At Eve Vegas last month an announcement was made that military author Jeff Edwards (in conjunction with backing of The Mittani Media) had been signed up to create the first printed EVE Online fiction book since Tony Gonzales’ Templar One was published in 2012.
The Fountain War will be based on the now notorious regional conflict that took place in EVE Online in 2013 between The Imperium (aka The CFC) and Test Alliance Please Ignore, along with its allies the N3 coalition. The Fountain war was a conflict that spanned over two months , eventually culminating in the now legendary battle of 6VDT-H involving more than 4,000 players. 6VDT-H was, at the time, the largest single engagement in EVE history and resulted in the destruction of almost 2,000 ships and over 600 pods. The total ISK value of destroyed ships and modules was equivalent to $15,000 in PLEX.
The final showdown was watched by over 10,000 people on-line and made headlines on prominent real world news sites including the BBC.
The war has had such a long lasting impact on those involved that two years later it can still be felt today, with many participants still fondly (or regretfully) retelling their stories.
Of course the battles themselves are just a small part of the overall story and so it seems fitting that the events leading up to that climatic battle be immortalised.
To that end, The Mittani Media and CCP Games began a collaboration to write a pseudo science non-fiction book – The Fountain War, to preserve a piece EVE History forever as a space-war thriller before it fades into obscurity. This will be the first EVE book of its kind to retell events that actually happened, rather than one based on the lore of the EVE universe.
Of course to write such a book you need an experienced author, one that is no stranger to writing military and techno style thrillers.
Enter retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer and Anti-Submarine Warfare Specialist Jeff Edwards – after all EVE Online is often referred jocularly as a submarine simulator, drawing many parallels in its organisation and execution to military operations. So a writer with more than two decades of experience would be a natural choice for such a book to add that extra level of realism and detail.
As a celebrated American Military writer Jeff Edwards can claim a number of awards to his name including the 2005 Admiral Nimitz Award, 2008 Clive Cussler Grandmaster Award, and most recently the 2011 Military Writers Society of America Navy Fiction Gold Medal.
Two of Jeff Edwards’ books have also been optioned by Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum producer Paul L. Sandberg for production as major motion pictures.
As part of the writing process Jeff Edwards has invited participants of the war to share their own stories by emailing him at [email protected] or via [email protected] (to reach Jeff directly).
To make sure the project retains its identity as a unique part of EVE History the decision was ultimately made to bypass the usual publishing channels and go directly to the people who were involved in the conflict itself – The EVE Community.
Hence, the Kickstarter was born.
The Mittani Media is offering a huge choice of possible rewards for backing the project. Starting from $10 for a digital copy of the book or $15 for a paperback version, all the way up to private VIP parties at EVE Fanfest, onboard a yacht or at EVE Vegas.
Finally, those with deeper pockets the grand reward of a stand-alone chapter dedicated to your character’s personal in-game history.
The Kickstarter bid is looking to raise $150,000 and closes on December 7. You can read more details about the bid and see the full selection of backing options here.
Editors Note – Since the time of original publication the kickstarter has been subject to some changes. Some of the rewards have been removed and new ones added. This article has been updated accordingly.
