Original Halo Trilogy of Novels to be Reissued

Earlier this week, I received a press release from Tor Books announcing that they'll be reissuing the original Halo trilogy of novels, originally published by Del Rey nearly a decade ago. The reissues won't just be rehashes of what came before, however. In addition to updated artwork, there will also be updates and all new original content!

You can check out the official release below, and the new cover for Halo: The Fall of Reach, which will be reissued this August!

Tor Books announces enhanced re-issues of the original Halo novel trilogy

HALO: THE FALL OF REACH

HALO: THE FLOOD

HALO: FIRST STRIKE

Reissue of first three Halo novels to be updated with new content, edits, covers, art!

New York, NY - May 19, 2010 - Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world— is pleased to announce the reissue of the first three original novels in the New York Times bestselling Halo® series, now presented as definitive editions with updates and all-new original content to expand upon the universe created in the hugely successful Halo videogame franchise for the Xbox and Xbox 360. The first novel, HALO: THE FALL OF REACH by Eric Nylund, will be available in August 2010, setting the stage for the launch of the new game “Halo: Reach” coming this fall. Previous Halo novels published by Tor have sold over a million combined copies to date, and in 2010 Tor will also publish the first in a new Halo trilogy by science fiction icon Greg Bear, giving readers and gamers the first look at the Halo universe during the time of the Forerunners.

HALO: THE FALL OF REACH is the original Halo novel first published in 2001. It tells the origin story of the Master Chief, Halo's iconic hero, from his childhood to his rise to the top of the Spartan-II program, where his legend will be solidified. This trade paperback edition will serve as the definitive version of the novel that started Halo fans reading the series.

HALO: THE FLOOD, by William C. Dietz, was originally published in early 2003. A dramatic novelization of the events occurring in the very first Halo game, the award-winning “Halo: Combat Evolved,” it continues the storyline established in the first book and expands upon the relationship between the Master Chief and his companion AI, Cortana.

HALO: FIRST STRIKE, by Eric Nylund, was originally published in late 2003. Its story bridges the crucial events between the first Halo game, “Halo: Combat Evolved,” and its sequel “Halo 2.”

“These novels were the foundation for what has become one of the greatest and most vastly read science fiction novel series of the new century,” says Eric Raab, Tor Editor. “The great part about the HALO novels has always been they exist as wonderful storytelling whether you play the games or not.”

Together, this trilogy of novels illuminates critical back-story and along with the other novels in the series helps set the stage for one of the most-anticipated videogame launches in history, “Halo: Reach,” scheduled for release in Fall 2010. Each of the new editions will contain new material, including art and a series of short artifacts and stories that provide fascinating new detail for each novel and shed light on some of the greatest mysteries of the Halo universe.

“Reach is one of the foundational pieces of extended Halo fiction and a wellspring from which so many incredible characters and scenarios flowed. It’s gratifying and exciting to revisit old friends, old enemies and old scores,” said Frank O’Connor, Franchise Director at 343 Industries. “We’re thrilled to partner with Tor for this reissue and give both collectors and new readers alike, compelling reasons to revisit or explore this pivotal world.”

The Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of experiences that have grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” for Xbox in 2001, the rich fiction of the franchise has since inspired a series of blockbuster Xbox and Xbox 360 video games, New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, anime, action figures, apparel and more. To date, sales in the Halo franchise have eclipsed $1.7 billion. The newest game in the franchise, the highly-anticipated blockbuster prequel to the award winning Halo trilogy, “Halo: Reach,” is due out in the fall. With a fully fleshed-out universe of heroes, villains and epic scenarios, the novels expand the universe to give fans a grander view of the game environments and characters they encounter.

About Tor Books

Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of hardcover and softcover books, founded in 1980 and committed (although not limited) to SF and fantasy literature. Between an extensive hardcover and trade-softcover line, an Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperback, Tor annually publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of science fiction and fantasy ever produced by a single English-language publisher. Books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields, and for the last twenty-one years in a row the company has been named Best Publisher in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.

So by updates, I wonder if they mean retcon as several points of the original novels have already been revised by the games themselves or other medium. For example, according to the original trilogy of novels, the Master Chief never fought an Elite until the battle for Reach itself! Sgt. Johnson was also immune to the Flood, and Brutes had rarely been encountered.

For those who missed out on this great trilogy before, you'll want to keep an eye on those store shelves come August!