Labyrinth is one of my all-time favorite Jim Henson productions. I have gone on about it at length in the past. That is why I was particularly excited when I found out that the Archaia Company would be re-releasing a special edition of the novelization written by A. C. H. Smith that accompanied the film’s original release, along with subsequent new editions of the The Dark Crystal and The Storyteller novels. Now, practically every film comes with these media tie-in books, and the majority of them probably aren’t worth reading, but what distinguishes these particular novelizations is that they were overseen by Jim Henson himself. He saw them as an opportunity to expand on the worlds of his fantasy films and show, adding further background worldbuilding details that he couldn’t convey on screen, as well as sequences that either he couldn’t quite get to work or for which he didn’t have the budgetary resources. And so, although the novel was technically written by Smith, Henson himself read every draft (a rarity among movie novelizations, if not completely unprecedented), sending him copious notes and suggestions in order to mold it into a definitive written adaptation of his film. And even today, that love and attention to detail really shows. Much like the film itself, it has aged beautifully. Smith’s prose has a heightened, timeless, fairy tale feel, as does Henson’s film, which keeps it from feeling mired in the 1980s, as I’m sure many novelizations from the time are. Since Labyrinth is a dreamscape, Smith and Henson don’t try to overexplain the world, as that would decrease its sense of mystery and wonder (my guess is that The Dark Crystal novel–which is coming out in June and I’ll be reviewing then–allowed for much more mythology enhancement, much like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings prologues and appendices), but the ability to be inside Sarah’s head (and, at times, Jareth’s) for nearly the entirety of the journey adds a new, rich layer to her character psychology and the proceedings. We get to understand her even better, particularly through learning about her relationship with her mother, whose actress lifestyle has taken her away from Sarah, a detail only hinted at in the film via press clippings with which she has adorned her mirror. Sarah’s attitude towards her father, stepmother, and half-brother are drawn into even deeper relief,...