The Mongoliad
| The Mongoliad | |
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 Application splash screen for The Mongoliad |
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| Author(s) | Neal Stephenson Greg Bear |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Middle Ages, Mongol Empire |
| Publisher | Subutai Corporation |
| Publication date | 2010 |
| Media type | Smartphone, Web, Print |
| ISBN | ISBN 978-1-61218-236-0 (paperback) |
| OCLC Number | 764354919 |
The Mongoliad is a fictional narrative set in Foreworld, a secret history transmedia franchise being developed by the Subutai Corporation.[1] The Mongoliad was originally released in a serialized format online, and via a series of iOS and Android apps, but has been restructured and re-edited for a definitive edition released via the Amazon Publishing imprint 47North, both in print and in Kindle format.
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Collaborators and format [edit]
The serialized edition is intended to be distributed primarily as a series of applications ("apps") for smartphones, which the Subutai Corporation views as a new model for publishing storytelling.[2] At the project's core is a narrative of adventure fiction following the exploits of a small group of fighters and mystics in medieval Europe around the time of the Mongol conquests. As well as speculative fiction authors Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Nicole Galland, Mark Teppo and others, collaborators include film-makers, computer programmers, graphic artists, martial artists and combat choreographers, video game designers, and a professional editor.[3] In a departure from conventional fiction, much of the content of The Mongoliad is in forms other than text, not bound to any single medium and not in the service of the central narrative. Once the project develops momentum, the Subutai Corporation envisions fans of the work contributing, expanding and enriching the narrative, and the fictional universe in which it takes place.[2]
According to Jeremy Bornstein, President of the Subutai Corporation, the genesis of the project was in Stephenson's dissatisfaction with the authenticity of the early modern sword fighting scenes he had written into his Baroque cycle of novels.[1] Stephenson gathered a group of martial arts enthusiasts interested in studying historical European swordfighting, and this eventually resulted in some of the members of this group collaborating on a set of stories that would make use of accurate representations of these martial arts.[4][5] The collaborators decided that the project need not limit itself to the traditional novel form and began developing ideas on how to produce it in different media while retaining the caliber that would be expected of a new work by authors such as Stephenson or Bear.[1]
An "alpha version" was demonstrated at the periodic application showcase SF App Show in San Francisco, California on May 25, 2010.[1][2]
The serialized project ran from September 1, 2010 until January 25, 2012. New chapters, as well as supplemental materials, were released on a semi-regular schedule. The iOS apps are available in the Apple App Store, and the Android app is available in the Android Store.[2] The print edition was published on April 24, 2012.
Subject of the novel version of The Mongoliad [edit]
The novel is set in the authors' "Foreworld" universe, which they describe as "almost like the world we live in," during the mid-thirteenth century (CE) Mongol invasion of Europe. Actual contemporary events described in the story include the Battle of Legnica, the battle of Khalakhaljid Sands, Tolui Khan's sacrificial death for his brother Ögedei Khan, and the Mongol sack of Volodymyr-Volynskyi in Kievan Rus'.
See also [edit]
- 253 (novel), a novel released in 1996 in the form of a website
- The Diamond Age, a 1995 novel by Stephenson which described interactive media
- Interactive novel
- Live action role-playing game
- The Plant, a 2000 novel by Stephen King which was serialized in e-book form
- Project Hieroglyph
Sources [edit]
- ^ a b c d Terdiman, Daniel (May 27, 2010). "Mongoliad will be an interactive serial novel produced for the iPad". Crave. CNet Asia. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Anders, Charlie Jane (May 21, 2010). "What on Earth is Neal Stephenson's Mongoliad?". io9. Gawker Media. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ Eaton, Kit (May 26, 2010). "The Mongoliad App: Neal Stephenson's Novel of the Future?". Fast Company. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ Bornstein, Jeremy. "Jeremy Bornstein & Lenny Raymond, The Mongoliad, Dorkbot-SF, 2010-06-09". Dorkbot. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ Newitz, Annalee (May 28, 2010). "Neal Stephenson and friends fight for the future of ebooks with The Mongoliad". io9. Gawker Media. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
External links [edit]
- Official website
- Subutai Corporation
- The Mongoliad at Facebook
- "Historical Scope" on YouTube from the Subutai Corporation channel
- "Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear and friends launch The Mongoliad: a shared universe that could only live on the Web", Boing Boing, May 25, 2010
- The Mongoliad discussed at Futurismic.com
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