Not at New York Comic-Con Sweepstakes

Tor Books is heading to New York Comic-Con!

We hope to see many of you there. Stop by Booth #920 to say hi or to participate in one of our many events and signings.

But for those of you who couldn’t make it out to New York, we wanted to offer you the chance to grab some of the same amazing swag and books that we’re promoting at #NYCC. To enter for the chance to win one of these five prize bundles, leave a comment on this post telling us one fabulous thing that you’ll be doing this week while you are #NotAtComicCon.

Here’s a look at the prize:

And here’s a list of what’s included in each prize bundle:

• Wheel of Time backpack
• Halo patch
• Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
• The Battle of Blood and Ink written by Jared Axelrod and illustrated by Steve Walker
• The Clockwork Sky Volume One by Madeleine Rosca
• Dead Space: Martyr by Brian Evenson
• Earthseed by Pamela Sargent
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
• The Eye of the World: Graphic Novel: Volume 2 Based on the novel by Robert Jordan, written by Chuck Dixon, illustrated by Andie Tong
• For the Win by Cory Doctorow
• Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
• The Gift of Fire/On the Head of a Pin by Walter Mosley
• Green by Jay Lake
• Halo: Cryptum by Greg Bear
• Halo: Glasslands by Karen Traviss
• Hellhole by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
• Inside Straight edited by George R.R. Martin
• Johnny Hiro: Half Asian, All Hero written and illustrated by Fred Chao
• Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber
• Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
• The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind
• Only Superhuman by Christopher L. Bennett
• Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
• Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
• The Way of the Kings by Brandon Sanderson

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. You must be 18 or older and a legal resident of the 50 United States or D.C. to enter. Promotion begins October 11, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. ET. and ends October 15, 2012, 12:00 p.m. ET. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law. Please see full details and official rules go here. Sponsor: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

Tor Books Announces Programming for New York Comic-Con 2012!

Celebrating LOCUS Magazine’s Best Publisher for the 25th year in a row!

Once again, we continue our popular *in-booth signings and giveaways, offering you a chance to meet your favorite authors up close and personal! There will also be panels, autographings and spotlight stages including New York Times Bestselling author CORY DOCTOROW!

Stop by Tor’s Booth (#920), and pick up a schedule for a full listing of events!

Thursday, October 11

PANELS

5pm – 6pm | JUSTICE IS SERVED | Room 1A14

Cops, P.I.’s, government agents and regular Joe’s fight for all that is good and just in these Science-Fiction and Fantasy tales, even if the villains are vam | pires, telepaths, and the magically gifted. These protagonists solve crimes, kick-ass, and don’t let anyone – supernatural or otherwise – stand in the way of justice.

With Christopher L. Bennett (Only Superhuman), moderated by Michael P. Spradlin.

Friday, October 12

PANELS

11am | CHARACTERS: HARDCORE vs. BADASS | Author Spotlight Stage

What makes one character HARDCORE and another BADASS? Is there really a difference? Novelist Max Gladstone breaks it down by dissecting some of the greatest heroes and villains from books, gaming, comics, film, and television, revealing the unique alchemy of each one and what every writer needs to think about in order to create truly unforgettable characters.

With Max Gladstone (Three Parts Dead).

4pm – 5pm | PUBLISHER’S PARADISE: ADULT PUBLISHER SPOTLIGHT | Room 1A06

Get the inside scoop on upcoming SF/F novels publishing houses are buzzing about! Editors from Harper Voyager, Orbit, Del Rey Spectra, Ace and Roc, and Tor dish on forthcoming books from our exciting authors and licensed properties. You can expect lots of giveaways you won’t see anywhere else at the convention, including free advance reading copies!

With Tor’s own Melissa Frain.

SIGNINGS & GIVEAWAYS

12pm – Tor Booth giveaway, Bard’s Oath, the long-awaited sequel to the epic fantasy Dragon and Phoenix coming in November.

2pm – Tor Booth Way of Kings (by #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson) giveaway! First 25 fans in line will receive a Wheel of Time® bag.

3:30pm – Tor Booth signing with Max Gladstone, signing copies of Three Parts Dead, his brilliant debut novel (October).

5pm – Tor Booth signing with Christopher L. Bennett, signing copies of Only Superhuman, described by Kevin J. Anderson as a “heady comic book fix for the discerning SF reader” (October).

5pm – You can also head over to the autographing area and meet New York Times bestselling author, Cory Doctorow. Barnes and Noble will be on hand with a variety of books from his back list.

Saturday, October 13

PANELS

12pm | INFORMATION DOESN’T WANT TO BE FREE, BUT KIDS DO | Author Spotlight Stage

Every single kid in America is a presumed copyright criminal. We spy on them in school, we raid their parents’ life savings, we censor their creative works. And oh, how we LIE to them: “It’s not creative if you’re copying something else.” “All great art starts with permission and ends with a lawyer.” “Giving more money to the record industry will make musicians richer.” Kids are in the streets over SOPA, PIPA and ACTA. They know that the locks we put on their information aren’t for their benefit – because we won’t give them the keys.

With Cory Doctorow (Pirate Cinema).

12:15pm – 1:15pm | MYTH MIXOLOGY: HOW URBAN FANTASISTS CREATE THE PERFECT COCKTAIL | Room 1A08

Many New Yorkers know their Manhattans, Cosmos, and Long Island Iced Teas. While the average happy hour drink takes gin, rum, or vodka, these authors spice things up with mystics, witches, daemons, Celtic gods, and other magical beings. Join top-shelf authors, F. Paul Wilson, Kevin Hearne, Theo Lawrence, Anton Strout, Faith Hunter, Nancy Holzner, Allison Pang, and Nicole Peeler, as they discuss the elements of mythology that go into making your favorite cocktails of urban fantasy.

With F. Paul Wilson (Repairman Jack Series), moderated by Kim Alexander.

1:30pm – 2:30pm | HOCUS POCUS: MAGIC & MONSTERS IN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY | Room 1A08

Science-Fiction and Fantasy authors discuss the costs and consequences of “magic” in their novels. Moderator Beth Revis will have authors Andrea Cremer, Jacqueline Carey, Jocelynn Drake, Kim Harrison, Max Gladstone, Cecil Castellucci, Victoria Schwab, and Richard Kadrey dishing about the the scary, hairy, and dangerous creatures that lurk in the worlds they have created.

With Max Gladstone (Three Parts Dead), moderated by Beth Revis. (Signing from 2:45pm – 3:45pm at autographing tables 2, 3, and 4.)

2:45pm – 3:45pm | GENRE BENDERS: OUT-OF-THE-BOX SCIENCE-FICTION AND FANTASY NOVELS THAT BLUR THE LINES OF FANTASY, SF, HORROR, ROMANCE, STEAMPUNK, YOU NAME IT! | Room 1A01

Join authors in a discussion about stories that can’t be bound by the constraints of any genre. Whether mixing elements of romance with horror, or fantasy with thrillers, these authors show that a good tale can be spun from multiple traditions.

With Steven Walker (The Battle of Blood and Ink), moderator Cici James of Singularity & Co. (Signing from 4:45pm – 5:45pm at the autographing area.)

5:15pm – 6:15pm | HERO’S QUEST: SWORDS AND SORCERY IN FANTASY FICTION | Room 1A08

Some of the most unforgettable heroes in literature are characters that embark on a fantastical journey. Whether their tales tell of slaying dragons, overthrowing regimes, or magical lands, these authors put the EPIC in Fantasy fiction. Join authors Joanne Bertin, Peter Brett, Rae Carson, Peter Lerangis, Steve Bein, Stefan Bachmann, Sarah Beth Durst, and Matt Myklush as they discuss all things fantastical, from swords and sorcery to horselords and warlords.

With Joanne Bertin (Bard’s Oath), moderated by Gwen Reyes. (Signing from 11:45am – 12:45pm at autographing tables 2, 3, and 4.)

5:15pm – 6:15pm | GEEK THOUGHTS: TOP BLOGS DISCUSS WRITING ABOUT SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY AND FANDOM | Room 1A01 (otherwise known as The Sauce)

Your favorite Geek Blogs: Live! Join Tor.com, Boing Boing, The Mary Sue, io9, The Beat, and Bleeding Cool as they discuss how their blogs approach the conversation of science fiction, fantasy, genre and fandom online.

With Cyriaque Lamar, Heidi McDonald, Jamie Frevele, Jill Pantozzi, Rich Johnston. Moderated by Ryan Britt of Tor.com.

7:45pm – 8:45pm | THE WORLD OF GRAPHIC NOVELS | Room 1A06

Restaurants, outer space, fantastical worlds, high school – graphic novels today will take readers to all these places and more! How do graphic novelists combine words and pictures to create the worlds within their books? Authors discuss how world-building works in the world of comics.

With Fred Chao (Johnny Hiro: Half Asian, All Hero), moderated by Scott Robins. (Signing from 3:45pm – 4:45pm at autographing tables 4 and 5.)

SIGNINGS & GIVEAWAYS

11am – Tor Booth Dead Space: Martyr (by B. K. Evenson) giveaway!

12pm – Tor Booth signing with Halo: Silentium artist, Sparth. Come by for a copy of Halo: Cryptum, Halo: Glasslands, a poster, or a patch!

3pm – Tor Booth signing with Cory Doctorow, signing copies of For the Win, which Scott Westerfeld has called “a rousing tale of techno-geek rebellion.”

5pm – Tor Booth signing with F. Paul Wilson, signing copies of The Tomb, the first in his Repairman Jack series.

Sunday, October 14

PANELS

12:15pm – 1:15pm | OTHERWORLDLY WEENIES, TIME TRAVELING TWEENS, UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE, AND OTHER THINGS KIDS LOVE | Room 1A01

From creepy tales set in a spooky pet cemetery, to dreamy stories of time-traveling in style, to epic journeys featuring dynamic young heroes (with swords!), these middle grade authors know the secrets to entertaining the tween set. Join the group as they discuss superpowers, supervillians, and super-hilarious storytelling.

With David Lubar (Weenies Series) and Annette & Gina Cascone (Deadtime Stories Series), moderated by Matthew Cody. (Signing from 1:30pm – 2:30pm at autographing tables 2, 3, and 4.)

1:30pm – 2:30pm | KIDS/YA PUBLISHER SPOTLIGHT | Room 1A07

Come hear the advance buzz about what’s coming up from Disney-Hyperion, First Second, Macmillan Kids, HarperCollins, Little, Brown, Random House, Penguin Young Readers, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, and Tor! Editors and marketing staff come together to recommend their favorite upcoming books by exciting new authors and illustrators – accompanied with giveaways, trivia, and most of all, FUN!

With Tor’s own Susan Chang.

SIGNINGS & GIVEAWAYS

11am – Tor Booth joint signing with David Lubar, signing Attack of the Vampire Weenies, and Annette & Gina Cascone, signing Grave Secrets.

1pm – Tor Booth signing with Evie Manieri, signing Blood’s Pride, her epic fantasy debut coming in February.

3pm – Tor Booth giveaway of YA dystopian smash hit and series opener Article 5 (by Kristen Simmons)!

 

*All giveaways are on a first come, first serve basis.

New Releases: 9/25/2012

See upcoming releases.

Not at San Diego Comic-Con Sweepstakes

Tor Books is heading to San Diego Comic-Con!

We hope to see many of you there. Stop by Booth #2707 to say hi or to participate in one of our many events and signings.

But for those of you who couldn’t make it out to California, we wanted to offer you the chance to grab some of the same amazing swag and books that we’re promoting at #SDCC. To enter for the chance to win one of these five prize bundles, leave a comment on this post telling us one fabulous thing that you’ll be doing this week while you are #NotAtComicCon. Whether you’re fighting a clone army, rescuing damsels in distress (or princelings in peril), zipping across galaxies at light speed, or just conquering your laundry pile, we hope that you have a great week.

Here’s a look at the prize:

And here’s a list of what’s included in each prize bundle:

• Wheel of Time backpack
• Signed copy of Redshirts by John Scalzi
• Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
• The Battle of Blood and Ink written by Jared Axelrod and illustrated by Steve Walker
• Dark Companion by Marta Acosta
• Existence by David Brin
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
• The Eye of the World: Graphic Novel: Volume 2 Based on the novel by Robert Jordan, written by Chuck Dixon, illustrated by Andie Tong
• Eyes to See by Joseph Nassise
• Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
• Girl Genius Omnibus Volume 1 by Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio
• Halo: Cryptum by Greg Bear
• Halo: Glasslands by Karen Traviss
• Inside Straight edited by George R.R. Martin
• Johnny Hiro: Half Asian, All Hero written and illustrated by Fred Chao
• Laddertop: Volume 1 written by Orson Scott Card and Emily Janice Card Art by Honoel A. Ibardolaza
• Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber
• The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind
• Passion Play by Beth Bernobich
• Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
• The Way of the Kings by Brandon Sanderson

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. You must be 18 or older and a legal resident of the 50 United States or D.C. to enter. Promotion begins July 12, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. ET. and ends July 16, 2012, 12:00 p.m. ET. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law. Please see full details and official rules go here. Sponsor: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

Tor Books Announces Programming for San Diego Comic-Con 2012

Brandon Sanderson, John Scalzi and Steve Englehart as Comic-Con Special Guests!

This year at Tor’s Booth (#2707), we continue our popular *in-booth signings and giveaways, offering you a chance to meet your favorite authors up close and personal. This year we’re pleased to include the legendary

ORSON SCOTT CARD

author of New York Times Bestselling Ender’s Game, soon to be a major motion picture from Summit Entertainment!

Thursday, July 12th

• 12pm – 1pm Tor Booth (#2707) ROBIN MAXWELL, will sign advanced copies of Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan, coming from Tor in September.

• 3pm – 4pm Tor Booth (#2707) New York Times bestselling author and Comic-Con Special Guest, BRANDON SANDERSON, will sign copies of The Way of Kings.

• 2:30pm – 3:30pm Panel: The Dark Knight Rises: Is Batman Broken? Room 26AB
  Strong, smart, and heroic, he’s the Dark Knight we want on our side. But is Batman also out of his mind? Comic-con Special Guest, STEVE ENGLEHART joins Catwoman herself, Lee Meriwether, to discuss Bruce Wayne’s relationships, strengths and weaknesses. Does the Dark Knight have bats in his belfry?

• 4:45pm – 5:45pm Panel: The Fiction of Halo 4, Room 6BCF
  Halo 4 heralds the return of one of gaming’s most iconic heroes, the Master Chief, in a new, epic sci-fi saga. Expanding and enriching the narrative, 343 Industries, panelists share how the development of stories across the GREG BEAR Forerunner saga, the KAREN TRAVISS Kilo-Five trilogy, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, Halo 4 Campaign and Halo Infinity Multiplayer have become connective tissue for Halo 4.

• 5pm – 6pm Tor Booth (#2707) Bestselling, award-winning futurist DAVID BRIN, will sign copies of his new high concept novel Existence, his first major work in over a decade.

Friday, July 13th

• 10am – 11am Panel: Art of the Thrill Kill, Room 24AB
  From psycho killers and sociopaths to the vast unknowable emptiness of deep space, these authors know that it takes more than just blood and gore to keep their readers awake at night. DAN WELLS joins other top horror and thriller novelists to discuss how they balance ratcheting suspense with perfectly paced creepiness to create stories that are both psychologically and atmospherically disturbing.
• 12pm – 1pm Signing in the autographing area, AA09

• 12pm – 1pm Tor Booth (#2707) Legendary science fiction author ORSON SCOTT CARD & co-author AARON JOHNSTON sign Invasive Procedures a taut science fiction medical thriller. Five lucky people will get a chance to receive a signed copy of Earth Unaware: The First Formic War set in the popular Ender’s series, on-sale July 17th!

• 12pm – 1pm Spotlight on BRANDON SANDERSON, Room 25ABC
  Author, educator, and Comic-Con Special Guest BRANDON SANDERSON talks about his growth from a nonreader in his youth to become one of the most popular fantasy writers working today. Sanderson’s books include his own Mistborn trilogy and his continuation of the late Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Timeseries, which wraps up in January 2013.

• 2:30pm Duo Paul & Storm join us in the Tor Booth (#2707) to serenade fans as they wait in line to meet New York Times bestselling author and Comic-Con Special Guest JOHN SCALZI! Then at 3pm, John signs copies of Old Man’s War, the book that launched his career!

• 3:30pm– 4:30pm Panel: Epic Fantasy War, Room 6A
  Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings), joins the top names in fantasy fiction to discuss how the key to writing a real epic fantasy novel lies in the word epic-which doesn’t just mean ambitious in scale, scope, and size.
  5:00pm – 6:00pm Signing in the autographing area, AA09

• 5pm – 6pm Tor Booth (#2707) DAN WELLS will sign copies of his the book that started it all, I Am Not A Serial Killer.

Saturday, July 14th

• 10am – 11am That 70s Panel, Room 23ABC.
  STEVE ENGLEHART makes a Comic-con Special Guest Spotlight appearance on this panel. Get out your pet rocks!

• 12pm – 1pm Comics Arts Conference Focus on STEVE ENGLEHART , Room 26AB
  Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight) moderates a discussion of Englehart’s stellar career writing the adventures of Captain America, Silver Surfer, Doctor Strange, Coyote, Night Man, the Justice League, and dozens of other characters.

• 12:00pm – 1:00pm Panel: The Naked Truth About Tarzan and Jane: The First 100 Years of Spectacular Tarzan Imagery, and One of Literature’s Best-Loved Couples as They Enter Their Second Century, Room 25ABC
  Bestselling novelist Robin Maxwell (Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan) and author Scott Tracy Griffin (Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration) gather with illustrator Joe Jusko (The Art of Joe Jusko) to discuss these iconic literary characters. Join them for a presentation and Q&A session hosted by Jim Sullos, president of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Incorporated, the official licensing entity for Tarzan and John Carter of Mars.
  Room 25ABC

• 2pm – 3pm Tor Booth (#2707) Iconic science fiction author GREG BEAR signs copies of Halo: Primordium, Book Two of the Forerunner Saga.

• 12pm – 1pm Tor Booth (#2707) Father/daughter duo ORSON SCOTT CARD & EMILY SCOTT CARD sign copies of their first writing collaboration, Laddertop, Volume 1.

• 3pm – 4pm Panel: A Wrinkle in Time, Room 23ABC
  From the far-flung reaches of the Milky Way to the mind-bending possibilities of time travel, let the authors of speculative fiction tell you what they see when they venture to other dimensions. With DAVID BRIN & ORSON SCOTT CARD.
  4:30pm – 5:30pm Signing in the Autographing area, AA09

• 4:30pm – 5:30pm Solo Autographing with BRANDON SANDERSON, Room Table AA18

• 5pm – 6pm Tor Booth (#2707) STEVE ENGLEHART will sign copies of The Long Man.

• 5:30pm – 6:30pm Spotlight Panel with JOHN SCALZI, Room 7AB
  Comic-Con special guest JOHN SCALZI (Redshirts) talks about his latest work, his upcoming novel, video game, and film projects, takes questions and generally tries to amuse the hell out of you for an hour. With him as moderator/interviewer/conspirator: Wil Wheaton (Tabletop). It’ll be the most fun you can have while respirating.
  3:30pm – 4:30pm Solo Autographing, AA18

Sunday, July 15th

• 10pm – 11am Panel: Stunted Fools and Scary-Ass Clowns: Humor in Science Fiction and Fantasy Room 25ABC
  Join in for an irreverent hour celebrating sly wit and unholy humor with some of the most devilish quipsters, wisecrackers, and satirists writing today. JOHN SCALZI (Redshirts) plays ringmaster to some of the best SFF humor writers in the field.
  11:30am – 12:30pm Signing in the autographing area, AA04

• 2:45pm – 3:45pm Panel: Heroes for the Middle Grade Reader: Books That Will Rock Your Socks Off, Room 5AB
  EMILY JANICE CARD (yes, daughter of THAT Card) teamed up with her famous father to write a science fiction manga, Laddertop, Volume 1 aimed at middle grade readers, and will join a panel discussing adventurers and unexpected champions that we can all cheer for.
  4pm – 5pm Signing in the Autographing area, AA09

• 12pm Tor Booth (#2707) giveaway, The Omen Machine by New York Times bestselling author, Terry Goodkind.

• 2pm – 3pm Tor Booth (#2707) giveaway, Dark Companion the YA debut of Marta Acosta.

Make sure to follow @Torbooks on Twitter for up to date information and last minute events!

*All Tor Booth signings are on a first come first serve basis and while supplies lasts. Limit one book per person.

Announcing the title and release date of the second Halo® novel in the “Kilo-Five Trilogy”

New York, NY – March 12, 2012 – Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world—is excited to reveal the title and release date for the second novel in the “Kilo-Five Trilogy” written by bestselling novelist and veteran game writer Karen Traviss. Halo: The Thursday War will release in hardcover alongside a simultaneous audio edition on October 2, 2012.

Traviss, whose first foray into the Halo Universe came with the short story “Human Weakness” in Fall 2009’s New York Times bestselling “Halo: Evolutions” anthology, launched her new trilogy last fall with the acclaimed bestseller Halo: Glasslands. A veteran author who has penned number one bestselling novels in the Star Wars universe, bestselling novels for the Gears of War franchise (she most recently served as lead game writer for Gears of War 3), as well as her own critically acclaimed science fiction series “The Wess’Har Wars,” Traviss has an incredible gift for writing believable and compelling military science fiction.

“From the very first page, The Thursday War propels you into a universe on the brink of chaos,” says Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director, 343 Industries.  “It will immerse you immediately and enthrallingly into the events and circumstances that will come to define the state of the Halo universe in Halo 4. I can’t wait for fans and newcomers alike to experience the sequel to Glasslands.”

Halo: The Thursday War picks up immediately where Halo: Glasslands left off, with forces on Earth and among the Covenant threatening a peace that is precarious at best. With a splinter group among the Sangheili pushing for war, some human colonies rebel against earth authority; and as ONI policy continues to shift with the volatile situation in space, the discovery of a trove of Forerunner technology on Onyx provokes leaders on Earth to seek uses for it in the conflict. For the fight is far from over…

“I wanted to focus on what it feels like to operate in a fragile ceasefire that’s turning into a mass of small, unpredictable wars where the enemy is much harder to spot and define,” says author Karen Traviss. “It’s not about big set piece space battles, superheroes, and hardware; this is a messy conflict seen at close quarters by real people with their own problems, whether those people are human, alien, or artificial intelligences.”

Q&A with Karen Traviss

Halo: Glasslands is the first novel in an all-new HALO® trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author and game writer Karen Traviss. Traviss, critically acclaimed for her original series “The Wess’har Wars” as well as novels written in the Star Wars® and Gears of War® universes, managed to find time in the midst of her Gears of War 3 insanity (she serves as lead writer on the game) to sit down with her publicist at Tor Books and talk HALO.

Justin Golenbock:  How did you first become involved with the HALO franchise?

Karen Traviss: I was asked if I wanted to write a novella for HALO: Evolutions. I’m endlessly curious and always up for anything new if it sounds cool so I was interested. I was working on Gears at the time (as I still am) so I wanted to be sure they were cool with it, and they thought it was a great idea. If it’s military, if it’s a game, if it’s an IP I know nothing about (essential—I can’t work on things that I might have a pre-existing opinion on) and it has the moral grey areas I work best in, then I’ll probably give it a go if I have the time.

JG: Glasslands has been highly-anticipated by HALO fans as the first book or game in the franchise to delve deep into the chaos of the post-HALO 3 universe. Can you reveal anything about the plot for eager gamers and readers?

KT: As a former defence correspondent and a military writer,  I approach HALO as a real situation. War is bad enough, but when a relatively straightforward war—two sides, clear stakes—ends, then fragmentation usually takes place. Hostility doesn’t end cleanly. Factions emerge. You’re not sure where the threat is coming from, and it keeps changing. In HALO, it’s like the end of the Cold War. So who operates best in this uncertain landscape, where conventional force – weapons and ships – have no targets or conventional wars to fight? Intelligence.  Enter ONI, the Office of Naval Intelligence. If your enemy is off balance and licking his wounds, you grab that chance to knock him down so hard he never gets up again. You use black ops techniques using smart, adaptable people who can operate off the grid and handle themselves in the most dangerous environments in deniable operations. ONI assembles a team of ODSTs, a Spartan II, a civilian Sangheili expert, and an AI spy. It ought to be a simple case of doing the dirty on the bad guys by sneaky means, but things get very complicated when the secret roots of the Spartan programme is blown wide open….

ONI also has its hands full with another problem—Halsey has been a very bad girl and strolled off with a few Spartans mid-battle. While they’re hunting for her, she’s stranded in a Dyson sphere with “her” Spartans, some Spartan IIIs she views as third rate,  and Chief Mendez. It’s a sealed world. They could be the last sentient life in the galaxy. They don’t know if the Dyson sphere will turn out to be a haven or a hell, or indeed if it’s already inhabited. They’re cooped up with one another for what might be forever and now they have to face the previously unspoken tension, guilt, and blame about a shocking era in Earth’s history – the terrible abuse of kidnapped children to create Spartans. It’s very uncomfortable and now it’s about to get personal and really painful. Cue mayhem!

JG: What was it like integrating characters of your own creation into the lives and stories of those who have already lived on the page (and in the games)?

KT: First and foremost, I’m still a news journalist at heart. I want to start from scratch, ask my questions, and get answers. I want to be objective,  tell the truth, and  let the interviewees speak for themselves, without twisting their words or injecting my own opinions—to see the world through their eyes.

So I decided which existing characters I wanted to follow, and looked again at the raw data—the absolute neutral basic  facts, i.e. what they did and when they did it. Then I rebuilt the characters using psychological profiling techniques.  The result is that you’ll see characters you think you know portrayed differently, perhaps too differently for some fans’ tastes, but I’ve done what i always do—build or rebuild fully realised characters who behave like real people, place them in the environment, and then follow where they lead, seeing the situation and the events through their eyes. They won’t always see the event the same way and there will be contradictions—the reader has to do some work and make their mind up about who they believe. No easy answers, no heroes or villains—just people, even if those people are aliens. Make up your own mind.

I think fans will find a very different Mendez to the one they’ve seen before. This is a CPO, and if you’re navy (as I am!)  then you know the power of the Chief.  And this guy is hardcore. He trains SBS/ SEALS, effectively. He certainly won’t wilt in the face of Catherine Halsey, believe me. He doesn’t give a damn about her Ph.Ds and he’s as stained by the Spartan programme as she is. Then there’s Halsey herself. Boy, as a journalist, I’d love to have interviewed a real individual like her. I have to see the world as she sees it, to be her for the duration of her point of view scenes, and getting into her head means that the logic and justification that makes sense to her must also make sense to me, however much I feel repelled by it when I step outside her head. Not even a serial killer sees himself (or herself – let’s not be sexist) as evil. Their world makes perfect sense to them. I don’t inject my opinions or steer readers. The joy of writing for me is to explore other minds totally unlike my own. Sometimes it’s fun, sometimes it’s unsettling and even unpleasant, but it’s always new. Maybe Halsey is right and she’s a patriot, maybe she’s a monster like Dr. Mengele. It’s your call.

And then there’s Margaret Parangosky. She’s solid gold for a writer like me. I couldn’t believe nobody had developed her before. A 92-year-old serving admiral who’s also the chief spook? Damn, she’s got to be one tough old bird. She and Halsey, alpha female to alpha female – one of the most rewarding scenes I’ve ever “reported.”

Oh, and Lucy. Lucy the Spartan III. I’m big on dialogue, but how do I tackle a character who can’t speak? Read the book and find out…

JG:  Let’s talk 2012.  What can your fans look forward to after the publication of Halo: Glasslands and the great, big, massively-anticipated release of Gears of War 3?

KT: The next year is going to be spent catching up with my novel schedule—I’ve been tied up with Gears 3 for a couple of years and I have to write more books now! I’m going to be getting on with my new creator-owned series, Privateers (Simon & Schuster), which isn’t the usual speculative fiction you’ve seen from me. It’s set on Earth a few years from now, in an even more uncertain world than we face today, and it’s about private military contractors, sometimes unkindly called mercenaries. But it’s still full of the mucky politics, authentic military action, and vivid characters you’ve come to expect from me. Some of my friends work for PMCs and I thought it was time a few fictional stereotypes were dispelled. So the first book is out next year, title to be announced. There’ll be another Gears of War book out next year, too—The Slab—and I’m continuing the Gears comic series, as well as the next HALO novel, obviously. So busy, busy, busy. Very busy.

JG: Thank you for your time Karen, and good luck with both upcoming releases!!  Halo: Glasslands will be available online and in bookstores nationwide on October 25, 2011. For more information on Karen Traviss and her books and other projects visit www.karentraviss.com.

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From the Tor/Forge November newsletter. Sign up to receive our newsletter via email.

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More from our November newsletter:

• My 14-Year-Old Self Might Take Issue with The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
• Oxen and Sociopaths: Writing Endurance by Jay Lake
• Life, the Universe, and the Large White Object by Caitlin Brennan

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Related Links:

• Read the prologue and chapter 1 of Halo: Glasslands on Tor.com, then read chapter 2 on Halo Waypoint.
• 343 Industries and Karen Traviss Talk Halo: Glasslands

New Releases: 10/25/2011

See upcoming releases.

Tor Books reveals title, cover art of first Halo novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss

Veteran author of bestselling Star Wars and Gears of War novels to launch first novel in all-new trilogy in the Halo Universe

HALO: GLASSLANDS
By Karen Traviss

Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world—are excited to reveal the title and cover of the first novel in an all-new trilogy by Karen Traviss that will explore the Halo Universe in the wake of the final events of Halo 3.  Halo novels published by Tor have sold over a million combined copies to date, and the entire Halo catalogue is now available in mass market paperback from Tor.  Along Karen’s debut Halo novel, Tor is also publishing the second novel from legendary science fiction author Greg Bear’s Halo Forerunner trilogy in 2012.  HALO: GLASSLANDS will be published on October 25, 2011. An unabridged audiobook edition will publish simultaneously with the new novel.

#1 New York Times best-selling author Karen Traviss has received critical acclaim and award nominations for her Wess’har series, as well as regularly hitting the bestseller lists with her Star Wars and Gears of War novels.  Her first foray into the Halo Universe came with “Human Weakness,” a short story from Fall 2009’s New York Times bestselling “Halo: Evolutions” anthology that introduced her to millions of new Halo fans. A former defense correspondent and TV and newspaper journalist, she lives in Wiltshire, England.

“HALO is one of the grandest, most epic science fiction stories ever told, across media,” says Tom Doherty, President and Publisher of Tor Books.  “The Halo novels are one of the most popular and well-loved genre series published this century, and we’re thrilled to have Karen to continue that grand tradition.”

HALO: GLASSLANDS, will follow-up the events and characters from Halo: Ghosts of Onyx in the wake of the final events of Halo 3.

“Although Karen’s novel deals with the characters and events from ’Ghosts of Onyx,’ it’s the wonderful new characters and scenarios that she brings so vividly to life that will excite Halo fiction fans,” says Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director for 343 Industries. “We get an incredible opportunity to explore the Halo universe in the aftermath of the Covenant war, and unveil some mysteries and storylines that will connect readers to a compelling corner of the Halo universe. I can’t wait for readers to enjoy this book as much as we have.”

The Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that have grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” for Xbox in 2001, the rich fiction of the franchise has since inspired a series of blockbuster Xbox and Xbox 360 video games, New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more. To date, sales in the Halo franchise have eclipsed $2.3 billion. Microsoft recently dropped a bombshell on Halo fans at E3 with two big announcements. Coming Nov. 15 2011, Microsoft will release “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary”, a spectacularly remastered version of the original “Halo” campaign bundled with some of the most beloved multiplayer maps in “Halo” history – all created in celebration of the 10th anniversary of one of the most beloved franchises in gaming history. Also announced was “Halo 4,” the hugely-anticipated next blockbuster installment that will mark the beginning of a new Halo trilogy when it releases in-stores during the 2012 holiday season.

About Tor Books

Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of hardcover and softcover books, founded in 1980 and committed (although not limited) to SF and fantasy literature. Between an extensive hardcover and trade-softcover line, an Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperback, Tor annually publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of science fiction and fantasy ever produced by a single English-language publisher. Books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields, and for the last twenty-three years in a row the company has been named Best Publisher in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.