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| The "Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights" saga: Fourteen Installments to Enjoy! |
Growing up, I read anything I could get my hands on. When the latest offerings from
Scholastic arrived in my classroom, my parents purchased any books that
interested me. I took frequent trips to
the library. After I saw “Star Wars,” I realized
that a wealth of newer books awaited me in grocery store spinner racks. I sought out the Science Fiction sections in
bookstores, as well as the book areas of department stores where my
parents shopped. In time, I discovered
the Science Fiction Book Club, and that offered up a whole new source of
beautiful, affordable hardcovers, some of them with two or three novels in one volume.
I think many of us are naturally drawn to series
fiction. If we find a particular
character or characters, or a setting or world we like, then we yearn to return
to it again and again. Some of the series
fiction I enjoyed during this period were media tie-in books, such as “Star
Trek” and “Battlestar Galactica.” Others
were action/adventure novels such as “The Executioner” and “The Destroyer.” And then there were the various series
created by past and current SF and Fantasy authors, such as Robert E. Howard,
Michael Moorcock, and Edgar Rice Burroughs.
These simple, rousing tales of derring-do entertained me with vivid
characters, nonstop action, and awesome settings. Because they wrote so well, they made
storytelling seem so effortless. Later,
when I tried writing my own stories, I learned that writing was anything but
easy. Yet it was those authors’ vivid
stories, as well as the sheer number of books they wrote about the characters I
loved, or the worlds they inhabited, that made me want to become a writer.
Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta carry on this proud
tradition of writing rousing stories of adventure. Instead of losing themselves in the
intricacies of plot, the evolution of character, or striving for stylistic
perfection, they paint their creations with a gentle hand, allowing their readers
to easily immerse themselves in the world and their characters, before whisking
them off on their next adventure.
Because they do not attempt to forge each book into a masterpiece of
stunning brilliance that will entertain reviewers, but simply aim to please
fans, they write at an enviable pace, and always deliver their novels on
time. This gives their fans plenty of
stories to enjoy. Readers appreciate this, knowing they can expect many
more stories from them in the future, as opposed to one or two masterpieces in
the next five years.
There will always be arguments regarding the relative merits
of quality versus quantity, as well there should be. But I still remember my childhood delight
when I discovered a novel I particularly enjoyed, and learned that the author
had written many more adventures in that series. I’m still feel the same thrill when I realize
that I can count on an author to deliver many more stories written in a similar
vein to the one I fell in love with.
Don’t get me wrong: I also enjoy reading those artists who strive for
originality, who constantly challenge their readers, and attempt to reinvent
themselves with each new novel. I just
don’t get to enjoy the work of those authors nearly so often.
Still hungry for my next great read,
Dragon Dave
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