The official site unveiled the full three volume Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia yesterday, revealing a massive tome with six impressive authors. Stephen J. Sansweet, author of the original Star Wars Encyclopedia returns, of course, along with a crack team of Star Wars experts: Pablo Hidalgo (Star Wars Chronicles: The Prequels, HoloNet News), Daniel Wallace (The New Essential Chronology, The Essential Atlas), Mary Franklin (Star Wars Insider), Josh Kushins (Lucasfilm Publicity Manager), and Chris Cassidy (Star Wars Adventure Journal, Star Wars Gamer).

A particularly noteworthy contributing author is Bob Vitas, who was previously known for his comprehensive fan database The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia, which was a staple here at TF.N for a number of years. This is his first official, professional Star Wars work. Congratulations Bob Vitas! You?ve made it!

StarWarsShop is offering copies signed by all six authors for those who preorder this book, which will be released by Del Rey on November 18th.

This is the first update for Sansweet?s popular Star Wars Encyclopedia, which was published ten years ago. The authors of this book faced a daunting task in assembling a complete reference work; in the last ten years, the three prequel films and hundreds of other Star Wars works have appeared, leading followers of the Expanded Universe to rely increasingly on massive, virtual fan encyclopedias like Vitas?s CUSWE and Wookieepedia. We look forward to seeing the new Encyclopedia finally hit the shelves this winter.

Just as long as it doesn't hit too hard--this thing has got to be heavy!




UPDATE: Zee Zee of SWBooks.co.uk let us know that Random House has changed the release date of The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia on their website from November 18th to December 9, 2008.


Thanks to Zee Zee for keeping us posted!




UPDATE #2: Starwars.com takes you inside The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia which arrives in bookstores on December 9th. I liked the "Notable Darths" page. Click here and enjoy!