FORCE IS STRONG WITH THIS ONE

Blast off for beloved ‘Star Wars’ universe

‘Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia” is a dream come true for older “Star Wars” fans who grew up in the generation that ate, slept and breathed everything from “a galaxy far, far away” and a must-read for younger fans who may just be learning that space movies were possible before computer graphics.

This book is a tribute to that gorgeous, analog world which made us fall in love with the beat-up, downtrodden, dust-covered universe where droids malfunctioned, spaceships were scrapheaps and the good guys always shot first.

It is stuffed with page after page of props and backdrops. With more than 2,500 pictures on 200 pages, the book might seem overwhelming, but the

nugget-sized descriptions accompanying the pictures and the clean layout make for a versatile read, whether you are going in for a deep dive on the types of furniture and statuary in the evil Emperor Palpatine's office or lazily skimming through lightsaber designs.

It should be stated, this is not a trip behind the scenes. This book is written from the standpoint of a person occupying that universe. Yes, there are photos of blasters, but there are whole pages dedicated to furniture, formal wear, bags and backpacks, gloves, planets, vegetation, foodstuffs and alien beasts. If it appeared on screen in any of the “Star Wars” movies or animated shows, even if you never noticed it, there is likely a picture of it in this book.

The only drawback is that the encyclopedia is published in a time when it is, by necessity, incomplete.

Disney has released just two of its six promised “Star Wars” movies, meaning there are opportunities for more pages and more complete entries, especially around characters that are now little more than question marks in the story.

For die-hard fans hoping for spoilers about characters in “The Force Awakens,” look elsewhere. While there are some interesting statements made about Max von Sydow's character Lor San Tekka, for the most part, the book sticks to the information already out there.

This is another remarkable addition to DK Publishing's already impressive lineup of visual guides, cross sections and sticker books that accompany each new “Star Wars” release.

Middle-aged folks like me, who grew up with three-year breaks between the original movies and now enjoy a new one every year, are fond of saying, “It's a good time to be a `Star Wars' fan.”

Books like this make it that much better.