Books like Halo: Primordium

Typically, when one is reading a series of sci-fi or fantasy novels, there comes a point – usually after the end of the first book, MAYBE a bit into the second book – when the reader will feel totally “at home” within the trilogy – that is to say, they’ll have developed a solid grasp of the world and characters, and can progress into the ongoing story without feeling like they’re still having to learn the complicated ins and outs of the basic mythos. It’s the point where the reader can more or less sit back, relax, and enjoy the story being told to them, without fear of being left behind. In essence, it’s a reward to the reader, from the author: “You’ve put in the hard work of “getting” the world I’ve created. Now it’s time for you to enjoy the story I have to tell.”If “The Forerunner Saga” is any indication, Greg Bear clearly doesn’t care about rewarding his readers.That’s not necessarily a criticism, mind you, but more of a warning: anyone going into these novels expecting easy-to-understand world building or clear motivations on the parts of the characters are in for a disappointment. Because two books and 731 pages into Bear’s trilogy, and I STILL find myself struggling – quite massively – to understand even the most basic underlying ideas of Bear’s mythology. What do the Forerunners do? Where did the Flood come from? What’s humanity’s purpose in the galaxy? What was the end-goal for the Halo rings? These are core foundational questions about the narrative that are still being kept (I’m assuming) purposefully unclear, at least until (again, I’m assuming) the third and final novel in the trilogy, “Silentium,” at which point – (last time, I promise - assumedly) – the shroud will be lifted and the exact nature of what exactly is going on will be revealed. If not…well, I'm gonna be more than a little ticked off for devoting as much time and mental energy as I have into these things.To say that “The Forerunner Saga” so far has proven to be an exhausting and somewhat unsatisfying experience would be an understatement – it’s not exactly “fun” to read two uber-dense sci-fi novels and still be left at the end with almost zero clue of what’s going on. And yet – YET – I’m still holding out hope that with “Silentium,” Bear can crystallize exactly what’s what, bring everything full-circle (no pun intended), and prove that this long, long ride through this corner of the “Halo” universe will have had a point beyond just confounding the reader. Right now, I’m skeptical…but I would also love nothing more than to be proven wrong.