It's taken years for follow-up with a lot of Halo media, given how big the universe has become. Remember it was five years from Ghosts of Onyx to Glasslands, and basically nearly another five years from where we mostly left that Shield world to when they're going to revisit it with Legacy of Onyx. Another eightish years for the sequel to Halo Wars. Took them twelve years to give us the payoff for stuff from CE with Silentium. Even if they're interested in following up on the Ussan Sangheili or the Stoic Prophets, etc. you've got to be ready to wait.
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Halo Lore Thread
- Thread starter Korten
- Start date
It's taken years for follow-up with a lot of Halo media, given how big the universe has become. Remember it was five years from Ghosts of Onyx to Glasslands, and basically nearly another five years from where we mostly left that Shield world to when they're going to revisit it with Legacy of Onyx. Another eightish years for the sequel to Halo Wars. Took them twelve years to give us the payoff for stuff from CE with Silentium. Even if they're interested in following up on the Ussan Sangheili or the Stoic Prophets, etc. you've got to be ready to wait.
Captain Zyrain
Member
Oh, I know. I guess I'm not expecting a follow up novel/game/etc, but SOMETHING to reference them, even in passing, so it doesn't feel like that book exists in a vacuum.
Like how in Smoke & Shadow they mentioned the terrorist attack on Sedra (From Halo: Nightfall). You didn't need to see Nightfall for the info nugget to make sense, but having seen it, I could "visualize" the way Kip's family died, and it made it all the more impactful.
I suppose it just gives me a LoreBoner when I see stuff like that, and want more of it. Of course the downside is making the universe feel TOO SMALL when everything magically connects to one another, so like everything, there is a fine line.
Some of the lesser, background stuff, it makes sense why we don't get updates all the time, but it's weird when we get a full book that just seems to sort of exist on its own. I suppose Hunters in the Dark colors Halo Wars 2, so maybe Broken Circle will feature in Halo 6?
Ultimately I just don't want another Halo: Escalation situation, where I invest time & $$$ into something that just gets turned into something meaningless.. "THE ABSOLUTE RECORD! ALL THE FORERUNNER EVERYTHING! ALL THE.. oh, yeah that's gone."
Bleh.
Captain Zyrain
Member
Halo Wars 2 lore/spoiler question [early game I think]:
Please tell me it was
Did it ever explain who pulled them through slipspace to the Ark? I don't remember that point being touched on again after the initial cut scenes.
It couldn't have been Isabel since she was hiding in the UNSC systems.
I suppose Atriox's people were in the Forerunner systems but I don't think they'd be capable (or wanting to) do so.
000 Tragic Solitude was toast by this time, so it couldn't be him.
It couldn't have been Isabel since she was hiding in the UNSC systems.
I suppose Atriox's people were in the Forerunner systems but I don't think they'd be capable (or wanting to) do so.
000 Tragic Solitude was toast by this time, so it couldn't be him.
Please tell me it was
Mendicant Bias!
Nope, never answered.
And yeah,
Mendicant Bias seems like the only known quantity.
CalamityPixel
Member
HW2's ending reminded me of an after credits of a Marvel movie haha, will be interesting to see how this will play into Halo 6.
orichalcos
Member
Captain Zyrain
Member
Okay, thank you. I didn't think so, but then I got wondering if I missed anything during the in-game exposition. I'd figure it would be one of their top priorities now
since the immediate threat is diminished. But with Anders gone, who is going to dig around for info?
Serina 'died' years and years ago, so while I imagine she set their general course, enough time hasn't passed for them to float to the Ark, "something" brought them there on purpose.
In Halo: Mythos, the Curator was trying to prevent Cortana/Guardians from finding the Ark, wonder if it's at all tied to that? I'm not sure on the time-frames of that, but I presume it's pre-Halo Wars 2.
Captain Zyrain
Member
How about Librarian?
Is the light bulb still floating and sputtering away in space?
343GS thinks there is "a" Librarian or Lifeshaper still alive.. and he's on his way to her, after he stole/took over an ONI spy ship, of course. They've been gone for a couple years though by this point I think.
Slightly Live
Dirty tag dodger
I'm sure a short ebook story will explain this, in three years time.
The Rubicon disappeared some time in late 2553 or 2554. So yeah, we're six-ish years out.
Speaking of which, we've now reached the "present" when the short story from Evolutions, "The Return", takes place.
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
I got it in the mail yesterday but I'm like a year and a half behind on actually reading anything lol.
I liked it, more than I expected, I suppose (I'm not a major Buckell fan, and The Cole Protocol remains my least-favorite Halo novel.) It's nice to have a novel that spends time and attention on the politics and less-flashy elements alongside the action, and it's got some interesting twists and turns.
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
It's been ages since I read Cole Protocol, but I remember liking it. Probably one of the better non-Nylund or Bear novels. Certainly better than Dictata or Hunters in the Dark at least.
SilverArrow20XX
Walks in the Light of the Crystal
Just picked up Envoy. Forgot it existed until I saw this thread. Still need to read Smoke and Mirrors too. Already read the first part in Fractures. I think I'll wait until Retribution comes out and grab both for free on audible with the trial. Wish they'd stop with the audio only releases. They'll probably be printed eventually like the others.
It was definitely the book I'd strike from existence if I could, but to be fair I haven't re-read it in some time. Been meaning to do a whole run-through of all the novels, so we'll see if it goes up in my estimations or not.
Xpost from the Halo |OT| in case this interests lore peeps:
Forward Unto Dawn's newest article is up, exploring the character arc possibilities for Halsey in Cortana's new era: http://www.forwarduntodawn.com/halseys-hope/
If reading's not your thing, we've also got a video version on Youtube for your edification: https://youtu.be/-4Puw2gJX3Y
Hope for Halsey
Forward Unto Dawn's newest article is up, exploring the character arc possibilities for Halsey in Cortana's new era: http://www.forwarduntodawn.com/halseys-hope/
If reading's not your thing, we've also got a video version on Youtube for your edification: https://youtu.be/-4Puw2gJX3Y
xD Same. Don't know when I'll get around to Envoy. -_-
Maybe they'll kill Halsey to make a new AI to serve as a base for fixing/merging Cortana's scattered brain. Her final form!
(j/k)75% through Envoy. Felt incredibly silly when
. There's a couple of times when characters make a leap in logic and come to the right conclusion somehow. Also - asteroids. Outta nowhere. lol Hokay.... xD
Bleh.
Hekabe got shot in the head and is still ok because Forerunner magic
Bleh.
Man I have a to catch up with the books. The Kilo-Five trilogy and Halo 5 destroyed my interest so I haven't read anything new after the last K5 book. Now I'm slowly coming back by starting to read the first few books. Finished Fall of Reach a bit ago and plan to start First strike soon. Will probably reread the Greg Bear's books before diving into the newer stuff.
How is the newer stuff post-Kilo Five btw? Anything to the caliber of Fall of Reach or Ghost of Onyx?
How is the newer stuff post-Kilo Five btw? Anything to the caliber of Fall of Reach or Ghost of Onyx?
I liked Last Light very much, but haven't gotten around to read the others. Last Light had some good moments that were up there with Nylund's best, but the scale and impact of the events was obviously smaller.
edit: I did read Shadow of Intent, and that's a good one too!
Blue Ninja
Member
There's the novella Shadow of Intent, written by Joe Staten. Some good stuff in there.
I have the audiobook but haven't gotten around to reading/listening yet - I've ready every other book (Onyx and Reach being my favorites). But I'm also fond of Cole Protocol, Cryptum, Harvest and some of the stories in Evolutions.
Sgt. Forge is also back as a playable leader in HW2 - he died in HW1. They're appearance and playable nature is fan service and not canon.
Compsiox
Banned
They could bring him back. I don't think people would be too upset tbh.
I liked the asteroids, personally. But I agree the whole conception of the Vertex is a big leap of logic you have to buy into.
Speaking of Envoy, our latest Forward Unto Dawn podcast discussing the novel is up: http://www.forwarduntodawn.com/fudcast21/ | Youtube link: https://youtu.be/8zvLFmcKEeI
I chuckled when it happened.
It also seemed like... something a certain Spartan would have done. Like a brick. xDI chuckled when it happened.
It was also a nice concession to the realities of space warfare, where Halo generally doesn't outside of some Nylundian maneuvers really exist neatly. The only other example I can think of is Halsey's Journal where they point out you could strap slipspace drives on ships and turn them into powerful ballistic weapons.
Finished Envoy. Thought it was pretty decent. I just came off of reading The Cole Protocol so Grey Team was fresh in my mind. One of issues with Envoy was that I was that
Edit: Also Halo Warfleet is pretty great!
where the hell did the Sharqoi come from??
Then I listened to the FuD podcast and I totally forgot they were a creature from the cutting room floor. Thought that was pretty interesting.
I'm interested to see where they go with Grey Team. Give me a Grey Team/Elite X-Com style game!
Then I listened to the FuD podcast and I totally forgot they were a creature from the cutting room floor. Thought that was pretty interesting.
I'm interested to see where they go with Grey Team. Give me a Grey Team/Elite X-Com style game!
Edit: Also Halo Warfleet is pretty great!
Anyone have a stab at Halo: Retribution? I've got a lot of novels on the backburner, but maybe I'll get to it after the current book I'm on (W40K - War Without End - I'm very behind, but I digress). I quite liked Last Light (particularly Veta & Fred), so I'm looking forward to it.
Slightly Live
Dirty tag dodger
Poodlestrike
Banned
We basically already knew this tho. He got digitized into a Forerunner computer system, all Forerunner computer systems were hooked into the Domain, so when the Domain came back he would be...
Yeah, it's pretty A>B>C there. I guess the only question to whether he ended up in the domain was the bit from "Dominion Splinter" where the Warden was gatekeeping all the composed New Phoenix souls.
Slightly Live
Dirty tag dodger
The story was left open ended intentionally. As terrible as it was (and it really was), having a colouring in book reveal his ultimate is pretty dumb. If they wanted us to know, they would have added into the ending of that arc.
No,a year or two later they leave it as a footnote in a colouring book.
And no again, when something is left open ended, there's usually a reason - to give some space in case they want to expand and develop a story point further. Didact sitting in the domain merrily daydreaming about the Librarian is not the logical assumption from the end of the comic arc.
Being composed, he could have ended up in a number of scenarios. Maybe taken over some computer systems. Maybe downloading into a body like the knights and such or even a monitor form. Or. Anything, Could easily tell a story there.
But nope. Glad the colouring in book could fill us in. That's real classy.
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
Him being composed always bugged me. They literally say in Halo 4 that hes immune to the Composer. So they just... use multiple Composers. Dumb.
LordOfChaos
Member
Sad
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
Greg Bear, prize-winning sci-fi author and Comic-Con co-founder, dies at 71
His books included "Blood Music" and "Darwin's Radio," which helped establish him as a "hard" sci-writer who created plausible tales with the help of scientists
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
Darkmakaimura
Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
Is there anything new regarding the precursors/flood and how they might fit in with the story in Halo 5?
LordOfChaos
Member
Still unknown until Halo: The Endless, whenever that comes out.
I do hope it's looping into the good lore at last, they're on the right ring for it, and not another random new villain of the week
Bernkastel
Ask me about my fanboy energy!
Darkmakaimura
Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
Now that Greg Bear has unfortunately passed away, I wonder who's going to continue with those books?
What he introduced to the Halo lore was the very best. I'm hoping they don't retcon his work or overlook it.
What he introduced to the Halo lore was the very best. I'm hoping they don't retcon his work or overlook it.
Ozzy Onya A2Z
Member
RIP, solid writer. He wasn't for my personal tastes though, too hard sci-fi and it got boring half way through each book of his trilogy. Give me Nylund over Bear.
LordOfChaos
Member
He hadn't written a Halo book in years anyways had he? Silentium in 2013 was the last. They have lots of rotating Halo writers
He was my favorite of the bunch probably for the same reasons you didn't like it. It was sometimes hard and dense, like you needed to reread lines to try to understand what was going on. I thought it elevated the books over typical game action novels, and set up the greatest antagonist(s) out there in the Primordial and MB.
Havoc2049
Member
I think that was a one and done trilogy. The Greg Bear Halo trilogy honestly bored me to death. I bought all three books, but struggled to finish the first one and didn't continue. I was a little disappointed, as I really enjoyed some of Greg Bear's sci-fi and cyberpunk novels, especially Blood Music.
The whole Halo lore area is a little thin at the moment.
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