Things that changed throughout the series :P

[Andalite_Shorm]

It's hardly an important topic but I always find it interesting to note all the things that changed throughout the series; and with 56 books it's hardly surprising that KA and her ghost writers lost or simply got rid of ideas throughout

So correct me if I'm wrong but there was a few things in Book 1 that were mentioned there and never again like I think there was something about Tobias (as his cat) being able to read Jake's surface thoughts even if he wasn't speaking in thought speak or something along those lines? Could be wrong, Book 1 was read long ago for me and I haven't looked at it in a while now
Think there was also Elfangor being to project thought-speak images...? I can't remember if that was used again, I have a weird feeling it was used earlier on but not again after that

I think there was something else throughout the series that said Ax couldn't use thought-speak in human morph but then it was discarded in 33 when he did use it (I'm literally re-reading 33 now)

So anyone notice anything fun or whatever?

[Chad32]

Many things in the early books were retconned in later books. Elfangor was allowed to project images somehow, but Ax can't. Later on that ability is given to Leerans, as their version of thought speech. You can find a list of KASUs somewhere, but the list isn't always accurate. For instance, Buffy running on a Thursday is considered a KASU, despite Buffy reruns really airing on Thursdays at one point. Then there's the one in book 11 when Jake is worried the snake poison will effect him after he demorphs. Someone claimed it's a KASU because bug spray didn't effect him after he demorphed in an earlier book, despite the fact that bug spray on your skin can't kill you. Snake venom in your blood can.

Anyway, you may want to look up the list of KASUs.

[RYTX]

A handheld dracon beam's  ability to go from frying a deer to blowing holes in a cargo ship.
Yes they had variable settings, but that's ridiculous.

[Chad32]

Oh yeah, How could I forget the dracon beams? Sometimes they totally vaporize whatever they hit, like the deer in 9, or in HB Chronicles. Then there's the book where Erik's "dad" is kidnapped, and the Yeerks say four dracons should be enough to disintegrate the body. And of course there's Tobias taking down a cargo ship with a laser pistol. There's also a guard in the David trilogy who takes a hit on the shoulder, and presumably survives.

[Andalite_Shorm]

Oh yeah, How could I forget the dracon beams? Sometimes they totally vaporize whatever they hit, like the deer in 9, or in HB Chronicles. Then there's the book where Erik's "dad" is kidnapped, and the Yeerks say four dracons should be enough to disintegrate the body. And of course there's Tobias taking down a cargo ship with a laser pistol. There's also a guard in the David trilogy who takes a hit on the shoulder, and presumably survives.

Maybe they get less powerful when they run low on battery or something? XD

[NateSean]

Temrash 114 refers to "Under-Vissers". Later in Andalite Chronicles these people are referred to as "SubVissers" and the "Under Visser" is never mentioned again.

[Chad32]

Yep, that's true. Most things that wound up getting retconned were from the earliest books, and the number of changes peters off as the series gets going. Some authors plan everything ahead, so they know what's going to happen 20+ books down the road as they're writing the first book. Some authors just start writing, and figure out some details later. I think planning out all the major details first is probably best, especially since it gives you the opportunity to foreshadow things more.

[RYTX]

Also, Marco's hair.

Really wish they'd got back to that after 10.

[Chad32]

Most of the kids on the cover art changed somewhat over the series, didn't they?

[NothingFromSomething]

I think just the once, or maybe twice for a few of them.  The depictions on the earlier covers look way more like how they're described in the actual books, though.

[Andalite_Shorm]

I think just the once, or maybe twice for a few of them.  The depictions on the earlier covers look way more like how they're described in the actual books, though.

I've legitimately forgotten what they look like tbh XD When I'm reading they either become what they're like on the TV series or they're just spaces of nothing speaking to Ax and Tobias lol

I get why when the books are so short and, at the time of release, where released monthly but it would have been nice to have a reminder every 20 books or so XD

[NateSean]

Most of the kids on the cover art changed somewhat over the series, didn't they?

Except for Tobias, because it was confusing hearing his description and seeing the dark-haired model, I had no problem with he other models changing appearances.  I mean yeah, Marco's model cover changed a few times, but in fairness, KA once described Marco as having had a new hair cut. So maybe it was clever thinking on the designer's part.

I was actually grateful when the beefed up Ax's appearance. Because in The Alien, I had a hard time seeing that tail and imagining it being terribly useful in a fight. And then Elfangor's cover came out and I was like, "Big improvement".

[Chad32]

That tail in The Alien wouldn't be of any use in battle. It would have been better if they drew it to come down in front of his legs, so it wouldn't be in the way of the rest, while also being long enough to not look like a joke.

Tobias' cover was weird. sometimes he looked like Jake's twin brother. There is a cover page of a small blonde kid that I think is more true to how he's described.

[NothingFromSomething]

Yeah, I always hated the Mattingly art, the Andalites he did.  The human-to-animal digital morphing stuff looks fine, but his aliens look so crap compared to the pretty awesome stuff the other artist did with the Chronicles titles.

[Shenmue654]

The human-to-animal digital morphing stuff looks fine, but his aliens look so crap compared to the pretty awesome stuff the other artist did with the Chronicles titles.

Reminds me of how, when viewing the covers for the series, I internally set Elfangor as depicted on Chronicles as the "prototypical male Andalite form" and bizarro Visser Three from Visser as "Creepiest an Andalite gets until it's not an Andalite anymore." War-Prince Ossanlin, a major character from the RAF Roleplays, I always imagine looking like an older bigger Elfangor.

Ax's form on most of the main series covers just comes off as very...bizarre...