Amazing stories

[Man Kerb]

For the people who have read Half Life; raising the bar. Have you seen those short novels written to give inspiration to the designers?

Those were extremely good written. I mean, really good. I was amazed. If you haven?t read them, do it now!


I know, it's a pointless thread. Just wanted to give heads up for people who have missed them. They really opened my eyes for the half life universe. Especially that one with Gordon waking up from stasis. That one was just amazing!

 

[Mech Man]

Short stories? You mean the possible senquences? Those were not short stories IIRC , they were possible plot directions.

 

[Polaris]

I absolutely agree. Marc Laidlaw is a great man with a lot of talent.

 

[amaranth]

Are those only in Raising the Bar?

 

[Man Kerb]

They were truly awesome!

 

[Man Kerb]

Page 164

 

[Fiberawptic]

Those were extremely good written.

Ironic

 

[Ridge]

Ironic

 

[kupocake]

Indeed they're interesting, and add a totally different (though entirely uncanonical) layer to the Half-Life mythos. Whilst totally contrary to the way the games are presented, the first person narration in 'Alyx' (p150-1) is intriguing stuff.

"He was beginning to develop a dread that the HEV suit might crap out at any moment, leaving him stranded, with its mnemoflex joints frozen into a rigid state, its autolocks dead. Here he would lie, awaiting the arrival of the guards like the rest of the cold unmoving crates in the car".

My favourite is probably 'Weather Control' (p184-5), especially as its from the small number of materials in the book that in being cut from Half-Life 2 has since become something like preview material for the later Episode Three. I also like the earlier, if somewhat generic ideas of the wasteland around City 17, and the extended train journeys that show more of how the 'environs' of a City in the Half-Life 2 timeline are structured, and how classic Half-Life nasties are kept outside the walls and taken as a fact of life. I don't regret the fact that 99% of this stuff doesn't appear in the game, but it's all perfect detail for an entirely story-based medium.

 

[Planetary]

Dammit there need to be a dedicated series of Half-life novels, soon as Episode Three is wrapped up. 1st thing I thought when reading those bits.
Drooooool.

 

[speedbump]

Dammit there need to be a dedicated series of Half-life novels, soon as Episode Three is wrapped up.

'Dedicated' is the key word. I agree with you, but the pressure on the author to carry-on the series may interfere with writing/plotting new storylines, thereby attracting a new generation of readers. It may take as-many-as 7-years to eliminate the pressure of consciously/subconsciously pandering to the readymade fan-base.

I'm afraid we'll hafta leave HL on the battlefield, a fallen friend/warrior amidst the smoke...

"We mourn, but we go-on..." Brian Aldiss