View source for Halo novels

{{Title|''Halo'' novels}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{disambig header|books grouped by their series|the novels listed by release date|List of Halo novels by release date}}
[[File:HaloBooksCollage.jpg|thumb|300px|A compilation of cover art for all of the ''Halo'' novels released between 2001 and early 2024.]]
The '''''Halo''''' '''novels''' are books that have expanded heavily on the [[Halo universe|''Halo'' universe]]. This page documents the various novels, their series', and their orders. [[Halo Studios]] also maintains an official, regularly-updated guide to the novels of the ''Halo'' series, which can be accessed [https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/official-halo-book-guide here].

==Development==
[[File:HaloBookSleeve.png|thumb|250px|A box set of the first three ''Halo'' novels.]]
The Halo novel project was initiated with the intent of establishing an "expanded universe" for future content. Contrary to popular belief, the project was overseen by [[Microsoft Game Studios|Microsoft Game Studios Franchise Development Group]] and not by [[Bungie|Bungie Studios]] (though they were given a significant degree of creative control).<ref name="MGSFDG">[[Archive:Xbox.com/Halo|'''Halo: Combat Evolved''' portal page]]: [[User:Subtank/Archive|''MGS Development Group Expands'']] (archived page)</ref><ref name="creativecontrol">[http://uk.ign.com/articles/2010/10/19/beyond-the-ring-bungies-renegade-development-of-halos-fiction?page=3 '''IGN''': ''Beyond the Ring: Bungie's Renegade Development of Halo's Fiction''] (Staten said, emphasizing Bungie's role in outside projects: ''"Bungie was maintaining creative oversight over all these initiatives -- we really did have a lot of control over what stories got told. Historically, over the decade of Halo storytelling, Bungie would maintain creative ownership and direction of these various projects."'')</ref> The relationship between Bungie and Microsoft was somewhat rocky at this time,<ref>[https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/the-complete-untold-history-of-halo-an-oral-history '''Vice.com''': ''The Complete, Untold History of Halo'']</ref> with the former resenting Microsoft's creative interference in the ''Halo'' story and nearly having the first novel, ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', canceled.<ref name="trautmann">[http://scifishow.libsyn.com/005-dc-reboot-trautmann-interview-round-2-of-our-quiz '''The Sci Fi Show''': ''Episode 005: DC Reboot/Eric Trautmann'']</ref>

Although the novels have always been considered canonical,<ref name="staten">[http://halostory.bungie.org/staten102204.html '''halo.bungie.org''': ''Halo Story Page | Joe Staten Interview - October 2004'']</ref> the stories they told were generally regarded as distinct from the ''Halo'' games' stories in some respects, with both games and the "expanded universe" forming their own standalone narratives.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnHPPsQFovY '''YouTube''': ''Halo 4 Panel | RTX 2012''] (39:30: [[Frank O'Connor]]: ''"[the books] are all canonical."'')</ref> Additionally, there were sometimes creative differences between Bungie and the novels' authors;{{Ref/Reuse|trautmann}} for example, Bungie's writing staff disliked the notion of [[Avery Johnson]]'s immunity to the [[Flood]] introduced in ''[[Halo: First Strike]]''{{Ref/Reuse|staten}} and retconned the circumstances of his survival in the ''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''. However, Bungie would nonetheless introduce several elements originating from the novels into their games; an example of this are the [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] and the [[orbital defense platform]]s.{{Ref/Reuse|trautmann}} Following the advent of [[343 Industries]] and their philosophy of expanded connectivity between ''Halo'' media, the writing process of the novels has become more extensively intertwined with the planning of the stories of the games and other fiction.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNDQN7nwZlw&feature=related '''YouTube''': ''SDCC 2011: Halo Universe Panel Part 1'']</ref>

The first three novels were published by [[Del Rey Books]]. Microsoft Studios' next publishing partner was [[Tor Books]], which published all ''Halo'' novels from [[2006]] to early [[2014]]. The three initial ''Halo'' novels were reissued by Tor in [[2010]]. While mostly unchanged, the new versions feature additional content and [[List of rectified inconsistencies in the Halo series|several alterations]]. In 2014, 343 Industries entered a contract with [[Gallery Books]] as the publisher of subsequent ''Halo'' literature.<ref name="gallery">[https://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2014/02/04/Gallery-Books-and-343-Industries-Announce-Multi-Book-Fiction-Publishing-Program-For-Halo-Franchise.aspx '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Gallery Books and 343 Industries Announce Multi-Book Fiction Publishing Program'']</ref>
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==List of novels==
===The Original Series===
{{Main|The Original Series}}
{{TheOriginalSeries Books}}

===Gray Team series===
{{Main|Gray Team series}}
{{GrayTeam Books}}

===The Forerunner Saga===
{{Main|The Forerunner Saga}}
{{TheForerunnerSaga Books}}

===Kilo-Five Trilogy===
{{Main|Kilo-Five Trilogy}}
{{Kilo-FiveTrilogy Books}}

===Alpha-Nine series===
{{Main|Alpha-Nine series}}
{{Alpha-Nine Books}}

===The Ferrets series===
{{Main|The Ferrets series}}
{{TheFerrets Books}}

===Rion Forge & Ace Of Spades series===
{{Main|Rion Forge & Ace Of Spades series}}
{{RionForge Books}}

===A Master Chief Story===
{{Main|A Master Chief Story}}
{{AMasterChiefStory Books}}

===Battle Born: A Halo Young Adult Novel Series===
{{Main|Battle Born: A Halo Young Adult Novel Series}}
{{BattleBorn Books}}

===A Halo Infinite Story===
{{Main|A Halo Infinite Story}}
{{AHaloInfiniteStory Books}}

===Individual novels===
{{IndividualNovels Books}}

===Individual novellas===
{{IndividualNovellas Books}}

===Anthologies===
{{Anthologies Books}}

===Box sets===
*[[Halo Box Set]], the box set featuring the three first ''Halo'' novels by [[Del Rey Books]].
*[[Halo Boxed Set]], featuring the first three novels by [[Tor Books]].
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==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

==External links==
*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/official-halo-book-guide ''Halo Waypoint'' - Official Halo Book Guide] - an officially-published list of ''Halo'' novels.

{{Navbox/Media/Novels}}
[[Category:Novels| ]]
[[Category:Lists]]