Halo: The Flood

Description: "2552. Having barely escaped the final battle for Reach against the vast alien alliance known as the Covenant, the crew of the Pillar of Autumn, including Spartan John-117--the Master Chief--and his AI companion Cortana, is forced to make a desperate escape into slipspace. But their destination brings them to an ancient mystery and an even greater struggle. In this far-flung corner of the universe floats a magnificently massive, artificial ringworld. The crew's only hope of survival is to crash-land on its surface and take the battle opposing the Covenant to the ground"--Back cover.

Brief description: William C. Dietz (1945-2026) was the New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including Halo: The Flood, StarCraft: Heaven's Devils, and the Legion of the Damned series. He grew up in the Seattle area, served as a medic with the Navy and the Marines, and graduated from the University of Washington. Dietz worked as a surgical technician, a news writer, a college instructor, a television producer, and a director of public relations for an international telephone company prior to embarking on a full-time writing career.