, hero of the Battle of Endor, and his team of ace pilots known throughout the galaxy as Rogue Squadron! Meet the Rogues for the first time and learn the fate of the galaxy immediately after the events of Return of the Jedi as the Rebellion's best pilots battle remnants of the Empire wherever its ugly agenda of fear and domination appears. Along with the critically-acclaimed X-Wing Rogue Squadron: The Phantom Affair, this jam-packed volume contains tons of material never before collected! This volume contains never before collected material, including Star Wars X-Wing Rogue Leader #1-3, Star Wars X-Wing Rogue Squadron: The Rebel Opposition #1-4, Star Wars X-Wing Rogue Squadron: The Phantom Affair #1-4, and Star Wars Handbook: X-Wing Rogue Squadron.

Customer Reviews:

A pleasing transition piece..........2006-07-13

...from The Truce at Bakura (the fairly tame EU novel by Kathy Tyers) to the X-wing novels (written by Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston).

In it, we can see the formation of the the infamous Rogues as a mix of both Classic Trilogy, Novel, and Comic characters all with their various back-stories (some of which are thin, some quite fleshed out and continuous) and the like.

While the adventures are formulaic and a tad predictable (as are MOST space operas), they're still fun and in keeping with the pace and flow you could find in movies.

Look for tie-ins to the novels and both the Classic Trilogy and the Prequels, but basically just sit back and enjoy tame, but comfortable series of storytelling.

Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Vol. 2

Average customer rating:

Star Wars Omnibus
The continuing adventures of Rogue Squadron are well worth a look

Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Vol. 2
Michael A. Stackpole , Jan Strnad , Ryder Windham , John Nadeau , Gary Erskine , and Jordi Ensign
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Dark Horse | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Star Wars | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1593076193

Book Description

As the Empire withers away and the New Republic grows, one team of ace starfighters takes on the most critical missions to ensure freedom in a galaxy long oppressed - Rogue Squadron! Collecting X-Wing Rogue Squadron #9-20, this mammoth volume includes "Battleground Tatooine," "The Warrior Princess" and "Requiem for a Rogue." Whether it's keeping a massive weapons cache out of the hands of Jabba the Hutt's would-be successors, brokering peace on a planet racked by civil war, or rescuing a downed cruiser from the jaws of an ancient evil, no task is too treacherous for the heroes of Rogue Squadron!

Customer Reviews:

Star Wars Omnibus.......2007-09-21

The book was good and complete. All that would be expected. Less than 5 stars as the book binding is already breaking down.

The continuing adventures of Rogue Squadron are well worth a look.......2006-12-05

Star Wars Omnibus: X-wing Rogue Squadron Volume Two compiles several multi-issue arcs of the Dark Horse comic book saga in one handy volume. The premise of the omnibus books is to give Dark Horse a way to present novel-length stories in a single collection and also to provide a home for single issues or short stories that might otherwise be forgotten. The book includes three four-issue story arcs, along with a single issue one-off. The presentation of the omnibus is very attractive and clean, with a lot of content packed between the covers.

The four stories are as follows:

"Rogue Squadron Special" - This story is the one issue tale and it takes place a few weeks after the Battle of Endor. Wedge and the Rogues liberate the planet Tandankin from Imperial oppression, but are dismayed to find the citizens criticizing their methods and the collateral damage caused by the battle. Fortunately, Luke Skywalker is still a member of Rogue Squadron and he steps forward to explain to the mob why exactly Wedge Antilles is such a great guy. It's a fun walkthrough of Wedge's movie highlights and also establishes him as the fearless leader we are to follow in the upcoming comics.

"Battleground: Tatooine" - An Alliance agent is on Tatooine investigating the struggles of local warlords to take control of the planet and their possible Imperial connections. Rogue Squadron is sent to assist her in any way required. This story was terrific: action-packed, lively, varied, and with an interesting mystery at its core. Bib Fortuna makes an intriguing appearance in a drastically altered form (inspired by a short story in the book Tales from Jabba's Palace), and we take an exciting side trip to the Twi'lek homeworld Ryloth.

"Warrior Princess" - Rogue Squadron receives surprising news: one of their pilots, Plourr, is actually a princess on the planet Eiattu! The team sets off to the politically-divided planet to try and help Plourr reclaim her heritage and fix the broken government. This story features a terrifically unsettling panel of Darth Vader playing with toy TIE fighters and X-wings with a psychotic child member of the royal family. The plot overall is solid but fairly predictable.

"Requiem for a Rogue" - A Bothan passenger liner has gone missing and Rogue Squadron sets off to find out. They succeed, but all is not as it seems on the fourth planet of the Malrev system. This story drops an interesting Sith aspect into what are usually more military-focused plotlines with the Rogue Squadron series. The villains are fairly cheesy but the sacrifice required by the pilots at the tale's climax is affecting.

This omnibus provide excellent value and is a nice long read for those of us who don't fancy collecting individual issues of comics. I'm looking forward to reading Volume Three sometime in the near future.

Average customer rating:

Classic Dan Dare: The Rogue Planet
Frank Hampson , and Don Harley
Manufacturer: Titan Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1845764137
Release Date: 2007-11-06

Book Description

It’s chocks away and tally-ho once again as Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, returns! First published in classic British comic Eagle, these are the original adventures of one of the best known and loved of British comic characters, presented in a new series of gorgeous library editions.

Dan, Lex and Digby — with their alien guide Lero — finally make planetfall on Cryptos, but the Phant invasion has already begun! With a new friend, the alien creature Stripey, our heroes must fight a desperate battle to save two worlds!

Featuring a brand new introduction, plus exclusive feature material, this thrilling new volume will blow you away!

Average customer rating:

Space: 1999 Rogue Planet.

Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

History & Criticism | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Space Guardians (Space 1999)

ASIN: 0671807102

Average customer rating:

The zenith of the SCI-Fi comic books of the 50'
Superb Comix Artwork from late '50's Britain

Dan Dare Pilot of Future Rogue Planet
Frank Hampson
Manufacturer: Putnam Pub Group (P)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0825695538

Customer Reviews:

The zenith of the SCI-Fi comic books of the 50'.......2000-01-10

Great Frank Hampson showing us his very best work in Dan Dare saga. Aliens and alien planets depicted with the unsurpassed imagination and illustrating technique for the time.

Superb Comix Artwork from late '50's Britain.......1999-09-17

"Rogue Planet" is the second part of the 3 volume "Man From Nowhere" series starring '50's British sci-fi hero Colonel Dan Dare. The story is a collection of the strip which ran as a two-page serial in the British weekly comic book "Eagle". Frank Hampson wrote and pencilled most of the strips as head of a creative team which later included '60's comix great Frank Bellamy.

Previously Dan and his friends, having defeated the Mekon and brought peace to Venus, are enlisted by the mysterious alien spaceman Lero in an attempt to save his doomed race, the Crypts. In this volume Dan, Digby, Flamer and Lex aid the peaceful Crypts in resisting the genocidal Phants, and discover the secret of the endless cycle of interplanetary war.

Conceptually the story is imaginative but plot inconsistencies are glaring; faster-than- light travel, a key element of the previous story, is denied in this story. Names are not very imaginative; the Crypt spaceship intended to save a remnant of their civilization is the 'Kra', the evil Phant heirophants are 'Kruels', etc. Two- fisted British pluck, together with a bit of muddling through, wins the day. Nevertheless the series was a seminal one for British comix and introduced sci-fi concepts which were to become staples in series such as 'Dr. Who' and 'Star Trek'.

Average customer rating:

Analytical

Musings of a Rogue Comet: Chiron, Planet of Healing
Martin Lass
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Astrology | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Mental & Spiritual Healing | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Chiron: Healing Body & Soul (Special Topics in Astrology)

Chiron in the Natal Chart

Planets in Transit: Life Cycles for Living

Astrology: A Language of Life; Volume I - Progressions (Astrology: a Language of Life)

Relationship Analysis (Astrology: a Language of Life)

ASIN: 1401032044

Book Description

"...the most extensive work on Chiron published to date." - so says "The Mountain Astrologer Magazine". Over ten years have passed since the Chiron studies of Barbara Hand Clow, Melanie Reinhart and Zane Stein first appeared. Since then, Chiron, Planet of Healing, has been “awaiting the more inclusive synthesis that only a journey into the depths of his own inner nature can bring...” (Reinhart 1989) “Musings of a Rogue Comet” by Martin Lass offers just this...This major work, eleven years in the making, represents the definitive text on Chiron, Planet of Healing. This book is the first in a series that deals with the connection between Healing, consciousness and the Body/Mind. This book is inspirational and astrological.

Customer Reviews:

Analytical.......2006-09-01

Very Analytical work on kiron, its position and aspects through the birth chart and transits. It did help me understand a lot!

Average customer rating:

Planet Rogue
Ty Jodouin
Manufacturer: Northwest Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0761000321

Average customer rating:

The follow-up story to Episode I

Rogue Planet (Star Wars)
Greg Bear
Manufacturer: Arrow Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

The follow-up story to Episode I.......2005-09-26

Rogue Planet (2000.) A Star Wars novel by Greg Bear, occuring three years after Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

INTRODUCTION:
The Star Wars film series is, without question, the greatest science fiction series of all time. George Lucas captured the minds of people young and old across the world. But as anyone knows, there are only a limited number of films, and for many people, this just wasn't enough. And thus, the Star Wars Expanded Universe was born. The Expanded Universe consisted of comic books, video games, novels, and other media. Many of the stories focused on the characters in the films, many focused on unknown characters from the same universe. Among the authors who tried their hands at creating Star Wars novels was Greg Bear, the author of Darwin's Radio. In 2000, he published his only Star Wars novel, Rogue Planet. Read on, and see how it measures up.

STORYLINE:
It's been three years since the events of Episode I have occured. The Trade Federation has faded into obscurity and not posed a threat since the events of The Phantom Menace. Anakin Skywalker is now a Jedi apprentice under Obi-Wan Kenobi. The twosome is given the task of travelling to a far away planet, where a fellow Jedi was sent to, but has vanished. The world the duo is sent to is known for its extraordinary ability to build spaceships - from LIVING matter. This greatly intrigues a young up-and-coming Commander named Tarkin, who strives to make a name for himself and to obtain this technology. Along with his comrade, a starship designer named Sienar, the two head for the same destination as our heroes... and conflict between the two sides is inevitable.

OPINIONS:
This is NOT one of the better Star Wars novels I have read. It's not bad by any means, but defintely down a few notches from some of the others I have read. If Greg Bear had decided to continue writing Star Wars novels rather than stopping at this one, I am sure he could have improved. But instead, we're left with a single novel by him. The story ends up coming off seeming more like something you'd expect to read in a children's book, focusing more on the aspect of the adventure than anything. Character development is minimal, although it IS there. And while it is interesting to explore the lives of Tarkin before he became Grand Moff and Sienar before he designed the legendary TIE series of aircraft, Bear could have done so much more with these characters. Another problem is the horribly imbalanced chapter lengths. The first chapter is over thirty pages long, and the vast majority of the remaining ones are only one to four pages long in some cases. Some are shorter than a page! It's really aggravating to read several short chapters and then encounter a maddeningly-long one. Couldn't Bear have condensed the number of chapters and made the story easier to read? With its flaws numerous and storyline mediocre often, Rogue Planet is a novel for Star Wars die-hards only.

OVERALL:
There isn't a whole lot else I can say. I've made my point pretty well. If you're a die-hard Star Wars fan who can't get enough of the series, give this novel a read. If you're anything less, pass it by. This isn't a bad novel by any means, it's just that there are better Star Wars novels out there.

Average customer rating:

Rogue queen (Dell book)
L. Sprague De Camp
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007EILUU

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books