Halo: The Cole Protocol
Halo: The Cole Protocol will be the sixth novel set in the Halo Universe. Tobias S. Buckell, author of Crystal Rain and Ragamuffin will pen the novel, which reveals the location of the Spartan Gray Team and “takes readers into an unexplored conflict of the Human-Covenant War where unlikely alliances are formed and shattered…”
Bungie expatriate and Microsoft’s Franchise Development Director Frank O’Connor had this to say on the upcoming book, which is slated for a Fall 2008 release, ” Buckell continues an excellent tradition that’s now a solid aspect of the Halo novels, bringing a fresh new perspective to a limitless universe and bringing his prodigious writing talents to bear in ways that will surprise and engage fans of the series and newcomers alike.”
About Gray Team:
Gray Team is the designation for a mysterious team of three SPARTAN-IIs that are said to be “on battlefields too distant to be easily recalled” when the SPARTANS received the new MJOLNIR Mark V armor in The Fall of Reach. The team was later identified (in Ghosts of Onyx) to have been “on a mission far outside the confines of UNSC space, now missing for over a year”.
What is the Cole Protocol?
The Cole Protocol is a list of five procedures all UNSC ships are to obey if and when they detect Covenant forces. It was put into place in an effort to stop the Covenant from ever finding Earth or any other Inner Colony planet/human population center.
For the full definition, click here.
About the Author:
Tobias S. Buckell exploded onto the science fiction scene with Crystal Rain, (Tor 2006) a debut that combined a unique mix of Caribbean culture – where Buckell was born and raised – and hard SF adventure elements. Buckell’s unique and groundbreaking work won him acclaim from peers and the literary community, who called him “a dazzling new voice.†His second novel, Ragamuffin, (Tor 2007) was a 2007 Nebula Award nominee for Best Novel; a 2008 Prometheus Award finalist for Best Novel; and a Locus “Best of 2007.†He is a graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop, and was a first-place winner for the Writers of the Future, as well as having been nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.
Buckell’s blend of hard science fiction with character-based action adventure and forays into classic SF pulp won the admiration of both Tor and Microsoft. Buckell is also a big Halo fan who has played every incarnation of the game.