The first new novel to be penned by Traviss will serve as a sequel to Ghosts of Onyx, and will reveal the fate of its team of Spartans. The series promises to "explore the Halo Universe in the wake of the final events of Halo 3." Presumably, the novels will also contain a heavy does of alien murder. We've contacted Tor in hopes of pinning down a release window for the new novels. Meanwhile, Bear's trilogy is set to debut this year.
Find the press release after the break.
Tor Books announces new Halo novels with #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss
Veteran author of bestselling Star Wars and Gears of War novels to follow up her contribution to the "Halo: Evolutions" story anthology with an all-new series set in the Halo Universe
New York, NY – July 20, 2010 - Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC-the largest publisher of science fiction in the world is excited to announce that Karen Traviss, who has penned number one bestselling novels in the Star Wars universe, as well as bestselling novels for the Gears of War franchise, will be writing the successor novel to Halo: Ghosts of Onyx in the first part of a multi-book deal to 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 in 2010 Tor will also publish the first in a new Halo trilogy by science fiction icon Greg Bear. The highly-anticipated Xbox 360 video game "Halo: Reach" is scheduled to release September 14.
Traviss, whose first foray into the Halo Universe came with "Human Weakness," a short story from Fall 2009's New York Times bestselling Halo: Evolutions anthology, says of the opportunity:
"When I was invited to write Halo fiction I already knew it'd be right up my street; not just because military fiction is my specialty, but because there's also huge unexplored depth, grey areas, and really uncomfortable moral dilemmas that underpin the Halo story, and that's like catnip to a writer like me. I write what's known as tight third person – that is, I get right inside each character's head and see the world as they see experience it – and Halo offers some terrific chances to explore some fascinating psyches caught in complex situations."
"Halo fiction fans are incredibly passionate about the fate of the Spartans of Onyx and the state of the Halo universe in the aftermath of the game events," adds Frank O'Connor, 343 Industries Director of Franchise Development. "We know that Karen has the talent, skill and passion to not only bring those stories to life, but also bring her experience a fresh new perspective too."
#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. A former defense correspondent and TV and newspaper journalist, she lives in Wiltshire, England.
The Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties 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, 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-two years in a row the company has been named Best Publisher in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.
Veteran author of bestselling Star Wars and Gears of War novels to follow up her contribution to the "Halo: Evolutions" story anthology with an all-new series set in the Halo Universe
New York, NY – July 20, 2010 - Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC-the largest publisher of science fiction in the world is excited to announce that Karen Traviss, who has penned number one bestselling novels in the Star Wars universe, as well as bestselling novels for the Gears of War franchise, will be writing the successor novel to Halo: Ghosts of Onyx in the first part of a multi-book deal to 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 in 2010 Tor will also publish the first in a new Halo trilogy by science fiction icon Greg Bear. The highly-anticipated Xbox 360 video game "Halo: Reach" is scheduled to release September 14.
Traviss, whose first foray into the Halo Universe came with "Human Weakness," a short story from Fall 2009's New York Times bestselling Halo: Evolutions anthology, says of the opportunity:
"When I was invited to write Halo fiction I already knew it'd be right up my street; not just because military fiction is my specialty, but because there's also huge unexplored depth, grey areas, and really uncomfortable moral dilemmas that underpin the Halo story, and that's like catnip to a writer like me. I write what's known as tight third person – that is, I get right inside each character's head and see the world as they see experience it – and Halo offers some terrific chances to explore some fascinating psyches caught in complex situations."
"Halo fiction fans are incredibly passionate about the fate of the Spartans of Onyx and the state of the Halo universe in the aftermath of the game events," adds Frank O'Connor, 343 Industries Director of Franchise Development. "We know that Karen has the talent, skill and passion to not only bring those stories to life, but also bring her experience a fresh new perspective too."
#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. A former defense correspondent and TV and newspaper journalist, she lives in Wiltshire, England.
The Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties 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, 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-two years in a row the company has been named Best Publisher in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.
