L.A. Noire Short Story Anthology Announced

Rockstar Games and Mulholland Books have partnered with popular authors of the thriller genre to publish a series of short stories, some of which will be based on L.A. Noire. The stories will be available for digital download on June 6, 2011 through major eBook retailers.

Megan Abbot, Lawrence Block, Joe Lansdale, Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Jonathan Santlofer, Duane Swierczynski and Andrew Vachss will all be authors contributing to this project. The stories, taking place in 1940s Hollywood, will depict the dramatic, glamorous lifestyles of those craving the spotlight, and will use recognizable characters and scenarios from the game.

“L.A. Noire draws on a rich history of not just film, but also great crime literature for inspiration,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “Using the game’s world as a springboard, we worked with the genre’s best writers to create stories that lived up to the finest traditions of crime fiction.”

“We are thrilled to be embarking on a creative partnership with the team at Rockstar Games,” said Michael Pietsch, Publisher of Little, Brown and Company. “The possibilities for cross-promotions of this nature, encouraging gamers to read and readers to play games are huge. We’re looking forward to a new frontier of book publishing possibilities and see Rockstar as an ideal partner.”

Some of the stories will be available before L.A. Noire’s release dates (May 17 in North America, May 20 in Europe.) An excerpt from “The Girl” by Megan Abbott is already available at www.rockstargames.com.