Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (novel)

The Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope novelization, originally entitled Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker, was the official novel adaptation of the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, published in 1976 by Del Rey. It was ghost written by Alan Dean Foster, but credited to George Lucas. It contains many scenes and important notes cut from the film, along with sixteen pages of full-color photos from the motion picture. This version of A New Hope was later collected in The Star Wars Trilogy novelization.

Publisher's summary

 * This summary refers to the original version of the novel.

Luke Skywalker Challenged the Stormtroopers of a Distant Galaxy on a Daring Mission—Where a Force of Life Became the Power of Death!

''Farm chores sure could be dull, and Luke Skywalker was bored beyond belief. He yearned for adventures out among the stars—adventures that would take him beyond the farthest galaxies to distant and alien worlds.''

''But Luke got more than he bargained for when he intercepted a cryptic message from a beautiful princess held captive by a dark and powerful warlord. Luke didn't know who she was, but he knew he had to save her—and soon, because time was running out.''

Armed only with courage and with the light saber that had been his father's, Luke was catapulted into the middle of the most savage space war ever...and he was headed straight for a desperate encounter on the enemy battle station known as the Death Star!


 * This summary refers to the pre-theatrical version of the novel.

Luke Skywalker challenges the stormtroopers of a distant galaxy on a daring mission—where a force of life became the power of death!

''Luke Skywalker was a twenty-year-old who lived and worked on his uncle's farm on the remote planet of Tatooine&hellip;and he was bored beyond belief. He yearned for adventures out among the stars—adventures that would take him beyond the farthest galaxies to distant and alien worlds.''

''But Luke got more than he bargained for when he intercepted a cryptic message from a beautiful princess being held captive by a dark and powerful warlord. Luke didn't know who she was, but he had to save her—and soon, because time was running out.''

Armed only with courage and with the light saber that had been his father's, Luke was catapulted into the middle of the most savage space war ever&hellip;and he was headed straight for a desperate encounter on the enemy battle station known as the Death Star!

Summary
The book is the same as the film with only a few differences that are listed below, the main contribution it gives to the overall story is the character's emotions at a certain time, it illustrates what the characters were thinking when they were under pressure, and sometimes it gives back stories to minor characters where the film could not.

Differences from the film

 * The prologue quotes from the Journal of the Whills, and implies that Emperor Palpatine is merely a figurehead controlled by the Imperial bureaucracy. A brief description is given of the transition from Republic to Empire, when Palpatine became President.


 * During the battle aboard the Tantive IV, the stormtroopers dropped through the ceiling, rather than charging through an entryway.


 * Luke is introduced right after the battle aboard the Tantive IV after seeing the battle through his binoculars. The section also introduces Luke's friends: Camie, Fixer, Deak, Windy and Biggs (Although this was filmed for the movie it was later cut in post-production).


 * Luke is derogatorily referred to as "Wormie" by some of his friends


 * Droids are often referred to as robots throughout the novelization. The term "droids" is implied to be a slang term for the word robots.


 * Ben Kenobi's hut is a cave rather than a hut.


 * TK-421 is referred to as THX-1138, another reference to one of Lucas' other films,


 * Luke gets much more emotional when Wedge tells him that Biggs was killed, it tells us that Luke's eyes began to water: "'We're a couple of shooting stars Biggs' he whispered huskily, 'and we'll never be stopped.'"


 * In the publisher's summary it says that Luke is twenty years old, yet he was born in 19 BBY and the film (and book) takes place in 0 BBY, he must be 19 (to see how this works go here). The empire came into power in the year zero in the Imperial Calendar, and this would add a year to Luke's age. So twenty is an accurate assesment. It should be noted of course that the novel was published long before the scripts for Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Revenge of the Sith were written, which would create the mythology that Luke and Leia were the twin children of Darth Vader, and establish them as being born 19 years prior. In the novel for Empire Strikes Back which takes place three years later, it is stated that Luke is 23.


 * When Greedo confronts Han in the cantina, he is speaking through an electronic translator. The infamous scene that follows is left very vague in the novel, it only says that "light and noise filled the little corner of the cantina", it never says who shot first. It should be noted of course that the idea of Greedo being shot without himself firing was already present in the 1976 versions of the script, contemporary with the novel.


 * During the Battle of Yavin, Luke's starfighter squadron is Blue Squadron and makes two runs through the trench.


 * Darth Vader is referred to as a "Sith Lord" and other Sith Lords before him are briefly mentioned though not in detail (the Emperor is never implied to have the Force at all as he later would be in Empire Strikes Back).


 * Ben Kenobi mentions in passing how lightsabers used to enjoy widespread use in the galaxy, and are still used in some areas (there's a bit of controversy over the original spelling as well, since the first publication spelled it "lightsabre" according to British spelling). The saber is said to have jewels on the hilt.


 * Kenobi cuts a smaller alien in half as well as hacking off the arm of another in the Cantina, in defense of Luke.


 * Jabba is referred to as "the Hut" (note the one "t") and described as if he is a fat, bipedal being (rather than the familiar slug monster he would later become in Return of the Jedi) with an ugly, "shaggy skull" and "jowels" that shook with his head. His scars are said to be a sign of his ferocious reputation in combat. This differs from the many interpretations of Jabba over the years, prior to Return of the Jedi (in early test footage with a fat man in fur, a familiar alien in a flight suit in Marvel Comics, the large headed razor toothed monster in early sketches, or a slavering creature with "eyes on stalks" in the scripts).


 * Chewbacca is described as having yellow eyes.

Characters

 * Wedge Antilles
 * C-3PO
 * Chewbacca
 * Biggs Darklighter
 * Deacon
 * Jabba Desilijic Tiure
 * Jan Dodonna
 * Greedo the Younger
 * Hija
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Owen Lars
 * Beru Whitesun Lars
 * Camie Loneozner
 * Laze Loneozner
 * Conan Antonio Motti
 * Leia Organa
 * Romodi
 * R2-D2
 * Luke Skywalker
 * Han Solo
 * Cassio Tagge
 * Wilhuff Tarkin
 * Darth Vader
 * Windy

Creatures

 * Bantha
 * Dianoga
 * Womp Rats

Droid models

 * 3PO-series protocol droid
 * R2-series astromech droid

Locations

 * Commenor
 * Death Star I
 * Tatooine
 * Anchorhead
 * Jundland Wastes
 * Mos Eisley
 * Docking Bay 94
 * Mos Eisley Cantina
 * Yavin 4
 * Massassi Temple

Organizations and titles

 * Alliance to Restore the Republic
 * Dark Lord of the Sith
 * Galactic Empire
 * Galactic Republic
 * Jedi Master
 * Order of the Sith Lords
 * Stormtrooper

Sentient species

 * Aqualish
 * Human
 * Hutt
 * Jawa
 * Rodian
 * Tusken Raider
 * Wookiee

Vehicles and vessels

 * BTL Y-wing starfighter
 * CR90 corvette
 * Tantive IV
 * T-65 X-wing starfighter
 * TIE/ln starfighter
 * XP-38
 * YT-1300 light freighter
 * Millennium Falcon

Weapons and technology

 * Blaster
 * Comlink
 * Darth Vader's armor
 * Lightsaber
 * Hologram
 * Holoprojector
 * Remote

Miscellanea

 * Chrysopaz
 * The Force
 * Mind trick
 * Force Choke

Languages

 * Aqualish
 * Galactic Basic Standard
 * Huttese
 * Rodese
 * Shyriiwook

Cover gallery
This is a gallery of the different cover variations of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Behind the scenes

 * As it was published six months before the release of the film, this was the first Star Wars item ever produced.
 * In some versions the name of the Wookiee species is written as "Wookie".