The Empire Strikes Back was a planned ninety-six page illustrated storybook by author S.T. Bende adapting events from the 1980 film of the same name. The book was to be published by Sandvik Publishing as part of the 2019 Star Wars Epic Adventures monthly subscription series but was never released, as the series was canceled after two months.
S.T. Bende visiting Norway as part of research for The Empire Strikes Back.
The Empire Strikes Back was to be an illustrated storybook by author S.T. Bende adapting the 1980 original trilogy film of the same name. The title was to be published as part of Star Wars Epic Adventures, a monthly book subscription series created by Sandvik Publishing and Disney–Lucasfilm Press. The book was written from the perspective of protocol droid C-3PO and would have also featured tie-in informational flashcards which were also authored by Bende for the Star Wars Epic Adventures: Galactic Profiles series. S.T. Bende worked with Sandvik Publishing editorial director Cynthia Stierle when writing The Empire Strikes Back and other content for the Epic Adventures series.
Bende noted that The Empire Strikes Back was one of her favorite Star Wars projects to work on. She especially enjoyed writing for the Jedi trainee Luke Skywalker. When developing the book, Bende was sent to Norway to visit the original shooting location for the Battle of Hoth in the film. She described the experience as a "dream come true."
The Epic Adventures series began in May 2019 but was canceled after the first two subscription boxes were released. As such, all subsequent titles, including The Empire Strikes Back, never saw publication.