Who wrote the Halo novel First Strike?

Eric Nylund wrote the Halo novel First Strike. Published in 2003, it bridges the story between Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2.

The novel follows Master Chief, Cortana, Captain Jacob Keyes's surviving forces, and other characters after the destruction of Installation 04. Its plot explains how the survivors return to human space and uncover a major Covenant threat before the events of Halo 2.

First Strike was Nylund's second Halo novel, following The Fall of Reach. It is sometimes confused with Halo: The Flood, which was written by William C. Dietz, or Contact Harvest, written by Joseph Staten.

Nylund's Halo fiction became notable for expanding events that the games only referenced. First Strike also helped establish continuity between the first two numbered games, making it a key entry in the early expanded universe.