Starting today, fans of Star Wars fiction can download free, original short stories by Jude Watson, Matthew Stover, and Timothy Zahn from some of their favorite Star Wars websites.

The tales by these best-selling authors are featured in Star Wars: Short Story Collection, which was produced by Scholastic, Del Rey, Star Wars Insider, and Hasbro. Up until now, the Short Story Collection was available only in printed booklet form, and in limited quantities. The booklets are packaged inside select Clone Wars toys from Hasbro, including many of the vehicles, vessels, and electronic lightsabers in the line.

In addition to being packaged with Clone Wars Toys, a limited number of copies of the Star Wars: Short Story Collection were given away by Hasbro at the company’s booths this past summer at Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA, and at Wizard World in Chicago, IL.

Fan enthusiasm for the stories inspired the four companies to make them readily available to Star Wars readers everywhere, as a free download online. Those who wish to download the PDF file, which presents the booklet in its entirety, will find it at http://starwars.paizo.com/download/starwars/shortstorycollection.shtml, http://www.delreydigital.com/starwars, http://www.starwars.com/, http://www.scholastic.com/titles/starwars/special.htm, and http://starwars.hasbro.com/.

Jude Watson, author of Scholastic's Jedi Apprentice and Jedi Quest series and the special edition title Legacy of the Jedi, wrote "Storm Fleet Warnings" for the collection, presented by Scholastic. Matthew Stover contributed the tale “Equipment,” courtesy of Del Rey. Stover has written Star Wars: Shatterpoint and The New Jedi Order: Traitor for the Del Rey Star Wars line. Timothy Zahn wrote “Duel” as the Short Story Collection contribution presented by Star Wars Insider and its producing company, Paizo Publishing. Hasbro rounded out the three exclusive short stories by presenting a portfolio of their recent action figures, vehicles, and vessels in the Clone Wars line.

Paizo Publishing™ LLC is the publisher of Undefeated^® magazine, the complete competitive game strategy magazine. The company publishes DRAGON^®, DUNGEON^®, and Polyhedron^® magazines under license from Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Paizo directs the Official Star Wars Fan Club™ and publishes Star Wars Insider™ magazine and the Bantha Tracks newsletter under license from Lucasfilm, Ltd. Headed by fans for fans, Paizo looks to add new aspects of fun and innovation to the industry, while maintaining and improving on their high quality standards of excellence in content. To learn more go to http://www.paizo.com/.

Scholastic Corporation (NMS: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, textbooks, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the Company's Internet Site, http://www.scholastic.com/.

Del Rey Books (http://www.delreydigital.com) was founded in 1977 as a division of Ballantine Books under the guidance of the renowned Judy-Lynn del Rey and her husband, Lester del Rey. Del Rey publishes the best of modern fantasy, science fiction and alternate history in hardcover, paperback, and now e-book formats. Ballantine Books is a publishing group of Random House, Inc, the U.S. publishing company of Random House, the trade book publishing division of Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's leading international media companies.

Lucasfilm Ltd. is one of the world’s leading film and entertainment companies. Founded by George Lucas in 1971, it is a privately held, fully integrated entertainment company. In addition to its motion picture and television production operations, the company’s global businesses include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound; LucasArts Entertainment; Lucas Licensing and Lucas Online. Lucasfilm’s feature films have won 19 Oscars and its television projects have won 12 Emmy Awards.

Star Wars © 2003 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ^® or ™ where indicated. All rights reserved. Used under authorization.

Hasbro^® and/or ™ & © 2003 Hasbro, Pawtucket, RI 02862 USA. All Rights Reserved.