In 2025, the realization that "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" is now 20 years old can bring one's mortality into sharp focus. However, fans have a reason to celebrate as the movie returns to theaters in May for Lucasfilm's anniversary event. Additionally, the acclaimed novelization by Matthew Stover is set for a 20th anniversary rerelease, available for preorder on Amazon.
Collider has announced that a Deluxe Edition hardcover of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" will hit the shelves in October. This special edition features new cover art, red foil-edged pages, a removable acetate jacket, and over 170 new annotations by Stover, adding depth to the reading experience.
Tom Hoeler, Editorial Director of Fiction and Special Projects at Random House World, shared his excitement: "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 unfamiliar with Stover's novelization, it's widely considered one of the best Star Wars novels, often regarded as superior to the film itself. While it follows George Lucas' screenplay, it enriches scenes and subplots, offering a deeper insight into the minds of characters such as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Count Dooku. A distinctive feature is its use of second-person narration, setting it apart stylistically within the Star Wars universe. Here's an example of how it 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.
Contrast this with the film's depiction of the same moment:
This comparison underscores the value of exploring the novelization. "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" is currently available in paperback and audiobook formats, with the Deluxe Edition hardcover set for release on October 14. You can preorder it on Amazon.
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