Del Rey, part of the Ballantine Books group, has agreed an artistic partnership (of sorts) with Epic Games Inc to create three novels based in the world of the Gears of War game. The first book is set for release at the end of October, this year, about ten days before the release of the Gears of War 2 game.

The Gears of War franchise has just rocketed like few game titles manage. Even those like GTA, which has proven a regular box office smash with each of its releases, has been unable to muster the same kind of merchandise sales as GOW is picking up now. You can buy full size replicas of all the weaponry and armour in the game, a board game, the works.

Fan fiction is hardly new, and Halo books are perhaps the most widely read adaptation of a video game. Halo is certainly the closest contender that Gears of War has in modern game releases although it could be argued that other games like Tomb Raider and Resident Evil that have spawned numerous Hollywood films are more popular. On that note, you might be interested to learn that there will also be a Gears of War film, there is an existing Gears of War comic, and in case you didin’t know it was once a game that actually remains one of the most widely played multiplayer Xbox Live games available.

But anyway, back to the point (eventually). The first of the three books will be penned by Karen Traviss and is to be called Gears of War: The Battle of Aspho Fields. For a short plot description we turn to the press release, which says:

“In GEARS OF WAR: THE BATTLE OF ASPHO FIELDS, the last human stronghold on Sera braces itself for another onslaught from the Locust Horde, as ghosts come back to haunt Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago. For Marcus — decorated war hero, convicted traitor — the return of an old comrade threatens to dredge up an agonizing secret he’s sworn to keep. As the beleaguered soldiers of the Coalition of Ordered Governments take a last stand to save humankind from extermination, the harrowing decisions made at Aspho Fields have to be relived and made again. Marcus and Dom can take anything the Locust Horde throws at them — but will their friendship survive the truth about Dom’s brother Carlos?”