Star Wars Encyclopedia is a 1998 reference book written by Stephen J. Sansweet

Steve Sansweet

Stephen J. Sansweet is the Director of Content Management and Head of Fan Relations at Lucasfilm and the author of sixteen books, fourteen of them about Star Wars. He is also the owner of the world's largest private collection of Star Wars memorabilia...

, the director of content management at Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....

 and science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 author. The book defines, explains, and illustrates the characters, creatures, settings, objects, events, and concepts that appear in the science fiction saga Star Wars

Star Wars

Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...

. Data is drawn from the original trilogy films, radio dramas, novels, short stories, graphic novels, and computer games. Star Wars Encyclopedia contains an introduction written by science fiction writer Timothy Zahn

Timothy Zahn

Timothy Zahn is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award. He is the author of nine Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, including seven novels featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn: the Thrawn Trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, Outbound...

. The book was succeeded by the three-volume Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (2008).

Trivia

• Curiously Darth Vader
  Darth Vader
  Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
  
   has a blue lightsaber
  Lightsaber
  A lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
  
   and Luke Skywalker
  Luke Skywalker
  Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
  
   has a red lightsaber when pictured on the cover, contrasting with their respective depictions in Star Wars canon. The explanation is that the art was taken directly from Drew Struzan's art for the Return of the Jedi movie poster and was left unaltered as an homage to that poster.