Vader on the radar for Star Wars fans

Chinese versions of The Phantom Menace and The Attack of the Clones were released at the China Children Book Expo in Beijing on May 31. Photo provided to China Daily

Wu says the film's wild imagination was difficult for Chinese adults at that time. The "cultural revolution" (1966-76) had only recently ended, and the Chinese people were weighed down with many historical and political burdens.

"But the sci-fi genre has become more popular among the younger generation," says Wu. "The Star Wars series has influenced many young sci-fi writers in China."

Yang Peng, a popular writer of children's literature, says that the most powerful weapon in his novels is the "light saber". He says when he was in high school he wrote the Star Wars motto "May the Force be with you" by his bedside to encourage him to study every morning.

George Lucas, the creator of the series, doesn't put strict terms on the recreation of the world of Star Wars and the result of this liberal stance is hundreds of books based in the fantasy universe. Some books were translated into Chinese in the 1980s, but the first large scale translation of Star Wars books happened in the early 2000s as the prequel trilogy were released in 1999, 2002 and 2005.

"In 2002, the People's Literature Publishing House published a series of novels of Jedi Apprentice," says Meng Li, senior manager of licensed publishing at The Walt Disney Shanghai Company. "But this is the first time Star Wars novels have been published in China since Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012."

Partnered with Disney, Children's Fun Publishing Company planned to release 20 translated Star Wars books by the end of 2015, and anticipates a sales of more than 1 million copies.

"We are recruiting Chinese writers who are interested in writing Star Wars literature," says Nie. "Right now we are calling for works and after selection, the finalists will become Disney's first Chinese Star Wars writers."

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