It's once again time to head to a galaxy far, far away as though it were written a long time ago. Last summer, Ian Doescher created a Shakespearean adaptation of the first Star Wars, and now he's back with the second installment. William Shakespeare's Star Wars: The Empire Striketh Back turns the original series' midpoint into a play composed in iambic pentameter and filled with gorgeous black-and-white illustrations of some of its most iconic characters, settings, and moments. "A price still lies upon my head, and if / I do not make amends with Jabba, I / Shall not repay with money, nay, but life," Han says early in the first act while speaking with Leia and Rieekan.
The Empire Striketh Back will hit bookstore shelves (and digital ones) on Tuesday, with the series' conclusion, The Jedi Doth Return, landing on the first of July. Since the adaptations are meant for the stage, there's no better way to get an impression of what William Shakespeare's Star Wars is like than to watch actors perform it. Fortunately, you can see just that in the book trailer below.