Somewhat unexpected book recommendation: Halo

Shinji

A long time ago, I read a book which was based on an existing media franchise and didn't suck. That book was "To Dream In The City Of Sorrows", a Babylon 5 novel by Kathryn M Drennan, and it was actually very very good; somewhat surprising given that just about every other book-based-on-whatever has been rubbish.

Well, I've found another book based on something else that doesn't suck. In fact, it's very good - and it's based on the most unexpected thing imaginable.

If you're a fan of the game Halo (I'm not personally) or just a hard sci-fi / space battles type novel fan, go buy Halo: The Fall of Reach. It's out in paperback and it's actually a cracking read - tracing the 30 or so years from the beginning of the development of a platoon of "Spartan" super-soldiers through to the Covenant invasion of earth space and finally to the very start of the game, Halo.

The depth of character and plot is impressive, the narration cracks along, and perhaps best of all is the inclusion by the author of loads of detail and twists which have nothing to do with the game; this guy obviously had a great story to tell rather than just a contract saying "write a book about Halo" to fulfil.

It's probably not the best SF novel you'll read this year, but given that I picked it up for £2.99, it's definitely worth a flick through.

Turnip

No offence but how old are you? Those kind of books are for children. I must have finished my pulp SF phase by the time I was 15 or something. Grow up?

Manach

Mate, Shinji happens to be one of more interesting and insightful members of the boards community whose advice is usually worth considering. Who w'd also not slag off someone giving a book recommendation for any other reason beside oafishness.

9/10 of such SciFi book tie-ins are rubblish, so it's nice to be pointed in the direction of harmless quality reading.

Shinji

No offence but how old are you? Those kind of books are for children. I must have finished my pulp SF phase by the time I was 15 or something. Grow up?

I did actually go to some pains to point out that it's very different to the usual pulp SF rubbish that you get. Books based on games and TV series are usually terrible, and this is only the second exception to that rule I've ever come across - hence my mentioning it here in the first place.

Of course if you wouldn't be seen dead reading something with Halo on the front cover, it's worth pointing out that Alastair Reynolds has just published his third novel - Redemption Ark - which is a direct sequel to his first, Revelation Space. (It also takes in elements from Chasm City, which I thought was a little disappointing compared to Revelation Space, but still a superb slice of sci-fi). Go read

Turnip

If you put it like that then fair enough. Last SF I read was Neal Stephenson's stuff.