The Forerunner Saga

The Forerunner Saga is a trilogy of Halo novels focusing on Forerunner life 100,000 years before the Human-Covenant War, written by Greg Bear and published by Tor Books. The series reveals a great deal of new information about the Forerunner-human interactions in ancient history, as well as providing additional background for the events in Halo 4 and subsequent media.

The first novel in the series, titled Halo: Cryptum, was released on January 4, 2011. The second novel, titled Halo: Primordium, was released on January 3, 2012, and the final book, Halo: Silentium, was released on March 19, 2013.

Background
"A science fiction icon and winner of the field’s highest awards, Greg Bear has signed on to write three Halo novels set in the time of the Forerunners, the creators and builders of the Halos. Almost nothing is known for sure about this ancient race. Worshiped by the Covenant as gods, their engineering relics pepper the galaxy, and their connections to humanity remains unanswered. Devoted fans of both the books and games will finally get to delve deep into the era of these enigmatic beings, and discover for themselves the epic story behind one of the great mysteries of the Halo universe: the complete disappearance of the Forerunners from existence. World publication rights to Tor Books."

- Tor Books

"It's going to be a trilogy. A connected universe that will remain faithful to the scale and mysteries, while exploring the detail and challenges of a VERY powerful culture. This won't be some skirt-raising exercise in Forerunner populist-ism. Folks know way more about Forerunners than you think, but we're definitely going to respect that strange sense of wonder and awe that Bungie infused from day one. It will be BIG Greg Bear fiction in a faintly familiar place, but one that's full of surprises. Think Eon."

- Frank O'Connor

Originally known only as the "Forerunner Trilogy", the series was officially announced at the Emerald City ComiCon in Seattle, Washington, where its author, Greg Bear, made a guest appearance. The first book's working title was "Antediluvian". The word "antediluvian" means, "of or belonging to the period before a flood," hinting that the novel would take place prior to the Forerunner-Flood war. On October 11, 2010, the official name of the book was revealed to be Halo: Cryptum.

As the series was written back-to-back with the production of Halo 4 and shares many of the elements seen in the game, 343 Industries artists created a number of illustrations which tie in directly with the Forerunner Saga. For example, the covers of the first two novels are taken from pieces of Halo 4 concept art. Frank O'Connor has mentioned that these illustrations would eventually be released in an art book. A large number of the game's concept art was released in the form of Awakening: The Art of Halo 4 on November 2, 2012.

Synopsis
Set before the Forerunners' end at the hands of the Flood, the series touches on the origins of humanity and the contacts with Forerunners and humans, as well as explaining the connection between the two and humanity's status as "Reclaimers". Forerunner technologies are explored in detail, and many new elements about the Forerunners are introduced, such as their political system and social structure. The characters of the Didact and the Librarian, introduced in the Terminals in Halo 3, are featured as central characters in the series.

Cryptum
Released January 4, 2011, Cryptum focuses on a young Forerunner known as Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting, a rebellious Manipular from a family of Builders, the highest and most politically powerful rate of the Forerunner. His father sends him to the planet Edom in a distant system known as Sol to work with the Miners to come to terms with his duty as a Builder. As part of the Librarian's far-reaching plans, however, Bornstellar is led to Earth, where he crosses paths with two humans, Chakas and Riser. They soon stumble upon the Cryptum of the ancient Promethean military leader known as the Didact, forever changing the fate of the galaxy.

Primordium
The sequel to Halo: Cryptum was released on January 3, 2012. Primordium is centered around Chakas, one of the two humans who accompanied Bornstellar in the first novel. After being captured by the Master Builder during the events of Cryptum, Chakas finds himself marooned on an embattled Halo installation, where he is joined by two humans on a quest to find his companion Riser. During their journey and its eventual conclusion, revelations are made as to the nature of the Flood, the rampant AI Mendicant Bias and the mysterious Primordial, as well as the far-reaching plans of the Precursors.

Silentium
Halo: Silentium is the third and last book of The Forerunner Saga. Released on March 19th, 2013, Silentium ties in directly with Halo 4, elaborating on the stories of the Ur-Didact, IsoDidact, the Librarian and the end of the Forerunner civilization as the Forerunner-Flood war draws to a close. Mythology concerning the Precursors and the origins of the Flood is expanded upon and clarified, along with a number of elements and locales touched on in the previous Forerunner Saga novels.

Prior to the release of the novel, it was stated that there were "specific strategic reasons" as to why it would be released after Halo 4; namely, story elements that tie in heavily with the game. As part of 343 Industries' decision not to reveal the appearance of the Forerunners until Halo 4, Silentium's full cover - depicting the Ur-Didact and the Librarian - was not shown until after the game's release.

Internal

 * Forerunner
 * Forerunner-Flood war

External

 * Greg Bear Press Release and Announcement on a Forerunner Trilogy