Books
Information about Halo books/comics found on Amazon.com and Publishers.
While the brutal Covenant juggernaut sweeps inexorably through space, intent on wiping out humankind, only one stronghold remains–the planet Reach. Practically on Earth’s doorstep, it is the last military fortress to defy the onslaught. But the personnel here have another, higher priority: to prevent the Covenant from discovering the location of Earth.
Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers seem to have little chance against the Covenant, but Reach holds a closely guarded secret. It is the training ground for the very first “super soldiers.” Code-named SPARTANs, these highly advanced warriors, specially bioengineered and technologically augmented, are the best in the universe–quiet, professional, and deadly.
Now, as the ferocious Covenant attack begins, a handful of SPARTANs stand ready to wage ultimate war. They will kill, they will be destroyed, but they will never surrender. And at least one of them–the SPARTAN known as Master Chief–will live to fight another day on a mysterious and ancient, artificial world called Halo. . . .
Bungie, Halo, Xbox, and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Used under license. (c) 2001 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
About the Author
The Human-Covenant War, a desperate struggle for humankind’s very survival, has reached its boiling point on the mysterious, ring world called Halo. But the fierce Covenant warriors, the mightiest alien military force known, are not the only peril lying in wait. With the cruiser’s artificial intelligence, Cortana, concealed in his battle armor, the Master Chief crash lands on Halo in the midst of a massive Covenant occupation. Curiously, the alien soldiers appear to be searching for something hidden on the ring. Built by a long-dead race, Halo harbors many deadly secrets, but one overshadows them all. Now the Master Chief must lead the scattered troops in a brutal race to unravel Halo’s darkest mystery—and unleash its greatest source of power. . . .
This novel is based on a Mature-rated video game.
About the Author
Halo has been destroyed, and the threat it posed to sentient life, neutralized. But victory has come at a terrible cost for the UNSC. Thousands of valiant soldiers fell in the battle to prevent the alien construct from falling into the enemy?s clutches.
Now, everything depends on the Spartan known as the Master Chief. Yet even with the aid of the artificial intelligence Cortana, the Master Chief will be hard-pressed to rescue survivors and evade the Covenant ships patrolling the remains of Halo in debris-strewn space.
Ahead lies a dangerous voyage home, through a gauntlet of Covenant forces. For the sake of all, the Master Chief and his war-torn squad must not only survive, but take the fight to the enemy with a decisive first strike.
This novel is based on a Mature-rated video game.
Bungie, Halo, Xbox, the Microsoft Game Studios logo and the Xbox Logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Used under license. © 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
As the fortress world of Reach and its brave defenders were bombarded to rubble, a single cruiser fled the carnage with the battle’s only human survivors—Captain Keyes, his crew of a few hundred Marines, and the last remaining SPARTAN super-soldier, the Master Chief.
Continuing the saga of the award-winning Xbox™ game!
The Spartan-II program has gone public. Tales of super-soldiers fending off thousands of Covenant attacks have become the stuff of legend.
The battle for humanity continues in this latest addition to the bestselling franchise based on the mega-popular video games. Narration is split between Holter Graham and Jen Taylor, who each try their very best to make the material as urgent and important as possible. However, as good as Graham is, pushing the line between corny and downright brilliant in his delivery, Taylor jumps far over the believability line, overemphasizing every word as if the audience is incapable of understanding what she’s trying to say. Her cheesy dialects and over-the-top accents detract from the tension and suspense that Graham offers.
Description
About the Author
Tobias S. Buckell is a Caribbean-born speculative fiction writer who grew up in Grenada, the US, and the British Virgin Islands. He now lives (through many strange twists of fate) in a small college town in Ohio with his wife, Emily.
Buckell was a first place winner for the Writers of the Future, and has been nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and the Nebula Award. He is also a graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction Writing Workshop.
Based on the famous video-game series Halo and created by the Eisner-winning team of writer Brian Michael Bendis (Powers) and artist Alex Maleev (Daredevil), this book shows the Covenant invasion of Earth from the perspective of civilians on the ground. Ruwan, a hotel concierge in the beautiful resort city of Cleveland, Ohio—my, how the future changes things—flees the conquering aliens and teams up with Myras Tyla, a musician determined not to be a sitting duck. Instead of simply killing everyone, the Covenant aliens are ransacking the city for the mysterious Key of Osanalan, which they heard about from their captive, Colonel Akerson. Of course, it doesn’t exist, but only his brother, Ruwan, knows that. What follows is a genuinely heroic and touching tale. What it isn’t is a story about Master Chief John 117, the protagonist of the Halo series and the star of the book’s cover. The unbeatable armored super-soldier does appear, but his beautifully drawn and choreographed space-battles have very little to do with the plot. Still, much like its hit predecessor, Halo Graphic Novel, this should appeal to Halo lovers everywhere. Maleev’s planetscapes are memorably luminous, and Bendis’s dialogue is wry and effective. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
Suffice to say, Halo is a first-person shooter video game. A longer description would be more appropriate for the phenomenon, but again: If you were really interested in it, you’d probably already know about it. Halo: Uprising serves as a bridge between Halo 2 and Halo 3. As such, there’s definitely a feeling of joining a movie in medias res here, and there’s little in the way to bring you completely up to speed. Not that you really need it. The story is simple enough to follow along and enjoy: Aliens are attacking Earth, and humans are the good guys.
That’s about all you need to understand, although perhaps knowing more would help you glom on to the series opening. In it, a human astronaut has been captured in Mars orbit (this is an unspecified future date) and, before the aliens are about to kill him, he reveals one thing they must find if their invasion is to succeed: a key hidden in Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, back in Cincinnati, that astronaut’s brother, unaware of anything that has transpired, is working as a hotel concierge. One of the guests in his hotel is a celebrity singer, a bold, brash woman who saves his life when the aliens attack. As the city is strafed with alien fire, the pair make their way to presumed safety, eventually realizing that they hold the key the aliens are searching for.
Brian Michael Bendis has shown over and over again that he is a terrific writer. But here, paired once again with the simply wonderful artist Alex Maleev (the two previously worked together on a classic Daredevil run), he wisely turns over several pages entirely to Maleev. Maleev takes the ball and runs with it. His artwork is stunning, capturing the cold void of space, the elegance of alien machinery, and the bleakness of futuristic American cities blitzed by warfare. He gives all of them a special flourish.
On its own, Halo: Uprising is an intriguing yet ultimately unfinished read. It’s a bridge, after all, and the ending comes just as the reader is finally getting to see the main characters fleshed out and forming real attachments to them. The next installment in the story will be eagerly anticipated. - John Hogan –Graphic Novel Reporter
Wizard magazine nominated him for 2008 Breakout Talent (Writer). Comics Should Be Good named Fred one of the 365 Reasons to Love Comics. He’s been called “one of the most idiosyncratic and insightful new voices in comics.”
About the Author
Fred loves hearing from readers at fred.vanlente@gmail.com.
About the Author
Based on the wildly popular videogame, this anthology collects four stories by different creators, all set in the Halo universe of the 26th century. The game’s central story details a war between Earth’s United Nations Space Command and the Covenant, a coalition of hostile alien races. At the center is Master Chief, a UNSC cyborg-marine who discovers the terrible secret of the Halo, a series of ringlike artificial planets. Hardcore Halo fans will love Lee Hammock’s “The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor,” viscerally illustrated by Simon Bisley, detailing the Flood, a nasty parasitic race of monsters that threaten both the Covenant and the human race. For newcomers there’s the legendary Moebius’s “Second Sunrise over New Mombasa,” in which he renders a beautiful, futuristic version of the Kenyan city—and deftly surveys the intersection of war propaganda and the media. The book’s artwork is skillful and unusual (including a story by Tsutomu Nihei and a gallery by an all-star lineup of artists in the back) and the writing brings the Halo universe and its central tenets to life. But ultimately the reader will yearn for the depth of a real, book-length graphic novel—and maybe that’s next to come. (July)
Product Description
• Meet the brains behind Bungie, the birthplace of Halo
• Feast your eyes on a panorama of all-new artwork from its spectacular sequel Halo 2–one of the most eagerly-awaited games of 2004
• Discover the art of game design from the inside out, in interviews with–and illustrations by–the Halo creative team
• Learn the secrets of designing gear from the artists themselves
• Follow the construction of a crucial sequence from storyboard to completion, along with pages from the actual script
• Thrill to a gallery of glorious Halo artwork, including action figure designs, game packaging, cartoon strips, posters, T-shirts, and more
It’s all here–the story behind the sensation that GamePro declares “above and beyond what console gamers have come to expect”–in one virtuoso volume.
About the Author
Included in this collection are all-new, never-before-told stories by:
Tobias S. Buckell
B.K. Evenson
Jonathan Goff
Kevin Grace
Tessa Kum and Jeff Vandermeer
Robt McLees
Eric Nylund
Frank O’Connor
Eric Raab
Karen Traviss
Fred Van Lente
A comprehensive guide to one of the most successful video game franchises in history, the Halo Encyclopedia details the origins of the game along with the characters, weapons, vehicles, equipment and locations from Halo,
Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3 ODST and Halo Wars.
Created in full collaboration with Microsoft, Halo Encyclopedia is packed with hundreds of images, illustrations, and technical drawings that highlight all the information fans and newcomers to the game need to know.
© 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
100,000 years ago, the galaxy was populated by a great variety of beings.
But one species–eons beyond all others in both technology and knowledge–achieved dominance.
They ruled in peace but met opposition with quick and brutal effectiveness.
They were the Forerunners–the keepers of the Mantle, the next stage of life in the Universe’s Living Time.
And then they vanished.
This is their story.
Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting is a young rebellious Forerunner. He is a Manipular, untried–yet to become part of the adult Forerunner society, where vast knowledge and duty waits. He comes from a family of Builders, the Forerunners’ highest and most politically powerful rate. It is the Builders who create the grand technology that facilitates Forerunner dominance over the known universe. It is the Builders who believe they must shoulder the greatest burden of the Mantle–as shepherds and guardians of all life.
Bornstellar is marked to become a great Builder just like his father.
But this Manipular has other plans.
He is obsessed with lost treasures of the past. His reckless passion to seek out the marvelous artifacts left behind by the Precursors–long-vanished superbeings of unknowable power and intent—forces his father’s hand.
Bornstellar is sent to live among the Miners, where he must come to terms with where his duty truly lies.
But powerful forces are at play. Forerunner society is at a major crux. Past threats are once again proving relentless. Dire solutions–machines and strategies never before contemplated–are being called up, and fissures in Forerunner power are leading to chaos.
On a Lifeworker’s experimental planet, Bornstellar’s rebellious course crosses the paths of two humans, and the long lifeline of a great military leader, forever changing Bornstellar’s destiny …and the fate of the entire galaxy.
This is a tale of life, death, intergalactic horror, exile, and maturity. It is a story of overwhelming change–and of human origins. For the Mantle may not lie upon the shoulders of Forerunners forever.
Tor Books Press Release:
New York, NY – June 29, 2011 – Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world—are excited to reveal the title and cover of the first novel in an all-new trilogy by Karen Traviss that will explore the Halo universe in the wake of the final events of Halo 3. Halo novels published by Tor have sold over a million combined copies to date, and the entire Halo catalogue is now available in mass market paperback from Tor. Along with Karen’s debut Halo novel, Tor is also publishing the second novel from legendary science fiction author Greg Bear’s Halo Forerunner trilogy in 2012.
HALO: GLASSLANDS will be published on October 25, 2011. An unabridged audiobook edition will publish simultaneously with the new novel.
#1 New York Times best-selling author Karen Traviss has received critical acclaim and award nominations for her Wess’har series, as well as regularly hitting the bestseller lists with her Star Wars and Gears of War novels. Her first foray into the Halo universe came with “Human Weakness,” a short story from Fall 2009’s New York Times bestselling Halo: Evolutions anthology that introduced her to millions of new Halo fans. A former defense correspondent and TV and newspaper journalist, she lives in Wiltshire, England.
“HALO is one of the grandest, most epic science fiction stories ever told across media,” says Tom Doherty, President and Publisher of Tor Books. “The Halo novels are one of the most popular and well-loved genre series published this century, and we’re thrilled to have Karen to continue that grand tradition.”
HALO: GLASSLANDS will follow-up the events and characters from Halo: Ghosts of Onyx in the wake of the final events of Halo 3.
“Although Karen’s novel deals with the characters and events from Ghosts of Onyx, it’s the wonderful new characters and scenarios that she brings so vividly to life that will excite Halo fiction fans,” says Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director for 343 Industries. “We get an incredible opportunity to explore the Halo universe in the aftermath of the Covenant war, and unveil some mysteries and storylines that will connect readers to a compelling corner of the Halo universe. I can’t wait for readers to enjoy this book as much as we have.”
Tor Books Press Release:
New York, NY – July 19, 2011 – Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC–the largest publisher of science fiction in the world–is excited to reveal the title, cover, and release date for the second novel in the Halo Forerunner Saga, HALO: PRIMORDIUM, written by legendary science fiction author Greg Bear. Book One of the Forerunner Saga, Halo: Cryptum, is currently available in hardcover, and will be released in a trade paperback this fall. Book Two, HALO: PRIMORDIUM, will be released January 3, 2012 simultaneously alongside its audio edition.
The New York Times bestselling Halo series, based on the hugely successful Halo videogame franchise for the Xbox 360, has sold millions of copies, and is part of a global phenomenon that has dominated the science fiction landscape over the last decade.
With Halo: Cryptum, Greg Bear began a three-novel saga set in the era of the Forerunners, the ancient and enigmatic builders of the mysterious Halos, and the story continues in HALO: PRIMORDIUM. In Halo: Cryptum, a young, rebellious Manipular embarks on a dangerous search for artifacts belonging to the Precursors—long-vanished super-beings of unknowable power and intent. This quest sets off a devastating chain of events that nearly ends the Forerunner empire. In HALO: PRIMORDIUM, two humans who were former companions of the Manipular find themselves captives pawns in a cosmic game whose madness knows no end—a game of ancient vengeance between the powers who seeded the galaxy with life, and the Forerunners who expect to take up their sacred Mantle of duty to protect all living things.
“I’m having great fun working through the action and growing mysteries in HALO: PRIMORDIUM, as humans engage in an epic odyssey across a damaged, war-torn Halo, facing the Flood, rogue AIs, and the stunning testament of the Last Precursor,” says author Greg Bear. “This is classic SF territory for me, and it’s a terrific opportunity to work with the 343 team, and to contribute through these books to both future games and the Halo universe in general.”
“In Cryptum, Greg began an exploration of a vast and imposing part of the Halo universe,” says Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director for 343 Industries. “In PRIMORDIUM, he takes that story closer to the ground, exploring characters, motivations and mysteries that began in Cryptum and continuing a journey that’s fascinating, horrifying and inspiring, all at once.”
From 343 Industries and DK Publishing:
New York, NY, and Redmond, WA, July 12, 2011. DK Publishing announced today that the company is publishing the officially licensed essential guide to Halo, one of the most successful video game franchises in history. Halo: The Essential Visual Guide is a vital guide to the characters, species, locations, vehicles, and weapons of the best-selling video game.
Following the achievement of DK’s epic 2009 Halo Encyclopedia, this essential visual guide digs even deeper into the Halo phenomenon; covering material from Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo Wars, and the latest game, Halo: Reach. Created in full collaboration with Microsoft, the book, which is available now, gives fans an in-depth look at the brave heroes, deadly enemies, intriguing species, high-tech weapons and vehicles of Halo.
“DK is thrilled to get the chance revisit the Halo experience with Microsoft,” says Alex Allan, Director of Licensed Publishing for DK. “As avid gamers ourselves here at DK, we couldn’t wait to delve deeper into the old games and explore the new material,” Allan continues, “to create the most detailed look into the core of the entire Halo universe.”
“After the enormous success of Halo Encyclopedia, we entrusted DK to create another must-have reference book that would provide fans with new insights and revelations into the now ten year battle for humanity’s survival,” said 343 Industries’ Frank O’Connor.
The Halo franchise is among the biggest worldwide entertainment properties in history. DK secured a world language deal and expects to publish the book in many territories, and in foreign languages.
Charting the glorious decade that spans Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo: Reach, Halo: The Great Journey is a lavish and spectacular review of ten years of groundbreaking game art brought together in one place as never before.
Halo: The Great Journey is the ultimate gallery of the Halo universe – from characters to weapons and much more; with sketches and concept art by acclaimed artists such as Ashley Wood, the detailed interiors and sweeping landscapes of Alex Chu, and Frank Capezzuto’s breathtaking spacescapes.
In addition there is art from Halo: Legends - the anime DVD – book covers, comic pages, marketing images and more; plus an introduction from “the face of Halo,” Frank O’Connor.
A celebration of visual splendor – from the Spartans themselves to the breathtaking vistas of dawn breaking on an alien world - Halo: The Great Journey is dramatic, grandiose and utterly awesome.