Editing Halo: Evolutions

{{Title|''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{Novel infobox
|image={{tabcontainer|title1=Original|content1=[[File:Halo Evolutions cover.jpg|300px]]|title2=Volume I|content2=[[File:HaloEvo - Vol 01.jpg|300px]]|title3=Volume II|content3=[[File:Evolutions Vol 2.JPG|300px]]|title4=2019 Edition|content4=[[File:EVO cover 2019.jpg|300px]]}}
|author=[[Eric Nylund]], [[Tobias Buckell]], [[Karen Traviss]], [[Robert McLees]], [[Wikipedia:Brian Evenson|B.K. Evenson]], [[Jonathan Goff]], [[Kevin Grace]], [[Frank O'Connor]], [[Eric Raab]], [[Fred Van Lente]], [[Wikipedia:Jeff VanderMeer|Jeff VanderMeer]] and Tessa Kum
|publisher=[[Tor Books]] (original)<br>[[Simon & Schuster]] (2019 edition)
|publication=November 24, 2009 (original)<br>November 2, 2010 (Volume I)<br>November 30, 2010 (Volume II)<br>April 16, 2019 (2019 edition)
|media=Print (Hardback, paperback), Audiobook
|length=528 pages (original)<br>353 pages (Volume I)<br>355 pages (Volume II)<br>560 pages (2019 edition)
|ISBN=*[[Special:BookSources/0765315734|0765315734]] (Original)
*[[Special:BookSources/0765354756|0765354756]] (Volume I)
*[[Special:BookSources/0765366959|0765366959]] (Volume II)
*[[Special:BookSources/978-1982111731|978-1982111731]] (2019 edition)
}}
'''''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''''' is a collection of short-stories and poems from [[Tor Books]].<ref name="torforge1">[http://torforge.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/tor-books-announces-halo-evolutions%E2%80%94essential-tales-of-the-halo-universe/ Tor/Forge - Tor Books Announces HALO: EVOLUTIONS—Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]</ref><ref>[http://kotaku.com/5336004/halo-evolutions-+-essential-tales-of-the-halo-universe kotaku.com]</ref> 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.{{Ref/Reuse|torforge1}} Production of the anthology was begun "around Christmas" of 2008,<ref name="O'Connor">'''Halo Waypoint''', ''Inside Halo: Evolutions, Part 2''</ref> and the book was released on November 24, 2009. The book also explores foggy corners and faces of the Halo universe. Some of ''Halo: Evolutions''<nowiki>'</nowiki> short stories act like stepping stones to ''[[The Forerunner Saga]]'', written by [[Greg Bear]].

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]].<ref>[http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1202280890.1265570560@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadejigmfglhcefecekjdffidfhn.0&productID=BK_AREN_001053&redirectFlag= '''Audible.com''': ''Halo: Evolutions'']</ref>

''Halo: Evolutions'' was re-released as two separate volumes with one additional story in each, as well as new cover art for each of the original stories selected from the [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/transmissions/article/2010-06-01--Halo-Evolutions-Community-Art-Contest ''Halo: Evolutions'' community art contest].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/user/HaloWaypoint#p/u/4/PZAkTzMzGGk  San Diego Comic-Con 2010: 343 Industries panel, Part 4]</ref> The new stories ''[[Soma the Painter]]'' and ''[[Wages of Sin]]'' were added to the Volume I and II editions, respectively.

Some of the stories in ''Evolutions'' have been adapted into [[Wikipedia:motion comic|motion comics]], with ''[[Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian]]'', ''[[The Return]]'' and ''[[The Mona Lisa]]'' animated by [[Juan Richard Feliz|ONE]] and ''[[Headhunters]]'' by [[MoreFrames]].

==Official summary==
{{Article quote|When humanity expanded beyond the safety of Earth to new stars and horizons, they never dreamed what dangers they would encounter there.  When the alien juggernaut known as the Covenant declared holy war upon the fragile human empire, millions of lives were lost—but, millions of heroes rose to the challenge.  In such a far-reaching conflict, not many of the stories of these heroes, both human and alien, have a chance to become legend.  This collection holds eleven stories that dive into the depths of the vast Halo universe, not only from the perspective of those who fought and died to save humanity, but also those who vowed to wipe humanity out of existence.}}

==Content==
===Beyond===
{{Main|Beyond}}
''Beyond'' is a poem that describes an individual's opinion on the [[Halo Array|Halo rings]] and the implications of their existence. It was written by [[Jonathan Goff]], with cover art done by [[Nicolas Bouvier|Nicolas "Sparth" Bouvier]].

===Pariah===
{{Main|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 [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|biological enhancements]], and the struggles he faced afterward. It was written by B.K. Evenson.

===Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss===
{{main|Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss}}
''Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss'' tells the story of an [[Office of Naval Intelligence|ONI]] agent named [[Connor Brien]], who is sent to investigate [[Jiralhanae|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===
{{Main|Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian}}
''Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian'' tells the story of an [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|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 {{UNSCShip|The Heart of Midlothian}} after a [[Covenant Special Operations]] team has boarded and taken 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]] and effectively acts as a sequel to the ''[[Halo Legends]]'' episode ''[[Prototype]]''.

===Dirt===
{{Main|Dirt}}
''Dirt'' follows a [[Harvest]] militiaman, named [[Gage Yevgenny]], from his time before the [[Human-Covenant War]] as he joins first the [[Colonial Military Authority|CMA]], and then the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] with his two friends [[Eric Santiago|Eric]] and [[Felicia Sanderson|Felicia]]. After joining the ODSTs, the Covenant destroy 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]]''. It also introduces the character of the [[Rookie]], a main character in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''.

===Acheron-VII===
{{Main|Acheron-VII}}
''Acheron-VII'' is a poem written by Jonathan Goff, with cover art done by Nicolas "Sparth" Bouvier.

===Headhunters===
{{Main|Headhunters (short story)}}

''Headhunters'' follows the story of a [[Headhunters|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===
{{Main|Blunt Instruments}}
''Blunt Instruments'' follows SPARTAN-II [[Team Black|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===
{{Main|The Mona Lisa}}
''The Mona Lisa'' follows the crew of the [[UNSC prowler]] {{UNSCShip|Red Horse}} as they are sent to investigate the fate of the ''[[Mona Lisa]]'', a [[prison ship]] which has mysteriously come to rest near the destroyed [[Installation 04]]. After boarding the ship, a team of [[UNSC Marine Corps|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===
{{Main|Icon}}
''Icon'' describes the lives of [[John-117]], the [[SPARTAN-II Program|SPARTAN-IIs]] and [[SPARTAN-III Program|SPARTAN-IIIs]], and the legacy they left. Cover art was done by [[Gabriel Garza|Gabriel "Robogabo" Garza]], and was written by Jonathan Goff.

===Palace Hotel===
{{Main|Palace Hotel (short story)}}
''Palace Hotel'' follows the [[John-117|Master Chief]]'s movements from getting on the other side of the bridge in the ''[[Halo 2]]'' level "[[Metropolis]]" to right before he boards the [[Protos-pattern Scarab|Scarab]]. It also discusses Master Chief's discovery of a [[Parisa|childhood friend]]. The story was written by [[Robert McLees]].

===Human Weakness===
{{main|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 [[Activation Index|one last secret]]. It was written by Karen Traviss.

===Connectivity===
{{Main|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===
{{Main|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 Jeremiah Cole|Preston Cole]], including his possible death or survival during his famed [[Battle of Psi Serpentis|last stand]]. It was written by [[Eric Nylund]].

===The Return===
{{main|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===
{{Main|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 [[The Portal|Forerunner structure]] in [[Kenya]].

===Soma the Painter===
{{Main|Soma the Painter}}
''Soma the Painter'' is a story exclusive to the re-released Volume I edition. The story shows [[Soma]], a [[Forerunner]] inhabitant of [[Seaward]], witnessing [[the Flood]] returning to the [[Milky Way]] for the first time since the [[human-Flood war]]. It then cuts to the [[Auditor]] and the [[Prelate (Forerunner)|Prelate]] discussing the matter. They then send word to [[the Didact]] that "the test has begun."

===Wages of Sin===
{{Main|Wages of Sin}}
''Wages of Sin'' is a story exclusive to the re-released Volume II edition. The story is the first-person narrative of the [[Minister of Discovery]] in his last moments in ''[[High Charity]]'' as it is overrun by [[the Flood]].

==Trivia==
{{#widget:YouTube|id=YbXnJOgJUqs|width=400|right}}
Nearly every author who was asked to provide stories for the anthology accepted the offer. Among those who declined was [[Greg Bear]]; Bear was interested in the project, though he wished to write a full-length novel rather than a short story.{{Ref/Reuse|O'Connor}} A few months later, Eric Raab, 343 Industries' contact within Tor Books, suggested that Bear be hired as the author of the planned  [[The Forerunner Saga|''Forerunner Saga'']]. When Frank O'Connor approached Bear about writing the series, he gladly accepted the offer.<ref>'''Halo Waypoint''', ''Greg Bear Talks Halo Cryptum, Part 1''</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="160">
File:HaloEvo - Vol 01 Cover.jpg|Full jacket artwork for ''Halo: Evolutions'' Volume I.
File:HaloEvo - Vol 02 Cover.jpg|Full jacket artwork for ''Halo: Evolutions'' Volume II.
File:EVO cover back 2019.jpg|Cover back of 2019 edition.
</gallery>

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

===External===
*[http://torforge.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/tor-books-announces-halo-evolutions%E2%80%94essential-tales-of-the-halo-universe/ Tor Books Announces HALO: EVOLUTIONS—Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]
*[http://mentatjack.com/2009/10/28/new-collection-halo-evolutions/New Collection: Halo Evolutions]
*[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/transmissions/article/2010-06-01--Halo-Evolutions-Community-Art-Contest Halo: Evolutions Community Art Contest at Halo.Xbox.com]
*[http://halo.bungie.org/misc/evolution_winners/ Halo: Evolutions Community Art Contest winners at Halo.Bungie.org]

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