Best and Worst EU

[Zixinus]

Actually, I am someone who read some EU in his childhod (what books my brother could get his hands on) and rediscovering it as an adult.

Are there any suggestions what EU I should avoid and what to look for? Like aside Karen Travis?

In TPM Maul refers to the Sith wanting revenge against the Jedi. According to this passage, revenge for what? The Sith destroyed themselves. The Jedi certainly weren't directly to blame.

If you go with the EU of the New Sith War (with the Jedi) where the Sith eventually dwindled and were cornered, the Sith used a powerful Force-weapon that killed both themselves and the Jedi that were there to kill them. That would explain both things: the Sith really did kill themselves but were pushed by the Jedi to be so.
Maul may also be referring to the Sith having tremendous amount of infighting between themselves while the Jedi had far less.

The other problems I would just chalk up to Maul being imprecise about his dates as well as the author not bothering to follow the EU closely.

While it is not exactly harsh living, it is more so than living a life of royalty.

It might be a factor, although then Force-sensitives would come exclusively from people who have to live a harsh life. We don't know the details of many Masters to see whether this can be backed up (at least, I don't).

The amount of life does seem a significant factor in general, though that wouldn't explain how Tatooine was important.

Yup. Tatooine still has life though (quite an exotic variety), just far less than before it was glassed.

One possibility is that it requires a individual in which emotions are far stronger and more raw than for one who is neurotypical.

I doubt that it would be so simple and the intensity of emotions runs into the philosophical problem of "how can I know that you see the same red as I do?".

I am suggesting that the factor may be more biologically-inclined thing. It may be a thing where there is a part of the brain that is reactive to the Force and some people's brains can figure out how to interact with that. Those that can't have that part of the brain atrophy.

In KOTOR the Star Map being on Tatooine had a role in making it more important in the Force

I don't remember that bit. The other Star Map locations may also be relevant to the Force and we just don't know the details.

Though this idea of luck being an aspect of Force sensitivity is interesting.

It was in the EU (and Wookiepedia), hence my suggestion of it. I don't think luck should be directly related to the Force, luck is a superstition after all. What I suggested is that a Force-sensitive may be unconsciously using the Force to make good gambles without realizing that they are using the Force. Like how kid Anakin used the Force to be a good pod-racer.

I don't think Han is Force-sensitive, he's just a very, very good pilot who knows what he's doing (mostly, at least when it comes to piloting).

[Adam Reynolds]

Are there any suggestions what EU I should avoid and what to look for? Like aside Karen Travis?

Of the movie novelziations Stover's is ROTS is excellent as is the novelization for ROTJ(can't remember author). My short list would be that James Luceno's preqeul era books are generally somewhat good(though I wasn't entirely a fan of Darth Plagueis). All of Timothy Zahn's works are extremely good overall, as he is probably the best SW author, though in some ways he started some of the negative trends in the EU. Aaron Allston's X-wing series was extremely entertaining, though also quite minimalist. For a few random books: Shatterpoint, Darth Maul Shadow Hunter, the original Han Solo adventures, and possibly Death Star and Tatooine Ghost(I haven't read either, but have heard some good things about them) are all passable to good. I sometimes like I, Jedi, but Corran Horn is something of a Mary Sue, it does at least tell a better story than KJA's Jedi Academy. I also enjoyed the Darth Bane trilogy by Drew Karpyshyn*, but the way the Force was portrayed in those books was too powerful compared to the films. The second book does however feature one of the coolest lightsaber duels I have seen depicted anywhere: five diversely skilled Jedi versus the two Sith Lords. It comes across like lightsaber chess. I would love to see this sequence put to film properly.
* This features the thought bomb you were talking about later in your post. I will get to that in a second.

Skip everything chronologically after Survivor's Quest. There are some loose ends leftover after this, but the NJO isn't worth it overall. Everything chronologically after this is even worse, getting into the Traviss stuff.

If you go with the EU of the New Sith War (with the Jedi) where the Sith eventually dwindled and were cornered, the Sith used a powerful Force-weapon that killed both themselves and the Jedi that were there to kill them. That would explain both things: the Sith really did kill themselves but were pushed by the Jedi to be so.
Maul may also be referring to the Sith having tremendous amount of infighting between themselves while the Jedi had far less.

It still doesn't totally work. Either the Sith want revenge on the Jedi or they caused their own doom. Both statements cannon be true. As for the thought bomb, the Force-weapon, that has another contradiction: Bane directly caused it to be used by the Brotherhood of Darkness. This doesn't fit him standing aside while the Sith self destruct as implied by this TPM passage.

The other problems I would just chalk up to Maul being imprecise about his dates as well as the author not bothering to follow the EU closely.

The worse thing is that much of this EU was written after this.

It might be a factor, although then Force-sensitives would come exclusively from people who have to live a harsh life. We don't know the details of many Masters to see whether this can be backed up (at least, I don't).

The fact that most Jedi are raised in the temple also doesn't really fit this. Young Jedi might not be royalty, but they are still living a life of luxury compared to most.

I doubt that it would be so simple and the intensity of emotions runs into the philosophical problem of "how can I know that you see the same red as I do?".

Now that you mention it, it can't possibly be a factor. Otherwise different species would never be able to tap into it.

I am suggesting that the factor may be more biologically-inclined thing. It may be a thing where there is a part of the brain that is reactive to the Force and some people's brains can figure out how to interact with that. Those that can't have that part of the brain atrophy.

If it is something like part of the brain, then why would Jedi from different species be able to tap into it in exactly the same way? Different species should think in fundamentally different ways. Like the idea of a dog being able to smell colors.

I don't remember that bit. The other Star Map locations may also be relevant to the Force and we just don't know the details.

Now that you mention it, you are right. It was never directly mentioned anywhere in the game. I was simply thinking that it might be the case and misremembered that someone mentioned it.

It was in the EU (and Wookiepedia), hence my suggestion of it. I don't think luck should be directly related to the Force, luck is a superstition after all. What I suggested is that a Force-sensitive may be unconsciously using the Force to make good gambles without realizing that they are using the Force. Like how kid Anakin used the Force to be a good pod-racer.

I don't think Han is Force-sensitive, he's just a very, very good pilot who knows what he's doing (mostly, at least when it comes to piloting).

People that are extremely lucky being Force sensitive in a slightly different sense would fit Obi-Wan's point "In my experience there's no such thing as luck."

[Zixinus]

If it is something like part of the brain, then why would Jedi from different species be able to tap into it in exactly the same way? Different species should think in fundamentally different ways. Like the idea of a dog being able to smell colors.

For the same reason why most sentient species can fit a square block in a square hole: they may perceive the Force and there are small differences in exact technique, but they are interacting the same thing. Different eyes may see different aspects of things but they still see the same object. Same with the Force: they may interact similarly because convergence favoring certain methods that best interact with the Force. A particular, more universal method is needed to be a Jedi. According to the EU there are both aliens and even Near-humans who can use the Force only in a specific way.

A note should be made of the fact that most Jedi we see are mostly humanoid. We rarely see someone from a more radically different physiology like a Hutt being Jedi.

The fact that most Jedi are raised in the temple also doesn't really fit this. Young Jedi might not be royalty, but they are still living a life of luxury compared to most.

The Jedi might pick them up once they lived just enough harsh living as babies to be Force-sensitive just to play devil's advocate.