As part of an upcoming interview with science fiction author William C Dietz, Big Download has learned that the writer has been hired to write a new novel set in BioWare's Mass Effect game universe. In the interview when we ask if he plays games regularly he answered, "I do play games regularly, and was busy working my way through the latest Call Of Duty game, when I was hired to write a Mass Effect tie-in. So I had to switch and play all of the ME games. Full time. For a week. It's tough to be me:) " While he offered no details on the novel itself he did say the Mass Effect novel was "... due to the publisher in early 2011."

Two Mass Effect prose novels have already been released and the third, Mass Effect: Retribution, is set for release on July 27. All three novels have been written by BioWare script writer Drew Karpyshyn.

Dietz is no stranger to game-based novels, having written books based on Star Wars: Dark Forces/Jedi Knight, the Resistance series, the Halo series and Hitman. His latest novel is StarCraft: Heaven's Devils which serves as a prequel of sorts to StarCraft II. Look for the full interview with Dietz on Big Download, where he talks more about Starcraft Heaven's Devils, next week.