/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.21865367]

Enough with the threads where pseuds are trying to act smart, lets talk something fun and enjoyable, Halo books. What's your top picks? Worst picks? What do you think of the newer books?

Personally my favorites are Ghosts of Onyx, Last Light, and Silent Storm. Cryptum is my least favorite and in my opinion the worst written Halo book. In regards to the newer books, I quite like Denning's style though sometimes I feel like he gets too distracted trying to build up the universe so he develops extraneous plots and shallow side characters that don't go anywhere. Haven't read enough of the other newer authors to get a true sense of their styles.

[Anonymous No.21865485]

>>21865367
never read these books but I concur that all the psued shit needs to stop. who wants to come home from their work/school and talk abt Celine and Stirner?

[Anonymous No.21865691]

>>21865367
I read them years ago when I was in highschool.
I read up until contact harvest, I hear that is a good thing.
Bungie lost rights and they tried to retcon everything.

[Anonymous No.21865701]

>>21865367
I’ve only read Fall of Reach. I thought the prologue was straight garbage but the rest of the book was enjoyable. Glad I didn’t drop the book. Crazy how quickly Nylund was able to write the thing

[Anonymous No.21865715]

>>21865367
Fall of Reach, First Strike, Ghosts of Onyx, Contact Harvest are the ones i enjoyed. I couldn't get into the forerunner books though. I liked Karen Traviss' SW series about the republic commandos those were great but i didnt like her halo stuff

[Anonymous No.21865723]

>>21865367
Whatever my thoughts on Fall of Reach are, I'm still amazed that Nylund hammered that thing out in such a short amount of time.

[Anonymous No.21865784]

>>21865715
I really liked Contact Harvest, Dadab was my favorite character, tought the sex part was more funny than anything it feel tacky, like reading the author's fetish with the dirty hair and sweat descriptions

[Anonymous No.21865883]

I have a lot on my TBR list
>>21865784
I enjoyed parts of CH a lot but those aspects of it you’re talking about really dragged down my overall enjoyment.

[Anonymous No.21866543]

Green armour shooter man

[Anonymous No.21866590]

>>21865723
It is pretty amazing that he got it done in like 4 months. It certainly isn’t the strongest entry but it’s quite good.
>>21865883
I see you’ve read Oblivion. What’s your take on the castaways?

[Anonymous No.21867343]

>>21865367
Cole Protocol is one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read.

[Anonymous No.21867377]

I think these books were a major influence on my joining Army special operations. The training sequence the young Spartans endured is vivid in my mind.

[Anonymous No.21867398]

>>21867343
The part where they get around an ambush by using their rifles to move in zero g has always stuck with me.

[Anonymous No.21868063]

>>21867377
Based

[Anonymous No.21868072]

>>21865485
I mean I wouldn't mind that, I like Celine. The problem is the pseuds.

[Anonymous No.21869207]

>>21865691
>and they tried to retcon everything.
Wat. Who is the “they” in that sentence? 343?

[Anonymous No.21869220]

I've only read part of Fall of Reach, as well as the Halo Graphic Novel, but I enjoyed them.
Halo Reach best game btw

[Anonymous No.21869263]

>>21869207
>who is they
Why the Jews of course.
Yes I mean 343, Frank O'Conner specifically. Iirc he was the one who went against forerunners being humans first.

[Anonymous No.21869404]

>>21869263
Bungie was the one who changed the idea from forerunners being different than humans as apparent by Halo 3 terminals. 343 just inherited that and developed it more and have basically come full circle with Point of Light making humans a distant and long forgotten rate of Forerunners.

[Anonymous No.21869457]

>>21865367
halo is lie that beano strip 'thenumbskulls' where they live in ur head and around ur body. not perfect by any means. sorta like that old iconoblast game innerspace and you havvent even met iconoblast so their. bit like that movie aswell innerspace or maybe even the fountain cause i heard in halo he dies in the end...self presevation sacrafice.

[Anonymous No.21869465]

>>21869457
meds

[Anonymous No.21869469]

>>21865367
I really enjoyed the section of the Fall of Reach where Kelly blows an elites head off point blank with the 8G shotgun. They should really make a game with COD World at War or Gears of War level gore/violence.

[Anonymous No.21869613]

>>21869404
Those terminal entries are a last minute change and guess who wrote them.
Frank did.

[Anonymous No.21870661]

>>21869613
What's the critique on forerunners not being human? I like the idea of humans having been hyper-advanced a hundred thousand millennia ago until a lost war with the forerunners sending them back to the beginning of our real life history.

[Anonymous No.21870719]

>>21870661
NTA, but I think it has to do with the fact that the old dogs who played Halo: CE and Halo 2 when they first came out were led to believe by certain pieces of in-game dialogue that Forerunners = Ancient Humans. When bungie abandoned that idea, and then 343 basically obliterated it, I think many of the original fans felt cheated since they didn't get the ironic reveal that the covenant were actually killing their gods.

Personally, I quite like the idea of mankind being a fallen race that duked it out with the Forerunners only for the Forerunner to eventually acknowledge that their time is up and that humanity is the rightful heir to their legacy, I'm just not the biggest fan of how 343 developed the idea (the first 2 books of the Forerunner saga that deal with this topic are pure shit). But that being said, I can see how fans of the original trilogy, specifically the first 2 games, felt cheated by being denied their satisfying and ironic reveal.

[Anonymous No.21870741]

>>21865883
So fall of reach was the best book then? Glad I read it

Happy to see halo chads are also /lit/ chads, me and my brother talk about it at least once a week, shame we got cheated out of the movie, and the goyslop show is all we get, I’ve read the hard sci fi books like Peter watts stuff and three body series, but to me halo is the best of them

Been trying so hard to get my bro into destiny because I know we’d have a lot of fun like old times

[Anonymous No.21871208]

>>21870661
Because it was explicitly stated in contact harvest by a forerunner ai.
The prophets then called for the extermination of all humans to cover it up.

[Anonymous No.21871555]

I got back into Halo novels last year. I still read mostly literature, but I want a break now and again. I've only recently started looking at the post-Halo 4 stuff.

The Kilo-Five trilogy is the best. I also really liked Gay's Smoke and Shadow. I really like the postwar anarchy and black ops setting. The Forerunner trilogy is not very good.


Thoughts on Troy Dennings installments in the Franchise. I didn't much like Ghosts of Reach, though I appreciate the technical detail, but Last Light is enjoyable so far.

[Anonymous No.21871585]

>>21869613
frankie is an absolute faggot and everything he has ever contributed should be retconned

[Anonymous No.21871587]

My favorite halo book was definitely the one where the ancient humans were roaming that weird ass ring

[Anonymous No.21871590]

>>21865691
Contact harvest is definitely the best halo book of all.

[Anonymous No.21871862]

>>21866543
GASM

[Anonymous No.21872062]

[Anonymous No.21872485]

>>21867343
Is it a own book? I know that it's part of own of the first novels

[Anonymous No.21872543]

Does this count as fanfiction to report it for being off topic? Same thing with like warhammer books or witcher books. Are they fanfiction or not?

[Anonymous No.21872553]

>>21872062
Is this fanfiction or is this a book?
>Error you must wait 26 seconds
>Error you must wait 24 seconds
>Error you must wait 22 seconds
>Error you must wait 17 seconds
>Error you must wait 15 seconds
>Error you must wait 14 seconnds
>Errror you must wait 10 seconds
>Error you must wait 7 seconds
>Our system thinks your post is spam

[Anonymous No.21872563]

>>21865367
Holy based. I loved those books when I was younger.

[Anonymous No.21872574]

>>21872553
On the basis that it says THE OFFICIAL NOVEL at the very top I'd say it's a little too early to tell. Let's wait for more information.

[Anonymous No.21872583]

>>21872574
Basedjak could have crept into the picture and placed it there. I am nobody's fool.

[Anonymous No.21872588]

>>21872583
Look now he's editing my posts in real time. Fucking jannies do something about it already
>
>
>

[Anonymous No.21872591]

>>21872583
'jaks on the 'ooks!

[Anonymous No.21873397]

>>21870719
I am one of those people

[Anonymous No.21873403]

Were you cool enough to share a name with a Spartan-II?

[Anonymous No.21873541]

>>21865367
Ghosts of Onyx is definitively the best halo book, it was even better back in the day when there wasnt any 343 extended universe cancer

[Anonymous No.21873633]

>>21870661
The H = F rabbithole is not one you want to go down.
All you need to know despite what faggots will say about the Terminals Humans were Forerunner in Bungie Canon and it was this way even in Reach.

[Anonymous No.21873646]

>>21873633
https://youtu.be/_P-uOCKDTAA
well since the Autistic pandora's box has been opened

The Oracle’s eye dimmed. For a moment it looked as though it might resume its long silence.
But then it blazed anew, projecting a hologram of the reclamation glyph recorded by Rapid
Conversion’s Luminary.
< THIS IS NOT RECLAMATION > the Oracle boomed. < THIS IS RECLAIMER >
Slowly the glyph turned upside down, and its central shapes—the concentric circles, one low
inside the other, connected by a thin line—took on a different aspect. The shapes’
previous arrangement had resembled the pendulum of a clock. Inverted, the glyph now looked
like a creature with two curved arms locked above its head. The glyph shrunk in size as the
hologram zoomed out to show the entire alien world, covered with thousands of these newly
oriented Luminations.
< AND THOSE IT REPRESENTS ARE MY MAKERS >
Now it was Fortitude’s turn to feel weak in the knees. He grasped the arms of his throne and
tried to come to terms with an impossible revelation: each glyph represented a Reclaimer, not a
relic, and each Reclaimer was one of the planet’s aliens—which could only mean one thing.
“The Forerunners,” the Minister whispered. “Some were left behind.”

[Anonymous No.21873656]

Based Is this a hecking lore thread? Holy based. This is incredible.So I added my own interpretations based on the nature of this thread.This is what happens when we take a science fiction premise of forerunners ahumanity and put it in the universe of a sports game? This is why science fiction stories are such a big deal. This is just one of many examples. I thought it was just a brilliant fiction take on a forerunner's psyche and abilities. Not so much.Amazing stuff.I have not played the latest 1.04 patch and so I cannot comment on things such as the new challenges, matches, etc. But just looking at what I see, it has already surpassed everything I had hoped for from Halo 5's first expansion. It is definitely worth going back to the beginning and starting anew if you have not done so. Hopefully if enough people enjoy this it will lead to a part 2 of this wonderful insight into this universe.This is just amazing. I was so amazed and shook that I wanted to comment so badly on it. Thank you thank you thank you bros for making a thread on it.I can't thank you enough!!!!

[Anonymous No.21873671]

>>21873656
Uhmm... dude, I'm not a new player to this, so there's no reason to believe I don't understand what's going on. It's the least I can do.

I'm not going to say, "Dude, just ignore him and pay attention to the guide." Because that's all I would say. I think you're perfectly capable of making a logical and concise argument (that is, in fact, thoughtful and extremely well-reasoned) about a topic you know well, especially one you feel so passionate about.

So don't give me that, uh, "fawning amateur camper" shit. You're a huge proponent of rational discourse, yet you do nothing to fight your own irrationality. And when you use such a crass and condescending dismissal, you make the meme seem like someone who simply doesn't understand the nature of an interesting and complex debate. Which, of course, they don't, because that's not how debate works.

It really really really bugs me that this guy was not only unable to engage this article with the professionalism and intelligence it deserves, but that he took this opportunity to spew out personal insults without even the excuse of "newcomer to this thread" to explain what he's doing and why he's doing it.

Again, why can't you engage, just a little, on an interesting topic and make it clear you're taking the author's arguments seriously?

[Anonymous No.21873685]

>>21873671
Anon, I've been arguing about this stuff for fifteen years, so I'm pretty well-informed, and I can see pretty clearly how someone could get this impression. I'm really not a very good arguer, because my opponent sees the person I'm trying to convince as a thoughtless and incompetent pleb, and I see him as someone with very good ideas and lots of knowledge. Since I see him as just another argumentative person, I fail to take the time to consider the implications of my own arguments and am reduced to a whining, blathering idiot. That is what I would say if I was being as honest as you should be. So, since you're so intent on responding to arguments that don't exist, I will write some.

If I seem like I'm picking on you, it's because I am. You're operating on an entirely unsophisticated level of rationality. And, for some reason, you have decided that I am part of the same universe as you, but am some kind of outcast. You obviously haven't spent any time with the other USSM contributors, so you're entirely clueless about what motivates them. As a group, we are normal human beings, with ordinary concerns, who are passionate about the free market and liberty. There's nothing here that makes you unique, and nothing here that should shock or scare you. You're not alone in that bubble.
Here's a shocker for you: As far as "critics of the system" go, there's really not a whole lot that differentiates us from any other group of people who call themselves "conservatives" (and you guys do NOT qualify as that, much as you pervert the name). We're just normal people who believe things that are obviously false, and because we're not intellectually motivated by any deep-seated religious or racial philosophy, are willing to openly speak out about it. We're really just normal, boring people, who aren't quite as smart as you.

[Anonymous No.21873687]

>>21873671
painful to read

[Anonymous No.21873698]

>>21873685
Okay, Anon, no need to over-react. That may have come out wrong. Let's start again.

Anon, you seem like a nice, normal person. In fact, I've heard you explain libertarianism in a much better manner than I'm sure you intended, and in a way that I could understand. You made a very good argument. But it's really not enough to get past your doubt. First off, you didn't actually understand what you were talking about. You claimed that libertarianism is a belief in a set of social beliefs. In actuality, libertarianism is a political philosophy.

How can something be a belief in a social belief if it is a political philosophy? Does your opinion of cold fusion get trumped by your view on continental drift? No. One is a theory about the natural world and the other is a theory about the structure of a bunch of atoms. At least in the case of cold fusion, I know there are plenty of people who don't agree with my opinion of the world, but I don't get in a huff. At least, I can understand where they're coming from. That, however, is not the case with libertarianism.

If you think libertarians are a bunch of do-nothings who don't care about anything but their own tummies, you're kidding yourself. We're just normal human beings, and we have all kinds of concerns, like: Would my doctor get a kickback from drug companies if I received a prescription for certain drugs? If so, could I get a prescription without going through an insurance company? Does it make sense to give a license for a drug that might make my condition worse? Can I keep the drug if I fail to pay the bill? Do I have a right to sue the drug company for malpractice? Does it make sense to have a ban on certain weapons? Can I carry a concealed weapon in public? Is the state required to protect me from my enemies?

You don't have to take my word for it. You can read lots of libertarian works yourself. They include The Ethics of Liberty by John Locke. Nah, fuck making a list. Just start there and prove you can put in the tiniest amount of effort before speaking to me again.

[Anonymous No.21873700]

>>21865367
What would Hegel say about Halo?

[Anonymous No.21873709]

>>21865367
Redpill me on... THE ENDLESS...

[Anonymous No.21873715]

>>21873633
>>21873646
super based posts

[Anonymous No.21873750]

>(s)he's still mad that humans weren't confirmed as forerunners even after two decades have gone by

[Anonymous No.21873762]

Have the regulars have arrived to kill this thread like they killed /hg/

[Anonymous No.21873938]

>>21873762
who are the regulars

[Anonymous No.21874172]

>>21872553
It's the official 12 years old book with sexy godesses, brave heroes, escaping from Hell and buching monsters.

[Anonymous No.21874470]

[Anonymous No.21875853]

>>21865701
>>21865715
>>21865723
Was the book like the game?

[Anonymous No.21876668]

>>21875853
>Was the book like the game?
no not in the slightest. The book is more of how the Spartans came to be, how Chief got Cortana, with some bits about Keyes and Halsey.
The battle of Reach itself is extremely short and can be summarized with "the Covenant showed up and glasses everything"

[Anonymous No.21876752]

>>21873750
>>21873762
Slit your throat Actua1 dog

[Anonymous No.21877050]

>>21869404
>>21869613
>Those terminal entries are a last minute change and guess who wrote them.
>Frank did.
Proof? There's tons of evidence out there saying otherwise.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/xwqjg3/the-complete-untold-history-of-halo-an-oral-history
>>21875853
>Was the book like the game?
Lol no, Bungie never took the books seriously. The Halo books are for marketing.

[Anonymous No.21877349]

>>21877050
http://forums.bungie.org/halo/archive36.pl?read=1070818
Management didn't care about continuity and the terminals are said to be last minute.
Also your vice article straight says that Frankie worked on the terminals.
Iirc there was some fuckup with a website arg too that lead to last minute rewrites.
343 is doing all they can to say it is not a retcon and for some reason I can't understand people just accept it.

[Anonymous No.21877472]

>>21877349
Considering your type, it's not a retcon if H = F is in the terminal.

[Anonymous No.21877487]

>>21877472
>books say h are f
>halo 2 cut ending say h are f
>guilty spark says h are f
>99% of the terminals say h are f
Fucking hell they don't even understand rampancy.
It was a
>do you feel in charge?
Not
>uuuuuu I'm going insane

[Anonymous No.21877604]

>>21865367
I Read a few and they were legitimately awful and I personally liked the games and the story.

The splinter cell book was far worse

[sage No.21877633]

>>21865367
I love Greg Bear books so I might read some of his Halo books too.

[Anonymous No.21877706]

>>21865367
I cant believe a Halo book thread is on /lit/

[Anonymous No.21878272]

>>21877706
You better believe it. There's too many retards here who take themselves too seriously and have their heads so far up their asses they can see the light coming through their mouths.

[Anonymous No.21878706]

>>21877706
>>21878272

[Anonymous No.21879610]

>>21877604
> and they were legitimately awful
How so? Elaborate. They’re just sci-fi trash so what the fuck were you expecting?
>>21877349
> According to Paul Russel, several Bungie employees were involved with the writing of Halo 3's terminals. Frank O'Connor, Damian Isla, Robert McLees, Rob Stokes, Paul Bertone, Jaime Griesemer, Jason Jones, and possibly also Lorraine McLees had a hand in producing the narrative of the terminals,[3] a narrative which was then vetted by Bungie management prior to launch.[4][3]
Bruh, just accept the fact that bungie went away from making humans = forerunners.

[Anonymous No.21880816]

>>21865367
I like the Forerunner trilogy
You don't even have to know much about Halo to enjoy it

[Anonymous No.21882296]

>>21865883
Ghosts of Onyx is honestly up there with Fall of Reach for me.

[Anonymous No.21882773]

>>21880816
I thought Silentum was the best. Primordium was a dry read but still interesting. I genuinely hated Cryptum though, it felt so rushed and underdeveloped.