One of the biggest criticisms that's followed Star Wars is that even though it’s set in such an expansive galaxy, all the recurring characters across projects make the franchise feel small and repetitive. Lucasfilm Publishing has taken that criticism to heart, revealing a new initiative that shifts Star Wars tie-in novels away from a huge, interconnected saga and toward something different: genre stories.

The initiative’s next project is Hiding from the Dark, a Star Wars horror novel by New York Times bestseller Kiersten White, author of Hide and Lucy Undying. Lucasfilm Publishing's creative director Michael Siglain exclusively revealed to Polygon that he wants the new genre initiative to introduce a fresh approach to storytelling in Star Wars.

"Lucasfilm Publishing and our partners are taking the various genre building blocks of Star Wars — fantasy stories, samurai stories, war stories, etc. — and are focusing on those elements in very specific and deliberate........

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