Star Wars : The Force Awakens ( novelization ) Star Wars : The Force Awakens is the canon novelization of the film . The novel , written by Alan Dean Foster , was released on December 18 , 2015 as an eBook , published by Del Rey , and as an online and physical audio version narrated by Marc Thompson . The hardcover version of the book was released on January 5 , 2016 . The paperback version , released on September 27 , 2016 , included the short stories " Bait , " also by Foster , and " The Perfect Weapon , " by Delilah S . Dawson . Official description . The official novelization of Star Wars : The Force Awakens , the highly anticipated blockbuster film directed by J . J . Abrams , hitting theaters in December 2015 . " More than thirty years ago , " Star Wars " burst onto the big screen and became a cultural phenomenon . Now the next adventures in this blockbuster saga are poised to captivate old and new fans alike — beginning with the highly anticipated " Star Wars : The Force Awakens " . And alongside the cinematic debut comes the thrilling novel adaptation by " New York Times " bestselling science fiction master Alan Dean Foster . " " Set years after " " , this stunning new action - packed adventure rockets us back into the world of Prince ss Leia , Han Solo , Chewbacca , C - 3PO , R2 - D2 , and Luke Skywalker , while introducing a host of exciting new characters . Darth Vader may have been redeemed and the Emperor vanquished , but peace can be fleeting , and evil does not easily relent . Yet the simple belief in good can still empower ordinary individuals to rise and meet the greatest challenges . " " So return to that galaxy far , far away , and prepare yourself for what happens when the Force awakens . " Development . Foster stated that " working on the book has been as much fun as the script itself , which harkens back to the spirit of the first three films " and that it feels as if no time at all has passed since he the and then wrote " Splinter of the Mind ' s Eye " . Differences between the film . The novel contains several differences to the film and scenes that don ' t appear in the final film : Release . The release of the title as an eBook on the same day as the film itself , with no print copy available until January 5 , marks the first time that a novelization of a " Star Wars " film was not released before its respective film . The of the was , in fact , released some five months before the film . The unusual publishing schedule was arranged directly by The Walt Disney Company with Del Rey , who reluctantly agreed to forego the possibility of massive holiday sales of print copies of the novel . The decision was motivated by Disney ' s concern that print copies of the novel , if released at the same time as the film , might be purloined and used to leak plot details to the Internet . David Moench , a spokesperson for Del Rey , expressed that the publisher would have preferred to put out the hardcover edition on the same day as the film , but understands the importance of preserving the secrecy . J . J . Abrams , the film ' s director , when contacted by the " Wall Street Journal " regarding the story , stated that he was not previously aware of the decision , but looked forward to reading the novel .