Star Wars: The Force Awakens (novelization)

"First comes the day Then comes the night. After the darkness Shines through the light. The difference, they say, Is only made right By the resolving of gray Through refined Jedi sight."

- Journal of the Whills, 7:477

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the canon novelization of the film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. The novel, written by Alan Dean Foster, was released on December 18, 2015 as an eBook, published by Del Rey, and as an online and physical audio version narrated by Marc Thompson. The hardcover version of the book was released on January 5, 2016. The paperback version, released on September 27, 2016, included the short stories "Bait," also by Foster, and "The Perfect Weapon," by Delilah S. Dawson.

Official description
The official novelization of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the highly anticipated blockbuster film directed by J. J. Abrams, hitting theaters in December 2015.

More than thirty years ago, Star Wars'' burst onto the big screen and became a cultural phenomenon. Now the next adventures in this blockbuster saga are poised to captivate old and new fans alike—beginning with the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And alongside the cinematic debut comes the thrilling novel adaptation by New York Times bestselling science fiction master Alan Dean Foster.''

Set years after Return of the Jedi'', this stunning new action-packed adventure rockets us back into the world of Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2,and Luke Skywalker, while introducing a host of exciting new characters. Darth Vader may have been redeemed and the Emperor vanquished, but peace can be fleeting, and evil does not easily relent. Yet the simple belief in good can still empower ordinary individuals to rise and meet the greatest challenges.''

So return to that galaxy far, far away, and prepare yourself for what happens when the Force awakens.

Development
Foster stated that "working on the book has been as much fun as the script itself, which harkens back to the spirit of the first three films" and that it feels as if no time at all has passed since he novelized the first film and then wrote Splinter of the Mind's Eye.

Differences between the film
The novel contains several differences to the film and scenes that don't appear in the final film:


 * The novel opens with a scene of Leia thinking about the events of the past and about having sent an exceptional Resistance pilot (Poe Dameron) to try and find her brother, Luke Skywalker. This is followed by the opening scene of the movie (the First Order forces on approach to Jakku).
 * During the Attack on Tuanul, FN-2003 is killed by blaster fire from one of the Tuanul villagers instead by blaster fire of Poe Dameron like in the film.
 * FN-2187's failure to shoot the villagers is thought by one of his fellow troopers to be due to a "blaster jam", explaining why Captain Phasma orders him to turn in his weapon to be checked by technicians.
 * At Niima Outpost, rather than refusing outright Unkar Plutt's offer of 60 portions for BB-8, Rey instead bargains up. She ends up agreeing to sell him for 100 portions, but then retracts the deal and gives Plutt a piece of her mind. This burns her bridges with him, but earns her respect from many of the villagers.
 * Leia is seen sending her personal envoy, Korr Sella, to persuade the Senate of the New Republic to act against the First Order, revealing that the Resistance is not a formal part of the New Republic armed forces. Sella is later noted to be one of the victims of the first firing of the Starkiller Base superweapon.
 * A scene depicts Poe Dameron's encounter with a scavenger on Jakku and his escape from the planet following the crash of the stolen TIE fighter. This sequence would be later revisited in issue 26 of the Star Wars: Poe Dameron comic book series, though presenting several inconsistencies.
 * Aboard the Eravana, Razoo Qin-Fee is given some lines unlike the film, in which he has no dialogue. Bala-Tik's lines are also extended, but these aren't considered canonical given that it contradicts his amout of dialogue given in the film.
 * When a rathtar chases Han Solo, rather than punching and hurling Tolomar Reez into the beast's mouth, Solo punches and hurles into the rathar's mouth a member of the Guavian Death Gang instead.
 * At Maz Kanata's castle, just after Finn's decision to try and flee the conflict, Unkar Plutt and some of his henchmen arrive and attempt to abduct Rey and BB-8. Rey tries to shoot him with the blaster Han gave her, but she has not taken the safety off, and is quickly disarmed by Plutt. This may explain why in the movie she is shown taking the safety off before attacking a group of stormtroopers. Rey is rescued by the intervention of Chewbacca, whom Plutt unwisely aggravates by poking at his wounded shoulder. Chewbacca responds by ripping off Plutt's arm.
 * During Rey's Force vision, she hears an unidentified voice say, "Stay here. I'll come back for you," and "I'll come back, sweetheart, I promise."
 * When Starkiller Base destroys the Hosnian system, it is described as utilizing "dark energy" acquired from the sun. The destroyed planets and moons become miniature supernovae rather than slag.
 * During a conversation between Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke, they discuss Darth Vader and his downfall, which they agree was due to "sentiment".
 * Finn tells the Resistance that Starkiller base uses its sun to channel dark energy, which temporarily blocks it out; rather than saying the star itself is drained until destroyed.
 * A scene depicts Finn and Rey stealing a snowspeeder while on Starkiller Base. This starts a snowspeeder chase sequence.
 * Kylo Ren leads a small group of stormtroopers to the crashed Millennium Falcon while on Starkiller Base. Ren boards the Falcon and reflects on his life before he turned to the dark side.
 * Before the start of their lightsaber fight, when Rey Force pulls Skywalker's lightsaber, Kylo Ren says to her quietly, "It is you."
 * A Resistance medic informs Rey that Finn will be okay despite his injuries at the hands of Kylo Ren.
 * Rey and Poe Dameron meet and introduce themselves to each other after the map to Luke is completed. This scene was filmed but ultimately deleted from the final cut. In the films, they do not meet until the end of Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi.

Editions

 * ISBN 9781101965504; December 18, 2015; Del Rey; US eBook
 * ISBN 9781101965498; January 5, 2016; Del Rey; US hardcover
 * ISBN 9781101885550; January 5, 2016; Del Rey; Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition
 * ISBN 9781101966990; September 27, 2016; Del Rey; US paperback

Release
The release of the title as an eBook on the same day as the film itself, with no print copy available until January 5, marks the first time that a novelization of a Star Wars film was not released before its respective film. The novelization of the original film was, in fact, released some five months before the film.

The unusual publishing schedule was arranged directly by The Walt Disney Company with Del Rey, who reluctantly agreed to forego the possibility of massive holiday sales of print copies of the novel. The decision was motivated by Disney's concern that print copies of the novel, if released at the same time as the film, might be purloined and used to leak plot details to the Internet. David Moench, a spokesperson for Del Rey, expressed that the publisher would have preferred to put out the hardcover edition on the same day as the film, but understands the importance of preserving the secrecy. J.J. Abrams, the film's director, when contacted by the Wall Street Journal regarding the story, stated that he was not previously aware of the decision, but looked forward to reading the novel.