Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe

Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe is a collection of short-stories and poems from Tor Books.Tor/Forge - Tor Books Announces HALO: EVOLUTIONS—Essential Tales of the Halo Universehttp://kotaku.com/5336004/halo-evolutions-+-essential-tales-of-the-halo-universe Like the Halo Graphic Novel, Evolutions features stories by a variety of writers, including Eric Nylund, Tobias Buckell, Karen Traviss, Robert McLees, Fred Van Lente and many other critically acclaimed authors. It was released on November 24, 2009. Halo: Evolutions' short stories act like stepping stones to The Forerunner Saga, to be written by Greg Bear in 2010. The book also explores foggy corners, faces and events of the Halo universe.
An audiobook version of Evolutions is available on Amazon.com, Audible.com, and iTunes. It is narrated by Steve Downes, Holter Graham, Frank O'Connor, and Jen Taylor.Audible.com: Halo: Evolutions
Halo: Evolutions has been re-released as two separate volumes with additional stories, as well as new cover art for each of the original stories selected from the Halo: Evolutions community art contest.San Diego Comic-Con 2010: 343 Industries panel, Part 4
==Content==
===Beyond===
Beyond is a poem that describes an individual's opinion on the Halo rings and the implications of their existence. It is written by Jonathan Goff, with cover art done by Nicolas "Sparth" Bouvier.
===Pariah===
Pariah tells the story of Soren-066, a Spartan who was one of a dozen unfortunate candidates who washed out of the program due to complications arising from the biological enhancements, and the struggles he faced afterwards. It was written by B.K. Evenson.
===Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss===
Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss tells the story of an ONI agent named Connor Brien, who is sent to investigate Brutes on Beta Gabriel. Brien eventually gets captured by Hammadus while watching the Brutes from a tree and is thrown together with the rest of the human survivors. The human prisoners are used as amusement and food. The ONI agent conspires with a spiritual guru, Dasc Gevadim, to escape. While the pack's unity slowly breaks down, the prisoners make a distraction, which gives Brien and Dasc a chance to escape. The ONI agent and the spiritual guru eventually escape from the Brutes, but Brien is killed by Dasc before the help can arrive. It was written by Eric Raab.
===Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian===
Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian tells the story of an ODST who is put under for a surgery to remove a tumor before participating in his next mission. When the ODST awakens, he finds that he is the only human left alive on the after a Covenant Special Operations team has boarded and taken over the ship. Living on borrowed time, the ODST has to stop the Covenant from capturing the shipboard AI and learning the location of Earth. It was written by Frank O'Connor.
===Dirt===
Dirt begins with an ODST landing on the planet of New Jerusaleml . He finds a mortally wounded ODST named Gage and attempts to save him. Dirt then follows Gage's life on Harvest, as he grows up and joins the Harvest Militia, and then the UNSC with his two friends Eric and Felicia. After joining the ODSTs, the Covenant destroys Harvest, leaving him no home to go back to. After nearly thirty years of war, he is reunited with a few of his old friends from his CMA days, but is presented with a moral crisis that eventually leads to his heroic death. It was written by Tobias Buckell, author of Halo: The Cole Protocol.
===Acheron-VII===
Acheron-VII is a poem written by Jonathan Goff, with cover art done by Nicolas "Sparth" Bouvier.
===Headhunters===
Headhunters follows the story of a two-man SPARTAN-III team, sent deep into Covenant territory to deal serious damage behind enemy lines. It was written by Jonathan Goff.
===Blunt Instruments===
Blunt Instruments follows SPARTAN-II Black Team which is given the task to disable a Covenant energy supply station. During the course of the operation, Black Team made an uneasy alliance with the Yanme'e, who tricked them into organizing their escape. It was written by Fred Van Lente.
===The Mona Lisa===
The Mona Lisa follows the crew of the as they are sent to investigate the fate of the Mona Lisa, which has mysteriously come to rest near the destroyed Installation 04. After boarding the ship, a team of Marines discovers that the ship has been overrun by the Flood, making unexpected and uneasy alliances, and beginning a desperate struggle for survival against the parasite. It was written by Tessa Kum and Jeff VanderMeer.
===Icon===
Icon describes the lives of John-117, the SPARTAN-IIs and SPARTAN-IIIs, and the legacy they left. Cover art was done by Gabriel "Robogabo" Garza, and was written by Jonathan Goff.
===Palace Hotel===
Palace Hotel follows John-117's movements from getting on the other side of the bridge in the Halo 2 level "Metropolis" to right before he boards the Scarab. It also discusses Master Chief's discovery of a childhood friend. The story was written by Robert McLees.
===Human Weakness===
Human Weakness tells what happened at the end of Halo 2, with Cortana in the clutches of the Gravemind. The Gravemind manages to break Cortana by introducing the fallacies of her existence and the purpose of her service, but through it all he cannot get her to give up one last secret. It was written by Karen Traviss.
===Connectivity===
Connectivity is a poem that describes the connection between Cortana and John-117. Cover art was done by Gabriel "Robogabo" Garza, and was written by Jonathan Goff.
===The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole===
The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole is a series of email transcripts from Codename: SURGEON to Codename: USUAL SUSPECTS, and details in length the life and times of UNSC military leader Preston Cole, including his possible death or survival during his famed last stand. It was written by Eric Nylund.
===The Return===
The Return follows a Sangheili Shipmaster as he travels back to the human colony world Kholo, which he had led the destruction of years earlier, to reflect on his actions and look for guidance in the wake of the Great Schism. It is set after the events of Halo 3. It was written by the 343 Industries Managing Editor Kevin Grace.
===From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal===
From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal is an email transcript from Dr. William Arthur Iqbal to his colleagues, and details the progress of their research on the Forerunner structure in Kenya.
===Soma the Painter===
Soma the Painter is a short story about Soma, a Forerunner from the planet Seaward, as she watches the Flood return to the Milky Way. This short story is only present in Volume I of the two volume version of the book.
===Wages of Sin===
Wages of Sin is a short story narrated by the Minister of Discovery as the Flood slowly consumes High Charity. He reflects on his own wrongdoings and also confesses that he released the Flood. This short story is only present in Volume II of the two volume version of the book.
==Motion Comics==
Four of the short stories in Halo: Evolutions were selected to be adapted into motion comics. These were Headhunters, The Mona Lisa, The Return and Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian.
==Gallery==
File:HaloEvo - Vol 01.jpg|The cover for Evolutions Volume I.
File:Evolutions Vol 2.JPG|The cover for Evolutions Volume II.
File:HaloEvo - Vol 01 Cover.jpg|A preview of Halo: Evolutions Volume I.
==Sources==
==Links==
===Internal===
*Halo Graphic Novel
===External===
*Tor Books Announces HALO: EVOLUTIONS—Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
*Collection: Halo Evolutions
*Halo: Evolutions Community Art Contest at Halo.Xbox.com
*Halo: Evolutions Community Art Contest winners at Halo.Bungie.org
es:Halo: Evolutions - Cuentos Esenciales del Universo de Halo
ru:Halo:_Эволюции
 
Category:Anthologies
Category:Canonical Media
Category:2009