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[shoplifter]

Damn! It looks like Master Chief is kicking some serious ass. I hope they catered to the Cortana fans in there too.

This novel looks aces!

 

[op_ivy]

welcome to....

 

[Ghost]

...lol

seriously...did you not think to check the date this was released?

 

[shoplifter]

no come on guys, this looks awesome.

it continues the saga of Master Chief


IN BOOK FORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Faceless Master]

i heard halo the game is out now too...



and crazily enough, it's not on mac or pc....

just that new microsoft x---box thing with those huge controllers...

and it's not even a rts now :-/

 

[SiNCeRe]

How can you be talking about Halo First Strike when the World Trade Center tower fell this morning in a suppose terrorist attack.

 

[Solid]

I have the first book, Fall of Reach. Should I get Halo: The Flood now? Cause it's written by William C. Dietz. How does it compute? I thought Erik Nylund wrote all three? :O

 

[op_ivy]

How can you be talking about Halo First Strike when the World Trade Center tower fell this morning in a suppose terrorist attack.

lol (should i not be laughing at a time like this?)

and "the flood" is just a recount of halo, the game. its a decent read to get the perspective of the covenant and the marines on halo, but its nowhere near as good as FS or FoR

 

[ToyMachine228]

I have all three books...All are good. But if you're looking for hints to Halo 2, I don't think your going to find THAT many in First Strike. Although there are Brutes.

 

[op_ivy]

I have all three books...All are good. But if you're looking for hints to Halo 2, I don't think your going to find THAT many in First Strike. Although there are Brutes.

... and cortana losing it ... and the other spartans ... the whole kelly and the dr. mystery ... the mysterious rival project to the spartan program ... the shard that seems to have an effect on time/space/gravity that the covenant are after

i'd say first strike opens up a HUGE can of worms for the story of halo 2

 

[mrmyth]

... and cortana losing it ... and the other spartans ... the whole kelly and the dr. mystery ... the mysterious rival project to the spartan program ... the shard that seems to have an effect on time/space/gravity that the covenant are after

i'd say first strike opens up a HUGE can of worms for the story of halo 2

And I'm going to be goddammed dissapointed if they don't cover them all. I may be the only person on Earth buying Halo2 for the story.



And second on The Flood being shit. It read like a tech manual of playing the game written by Ben Stein on Valium. With footnotes by Steven Wright.

 

[ToyMachine228]

I think Bungie has more pressing matters for the plot of Halo 2 though...I mean the other Spartans aren't even mentioned in Halo. But it sure as hell would be cool to fight alongside them.

 

[Ghost]

I cant see them covering everything that was in first strike, it'd mean a hell of a big intro to explain everything.

From the sounds of the updates there is a lot more story in Halo 2 though.

 

[The Shadow]

If I wanted to read the Halo books, which order should I read them?

 

[op_ivy]

If I wanted to read the Halo books, which order should I read them?

fall of reach, the flood, first strike.

fall of reach is the intro book detailing the spartan program, how it started, and the events leading up to the start of halo. first strike starts where halo left off, and finishes presumable, right before halo 2 takes over.

really though, you can skip the flood.

 

[Ghost]

Fall Of Reach --- Flood --- First Strike

You could skip the 'Flood' though, its just the story of the game, though it has got some funny stuff from the point of view of a grunt.

 

[Sai]

Yayap > *

 

[tenchir]

Well, First Strike should occur right before HALO 2. One significant thing you will find out is that there are still 6 other living spartans(not including 1 that could have survived in Fall of Reach). Each Spartan is very specialize in some form of combat such as unerring sniper accuracy, super speed, incredible strength, etc...., and Master Chief being the "normal one." So this change the way you play co-op or missions with squads(Master Chief with other Spartans).

 

[Ghost]

Yeah i remember the discussion we had about the book when it came out, didnt we come to the conclusion that they wouldnt be including different skilled Spartans? I guess maybe though, they are being so incredibly secretive they could have anything under their hats.

 

[Kiriku]

Hmm, is it written by a Swede, or is his name merely a coincidence?

 

[Ghost]

He is the author of many novels, including A Signal Shattered, Signal to Noise, Pawn’s Dream, Dry Water (a World Fantasy Award nominee), A Game of Universe, Crimson Skies, and Halo: The Fall of Reach, the official prequel novelization of the Xbox game.

He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in chemical physics. A graduate of the Clarion West Writer’s Workshop, he lives near Seattle with his wife, Syne Mitchell.

Probably got a swedish relative.

 

[SKluck]

Skip The Flood, it is lame. Just a novelization of the game. Albeit you do learn what other people are doing while the Chief is on his little one man quest. It just doesn't give you any new information, except for maybe the last 10 pages.

 

[Ryu]

Just to wrap up what's been said...

Read The Fall of Reach, play Halo on Legendary and beat it, and then read Firs Strike. That's about it.

 

[Subitai]

Um, this hasn't been mentioned yet. First Strike explains why Sargent Johnson is alive and in the 2003 E3 demo when it looked like he died at the end of Halo.

 

[Ghost]

Yeah it was mentioned last year, but cleaver old shoplifter didnt think to check the release date of the book before he got excited and made a thread.

 

[tenchir]

Spoiler

Johnson is immune to the Flood right?

 

[SKluck]

Spoiler

They didn't "like him" or some shit, can't remember the exact reasoning, but yeah, he came into contact and was unscathed

 

[Sai]

Spoiler

Sargeant Johnson was exposed to a lot of plasma grenades earlier in the war. The radiation(was it radiation?) effected his body... So the Flood, as Skluck said, don't... "Like him". Heh.

I believe it's the same for Hunters, because of the Fuel Rod Guns they have latched onto their arms.

 

[Sho Nuff]

Both of the Halo novels written by Eric Nylund are terrific. Far better than they deserve to be!

 

[aerofx]

Which one of you guys want to part with your copy of Halo - First Strike? I'll buy it for 5 dollars shipped! I don't care what condition it is in as long as the pages aren't falling out or missing. Reply here or just PM me.

 

[SKluck]

You can buy it brand new for $7 at any bookstore. Or is the extra $2 really that important?

 

[aerofx]

No that's not why I'm doing this, I figured once you're done reading it theres no point in holding onto it, unless you want it as a collectable. I'm just try to get it off your hands that's all. I can buy it at the store, it's no big deal but I wanted to check here first.

 

[Brannon]

But the bookstore has that cute girl/boy/thing you're always pining after, so you should hit up the bookstore. S/he/it is waiting.