:Halo: The Fall of Reach

Eric Nylund had discussed the possibility of a Halo-related novel with Eric Trautmann, a member of Microsoft's Franchise Development Group, before Halo: Combat Evolved was developed, but it was postponed due to legal technicalities. Nylund thought positively of the delay as it "gave [him] a chance to see the game in almost every stage of development before [he] started writing."{{cite web|url=http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/nylund.interview.html|publisher=Halo.Bungie.Org|title=Interview with Eric Nylund, Author of Halo: The Fall of Reach|date=October 30, 2001|access-date=April 26, 2008| first=Eric|last=Nylund|author-link=Eric Nylund}} He wrote the book based on an outline approved by Bungie and the Halo Story Bible, a book containing all information on the characters and universe in which Halo takes place,{{cite web|author=Levin, Mark|year=2000|url=http://halo.bungie.org/faq/story.html|title=Frequently asked questions about Halo|publisher=Halo.Bungie.Org|access-date=April 26, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080404220756/http://halo.bungie.org/faq/story.html |archive-date = April 4, 2008}} so that his story would not conflict with other Halo publications. Nylund found it easier to write with the "Bible" available as the details of the universe he was writing in were already established,{{cite web|url=http://buttonbasher.wordpress.com/2006/07/29/interview-eric-nylund/|title=Interview: Eric Nylund|date=July 29, 2006|access-date=May 21, 2008|publisher=Buttonbasher}} only minor alterations were made to fit the novel into the universe. A seven-week deadline was established for Nylund to write the book.{{cite web|url=http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/spotlight.htm|publisher=Microsoft|title=Game Worlds in Written Words|access-date=April 26, 2008|first=Holly|last=Longdale |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080222031400/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/spotlight.htm |archive-date = February 22, 2008}} According to Trautmann, the book was nearly canceled because Bungie was opposed to the idea of the Master Chief having a definite backstory. They eventually relented after Trautmann made them the offer that they let the book be completed and published in exchange for him, Matt Soell, and Brannon Boren completing Combat Evolved's script, which was still "80 percent" unfinished.{{cite podcast|date=June 7, 2011|url=http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/8/2/3/823a5cd1ac38d28e/Episode_005_final.mp3?c_id=3307764&expiration=1453040216&hwt=ec070e47f41d72fbcf1403de687e853f|title=Episode 005: DC Reboot/Eric Trautmann|work=The Science Fiction Show|access-date=November 27, 2015}}{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

The Fall of Reach takes place in the Halo universe and spans several decades, beginning in 2517 and describing events up to 2552. In the Halo universe, traveling faster than the speed of light is possible through slipspace, another dimension where special relativity does not apply. This has allowed humans to colonize hundreds of other planets which are controlled by the United Nations Space Command (UNSC). Feeling repressed by the UNSC's heavy-handed rule, some colonies revolt; fearing rebellion will tear the UNSC apart, military leaders approve the SPARTAN-II Program, a secret squad of super soldiers designed to quietly suppress rebellion.

The protagonist of The Fall of Reach is the Spartan soldier Master Chief. Dr. Catherine Halsey, the creator of the SPARTAN-II Project, is introduced alongside then-Lieutenant Jacob Keyes. Franklin Mendez is the trainer of the Spartan II and Spartan III programs, teaching them their physical combat skills while an AI named Déjà teaches them military history and strategy. Cortana, Master Chief's AI companion through much of the series, is also present as Dr. Halsey's aide in the lead-up to the Spartans' mission.

The novel opens with the civilian Dr. Catherine Halsey and Lieutenant Jacob Keyes traveling to meet John, a six-year-old boy. Dr. Halsey reveals to Keyes that John is one of 150 children who possess rare genetic markers making them suitable for conscription into the SPARTAN-II program, a secret experiment with the aim of creating super soldiers for the UNSC to quell rebellions.{{cite book|title=Halo: The Fall of Reach|url=https://archive.org/details/halofallofreach00nylu|url-access=registration|publisher=Del Rey Books|date=October 30, 2001|first=Eric|last=Nylund|author-link=Eric Nylund|page=[https://archive.org/details/halofallofreach00nylu/page/26 26]|isbn=9780345451323 }} Seventy-five of the children are kidnapped by operatives of the Office of Naval Intelligence and replaced by clones engineered to die of natural causes shortly thereafter. From this point on, the recruits are known only by their first name and a three-digit number. John-117 and the rest of the children are drilled and trained by Franklin Mendez; John demonstrates leadership of his fellow Spartans, leading to his promotion to squad leader. In 2525, the Spartans undergo a series of surgical enhancements which turn them into highly efficient super soldiers - but more than half of the original 75 conscripts are paralyzed or killed.Nylund, 64. The Spartans are also equipped with powerful MJOLNIR battle armor, designed to respond as quickly as the soldier's thoughts. John-117 is further promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer.Nylund, 116. The Spartans are highly successful, but they experience a priority shift after a collective of alien races known as the Covenant begin obliterating human colonies, declaring humanity's destruction as the will of their gods. Mendez leaves the group to train the next generation of Spartans as John and his comrades first face the Covenant.Nylund, 100.

By 2552, the war against the Covenant is going poorly. The technological superiority of the Covenant means that space battles heavily favor the Covenant, and the UNSC can only win engagements by suffering tremendous losses. To prevent the discovery of Earth or other human colonies, Vice Admiral Cole creates the "Cole Protocol", which forbids direct slipspace jumps to Earth or any other population center, and mandates the destruction of a ship before it can be captured by the Covenant. Jacob Keyes, now commander of the destroyer Iroquois, discovers four Covenant ships arriving at the Sigma Octanus System, and single-handedly destroys two Covenant escort frigates and a destroyer in a feat dubbed the Keyes Loop, earning him the rank of captain. The Covenant land ground forces on Sigma Octanus IV, overtaking the primary population centre; Cote d'Azure, in search of an ancient artifact. Despite a costly fight, the humans manage to repel the Covenant, and the Iroquois intercepts a coded Covenant transmission from the surface before the Covenant retreat.Nylund, 199. The Iroquois heads to Reach, unwittingly bringing a Covenant tracking device with it.Nylund, 216.

Soon after, Keyes is given the command of the UNSC cruiser Pillar of Autumn for a secret mission: the Spartans are to capture one of the Covenant's religious leaders and barter a truce.Nylund, 243. Dr. Halsey also introduces John to the artificial intelligence Cortana, who would assist the Spartans by residing in their MJOLNIR armor.Nylund, 255. Before the mission can begin, however, Reach is attacked by a massive Covenant fleet. John and Cortana reach the Pillar of Autumn, but most of the other Spartans are presumed killed as the Covenant vitrify the surface of Reach, turning the landmasses into glass.Nylund, 330. Cortana initiates a slipspace course based on the ancient glyphs intercepted by the Covenant at Sigma Octanus; the course takes them to a massive ringworld known as Halo, setting the stage for the events of Halo: Combat Evolved.Nylund, 339.{{cite magazine|author=Staff|date=December 2004|title=2 Much Information: a Halo Series Time Line|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|volume=1|issue=185|page=128}}

Critical reaction to the book was positive, particularly regarding the depth the book added to the Halo universe. Reviewer Eric Qualls commented that "[it was] interesting to read and give[s] you a much greater understanding" of the universe. Qualls made a positive comparison to Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers regarding the manner of story telling.{{cite web|url=http://xbox.about.com/od/xboxaccessories/fr/halobooks.htm|title=Halo Book Reviews|work=About.com|access-date=April 14, 2008|first=Eric|last=Qualls|archive-date=January 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108085550/http://xbox.about.com/od/xboxaccessories/fr/halobooks.htm|url-status=dead}} GameCritics' Brad Gallaway also praised the back-story the book adds and the quality of the story.{{cite web|date=August 6, 2003|url=http://www.gamecritics.com/feature/report/halofallreach/page01.php|publisher=gamecritics.com|title=Halo: The Fall Of Reach - Book Review|access-date=April 14, 2008|first=Brad|last=Gallaway|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105123852/http://www.gamecritics.com/feature/report/halofallreach/page01.php|archive-date=January 5, 2008|df=mdy-all}} Fellow reviewer Gene Park noted the descriptions in the book went beyond what was presented in the game, calling them "vibrant and rousing."{{cite web|date=August 6, 2003|url=http://www.gamecritics.com/feature/report/halofallreach/page02.php|title=Halo: The Fall Of Reach - Book Review|publisher=gamecritics.com|access-date=April 14, 2008|first=Gene|last=Park|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070120143222/http://www.gamecritics.com/feature/report/halofallreach/page02.php|archive-date=January 20, 2007|df=mdy-all}} He also complimented the characters presented in the novel, saying they all "fit nicely into the Halo universe" but some times there were too many characters to remember. Sal Accardo of 3D Action Planet said of the book: "it isn’t going to win any Pulitzers anytime soon. It’s well written, and a solid page-turner, but it’s still basically an action movie presented in book form" but praised the gritty presentation of the Spartans.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020131015832/http://www.3dactionplanet.com/features/reviews/halofallofreach/|archive-date=January 31, 2002|url=http://www.3dactionplanet.com/features/reviews/halofallofreach/|work=3D Action Planet|publisher=GameSpy|title=Halo: The Fall of Reach|date=January 17, 2002|first=Sal|last=Accardo}} Don D'Ammasa of the Science Fiction Chronicle called the book "competently written", but stated the plot was "simpleminded".{{cite journal|date=February 2002|title=Resident Evil: Code: Veronica / Halo: The Fall of Reach|journal=Science Fiction Chronicle|volume=23|issue=2|page=59|author=D'Ammassa, Don}}

Though the book originally sold very slowly,{{cite web|author=Hryb, Larry|date=December 9, 2009|url=http://majornelson.com/2009/12/09/show-343-interviews-with-some-of-the-343-team-about-halo-and-more/|title=Show #343: Interviews with members of 343 Industries about Halo and more|publisher=Major Nelson Radio|access-date=December 9, 2009|author-link=Larry Hryb}} it became a Publishers Weekly bestseller.{{cite web|url=http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/spotlight3.htm|title=Halo: First Strike Author Eric Nylund|work=Xbox.com|publisher=Microsoft|first=Marty|last=Greene|access-date=May 9, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080503150304/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/spotlight3.htm |archive-date = May 3, 2008}} The Fall of Reach would go on to sell more than 100,000 copies by 2003{{cite news|author=Donahue, Deirdre|date=March 6, 2003|title=They've played the game. Will they read the book? ; Hope is that teens will morph into sci-fi fans|work=USA Today|page=D1}} and a million copies by December 2009. The novel's success convinced Microsoft and Del Rey to pen a three-novel publishing contract for novels based on Xbox games, including another Halo novel.{{cite journal|author=Staff|date=April 2002|title=Del Rey Microsoft pen deal for XBox novels|journal=Science Fiction Chronicle|volume=23|issue=4|page=6}} The next entry in the Halo novel franchise would be 2003's Halo: The Flood, written by William C. Dietz. The more human Chief seen in the novel led Bungie to tone down the character model in Halo 2 to make him less an exaggerated robot and more a real person inside a suit.{{cite magazine|author=Staff|date=November 2002|title=Hail to the (New) Chief|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|volume=1|issue=160|page=214}}

Stuart Beattie, the screenwriter of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, wrote a spec script for a Fall of Reach movie.{{cite web|url=http://www.halo3planet.com/2008/04/05/halo-fall-of-reach-movie/|title=Halo: Fall of Reach… Movie?|publisher=Halo 3 Planet|date=April 5, 2008|access-date=April 26, 2008}} Beattie, a Halo fan, wrote the script between other projects in the hope that someone would read it and agree to produce the film, but as of May 2008 there were no plans to do so.{{cite web|url=http://www.latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-halo-movie-has-reach-4305|title=Exclusive: Halo Movie Has Reach!|publisher=Latino Review|date=April 1, 2008|access-date=April 26, 2008|last=Mayimbe|first=El|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423062944/http://www.latinoreview.com/news/exclusive-halo-movie-has-reach-4305 |archive-date=April 23, 2008}}

In May 2010, Tor announced that the first three Halo novels (not originally published by Tor) would be rereleased with new content and cover art. The Fall of Reach was the first novel to be reissued, with a release date of August 2010.{{cite web|author=Parker, Laura|date=May 19, 2010|url=http://www.gamespot.com//news/halo-novels-get-a-makeover-6263133?|title=Halo novels get a makeover|publisher=GameSpot|access-date=May 19, 2010}}

Marvel Comics adapted the story into a three-part comic series entitled Halo: Fall of Reach, released September 2010.{{cite web|author=George, Richard|date=June 23, 2010|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/06/23/master-chiefs-origin-revealed-again|title=Master Chief's Origin Revealed (Again)|publisher=IGN|access-date=June 23, 2010}} The book was later adapted into a 2015 3D animated miniseries. The series was produced by Sequence, a Vancouver-based animation studio, and released in conjunction with Halo 5: Guardians. The game Halo: Reach largely ignored the canon established in the book.{{cite web |last1=Frushtick |first1=Russ |title=BUNGIE ON THE CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN 'HALO: REACH' AND 'HALO: THE FALL OF REACH' NOVEL |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2461855/bungie-on-the-contradictions-between-halo-reach-and-halo-the-fall-of-reach-novel/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509073544/http://www.mtv.com/news/2461855/bungie-on-the-contradictions-between-halo-reach-and-halo-the-fall-of-reach-novel/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 9, 2019 |website=MTV News |access-date=23 March 2022}} The Paramount+ series loosely adapted the "Fall of Reach" storyline in season 2,{{Cite web |date=2024-02-05 |title=Everything You Need to Know About Halo's Dramatic, Devastating Fall of Reach |url=https://gizmodo.com/halo-fall-of-reach-explained-tv-show-season-2-paramount-1851217499 |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=Gizmodo |language=en}} with many differences as compared to the novel and Halo: Reach.{{Cite web |last=Bove |first=Kate |date=2024-02-22 |title=13 Biggest Moments In Halo Season 2's Fall Of Reach Episode |url=https://screenrant.com/best-scenes-halo-season-2-episode-4/ |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}

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Fall of Reach

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