Nier: Automata Gets An Official Novel That Expands The Story

Viz Media has announced the worldwide pre-order for Long Story Short, the first of two novels that add additional context to the story and characters in Nier: Automata. The book is already available in Japan, and its English translation will release on October 9.

Long Story Short is written by Jun Eishima and Yoko Taro--the latter of which is the director of Nier: Automata--and works as both an entry point for those unfamiliar with Automata and as an avenue for those experienced with the game to further explore its lore. The novel includes story details and character thoughts that weren't included in Nier: Automata, some of which change your perception of certain actions taken by the game's protagonists.

In 2019, another Nier: Automata novel, titled Short Story Long, will release. Instead of following the events of the game, Short Story Long is a collection of short stories that take place within the Nier: Automata universe. The original Japanese version of Short Story Long is also already out and includes seven stories, but it has not been confirmed whether the English translation will include the same number. Short Story Long is also written by Jun Eishima and Yoko Taro.

You can pre-order Long Story Short for $15 in the U.S. and $20 in Canada, or nab it at a discount if you buy the digital version.

Nier: Automata was one of our favorite PS4 games in 2017 and we gave it a 9/10. In our Nier: Automata review, we described it as "Taro's most exciting game to date" and praised the combat mechanics and powerful storytelling--all of which remained in the game when it released on Xbox One in 2018.