Earlier this year, Steven Universe masterfully wove together threads it had been laying down for years in “Change Your Mind”, the grand culmination of an arc the series has been building toward since its inception—the end of what appears to just be one chapter of the Crystal Gems’ tales.
Now, it’s being turned into a very interesting book.
Abrams Books has just announced The Tale of Steven, a new storybook written by Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar, with art by Elle Michalka and Angie Wang. In a similar vein to the seminal Garnet episode “The Answer”, Tale of Steven acts as a gorgeously rendered illustrated condensation of the hour-long special episode released back in January.
But it actually has a bit of a twist that ties into what the show had been doing in the run up to the episode in relation to Steven’s own acceptance and relationship with his mother, Rose Quartz—in actuality the fourth member of the Diamond Authority, Pink Diamond.
According to the provided press release from Abrams, The Tale of Steven won’t just adapt the story of “Change Your Mind” with a singular narrative perspective. Instead, it will also “follow the story of Pink Diamond’s escape from Homeworld, Rose Quartz’s life on Earth, and the creation of Steven Universe, from multiple conflicting perspectives.”
So not only is it a lot more involved than a simple adaptation would be—although having the context of Pink Diamond’s journey laid out there is important for a “Change Your Mind” adaptation, for sure—but it’s also including some interesting additions to the story. Having unreliable voices lending narration to the journey is a cool way to encapsulate some of the identity issues Steven himself faced on the path to the episode.
What’s more, it gives us an excuse to pick up the new book instead of just watching the episode on a loop while waiting for news about the movie. Steven Universe: The Tale of Steven is set to hit bookshelves October 8.