The book gives background information for the film and contains many sketches and art concepts drawn by Brian Froud.

It is in this book that the names of the Skeksis, the urRu, the urSkeks, and many of the creatures created in The Dark Crystal are introduced.

The book purports to be Aughra's account of the film's backstory, interspersed with in-universe descriptions of various props and their roles in the fictional universe itself.

Among the concepts explored are numerology and symbology, and periodic references to Aughra's origin.

This was the original concept design and story pitched to financial backers before the film went into full production.