Hoping this doesn't get removed, but wondering if anyone has heard or seen anything about the series being continued since the authors unfortunate passing. I knew there was some talk of it immediately after. I'm only asking here because I'm afraid this community is the one that might even know the series at all. I reread all the work that is completed annually. It's up there with some of the best sci-fi I've ever read and certainly my favorite.
There are many more who know about the series because he had (has) a huge following. His site (https://aspartanswarchronicles.com) is no competitor for SOL so there's no problem mentioning it. As far as finishing book 5, that's up to his family but I doubt very much that it will be continued. It's very, very difficult to complete a book from another author, especially one as extended as this series.
It's my understanding that the family was open to a continuation from someone who they trusted to do a good job.
That said, unless Mike Cropo left extensive notes, it would undoubtedly go in a direction that he didn't intend (simply because I'm not sure how one would know where he was taking it), and even if he DID leave extensive notes it would be still be hard to pick up the same voices for the characters.
Writing a different story set in the same universe featuring secondary characters is an entirely different ballgame. Someone could do that, especially if it was acceptable to the family.
This was discussed on the forums on the site Keet mentions.
Mike did not leave notes to a significant degree and his style would make it very difficult to continue - plus there are a LOT of moving parts and plotlines.
Even bringing the current state to a satisfying close would be, for all intents and purposes, almost impossible.
