"Star Wars Novel Gets 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition"

There's no more poignant reminder of time's passage in 2025 than realizing that Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is now 20 years old. Yet, amidst this reflection on mortality, there's a bright spot: the film is returning to theaters in May as part of Lucasfilm's anniversary celebration. Additionally, Matthew Stover's critically acclaimed novelization of Revenge of the Sith is being re-released for its 20th anniversary, available for preorder on Amazon.

As announced by Collider, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith will receive a Deluxe Edition hardcover in October. This edition features new cover art, red foil-edged pages, a removable acetate jacket, and over 170 new annotations by Stover himself.

Tom Hoeler, Editorial Director of Fiction and Special Projects for Random House World, expressed his excitement about the project: "We couldn’t be more thrilled to publish this incredible deluxe edition of the Revenge of the Sith novelization. Collaborating with Matthew Stover and Lucasfilm to produce a fully annotated edition has been a thrilling journey, offering readers unparalleled insight into the creation of this masterpiece. Across nearly 50 years of Star Wars literature, this novel stands out, and even among film novelizations, its approach to adapting characters and story from screen to page is unique. Two decades later, this novelization remains as essential, enduring, and influential as ever. Bringing the book back in a stunning deluxe hardcover edition is the perfect way to celebrate 20 years of Revenge of the Sith.”

Out October 14### Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith: Deluxe Edition (Hardcover)

$60.00 at AmazonFor those unfamiliar with Stover's work, his Revenge of the Sith novelization is widely acclaimed as one of the best Star Wars novels, often considered superior to the film itself. While it follows George Lucas' screenplay, the book enriches numerous scenes and subplots, providing a deeper exploration of characters such as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Count Dooku. The novel's use of second-person narration sets it apart stylistically from other Star Wars literature. A prime example is the passage describing Anakin's tragic transformation into Darth Vader:

And you rage and scream and reach through the Force to crush the shadow who has destroyed you, but you are so far less now than what you were, you are more than half machine, you are like a painter gone blind, a composer gone deaf, you can remember where the power was but the power you can touch is only a memory, and so with all your world-destroying fury it is only droids around you that implode, and equipment, and the table on which you were strapped shatters, and in the end, you cannot touch the shadow. In the end you don't even want to. In the end, you do not even want to. In the end, the shadow is all you have left. Because the shadow understands you, the shadow forgives you, the shadow gathers you unto itself—And within your furnace heart, you burn in your own flame.

In contrast, here's the film's depiction of the same scene:

This comparison highlights the value of exploring the story through Stover's novelization.

The Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith novelization is available in paperback and audiobook formats now, with the Deluxe Edition hardcover set to release on October 14. Preorders are available on Amazon.

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