An official novelization of the game, titled "God of War", was announced in July 2009, along with a novelization of "God of War II". It was written by Matthew Stover and Robert E. Vardeman, and was published on May 25, 2010, by Del Rey Books. In an interview for "Play" magazine, Vardeman said a mythology book written in the 1930s got him interested in Greek mythology, and the chance to work on the "God of War" novel "was an opportunity not to be missed". He said giving the readers a solid plot foundation was necessary and the novel required extra material so that it did not simply follow the action of the game. Although he has not played the game, he said "God of War" was based on the traditional Edith Hamilton Greek mythology, essentially "the accepted mythology on steroids". Vardeman called Kratos a substantial character, continuing, "This conflict of motives makes him a great, if troubled, hero." He confirmed his work on the second "God of War" novel, saying there are many potential story ideas for Kratos and that "it would be a shame" if there were not additional books to fill in the details of his quests, such as stories of the time while he was a minion of Ares or before he met the Barbarian King. "God of War" was nominated for the International Association of Tie-in Writers Scribe Award as best adapted novel in 2010.