It's Star Wars Day in Galaxies Far, Far Away and Very, Very Close

May the Fourth Be with You on This Nerdy Sci-Fi Holiday!

With the recent release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi by Jason Fry and upcoming theater release of Solo: A Star Wars Story, we're paying tribute to the space opera set in a galaxy far, far away that shaped our own in ways beyond what George Lucas (and the rest of us) ever imagined.

41 Years, 11 Movies, and Hundreds of Books Later...

Between the "canon" (official/main storyline and universe) and "legend" (expanded universe/adjunct storyline) books, novels, novelizations, and other Star Wars literary content, there are thousands of reading possibilities in our bookiverse, an impressive feat for a 12-page script that almost never made it to the screen.

Star Wars Trivia

Though it instantly became a generational and cultural unifier, Star Wars was originally aimed at 14- and 15-year-olds, and the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader characters were strongly influenced by none other than Gandalf and the Witch-king in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Other nods included Flash Gordon, the Vietnam War, and classical mythology.

The World Meets the Force

The first Star Wars book was a novelized version of the original screenplay titled Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker, published six months before the film hit theaters, so if you want to start at the beginning, you're welcome. Also a universal classic and fan favorite is Star Wars: The Original Trilogy, available in standard paperback and hardcover, or fancy collectible sets...use The Force to choose.

All Ages Reads that Take from 12 Parsecs to a Tatooine Year

• Star Wars: What Is A Wookiee? (DK Readers, Level 1) by Laura Buller
• A Galaxy Not So Far Away: Writers and Artists on Twenty-Five Years of Star Wars Edited by Glenn Kenny George
• Lucas: Filmmaker and Creator of Star Wars by Grace Hansen
• Last Shot: A Han and Lando Novel by Daniel José Older

Star Wars in the Kitchen, Because Wookiees and Ewoks Eat Too

• The Star Wars Cookbook - BB-ATE: Awaken to the Force of Breakfast and Brunch by Lara Starr
• Wookiee Pies, Clone Scones, and Other Galactic Goodies by Robin Davis and Lara Starr
• The Star Wars Cookbook II Vol. II: Darth Malt and More Galactic Recipes by Frankie Frankeny and Wesley Martin
• The Star Wars Party Book: Recipes and Ideas for Galactic Occasions by Frankie Frankeny and Mikyla Bruder

Read more by Beth Clark