Revenge of the Sith brought the prequel trilogy and the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker to a close. Alongside the movie came Matthew Stover’s novelization, which has come to be regarded as the gold standard for Star Wars film adaptations. The book adaptation is still highly regarded by fans to this day, so much so that a special 20th anniversary edition is due to be published later this month. Included in the edition are over 170 author annotations and a new introduction, which was shared by Entertainment Weekly, revealing that Stover didn’t have an easy time crafting the adaptation.
Stover recalls meeting with George Lucas after signing on to write the novelization for the upcoming movie. While it wasn’t his first Star Wars rodeo, having written an instalment of the New Jedi Order novel series, this was different. He faced the challenge of adapting a movie that he hadn’t seen because it was still in production, so he had only the script to go on. He recalls this pressure brought on a “panic attack” — but it also gave him an idea.
Seeing the novel as the conclusion to an epic Greek tragedy, Stover felt that this was the conclusion, not just to a trilogy, but to all the storytelling that had come before it. And back then, that meant the Expanded Universe. The EU (now known as Legends) was the umbrella term for the novels, comics, video games and more that tied into the saga which had expanded the galaxy with new adventures. For Stover, these stories were an essential part of his Star Wars experience, and it was important that they be part of the story of his novel. He writes:
“I wanted to fold in elements of the larger Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU)… I desperately needed EU material to make this story work. Not because the EU had been part of my life ever since Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, and definitely not because it’d be extremely cool to incorporate elements of those stories into this novelization. (Okay, it was cool as hell, but that wasn’t the reason I needed it.)”
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Deluxe Edition by Matthew Stover, available October 14
But as much as it was about his dream, Stover also felt strongly that referencing and including elements of these stories would built a framework that would enrich the Revenge of the Sith story for readers at the time:
“This was where the EU came in. It’s all about context. I figured that whatever emotional power this book could generate would spring from how well we know these characters and how much we love them. Those of you who have focused mainly on the films through the years might find it hard to imagine just how deeply some readers know this material and just how important it is to them.
They have history. They’re invested. When something reminds Obi-Wan of Jabiim, the readers know that grim tale. They lived through it with these characters. Longtime readers have followed these folks through decades of drama featuring brain-melting horrors, unbreakable friendships, and an astonishing amount of stuff that can crush your heart and make you laugh in the same story.
These readers have been through a lot with these people.
I genuinely believed that I needed the EU to make this story work as a novel. It would give the story heft and texture. It would let me touch on where these people come from and where most of them are going to end up, and it would let me weave this specific narrative and its implications into the wider ‘historical’ context of the whole galaxy far, far away. I also wanted to find a way to share with more casual readers — the vast majority — some of the depth-of-field immersion that the longtime readers get to experience.”
That was his belief. Pitching it to George Lucas was another matter, which gave the author anxiety as he was escorted around Skywalker Ranch to meet the Maker himself. Stover recalls trying to casually bring the subject in by testing how closely Lucas wanted him to stick to the script. He recalls his anxiety being waved away casually by George’s hand, smile, and his famous laid-back approach:
“’Don’t worry about that stuff. As long as you don’t violate the story, do whatever you want,’ Mr. Lucas says straight to my astonished face. ‘Just make it good.’”
And that was it… aside from the task of actually writing down the ideas. Stover compares the process of choosing his EU references to workshopping a theatre performance — he kept trying different scenes until he found ones that worked. He is quick to credit his editors and the support from Lucasfilm in bringing it all together into the novel that is still beloved two decades later.
You can read these author notes and more in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Deluxe Edition, which is available for pre-order before its release on October 14.
A teacher from Wales in the UK, Aled has loved Star Wars ever since that Star Destroyer flew over his head and blew his mind.