Knowing all the changes that were made to the final cut of **Star Wars: A New Hope**, and seeing what this universe eventually became, it's genuinely amazing it managed to become a cultural phenomenon at all. If the movie had stayed much like *this* version, it's hard to believe it would have grown into the epic saga we know and love. As a classic **George Lucas** film and a truly great **movie review**, it is hard to believe that this film has become such a large part of pop culture.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....Ah yes, *Star Wars: A New Hope*. The movie that started it all. But that was in 1977. Let's flash back to a time just before that, to where the story of this amazing book, and its sequel, began.1976Some guy named George Lucas (never heard of him, wink) commissioned author Alan Dean Foster to write two books. The first, *Star Wars: A New Hope*, would be a novelization of Lucas' upcoming movie, *Star Wars: A New Hope*. In case the movie bombed, Lucas wa...

I devoured *Star Wars: A New Hope* as a kid, rereading it constantly. I was captivated by how the book deepened Luke Skywalker's journey and introduced Jabba the Hutt (who doesn't show up in the films until *Return of the Jedi*). If you're looking for classic *Star Wars* book reviews, you can't go wrong with this one by George Lucas.

Star Wars: A New Hope is truly an empire unto itself. The eleven films of the series have grossed over $10 billion worldwide; and when one adds in television programs, action figures, soundtrack albums, video games, tie-in books, amusement park rides, lunchboxes, graphic novels, and other forms of licensed merchandise, one is looking at gross revenues somewhere in the range of $300 billion and climbing. And I find it interesting to contemplate how humble the beginnings of that empire were – a lo...

Okay, so I was twelve when *Star Wars: A New Hope* hit theaters, and I was completely blown away. It's one of the first movies I ever saw by myself with my little brother. Reading the novelization has been like revisiting an old friend throughout the years. George Lucas wrote the screenplay and conceived the whole story, before and after, but even though it's his vision, he didn't actually write the novelization itself. Alan Dean Foster did, and years later, he finally got the credit he deserved...

I'm giving this three stars because it's great fun to read aloud and do dramatic recitations. That is by far the best way to attempt getting through *Star Wars: A New Hope* (and I say this as a lifelong fan of the movie directed by George Lucas). If you're looking for fun *book reviews*, this one's for you!

I read *Star Wars: A New Hope* when I was a kid, probably 7 or 8, right after the movie blew my mind. I remember being totally into it, but let's be honest, the movie was just…wow. I never actually picked it up again after that. Maybe someday I will. It's a classic *Star Wars* book, and a fun read for any fan of George Lucas's universe. For more great book reviews, keep checking back!

Happy Star Wars Day, everyone! In honor of May the 4th... let's travel back in time to December of 1976, not so far away in Bluefield, Virginia. I was home from college for winter break when I saw this strange little paperback on the spin-rack at the corner drug store (pretty sure it was Goodykoontz Pharmacy, but I can't swear to it). It looked like a cool space opera. I knew George Lucas from *THX-1138* and *American Graffiti*, but I didn't realize he wrote novels. I grabbed it and enjoyed read...

It's been a long time since I picked this one up again: the original novelization of *Star Wars: A New Hope*. After recently reading a Timothy Zahn Star Wars novel, a couple of things really stood out to me, especially when compared to Zahn's work: - It's amazing how much of a difference quality writing makes to how I experience a story. This book introduced me to words like "lambent" and "actinic" when I was just a kid, seven or eight years old. I happily devoured these new words because I was...

Movie novelizations often fall short of the films they're based on, and that's definitely the case here. *Star Wars: A New Hope* is a cinematic masterpiece, but much of its magic is lost in translation to the written word. If you're looking for great *Star Wars* books, stick with the original screenplay.