In 2025, grappling with one's mortality can hit hard when you realize that "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Fortunately, fans have a lot to look forward to as Lucasfilm is bringing the film back to theaters in May for a special anniversary celebration. Additionally, the beloved novelization by Matthew Stover is set for a 20th anniversary rerelease, which you can preorder at Amazon.
Collider has revealed that "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" will also be available in a new Deluxe Edition hardcover, set to release in October. This edition boasts new cover art, red foil edge pages, a removable acetate jacket, and over 170 new annotations by Stover, enriching the reading experience.
Image Credit: Lucasfilm/Penguin Random House
Tom Hoeler, Editorial Director of Fiction and Special Projects for Random House World, expressed excitement about the project, stating, "We couldn’t be more excited to publish this incredible deluxe edition of the Revenge of the Sith novelization. It has been thrilling to work with author Matthew Stover and Lucasfilm to create a fully annotated edition that gives readers unprecedented insight into the creation of this masterpiece. Across nearly 50 years of Star Wars books, it stands alone, and even among film novelizations, its approach to adapting characters and story from screen to page is unique. Two decades later, this novelization is as essential, enduring, and influential – on readers and creators – as it has ever been. Bringing the book back to hardcover in a stunning deluxe keepsake edition is a perfect way to celebrate 20 years of Revenge of the Sith."
Out October 14
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: Episode III - Deluxe Edition (Hardcover)
$60.00 at Amazon
For those unfamiliar with Stover's work, the "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's screenplay, the book expands many scenes and subplots, offering a deeper exploration of characters such as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Count Dooku. The novel also features a unique second-person narrative style that distinguishes it from other Star Wars books. An example of this stylistic choice is evident in the following passage, which reimagines Anakin's 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 how the film depicts the same scene:
This comparison underscores the value of exploring the story through Stover's novelization.
The "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" novelization is currently available in paperback and audiobook formats, with the Deluxe Edition hardcover set to release on October 14. You can preorder a copy on Amazon.
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