The First 'Star Wars' Horror Story Is Here, And Gives Darth Vader A Terrifying New Look
Image Source: Polygon
Previously teased at the very end of Lucasfilm Publishing’s NYCC 2025 presentation, a new Star Wars novel entitled Hiding From The Dark has now been officially revealed.
Written by author Kiersten White, who previously wrote the excellent novel Padawan, which focused on a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hiding From The Dark is a jump to what may be the Original Trilogy era, with the main villain of the story being Darth Vader. The main character, Bia, is fleeing from the pursuit of Vader after her mother, working for the Empire, goes silent and is soon revealed to be working with the Rebellion. On her own, and trying to find her mother, Bia is joined by an old friend, Nerik, and they avoid the dark menace that is Vader while seeking their goal. White, no stranger to writing horror stories, comments that Vader was a figure from her nightmares as a child, and she’s thrilled to bring some scares to readers.
The book is aimed at a middle-grade audience, and is also not, in fact, the first Star Wars horror story, not by a long shot. Many Legends and canon stories have horror elements, if not direct genre theming, but it is important to remember the context for this book’s release. It is the second of two planned novels under a new labeling effort by Lucasfilm Publishing. Eyes Like Stars, a romance novel, is the first, and Hiding From The Dark is the second. While it may not be the first Star Wars horror novel, just like how Eyes Like Stars is not the first Star Wars romance novel, it will still be the first to bear this specific branding and firm identification.
The release date is currently unknown, but our guess would be late 2026 or early 2027; we’ll certainly enjoy the fruits of this new experiment by Lucasfilm Publishing regardless of when the book finally releases.
CultureSlate: Made by humans, for humans.
Please consider supporting our AI-free content via our Patreon page.
READ NEXT:
Source(s): Polygon
Latest News
Featured
