"Star Wars Novel's 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Released"

In 2025, the realization that "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" has reached its 20th anniversary can be a poignant reminder of time's passage. However, fans have much to celebrate as the film returns to theaters in May for Lucasfilm's anniversary event. Adding to the excitement, Matthew Stover's highly acclaimed novelization of "Revenge of the Sith" is being re-released for its 20th anniversary, available for pre-order on Amazon.

Collider has announced that a Deluxe Edition hardcover of the novel is slated for release in October. This special edition features new cover art, red foil edge pages, and a removable acetate jacket, along with over 170 new annotations by Stover himself.

Tom Hoeler, Editorial Director of Fiction and Special Projects for Random House World, expressed his enthusiasm, 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."

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: Episode III - Deluxe Edition (Hardcover)

$60.00 at Amazon

For those yet to experience Stover's "Revenge of the Sith" novelization, it is widely considered one of the best Star Wars novels and is often deemed superior to the film. While it follows George Lucas' screenplay, the book enriches many scenes and subplots, delving deeper into the psyches of characters like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Count Dooku. It's distinguished by its use of second-person narration, setting it apart from other Star Wars literature. Consider this passage, which offers a profound perspective on 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 is how the film depicts the same moment:

This comparison highlights why exploring the novel can be immensely rewarding.

The "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" novelization is currently available in paperback and audiobook formats, with the Deluxe Edition hardcover set for release on October 14. You can pre-order a copy on Amazon.

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