Star Wars. The galaxy far, far away has spawned acres of merchandise and goodies for fans of all ages to enjoy, from toys and games to cereal and sports drinks. And, naturally, books make up a huge part of that.
Whether you're a fan of certain characters, or you'll interested in behind the scenes details of the movies, there's something out there for you. From comicbook titles to visual dictionaries, you'll find plenty of information and entertainment lurking within the pages. The novels attract some top talent from the writing world, and Lucasfilm teams chronicle the making of each movie down to the final detail.
The one downside – dark side? – to all of this is that there are so many titles to wade through, covering a wide variety of stories and subjects. So if you're looking for some of the essential tomes to pick up for you or the family, we've gathered a selection of some of the best. You’ll find what you’re after here, and you won’t have to travel to Tatooine to find it.
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The Best Star Wars Books
There are so many heroes, villains, aliens and droids to keep track of in the Star Wars universe. So it's handy to have an officially authorised tome that covers more than 200 of them.
That Galaxy far, far away can be a tricky place to navigate, particularly if you're travelling at lightspeed. So this atlas will lay out where some of the most famous places (and a few lesser known corners) can be found.
If Senator (later Emperor) Palpatine ever asks you if you've heard the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise, James Lucerno's book will help you answer, "yes, I have, as it happens. So you don't need to go into it again."
Grand Admiral Thrawn is one of the most memorable villains outside of the main movies. Created by Timothy Zahn, he made the leap to canon in the series Rebels. So why not read one of the best books about him?
Fans of the current favourite TV incarnation of Star Wars will enjoy peeking behind the scenes to learn about the art and design work. And yes, Baby Yoda is included. (At the time of writing, this is a pre-order, due for release in September).
Marvel comics has produced some great Star Wars stories, and this explores Darth Vader pursuing vengeance against his Rebel foes and looking to build an army.
The sequel trilogy's compelling, conflicted villain/anti-hero never quite got his due on the screen. So here's a little balance, exploring his life and how Ben Solo became the dark Kylo Ren.
If you're someone who voraciously hunts down all the information about the movies and TV series, this is the book for you.
A fascinating literary experiment, the Certain Point Of View series takes classic tales – such as The Empire Strikes Back here – and re-tells them from the point of supporting characters.
If you're in the middle of the Kessel run and the hyperdrive starts making weird noises, don't go yelling that it's not your fault. Instead, read for this handy manual, which shows how it all works.