The first experience I had with the Halo series was through watching gameplay on YouTube, and oh boy, was I intrigued by the Halo universe, characters, graphics, and smooth and transcending storyline. Halo is indeed a cinematic experience that has impressed viewers over the years. Although different adaptations of 343's Halo have been released over time, with the latest being in 2022, it never fails to impress. The 2022 Halo film series has an impressive review score on Rotten Tomatoes, standing at 70%, and its IMDb rating is 7.2. That is not a bad performance at all. In my chat with Troy Denning on his latest book, Halo: Outcasts, he speaks about writing the book, his best character and his influence, the future of AI.

I prefer books to movies on account of how wild and wide my imagination can roam and the way words can be strung together to trigger sensations and emotions.

For the sci-fi Action genre, however, the subject matter is often technical, and readers might not be familiar with some concepts.

So, for me, seeing the Halo games first helped to shape my thoughts of certain concepts, elements, weapons, and creatures, but it did not in any way take away my love for the books. Yet, one cannot help but wonder how writers think of these worlds and concepts. In my conversation with Troy Denning, he mentions being an avid reader and follower of Amy Webb and Michio Kaku.

Halo: Outcasts

Halo: Outcasts is one of the standalone stories of the Halo Series, written by Troy Denning. It did not come short of wowing us with beautiful words describing the universe, characters, and action sequences.

Here’s the summary and plot:

After the Covenant fell, the Sangheilis now have their battles to fight: demarcating friends and enemies, choosing allies, and safeguarding against adversaries.

It is set around November 2559 after the destruction of Dosiac by Forerunner Guardians and is controlled by the AI Cortana. The powerful Sangheilis are now subjects, and Arbiter Thel 'Vadam's attempt to unite them fails. An oath warden's (Crei Ayomuu) conscience awakens and he has to fight for what he believes is right.

Buy the Book on Amazon (Release Date: August 8th, 2023)

Troy Denning on The Writing of Halo: Outcasts

Although he had written on different themes in the series, such as The Ferrets and Master-Chief and The Blue Team, this is Denning Troy’s first work in the standalone series. As a writer, I wondered what that was like because when different writers work on a tie-in job, it certainly has its challenges. So, I asked Troy Denning to talk about the writing process for Halo: Outcasts.

Me: Considering there were writers in the Halo Universe before you and a story context was already set for prominent characters, was it difficult to adapt to the setting and character development? And to eventually develop them into Halo Outcasts?

**Denning:**Was it difficult? Not at all. One of the joys of writing media tie-ins is that there is such a wealth of material to draw on.

I am aware of the Halo Story Bible, a material which is to provide support to writers on continuity and the background of characters and settings. I wanted to know what that was like.

What do you think of using a story guide, e.g., the "Halo Story Bible," when doing a tie-in writing job? What is your advice for people who are involved in such jobs?

Denning: "I have heard writers new to tie-in work complain that they’re limited by pre-existing material and the IP’s story parameters. Usually, what they’re really complaining about is having to do their research.

"When an editor is trying to recruit you to work in a new universe, s/he will often tell you not to worry about the pre-existing lore, that the IP has continuity editors to help you along. It’s a mistake to accept that at face value.

"The continuity editors do a wonderful job, but it’s just impossible to deliver a book that matches the spirit of the (licensed intellectual property) IP if you don’t know the IP. To do that, you have to read widely in it.

"More importantly, the wealth of lore works as a creative springboard. It’s like a group brainstorming session, where the synergy of a lot of disparate viewpoints produces ideas far better than anything one person could have thought of on his own. Imagine having an entire library of ideas to bounce off—stuff you’d have never thought of in a hundred years, but which sparks something different and even better when you see it?

"You have to be willing to do the research, but it’s those kinds of flashes that keep me coming back to tie-in work."

Halo: Outcasts Characters

Me: Halo: Outcasts has interesting characters. Some have established backgrounds, but there are some whose plots are just budding. First, which character(s) did you enjoy writing? Is there any character from this book that you would love to spend more time with in the future?

Denning: “Vale and Vadam. I loved writing both of them.

“I’d like to bring Crei ‘Ayomuu back as a recurring villain. There’s still a ton of material to explore about the Oath Wardens, and it would be fun to build that out in the future.

“I think the readers (and I) will also want to see what becomes of Rosa Fuertes (who changed her name from Roselle inOblivion).

“And, of course, Vale and Vadam. It will be a delight to write about them again.”

Me: Interesting. Certainly, Vale and ‘Vadam had their marks all over the book (I wish I could talk about it, but no spoilers).

Halo: Outcasts and The Future of AI

The Halo series is set in the 2500s. The technology there is still time away—not very far away—from reality, even though the foundations are laid now. Troy acknowledges following scientific trends, especially in physics.

To that, he mentions some influential and favorite futurists, Amy Webb and Michio Kaku, whose "work suggests a lot of the technology in Halo is just around the corner."

With his exposure and ongoing research in the cinematic and technological worlds, Troy believes the future is not far away, as we do not fully know the capabilities of AI and how it would affect our reading and books. Whatever that future is, he believes it will be strange to those who are alive in this generation.

He says,  "I’m doubtful we’ll have faster-than-light travel by the 2500s (or ever). But I suspect we’ll see 80–90% of everything else—probably much sooner than the 2500s.

"By 2500, I suspect books, Earth, society, and probably even the human species will be unrecognizable to someone from our era—assuming, of course, we survive climate change."

That’s very reflective, both about the present and the future. Astrophysics, quantum physics, biotechnology, and biomedical engineering will change the way we see things and think of what we currently call natural orders, with AI being at the forefront of them all.

Final Thoughts

Truly, current discoveries and scientists, at large, are impressive and keep us hopeful for life-improving technology in a future not too far from here.

As he said, all of that is possible, assuming we survive climate change.

Already, I am looking forward to reading Ayomuu as a villain!

PS: Thanks to Troy Denning for granting the request for the interview.

Also, my gratitude goes out to the HackerNoon team for making this happen. May the odds be in your favor and the force be with you.

Buy the Book on Amazon (Release Date: August 8th, 2023)