With the holiday season just around the corner and shipping being what it is, the fine folks at Penguin Random House want to bring your attention to some of the great pop culture themed books that you should definitely consider this gift giving season. From Dungeons & Dragons and Critical Role to Minecraft and Star Wars, this short list offers something for everyone!
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Dreams of Wakanda
Illustrated by Mateus Manhanini
Join creators, writers, and comics legends as they discuss the impact of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther in this gorgeously illustrated collection of essays
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther has become more than just a movie—it has shaped conversations about art, culture, science fiction, representation, justice, fashion, comics, creativity, and so much more. Celebrate the legacy of the film with this collection of all-new personal essays and reflections that shed light on its monumental impact, including firsthand stories from artists involved in the film, cultural analysis from journalists and academics, and thoughtful insights from writers and comics legends. Each contributor brings their unique expertise and experience to explore the film’s genesis and significance from every angle. Complete with gorgeous original illustrations, Dreams of Wakanda brings together a wide array of diverse and multifaceted perspectives that exemplify the many ways the film has impacted cinema, culture, and society.
In this collection:
• Costume designer Ruth E. Carter takes us through her Afrofuturistic designs.
• Writer Tre Johnson discusses the metaphoric qualities of vibranium.
• Author Yona Harvey reflects on how the film has resonated with audiences across the African diaspora.
• Journalist Hannah Giorgis uncovers how the soundtrack fits into sonic portraits of Blackness.
The contributors:
Marlene Allen Ahmed • Aaron C. Allen • Maurice Broaddus • Ruth E. Carter • Hannah Giorgis • Yona Harvey • Tre Johnson • Arvell Jones • Frederick Joseph • Suyi Davies Okungbowa • Dwayne Wong Omowale • Gil Robertson IV • Foreword by Nic Stone • Art by Mateus Manhanini
To celebrate the launch of this book and Black Panther’s global impact, Disney and Penguin Random House are donating books to First Book and Books for Africa respectively. Disney is donating books valued at approximately $1,000,000 to support First Book, a leading nonprofit that serves children in underserved communities and addresses the needs of the whole child by supporting their education, basic needs, and wellness—all of which are essential to educational equity. Penguin Random House (PRH) is donating PRH titles valued at approximately $100,000 to Books For Africa. Books For Africa was founded upon a singular mission: to end the book famine in Africa. BFA collects, sorts, and ships books, computers, tablets, and library enhancement materials to every country in Africa.
On sale now!
To order a copy, click HERE!
Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel
By Beth Revis
The Death Star is destroyed. Darth Vader is dead. The Empire is desolate. But on the forest moon of Endor, among the chaos of a changing galaxy, time stands still for a princess and her scoundrel.
After being frozen in carbonite, then risking everything for the Rebellion, Han is eager to stop living his life for other people. He and Leia have earned their future together, a thousand times over. And when he proposes to Leia, it’s the first time in a long time he’s had a good feeling about this. For Leia, a lifetime of fighting doesn’t seem truly over. There is work still to do, penance to pay for the dark secret that she now knows runs through her veins. Her brother, Luke, is offering her that chance—one that comes with family and the promise of the Force. But when Han asks her to marry him, Leia finds her answer immediately on her lips . . . Yes.
Yet happily ever after doesn’t come easily. As soon as Han and Leia depart their idyllic ceremony for their honeymoon, they find themselves on the grandest and most glamorous stage of all: the Halcyon, a luxury vessel on a very public journey to the most wondrous worlds in the galaxy. Their marriage, and the peace and prosperity it represents, are a lightning rod for all—including Imperial remnants still clinging to power.
Facing their most desperate hour, the soldiers of the Empire have dispersed across the galaxy, retrenching on isolated planets vulnerable to their influence. As the Halcyon travels from world to world, one thing becomes abundantly clear: The war is not over. But as danger draws closer, Han and Leia find that they fight their best battles not alone, but as husband and wife.
On sale now!
To order a copy, click HERE!
Critical Role: The Might Nein – The Nine Eyes of Lucien
By Madeleine Roux
Delve into the mind of Critical Role’s most charming villain in this original novel that chronicles Lucien’s early life and his fateful meeting with the Mighty Nein.
Lucien has always been able to spin a bad situation to his advantage. From his childhood on the dangerous streets of Shadycreek Run to his years living off the grid and learning blood magic from the Claret Orders, the charismatic blood hunter will find a way to get the upper hand.
When Lucien is on a job in the frozen wastelands of Eiselcross with his fellow mercenaries, a rough-and-tumble crew called the Tombtakers, fate leads him to a mysterious journal in the ruins of an ancient city. The book speaks of the Somnovem, nine beings who can grant Lucien power beyond imagining—if he is able to find them and free them from captivity.
Intrigued by this opportunity, Lucien pores over the journal—but the more he reads, the stranger things become. The nine whisper to him in dreams and waking visions. Time slips away, along with Lucien’s grasp on reality. And tattoos of red eyes begin appearing on his skin. . . .
With the ability to reshape the world within his grasp, Lucien ignores all warning signs. He has always bent fortune to his will, and nothing—not even death—will stop him now.
Written by New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Roux, Critical Role: The Mighty Nein—The Nine Eyes of Lucien explores the meteoric rise and fall of one of Critical Role’s most notorious and tragic figures.
On sale: 11/1/22
To order a copy, click HERE!
Minecraft: Epic Inventions
By Mojang AB
Twelve mind-blowing Minecraft builds to spark your imagination.
Epic Inventions contains twelve incredible builds to inspire you to construct the most inventive builds in Minecraft. There’s an intergalactic space station, an ancient temple, a kawaii waterways course, a giant meeple bedroom, an animal sanctuary, plus many more.
Each build is presented to you by its builder—a construction expert eager to share their tips with you. As well as learning how to choose blocks and construct amazing builds, you’ll also learn some excellent pro builder tips like how to terraform the landscape.
On sale date: 11/1/22
To order a copy, click HERE!
Dungeons & Dragons: Dragons & Treasures –A Young Adventurer’s Guide
By Jim Zub
No creature is more fascinating and terrifying to an adventurer than a dragon! This illustrated guide takes a deeper look at the abilities, personalities, and treasure collections of every major dragon type in Dungeons & Dragons.
Dragons & Treasures transports new players to the magical world of Dungeons & Dragons and presents a one-of-a-kind course on the unique characteristics, fabled treasures, and wondrous artifacts of the most legendary of creatures: dragons! The book profiles all main dragon classes and features easy-to-follow and entertaining explanations of how to identify and interact with these legendary beasts during your adventures. Advice, encouragement, and storytelling tips provide strategies for dealing with dragon encounters, hoards of treasure, and draconic artifacts, along with action-packed illustrations that will ignite your imagination.
Dragons & Treasures is the perfect way for young fans to learn how to incorporate dragons into their stories, whether as foes, allies, or something in between.
On sale date: 11/1/22
To order a copy, click HERE!
Snow Crash: Deluxe Edition
By Neal Stephenson
Now in a gorgeous new hardcover edition featuring never-before-seen material, the “brilliantly realized” (The New York Times Book Review) breakthrough novel from visionary author Neal Stephenson, a modern classic that predicted the metaverse and inspired generations of Silicon Valley innovators
Hiro lives in a Los Angeles where franchises line the freeway as far as the eye can see. The only relief from the sea of logos is within the autonomous city-states, where law-abiding citizens don’t dare leave their mansions.
Hiro delivers pizza to the mansions for a living, defending his pies from marauders, when necessary, with a matched set of samurai swords. His home is a shared 20 X 30 U-Stor-It. He spends most of his time goggled in to the Metaverse, where his avatar is legendary.
But in the club known as The Black Sun, his fellow hackers are being felled by a weird new drug called Snow Crash that reduces them to nothing more than a jittering cloud of bad digital karma (and IRL, a vegetative state).
Investigating the Infocalypse leads Hiro all the way back to the beginning of language itself, with roots in an ancient Sumerian priesthood. He’ll be joined by Y.T., a fearless teenaged skateboard courier. Together, they must race to stop a shadowy virtual villain hell-bent on world domination.
On sale date: 11/22/22
To order a copy, click HERE!
Star Wars: Convergence (The High Republic)
By Zoraida Cordova
The next adventure in the High Republic begins expanding the new era of Star Wars, with a story set generations before Light of the Jedi.
It is an age of exploration. Jedi travel the galaxy, expanding their understanding of the Force and all the worlds and beings connected by it. Meanwhile, the Republic, led by its two chancellors, works to unite worlds in an ever-growing community among near and distant stars.
On the close orbiting planets of Eiram and E’ronoh, the growing pains of a galaxy with limited resources but unlimited ambition are felt keenly. Their hatred for each other has fueled half a decade of escalating conflict and now threatens to consume surrounding systems. The last hope for peace emerges when heirs from the two planets’ royal families plan to marry.
Before lasting peace can be established, an assassination attempt targeting the couple tilts Eiram and E’ronoh back into all-out war. To save both worlds, Jedi Knight Gella Nattai volunteers to uncover the culprit, while Chancellor Kyong appoints her son, Axel Greylark, to represent the Republic’s interests in the investigation.
But Axel’s deep distrust of the Jedi sparks against Gella’s faith in the Force. She’s never met such a puffed-up, privileged party boy, and he’s never met a more self-serious, relentless do-gooder. The more they work to untangle the shadowy web of the investigation, the more complicated the conspiracy appears to be. With accusations flying and potential enemies in every shadow, the pair will have to work together to have any hope of bringing the truth to light and saving both worlds.
On sale date: 11/22/22
To order a copy, click HERE!
Everything I Need to Know I Learned from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
This official book reveals essential life lessons and candid wisdom from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for its 40th anniversary.
This heartwarming little guide captures the joy and delight of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial through bite-sized wisdom, vital lessons, and iconic quotes from the beloved film. With charming illustrations throughout, this book encourages readers to embrace the power of friendship, love others for who they are, overcome their fears, be sure to “phone home” and most important, to “be good.” Releasing for the film’s fortieth anniversary, this book will offer out-of-this-world inspiration that both adults and children will treasure for years to come.
On sale date: 12/13/22
To order a copy, click HERE!
Happy holidays everyone and please be safe out there!
*All images courtesy of Penguin Random House Publishing.
