Finally! The long wait it over, and we are ready to begin discussing the very first official book of the month, Republic Commando:Hard Contact by Karen Traviss, voted for by members of the new WOSW Book of the Month Club.
How this will operate is still a work in progress, and we will iron our kinks in the process as we go along.
Above all, I want this to be fun and a club that is by and for the members of the club. Facilitators and mediators (the PooBah Knights) are here to simply make sure members are adhering to rules and guidelines that have been voted for by club members.
That being said, there are a lot of rules we will have to vote on, and voting for too many at once will become overwhelming and detract from what we are here for: discussing and critiquing Star Wars books.
Voting will take place place bi-monthly (the 1st day and middle day of each month). The 1st vote for each month will propose two new rules for members to vote on. The 2nd votes in the middle of the month will propose 1 new rule as well as votes for the next month's book we will cover.
And new official Book Club discussion threads for each book will start of the 1st of each month. This schedule will run on a regular cycle.
Voting will not take place in this thread. Official Discussion Threads are for discussing the book of the month only. Another thread will be created for votes, suggestions, gripes, feedback, and anything else pertaining to the operation of the book club.
Until votes are officially in place, the book club will operate under some general, non-voted for guidelines. These guidelines are geared toward making sure the official discussion threads run smoothly and to promote an open and safe atmosphere where members can 1) feel free and comfortable expressing their opinions and critiques of a given book and 2) be respectful of fellow-members' opinion that you may not agree with.
Disagreements and dissenting opinions are fine and even encouraged, but members need to frame their disagreements/dissenting opinions in non-hostile and constructive ways that open up discussion and not punish others who disagree with you (which serves to close down discussion).
PooBah's will be around at various times to help ensure members are being courteous to each other. We will be operating under a three-strike system for now. After a "third strike," a member will be asked to participate in the book club for the time being.
After a certain amount of time has passed, you may request to be permitted to participate once again. And members may also appeal any strike against them that she/he may have felt was unfair.
Of course, we have no power to actually stop anyone from posting anywhere, so we kindly ask that members adhere to rules. If a member continues to post in official book club discussion thread after being asked to discontinue doing so, we ask that other members simply ignore the posts of those who do not adhere to Book Club rules and guidelines.
Bottom line: just be nice to and respectful of fellow members.
Also, we will strive to stay on topic as much as possible. There will be inevitable tangents. But when a tangent veers too far from the current book under discussion, we also ask that members create a new thread if they wish to keep discussing the tangent.
I'm sure there is more, but I can't think of any else right now. Feel free to offer suggestions, grips, comments, etc. (again in a different thread that will be created for that purpose).
But above all, lets have fun and talk about Star Wars books!
Have at it!
You're still here? Start discussing Hard Contact! :P
Oct 31, 2008 1:07 PM | Report Abuse reply
Updated Membership Roster (with links):
1) Aden Jatkara: http://tinyurl.com/Aden-J
2) Aimee-Wan Kaboodle: http://tinyurl.com/Ami-Wan
3) AmericanStarKiller: http://tinyurl.com/Amer-SK
4) Anakin Skyrider: http://tinyurl.com/Ani-Sky
5) Acheron: http://tinyurl.com/Acheron
6) Arturo Kenobi: http://tinyurl.com/art-ken
7) Ayanna Nyx: http://tinyurl.com/Ayan-nyx
8) Bellatrix Palpatine: http://tinyurl.com/Bell-Palps
9) Ben Skywalker14: http://tinyurl.com/BSky-14
10) Cade Skywalker: http://tinyurl.com/Cade-Sky
11) Dan Onasi: http://tinyurl.com/Dan-O-Nasi
12) Darth Athena: http://tinyurl.com/D-Athena
13) Darth Boobius: http://tinyurl.com/Darth-Boo
14) Darth Callous: http://tinyurl.com/Darth-Cal
15) Darth Fett: http://tinyurl.com/Darth-Fett
16) Darth Xeinos: http://tinyurl.com/DarthX
17) Elizabeth Jade Skywalker: http://tinyurl.com/EJade-Sky
18) Empress Palpatine: http://tinyurl.com/Emp-Palps
19) Forceseeker: http://tinyurl.com/Force-Seek
20) G-Man: http://tinyurl.com/The-Uncany-GMan
21) Haley Johnson: http://tinyurl.com/Haley-Jo
22) Jon Solo: http://tinyurl.com/jono-so
23) Kal Verd: http://tinyurl.com/Kal-Verd
24) Kalin Thalis: http://tinyurl.com/Kal-Thal
25) Kiarra Charisse: http://tinyurl.com/Kia-Cha
26) Lady Mookiee: http://tinyurl.com/L-Mooks
27) Lady Morrigna: http://tinyurl.com/L-Morri
28) Lord Ire: http://tinyurl.com/Lord-Ire
29) Master Yoda: http://tinyurl.com/Mas-Yod
30) Mezhan Kwaad: http://tinyurl.com/Mezhan
31) obiwansolo: http://tinyurl.com/obiwansolo
32) Rav: http://tinyurl.com/Rav-El-Sam
33) RC-2709: http://tinyurl.com/RC-2709
34) Rob Fett: http://tinyurl.com/Rob-Fett
35) Sekhmet: http://tinyurl.com/Sekhmet
36) SeusGeus: http://tinyurl.com/SeusGeus
37) SithLord Kun: http://tinyurl.com/S-L-Kun
38) Starkiller: http://tinyurl.com/Star-kill
39) Stymie: http://tinyurl.com/stymie-SWscholar
40) Vader DarkKnight: http://tinyurl.com/VaderDK
41) Vig Diath: http://tinyurl.com/Vig-Di
42) WANDERING Mandalorian WIZARD: http://tinyurl.com/wander-wiz
43) Xaos: http://tinyurl.com/THE-Xaos
Oct 31, 2008 1:08 PM | Report Abuse reply
Woohoo it has begun ;)
now I only need to finish the book - better do that tonight *silly* XD
first thought:
I think the nanovirus is interesting and curious where it leads to
Oct 31, 2008 1:50 PM | Report Abuse reply
Yeah...see all the fun we're having?
Also, you don't have to had finish the book to participate in discussion.
Members will be in different stages of reading the book: some having read it long ago, some in the process of reading it now (like me).
I'm only up to page 90, and I fully intend to post my thoughts and critiques as I read through.
First thought: it pulled me in fast, but I feel it plods along slowly at times. Not pulling through the story as I thought it would.
I feel like there is a lot of exposition, and I am still waiting for the "story" to begin.
Oct 31, 2008 2:09 PM | Report Abuse reply
Warning: I am typo prone. All apologies for all past, present and future typos.
Disclaimer: The Order of the PooBah Knights are not liable for any misunderstandings that may occur as a result of typos.
Oct 31, 2008 11:10 PM | Report Abuse reply
The current PooBah Knight (book club facilitators) roster (listed in order of seniority):
Grand PooBah Knight Stymie: http://tinyurl.com/stymie-SWscholar
Honorary PooBah Knight Vader DarkKnight (an inactive PooBah, due to real life responsibilities): http://tinyurl.com/VaderDK
PooBah Knight Mookiee (Statistician, Adviser, and Moderator):
http://tinyurl.com/L-Mooks
PooBah Knight Sekhmet (Adviser and Moderator): http://tinyurl.com/Sekhmet
PooBah Knight Cade Skywalker (Moderator and Public Relations): http://tinyurl.com/Cade-Sky
PooBahs are members as well and will participate in discussion as normal members of the club.
When a PooBah is present for moderating duty, she or he will make her or his presence known with something like "PooBah Knight Mookiee on duty." Similarly, when a PooBah is no longer present for duty, she or he will make this known as well: "PooBah Knight Mookiee is now off duty."
PooBah Knights are always happy to have more help. We are a equal opportunity organization and do not discriminate based on species, Force affiliation, race/ethnicity, gender, age, SES, disability status, r anything else I may be forgetting.
Nov 1, 2008 12:38 AM | Report Abuse reply
Two newly proposed rules have been posted in the November BotM Voting, Suggestions, Gripes, & Comments Thread: http://tinyurl.com/Nov08-Voting
Please be sure to stop by and vote "yea" or "nay" for proposed rule #4 (pertaining to how will vote for next month's book of the month) and proposed rule #5 (pertaining to the number of voting items during a voting period).
Voting for proposed rules #4 and #5 is open until Saturday, November 15 at noon (Central Time Zone).
Nov 1, 2008 12:55 AM | Report Abuse reply
Summary of the Book
As the Clone Wars rage, victory or defeat lies in the hands of elite squads that take on the toughest assignments in the galaxy–stone-cold soldiers who go where no one else would, to do what no one else could. . . .
On a mission to sabotage a chemical weapon research facility on a Separatist-held planet, four clone troopers operate under the very noses of their enemies. The commandos are outnumbered and outgunned, deep behind enemy lines with no backup–and working with strangers instead of trusted teammates. Matters don’t improve when Darman, the squad’s demolitions expert, gets separated from the others during planetfall. Even Darman’s apparent good luck in meeting an inexperienced Padawan vanishes once Etain admits to her woeful inexperience.
For the separated clone commandos and stranded Jedi, a long, dangerous journey lies ahead, through hostile territory brimming with Trandoshan slavers, Separatists, and suspicious natives. A single misstep could mean discovery . . . and death. It’s a virtual suicide mission for anyone–anyone except Republic Commandos.
Nov 1, 2008 9:44 AM | Report Abuse reply
A review
In a rather ironic moment, Hard Contact is so far the Clone Wars novel that best exemplifies the common conception of the Wars--but it doesn't have the logo on the cover. As befits a novel based on a first-person shooter, Karen Traviss's Hard Contact is not a novel about sitting around and talking, as others have been. Much as MedStar was "a day in the strife" for the non-combatants in the war, Hard Contact does the same for another neglected group: the clones themselves. (Perhaps this is why the earlier novels have seemed peripheral, plotwise: for all their seeming importance, the Jedi don't seem to do much in the war.)
Hard Contact is a showcase for Traviss's abilities. Her worldbuilding talents were used to create the environment of Qiilura, with its new flora and fauna that play a non-trivial role in the story. The background of the commandoes--of the clones in general--is also essentially produced from whole cloth, and manages to be distinctly, though not overtly, Imperial. She also managed to create distinct characters among the commandoes--and provide justification for it, something not really seen before. None of the four come across as cardboard. Another point worth mentioning is the sense of humor--Traviss doesn't go overboard with it, but the clones offer us some of the best quips since the Wraiths.
The same can be said of the other characters, as well. Unlike other recent novels, the "villain" is a complex character in his own right, as are the other antagonists. Traviss does a good job of showing the breadth of the Separatist movement. Some of the minor characters (read: the two-scene cannon fodder) are a bit flat, but there's really not much opportunity to avoid that, either.
All in all, Hard Contact is an excellent read, being what many were expecting from the Clone Wars. Don't be fooled by the ties to a video game; Hard Contact is the best SW novel since @#$%terpoint (and perhaps earlier, depending on what you're looking for). We're lucky to have Karen Traviss writing Star Wars.
Nov 1, 2008 9:48 AM | Report Abuse reply
Hello! I've started the book (not that far--man, I am slow with reading!), but the first thing I noticed was how KT really drops you right into the action. Very first sequence on Geonosis: Bam! Then, she turns right around and moves the new Omega Squad to Qiilura. A person might think this wouldn't work at all, but given this book is about a commando squad, this totally works! The action needs to occur pretty quickly, no huge long chapters dedicated to setting up the final scene or it would drag and become more epic like the other SW novels.
Also, even in the very beginning, you start to see the differences in the clones, particularly Darman and Niner. Add to that the rather interesting (though never has been my favorite--maybe my view will change by the end of this reading!) Jedi Padawan, Etain Tar'Mukan, and I am astonished. It is so easy for authors to write Jedi as the same, not daring to go against what has been preestablished. But KT takes that perfect Jedi image and chucks it out the window with Etain. Etain is an average looking, average Jedi, all alone, and not really that great (at this point) at doing her job. Kudos to KT!
Okay, so back to reading the book! LOL!
Nov 1, 2008 11:02 AM | Report Abuse reply
Current Thoughts On Book (up to page 110):
I think almost directly after my last post about the book, where I said there was too much exposition, and I was still waiting for the "story" to finally begin, the story REALLY started to begin...we are starting to get a clearer idea the "bad guys"--The Mando and the Scientist. I use the term bad guy loosely because KT does a really nice job of presented antogonists who aren't one-dimensionally "evil"...a point VDK mentioned above.
And Darman's wanderings, Odyssean in ways, has finally led him to cross paths with Padawan Etain--like Athena, I really like the unique way KT portrays this Jedi...and I am wondering if she will ever come to realize her unique talents as a Jedi, which the book seems to hint at, instead of comparing herself to other Jedi whom she feels "should" be more like. I like how Darman bleives in her more than she believes in herself (or will he belief, his "faith" in a way, let him down?...don't know yet).
It is already starting to all converge nicely and rather quickly.
I should have expected no less of Karen Traviss, who I think is a fantastic writer with a unique take of the Star Wars universe (a much need new angle, IMO). I also like the areas she is exploring in terms of the cohesive bother-like bonds between this unit of elite clone commandos, as well and their father-like relationship to Kal Skirata, who we haven't actually meet yet, but who we often hear of.
She also explores what it may means to be a genetic "brother," or modified twin, of Jango Fett, which also serves a plot plot that further enrages the Mando "bad guy" (forget his name right now). She also what it means to be a clone...interesting stuff.
As Athena also pointed out, the openning prologue throws you right in there....literally. I think I was a little dissappointed after that initial scene for a while because that openning scene, I now realize (having gone back to re-read it) is in 1st person from Darman's POV. I think I was hoping it would continue that way...although I wasn't paying attention as closely as I should have and missed the immediate POV shift. *shrugs*
Nov 1, 2008 2:38 PM | Report Abuse reply
Thanks for posting your thoughts, Anakin Skyrider, but comments, even positive ones, need to be backed up more.
"Great Book" and "Actiony" don't really tell us much or add anything to the discussion. Such vague comments do not even demonstrate if you have read the book.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on why it is a great book and why you believe there is "nothing wrong with it" (although that would be a very hard argument to make that even Karen Traviss herself would probably disagree with).
Another vague post like that will result in a "strike" (three and you are temporarily suspended from participating in the book club)
Nov 1, 2008 2:50 PM | Report Abuse reply
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