William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back: Star Wars Part the Fifth

by Ian Doescher

Overview

The Empire Strikes Back takes on new life in a classic style. This retelling of the beloved Star Wars story in the enduring meter of Shakespeare is sure to delight fans of the Bard and the Force both!

Experience the story of The Empire Strikes Back all over again, now with all the drama and prestige of Shakespearean theater! Stunning text lovingly and accurately rendered in the meter and style of the Bard himself includes reimagined dialogue from each character from the movie, stage directions, and plenty of Easter eggs, all alongside twenty gorgeous woodcut illustrations that put an Elizabethan twist on the iconic Star Wars characters.

STUNNING ILLUSTRATIONS Twenty woodcut-style illustrations accompany the text, putting a Shakespearean spin on beloved Star Wars characters.

AUTHENTIC METER Shakespeare scholars and Star Wars fans alike will delight in the period-accurate musicality of the text.

EASTER EGGS Hidden nods to both Star Wars and Shakespeare will impress sharp-eyed fans of both!

COMPLETE CAST Each character from the film, from Yoda to Lando Calrissian, takes the spotlight with reimagined dialogue in Shakespearean style.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798886639742
Publisher:	Insight Editions
Publication date:	07/29/2025
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Ian Doescher is the New York Times best-selling author of the William Shakespeare’s Star Wars® series, the Pop Shakespeare series, and MacTrump. He has written for Marvel Comics and is a contributing author to the story collection Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his family. Visit him at IanDoescher.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the William Shakespeare’s Star Wars® Series:

“Reverent, clever and a novel way for fans to re-immerse themselves in their beloved franchise.”—New York Times, on the series

“A quirky addition to the genre-busting canon.”—Entertainment Weekly, on William Shakespeare’s Star Wars

“A great gift for every geek you know, no matter what their passion.”—Huffington Post, on William Shakespeare’s Star Wars

“Enormous fun.”—A.V. Club, on William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back

“The writing’s quite good; elaborate Elizabethan woodcuts. . .are just icing on the cake.”—The Wall Street Journal, on William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of the Sith’s Revenge

“At last, the mother of all mashups is upon us.”—CNET.com, on William Shakespeare’s Star Wars

“With movie Easter eggs aplenty, Bard babes and Star Wars lovers will be equally enthused.”—Brit + Co, on William Shakespeare’s The Force Doth Awaken

“Each page proves that the English language is a playground, and Ian Doescher uses every opportunity to the fullest.”—Sweety High, on William Shakespeare’s Jedi the Last

“The book is so brilliant you’ll wonder why someone didn’t think of it sooner.”—Paste Magazine, on William Shakespeare’s Star Wars

“As Shakespeare would say, you might think, this be madness, yet there is a method in ’t.”—Newsday, on William Shakespeare’s Star Wars

From the Publisher