The Elder Scrolls Is Back, In Novel Form

[Keane Ng]

The Elder Scrolls Is Back, In Novel Form

Still find yourself hopping into Oblivion from time to time just to immerse yourself in that world? You might want to check out the Elder Scrolls novels Bethesda has teamed up with Del Rey to release this fall.

Seems like Bethesda's about everything but The Elder Scrolls these days, what with their most recent series of big announcements involving things like action titles WET and Rogue Warrior, and, as you've no doubt already heard [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91064-UPDATED-New-Fallout-Coming-From-Original-Fallout-Devs], a new Fallout.

I don't doubt that the Maryland studio's done with the franchise that was its original claim to fame, but until we hear about the next game, books will have to do, as Bethesda has teamed up with popular sci-fi and fantasy imprint Del Rey to publish a series of novels set in The Elder Scrolls universe.

New York Times bestselling author Greg Keyes [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Keyes] will write the two novels, the first of which, The Infernal City, is due for release this fall. The Infernal City is set after the events of Oblivion, and "finds the citizens of Tamriel once again facing an uncertain future." Turns out there's a floating city hanging around that casts an evil shadow, not in a figurative sense but an entirely literal one: it turns people into zombies. As these things usually go, it's left to a 17-year-old girl named Annaig and the Emperor's son, Prince Attrebus, to save the day.

Keyes has garnered international acclaim for hs steampunk Age of Unreason [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Keyes] series, as well as racked up sales with a number of bestselling Star Wars novels set in the New Jedi Order storyline.

"We've been big fans of Greg's work for a long time, and we're thrilled he agreed to bring his talents to The Elder Scrolls," Bethesda VP of public relations and marketing Pete Hines said. "We see these books as a natural extension of the franchise and think fans will love the stories and characters Greg has created."

Of course, if you don't want to spend money or look like a dork reading a videogame book on the subway, you could always just read some of the Elder Scrolls tales your fellow Escapists have been putting together [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.109200].

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[kawligia]

I hope they don't tie the stories of later games into the books such that I have to read them to fully appreciate the game. That will piss me off.

 

[Velocirapture07]

Sweet. Sounds pretty cool.

I hope they don't tie the stories of later games into the books such that I have to read them to fully appreciate the game. That will piss me off.

I wouldn't worry man, most of the video game based books I've read (and I've read quite a few) were stand alone stories.

 

[Cousin_IT]

they should release an encyclopedia of all the books from within the games rather than just make some probably generic fantasy tie ins. Id consider buying the former, dont care for the latter.

 

[Baby Tea]

Ahaha! Keane, I wuv you!
To remain on topic: You think they would have made an Elder Scrolls novel a while ago. Seems like a no-brainer to me. The lore is so thick it's just begging for it.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Time for me the get my reading goggles on. Because I'm the main hero in Digimon. I need goggles. I read the actual books in the games, why not read the books in reality?

 

[GonzoGamer]

IDK
Have you ever read some of the Warhammer (40K) novels?
A lot of this kind of stuff ends up resembling poorly crafted fanfiction.

However, I remember there being a few good D&D books: RA Salvatore penning most of them.

 

[Keane Ng]

Time for me the get my reading goggles on. Because I'm the main hero in Digimon. I need goggles. I read the actual books in the games, why not read the books in reality?

Wait, what?

 

[IHaveNoCoolness]

Novels about The Elder Scrolls? What are they going to be? Choose-your-own-adventure books?

That'll be a pass.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Time for me the get my reading goggles on. Because I'm the main hero in Digimon. I need goggles. I read the actual books in the games, why not read the books in reality?

Wait, what?

I've haven't read an actual "book" in a long time. I gotta get back into it. Reading glasses help people read, if they have a vision problem.

Also, in the Digimon series (from at least Season 1-4), the main character always has goggles. They actually had a use in Season 3, due to the weird fog that often accompanied a Digimon appearing. I don't know how they help with fog, but he pulled them down anyways.

 

[Baneat]

Of course I'll read them regardless if they're crappy, fanataticism(real world?) will do that to you.

 

[SirCannonFodder]

Novels about The Elder Scrolls? What are they going to be? Choose-your-own-adventure books?

That'll be a pass.

Have you read any of the in-game books? The Real Barenziah? 36 Sermons of Vivec? 2920, Last Year of the First Era? Dance in Fire (and the sequel The Argonian Account)? Just take a look at this index [http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/] of books in Morrowind. Notice how the first four sections are entirely non-fiction (non-fiction within the game world, of course)? Or maybe this [http://www.imperial-library.info/obbooks/] index, where a further six sections are non-fiction. Or maybe you could take a look at this heavily-abridged timeline [http://www.imperial-library.info/history/], stretching back some 10,000 years. Beginning to get a rough idea of how much material there is to write stories about? And that's just the stuff that's appeared in the games, there's also a bunch more [http://www.imperial-library.info/obscure_text/] written by the same people.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

I'd probably be more excited about a book which takes place right after Oblivion if Oblivion wasn't a terrible example of an Elderscrolls game. :/

 

[Mrsoupcup]

I might buy it, but it might make me seem more Nerdy than I already look.

 

[Lord Krunk]

I hope they don't tie the stories of later games into the books such that I have to read them to fully appreciate the game. That will piss me off.

The problem with Halo 3 right there.

On-Topic: This is interesting, I'll have to keep an eye out for them. Mind you, they'll never be released in Australia.

 

[kawligia]

I hope they don't tie the stories of later games into the books such that I have to read them to fully appreciate the game. That will piss me off.

I wouldn't worry man, most of the video game based books I've read (and I've read quite a few) were stand alone stories.

Well that's good.

Bethesda is probably more likely than others to get this right. They are one of the only ones to get sequels right. TES has an overarching theme that runs across all the games. That theme can be seen individually in each game. Each game's story stands completely alone. And each game incorporates stuff from previous games to create atmosphere without making it necessary to know in any way.

I just hope they don't forget that winning formula. They recently forgot one of their winning formulas in FO3 by making the game actually END.

Oh well, time will tell. Probably a lot of time since they don't seem to be even working on a new TES anyway. Which makes me wonder, WTF are their programers doing all day? They have to be working on SOMETHING. If not TES, then FO4? I hope to GOD it's not a FO MMO. /shudder

 

[Velocirapture07]

I hope they don't tie the stories of later games into the books such that I have to read them to fully appreciate the game. That will piss me off.

I wouldn't worry man, most of the video game based books I've read (and I've read quite a few) were stand alone stories.

Well that's good.

Bethesda is probably more likely than others to get this right. They are one of the only ones to get sequels right. TES has an overarching theme that runs across all the games. That theme can be seen individually in each game. Each game's story stands completely alone. And each game incorporates stuff from previous games to create atmosphere without making it necessary to know in any way.

I just hope they don't forget that winning formula. They recently forgot one of their winning formulas in FO3 by making the game actually END.

Oh well, time will tell. Probably a lot of time since they don't seem to be even working on a new TES anyway.

Good point about F/O 3. I couldn't believe it when the game ended...

 

[pffh]

I wonder if it will be similar to the lusty argonian maid.

 

[shadowelancer]

Heres hoping it will be as good a story as some of the games.