Editing Halo: Evolutions

{{Status|RealWorld}}

|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]]}}

|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)

|length=528 pages (original)<br>353 pages (Volume I)<br>355 pages (Volume II)<br>560 pages (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.

{{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.}}

''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'' 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.

''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'' 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]]''.

''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.

''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]].

''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'' 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]].

 

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>

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