Like all the Science Fiction Book Club firsts, the printing code is in the gutter of the second to last page.

The books tied to the subsequent Star Wars movies were treated similarly. The Empire Strikes Back was written by Donald F. Glut from the story by George Lucas and screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett. It was published first as a mass market paperback by Del Rey/Ballantine #28392-9, May 1980 with a Roger Kastel cover.

The first edition in hardcover was again a Science Fiction Book Club edition, published by Del Rey #3863-8 in August 1980 with printing code K29 and a Roger Kastel cover.

In the case of The Empire Strikes Back, a first thus was created in 1994 with a new introduction by George Lucas and a Roger Kastel cover (Ballantine/Del Rey #40078-X, October, 1994). It has no particular value, other than the introduction.