A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

© 2002 Del Rey Books (Ballantine) and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)  Which of the Star Wars books tell the stories of the movies? It depends on what you mean by “the stories of the movies,” and in what context. If you mean the stories, characters, situations, and settings of the films themselves, then you’re probably asking about: Dust jacket of the 1977 hardcover. Art by John Berkey. © 1977 20th Century Fox Film Corp.  Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker,  credited to George Lucas but actually written by Alan Dean Foster. (Del Rey Books, 1976) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,  by Donald F. Glut. Story by George Lucas. Based on the screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan. (Del Rey Books, 1980) Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,  by James Kahn. Story by George Lucas. Based on the screenplay by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. (Del Rey Books, 1983) Original 1980 paperback edition of The Empire Strikes Back novelization. Cover art by Roger Kastel.  © 1

(C) 2018 Del Rey Books and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)  On March 6, 2018, Random House’s Del Rey science fiction/fantasy imprint published Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Expanded Edition, a novelization of the middle act of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy that started with 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens . Written by Jason Fry with direct input from writer-director Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi chronicles the continuing adventures of Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron, as the brave Resistance led by General Leia Organa fights a desperate battle for survival against the evil First Order.   Set three decades after the deaths of Emperor Sheev Palpatine and Darth Vader and the fall of the Galactic Empire, The Last Jedi begins where The Force Awakens left off. And taking a cue from Alan Dean Foster, who adapted The Force Awakens three years ago, Fry opens his novel with the actual “crawl” from Johnson’s film: The FIRST ORDER reigns. Having decimated the peaceful Republic, Supreme Leader Snoke now d