Editing Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)

{{Title|''Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe'' (2009)}}

{{Status|RealWorld}}

{{Center|This article is about the original 2009 Halo Encyclopedia. For other editions, see [[Halo Encyclopedia]]. For the [[Halo Channel]] feature, see [[Halo Channel#Halo Encyclopedia|here]].}}

{{Reference book infobox

|author=

|editor=[[Tobias Buckell]]{{Ref/Site|Id=Amazon|URL=https://www.amazon.com/Halo-Encyclopedia-Definitive-Guide-Universe/dp/0756655498/|Site=Amazon|Page=Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe|D=5|M=11|Y=2021}}

|publisher=[[DK Publishing]]{{Ref/Reuse|Amazon}}

|publication=*[[2009#October|October 11, 2009]] {{C|limited retailers}}

*October 19, 2009 {{C|original edition}}{{Ref/Reuse|Amazon}}

|media=Print {{C|hardcover}}{{Ref/Reuse|Amazon}}

|length=352 pages{{Ref/Reuse|Amazon}}

|ISBN=[[Special:BookSources/0756655498|0756655498]]{{Ref/Reuse|Amazon}}

The original edition of the ''Encyclopedia'' was released on October 19, 2009. An [[Halo Encyclopedia (2011 edition)|updated edition of the ''Halo Encyclopedia'']] with an extra sixteen pages (including information on ''[[Halo: Reach]]'') was released on September 19, 2011.{{Ref/Site|Id=Updated|URL=http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Encyclopedia-DK-Publishing/dp/0756688698|Site=Amazon|Page=Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe (revised)|D=5|M=11|Y=2021}}

{{Article quote|This is a must-have guide to the Halo universe. [[Human]]ity teeters on the brink of extinction, as hostile forces and ancient mysteries threaten to snuff out our first fiery foray into the universe. Take a trip into the world of Halo and discover everything you ever wanted to know about the characters, weapons, vehicles, equipment and locations from Halo, [[Halo 2]], [[Halo 3]], [[Halo Wars]] and [[Halo 3: ODST]]. From the [[Colonial Administration Authority]] to the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]], you'll find an overview of Halo's [[History of the UNSC|human history]] and structure and gain insight into key organizations. Discover all about the [[Covenant]] - its [[History of the Covenant|history]] and [[Covenant religion|religion]] - as well as the [[Forerunner]]s, [[The Flood|Flood]] and much more. It's what Halo fans have been waiting for.}}

The ''Halo Encyclopedia'' begins with a foreword by Frank O'Connor. It then introduces the [[John-117|Master Chief]], the Covenant and many other aspects of the Halo universe. Chapter One contains a timeline (complete to publication), followed by chapters on humans, Spartans, the Covenant, the Flood, the Forerunners, the [[Human-Covenant War]], science and technology, transport, locations and finally weapons - before a glossary of terms, index and acknowledgments.

Reception to the ''Halo Encyclopedia'' has been mixed. Some reviewers and readers praised the book's detailed approach to its content. However, other reviewers stated that the book's images are often of poor quality and "at times seem haphazardly thrown together."<ref>''Though I must say, they could have done a better job on some images. At times these seem haphazardly thrown together. Low resolution models of items have been blown up to show just how shoddy their design was in game.'' - [http://www.gamersdailynews.com/article-2225-The-HALO-Encyclopedia-Book-Review.html Gamer's Daily News]</ref> Others criticisms centered on the work's poor editing, most notably its poor spelling and grammar. Misattributions are also frequent, with the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI/S variant|Scout]] and [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI(A)|Rogue]] armor being referred to as one armor type. Later printings of the ''Encyclopedia'' feature improved editing, eliminating many mistakes that exist in the initial printing, including several mislabelings and misattributions. Nonetheless, several factual inaccuracies remain. For example, the ranking system of the [[Jiralhanae|Brutes]] is mangled, with a picture of a [[Jiralhanae Major|Major]] labeled as a [[Jiralhanae Minor|Minor]], and the color of an [[Jiralhanae Ultra|Ultra]]'s armor is mis-cited as cyan instead of violet.

It has also been noted that a number of descriptions in the book are ostensibly based upon, even quoted from, those of Halopedia. This has also resulted in several errors. Examples of such content include:

*As the first official source to establish the development of the Mark-based generations of the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] prior to the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|fifth generation]], the ''Encyclopedia'' appears to have based this information on fan assumptions and outright fanon found in early Halopedia. Specifically, pre-''Encyclopedia'' sources never specify that the armor issued to the Spartan-IIs in 2525 was the MJOLNIR Mark IV; only the Mark V is mentioned by name in the promotional material for ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', while ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' does not specify any Mark generations in reference to MJOLNIR, only mentioning the pre-MJOLNIR Mark I exoskeletons. Although it is understandable to assume based on the narrative of the ''The Fall of Reach'' that no intermediate generations of MJOLNIR armor were issued between the two scenes in which new MJOLNIR generations are explicitly shown, this is nonetheless nothing more than an assumption as the narrative skips over most of the war. The ''Encyclopedia''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s descriptions of Marks I through III are also directly based on unsourced information [https://www.halopedia.org/index.php?title=MJOLNIR_Powered_Assault_Armor&diff=90783&oldid=90782 added to Halopedia in 2006], which lacks any pre-''Encyclopedia'' canonical backing. Although this timeline has been embraced by later canon, it creates a questionable situation where the first three generations of MJOLNIR are relegated to pre-production prototypes, while the Mark IV remains in service for most of the war. This may also have necessitated the broad-strokes treatment the Mark system has received in subsequent works, with [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]] establishing that the Mark IV alone was an ever-evolving platform encompassing multiple distinct models of suit.

*The ''Encyclopedia'' splits the [[Battle of Earth]] into a "First" and "Second" battle, a decision originating from Halopedia, until newer information from ''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'' and ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'' established that the battle was in fact one continuous engagement.

*Another error has even had impact on the series canon outside the ''Encyclopedia'' itself: the book mentions a faction of [[Insurrectionist]]s named the "[[United Rebel Front]]" or "URF"; this name originated from Halopedia, which had mistakenly interpreted the descriptive term "united rebel front", mentioned in ''Ghosts of Onyx'', as a proper name. In addition, the rebel destroyer ''[[Origami]]'' is designated "URF ''Origami''", which is also based on an earlier version of the ship's Halopedia article; no previous official source mentions the rebels using such a ship prefix. Even though Halopedia later corrected this mistake, the misunderstanding persisted and led to the United Rebel Front being integrated into newer works of official fiction.{{Ref/Game|H4|Armor customization (Halo 4)|Spartan Armor Customization|Detail=Oceanic- Description|Quote=Used extensively during the recovery of Terceira from the United Rebel Front}}

*The [[Secessionist Union]] and the [[People's Occupation Government]] are stated to be the same organization, a claim clearly originating from Halopedia, as the [[Halo Graphic Novel, Page 122|original source]] for the two groups does not indicate they are synonymous.

The 2011 edition incorporates new content, mainly image assets, from ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', as well as correcting some mislabeling in the original.{{Ref/Reuse|Updated}} However, many of the errors remain. 343 Industries Content Creator [[Jeremy Patenaude]] has acknowledged that many of the errors remain in the new edition, and stated that future efforts to create a ''Halo'' universe encyclopedia would be rewritten from the ground up.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=1101960|Site=halo.bungie.org|Page=Re: Just got my revised Encyclopedia|D=5|M=11|Y=2021}}

File:Encyclopedia 2011.jpg|The cover of the 2011 revised edition.

{{Ref/Sources}}

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