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Re: Catching up with Halo books.
Posted By: Archilen	Date: 5/10/12 1:44 p.m.
In Response To: Catching up with Halo books. (LostSpartan987) : Okay so I guess you could say that I've fallen way behind on my Halo : readings; The only book I actually managed to finish was First Strike and : that was all the way back in 2004, mere months before Halo 2 came out. So : I humbly ask of you HBO, help a spartan out. Which books are definite must : reads and which ones should I avoid at all costs ( and it's too late, I : already have The Flood... it was a gift...)? I figured the Forerunner : novels are definite reads but past that I don't really have any other idea : as to what I should check out. : Oh and I guess I should list out the books that I currently own: The Flood. : First Strike (is the newer edition worth getting?) : Contact Harvest. : Evolutions (anything in particular I should read here? I read the short : Cortana and Gravemind tale, but that was about it) : Thanks everyone! The new editions of the first three books have very few differences to the original ones, so they're not something you need if you already have the originals. If you don't have The Fall of Reach, though, I do suggest you get it and read it first (might as well get the new edition), because it lays the groundwork for the expanded universe, introducing most of the central characters and expanding on the Master Chief's character. Most subsequent fiction is also very referential to it and there will be references you won't catch if you won't read it. Yes, you'll find some of the events toward the end don't quite match up with Halo: Reach, but it's nevertheless a classic as far as Halo goes. After The Fall of Reach, the original story arc continues throughout First Strike and Ghosts of Onyx. This arc forms the core plot of the EU material happening in parallel with the games and paves way for post-Halo 3 fiction, so I would say these two are definitely must-read. The Flood isn't essential, but it's got some background flair for the events of the first game, though bear in mind it is a very faithful adaptation of the game so there's gonna be plenty of the Chief running in corridors and shooting. Like I said, not essential, and it's often considered the weakest of the bunch. It's certainly not something you absolutely need to get up to speed. Contact Harvest is a rather contained (in terms of timeline and setting) and character-driven story which provides nice background for the beginning of the human/Covenant conflict and the Covenant's motivations (there's a lot of exploration of Covenant society). It's basic reading if you want to get versed in the Halo expanded universe. The Cole Protocol is less essential and even more self-contained in terms of the big picture than Contact Harvest. If you'd like to hear more about the past of Captain Keyes and the Arbiter, or the culture of the Elites, I guess you could pick it up, but otherwise it's on the same tier as The Flood; mostly trivial when it comes to the big picture. Since you already have Evolutions, you might as well read the stories - most of them are interesting in one way or the other. If you like Nylund's work like I do, the story about Admiral Cole is an absolute must-read (though none of it is essential if you're preparing for Halo 4 alone). The Forerunner novels will prove very significant to the plot of Halo 4 and the following games, so in that respect they're essential reading. Do note that their style and tone is entirely different from that of the previous books; much more grand, slower, thoughtful classic space opera and less action-packed military sci-fi. Glasslands picks up where Ghosts of Onyx left off and will tie into Halo 4, so it's essential in that sense, though the treatment of the characters from the earlier novels might throw you off. You should also be prepared for condescending, moralizing diatribes because Glasslands has a lot of them. It does, however, come down to your personal preferences - some people don't have any problem with it. Hope that helps.

Message Index

Catching up with Halo books.	LostSpartan987	5/10/12 1:00 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Grizzlei	5/10/12 1:11 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	bluerunner	5/10/12 1:12 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Revenant1988	5/10/12 1:22 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	serpx	5/10/12 1:24 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Compton	5/10/12 1:33 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Archilen	5/10/12 1:44 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Quirel	5/10/12 1:53 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Seenohte	5/10/12 1:57 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Leviathan	5/10/12 2:31 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	5/10/12 4:23 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	bluerunner	5/10/12 4:31 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Leviathan	5/10/12 4:49 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Archilen	5/11/12 1:58 a.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Grizzlei	5/11/12 1:54 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Metalingus627	5/10/12 4:34 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Grizzlei	5/10/12 4:50 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Quirel	5/10/12 4:53 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Grizzlei	5/10/12 4:58 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Hawki	5/10/12 4:57 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Quirel	5/10/12 11:35 p.m.
Re: Catching up with Halo books.	Hawki	5/11/12 12:43 a.m.
Thanks for the replies everyone!	LostSpartan987	5/10/12 9:07 p.m.
Gotta catch 'em all!	The Lionheart	5/12/12 3:10 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Grizzlei	5/12/12 2:51 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Subtank	5/12/12 3:38 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Grizzlei	5/12/12 3:42 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	The Lionheart	5/12/12 9:04 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Metalingus627	5/13/12 2:53 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	General Vagueness	5/13/12 11:07 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Bryan Newman	5/12/12 4:01 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Quirel	5/12/12 4:03 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Hawki	5/12/12 7:34 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	General Vagueness	5/12/12 8:10 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Hawki	5/12/12 8:28 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	General Vagueness	5/13/12 10:42 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	5/12/12 9:55 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	General Vagueness	5/13/12 10:46 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	5/13/12 11:19 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	General Vagueness	5/13/12 11:39 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Louis Wu	5/13/12 2:46 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	5/13/12 5:27 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Leviathan	5/13/12 9:58 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	General Vagueness	5/13/12 10:44 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Leviathan	5/14/12 3:18 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	5/14/12 6:44 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Louis Wu	5/14/12 7:44 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	General Vagueness	5/14/12 12:51 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Louis Wu	5/14/12 12:54 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	uberfoop	5/14/12 1:00 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	General Vagueness	5/14/12 4:14 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Louis Wu	5/14/12 4:54 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Quirel	5/14/12 5:15 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Louis Wu	5/14/12 6:01 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Cody Miller	5/14/12 11:30 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	CaneCutter	5/15/12 8:38 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Louis Wu	5/18/12 8:32 a.m.
This is scarily possible.	Arithmomaniac	5/18/12 9:06 a.m.
Re: This is scarily possible.	Louis Wu	5/18/12 9:50 a.m.
Understood. *NM*	Arithmomaniac	5/18/12 9:59 a.m.
Best typo ever?	The Lionheart	5/14/12 12:53 a.m.
Re: Best typo ever?	Leviathan	5/14/12 3:19 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Quirel	5/16/12 1:30 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	The Loot	5/14/12 6:58 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Cody Miller	5/13/12 3:47 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	General Vagueness	5/13/12 4:05 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	5/13/12 5:36 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Cody Miller	5/13/12 7:13 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Hawaiian Pig	5/13/12 7:58 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Cody Miller	5/13/12 8:51 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Cody Miller	5/13/12 8:56 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Leisandir	5/13/12 9:52 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Stephen L. (SoundEffect)	5/13/12 9:55 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Cody Miller	5/14/12 2:38 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Hawaiian Pig	5/14/12 5:19 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	General Vagueness	5/14/12 10:54 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Cody Miller	5/14/12 11:28 p.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Leisandir	5/15/12 10:30 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Quirel	5/13/12 1:40 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Hawki	5/13/12 3:17 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Quirel	5/16/12 1:17 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Hawki	5/16/12 4:42 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Quirel	5/18/12 3:35 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	General Vagueness	5/13/12 10:59 a.m.
Re: Gotta catch 'em all!	Quirel	5/15/12 11:28 p.m.
Why do you hate Bloodline so much anyways?	TDSpiral	5/13/12 12:57 a.m.
Bingo. It's wretched in every sense.	The Lionheart	5/13/12 3:22 a.m.