''The Mongoliad'' is a fictional narrative set in the ''Foreworld Saga'', a secret history transmedia franchise developed by the Subutai Corporation. ''The Mongoliad'' was originally released in a serialized format online, and via a series of

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

and Android apps, but was restructured and re-edited for a definitive edition released via the

Amazon Publishing Amazon Publishing (simply APub) is Amazon's book publishing unit launched in 2009. It is composed of 15 imprints including AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing, Montlake Romance, Thomas & Mercer, 47North, and TOPPLE Books. Amazon publishes e-books via ...

imprint 47North, both in print and in Kindle format. Fan-submitted Foreworld stories were published via Amazon's

Kindle Worlds Kindle Worlds was a publisher service of the online retailer Amazon, devoted to providing a commercial venue for fan fiction creations of specific licensed media properties. It was established on May 22, 2013, as part of Amazon Publishing. In Augu ...

imprint.

Collaborators and format

The serialized edition was intended to be distributed primarily as a series of applications ("apps") for

smartphones A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, which ...

, which the Subutai Corporation viewed as a new model for publishing storytelling. 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 The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire: the Mongol Empire ( 1206- 1368), which by 1300 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...

. As well as speculative fiction authors

Neal Stephenson Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, postcyberpunk, and baroque. Stephenson's work exp ...

(chairman of Subutai),

Greg Bear Gregory Dale Bear (August 20, 1951 – November 19, 2022) was an American writer and illustrator best known for science fiction. His work covered themes of galactic conflict ('' Forge of God'' books), parallel universes ('' The Way'' series), ...

Nicole Galland Nicole Galland is an American novelist, initially known for her historical fiction. She has written ''The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.'' in collaboration with Neal Stephenson. She wrote the contemporary comedic novel ''Stepdog''. Under the name E.D. d ...

Mark Teppo Mark Teppo (born May 21, 1968) is an American author of contemporary fantasy and Science fiction. His work is strongly peppered with references to occult concepts, most commonly those of Hermeticism and Alchemy. Prior to his current tenure as a ...

and others, collaborators include filmmakers, computer programmers, graphic artists, martial artists and combat choreographers, video game designers, and a professional editor. In a departure from conventional fiction, much of the content of ''The Mongoliad'' was in forms other than text, not bound to any single medium and not in the service of the central narrative. Once the project developed momentum, the Subutai Corporation envisioned fans of the work contributing, expanding and enriching the narrative, and the fictional universe in which it takes place. 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 swordfighting scenes he had written into his series ''

The Baroque Cycle ''The Baroque Cycle'' is a series of novels by American writer Neal Stephenson. It was published in three volumes containing eight books in 2003 and 2004. The story follows the adventures of a sizable cast of characters living amidst some of th ...

''. 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. 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. An "

alpha version A software release life cycle is the sum of the stages of development and maturity for a piece of computer software ranging from its initial development to its eventual release, and including updated versions of the released version to help impro ...

" was demonstrated at the periodic application showcase SF App Show in

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

on May 25, 2010. 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 were available in the Apple App Store, and the Android app was available in the Android Store. The print edition was published on April 24, 2012. The mongoliad.com website was subsequently closed.

Subject of the published ''Mongoliad'' books

The serial novels and their related, shorter "SideQuests" are set in the authors' "Foreworld" universe, which they describe as "almost like the world we live in," during the mid-thirteenth century

Mongol invasion of Europe From the 1220s into the 1240s, the Mongols conquered the Turkic states of Volga Bulgaria, Cumania, Alania, and the Kievan Rus' federation. Following this, they began their invasion into heartland Europe by launching a two-pronged invasion of ...

, under leadership of

Genghis Khan ''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan'' , birth_name = Temüjin , successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan , spouse = , issue = , house = Borjigin , ...

and his successor

Ögedei Khan Ögedei Khagan (also Ogodei;, Mongolian: ''Ögedei'', ''Ögüdei''; – 11 December 1241) was second khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire. The third son of Genghis Khan, he continued the expansion of the empire that his father had begun. ...

. The story includes descriptions of Ögedei Khan's court (notably, his rolling "ordo" tent); the geography, flora and fauna of the great

Eurasian Steppe The Eurasian Steppe, also simply called the Great Steppe or the steppes, is the vast steppe ecoregion of Eurasia in the temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands biome. It stretches through Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Transnistri ...

; and especially

medieval European In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire an ...

and Asian martial arts. A parallel plot line takes place in Rome, and includes highly detailed depictions of a

papal conclave A papal conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop of Rome, also known as the pope. Catholics consider the pope to be the Apostolic succession, apostolic successor of Saint ...

Historical events and persons depicted in the ''Mongoliad'' series

The novels incorporate historical events in Poland, Rome, Russia and central Asia that ran concurrently with the last major events of the Mongol invasion. The authors construct a fictional narrative that connects all these events of the year 1241, describing some earlier historical events and adding other entirely fictional events and characters. Some medieval mythology is also included in the later books, especially the

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...

and elements of

Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...

. Mongol events and persons described in the books include Ögedei's recollection of the 1201 battle of Khalakhaljid Sands, which cemented Ghengis' leadership of the clans, and the 1229 death of his brother

Tolui Tolui (also Toluy, Tului; , meaning: "the mirror"; – 1232) was a Mongol khan, the fourth son of Genghis Khan by his chief khatun, Börte. At his father's death in 1227, his ''Orda (organization), ulus'', or territorial inheritance, was the ...

, described in

The Secret History of the Mongols ''The Secret History of the Mongols'' (Middle Mongol: ''Mongɣol‑un niɣuca tobciyan''; Traditional Mongolian: , Khalkha Mongolian: , ; ) is the oldest surviving literary work in the Mongolian language. It was written for the Mongol royal fam ...

as a heroic sacrifice to save Ögedei's life. Later, the 1241 death of Ögedei Khan (cause unknown) and the resulting recall of all the Khans to select a new "Khan of Khans" is woven into the fictional narrative. The

Siege of Kiev (1240) The siege of Kiev by the Mongols took place between November 28 and December 6, 1240, and resulted in a Mongol victory. It was a heavy morale and military blow to Halych-Volhynia and allowed Batu Khan to proceed westward into Europe. Backgroun ...

and other events in the

Mongol invasion of Rus The Mongol Empire invaded and conquered Kievan Rus' in the 13th century, destroying numerous southern cities, including the largest cities, Kiev (50,000 inhabitants) and Chernihiv (30,000 inhabitants), with the only major cities escaping dest ...

and Europe are described in 1241 by a survivor, as a group of the novel's fictional characters pass through the ruined city. The

Battle of Mohi The Battle of Mohi (11 April 1241), also known as Battle of the Sajó River''A Global Chronology of Conflict: From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East'', Vol. I, ed. Spencer C. Tucker, (ABC-CLIO, 2010), 279; "Although Mongol losses in t ...

(Hungary) and the Battle of Legnica (Poland) are also described by fictional "survivors". Several religious orders of knights formed during the Crusades (and their leaders), including the

Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...

and

Livonian Brothers of the Sword german: Schwertbrüderordenfrench: Ordre des Chevaliers Porte-Glaive , image= , caption= , dates=1204–1237 , country= Terra Mariana , allegiance= Catholic Church , garrison= Wenden (Cēsis), Fellin (Viljandi), Segewold (Sigulda). Aschera ...

are involved in the narrative. Historical events and persons in 1241 Rome include the papal conclave that selected Cardinal Castiglione to become

Pope Celestine IV Pope Celestine IV ( la, Caelestinus IV; c. 1180/1187 − 10 November 1241), born Goffredo da Castiglione, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States for only a few days from 25 October 1241 to his death in 10 November 1241. ...

. Cardinal Fieschi (later

Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV ( la, Innocentius IV; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universitie ...

), and other future Popes are also members of the conclave. Senator

Matteo Rosso Orsini Matteo Rosso Orsini (1178–1246), called the Great, was an Italian politician, the father of Pope Nicholas III. He was named ''senatore'' of the City of Rome by Pope Gregory IX in 1241: in this capacity he took a firm stand against the ventur ...

and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II also appear as fictionalized characters.

Alexander Nevsky Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (russian: Александр Ярославич Невский; ; 13 May 1221 – 14 November 1263) served as Prince of Novgorod (1236–40, 1241–56 and 1258–1259), Grand Prince of Kiev (1236–52) and Grand P ...

's 1242 campaign against German and Estonian invaders is a major subject of Book 4, including the climactic

Battle on the Ice The Battle on the Ice (german: Schlacht auf dem Eise; russian: Ледовое побоище, ''Ledovoye poboishche''; et, Jäälahing), alternatively known as the Battle of Lake Peipus (german: Schlacht auf dem Peipussee), took place on 5 Apr ...

. The mythical

Baba Yaga In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga, also spelled Baba Jaga (from Polish), is a supernatural being (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) who appears as a deformed and/or ferocious-looking woman. In fairy tales Baba Yaga flies around in a ...

helps the protagonists defend

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...

. In Book 5, the action shifts to the

Albigensian Crusade The Albigensian Crusade or the Cathar Crusade (; 1209–1229) was a military and ideological campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc, southern France. The Crusade was prosecuted primarily by the French crown ...

against

Catharism Catharism (; from the grc, καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure ones") was a Christian dualist or Gnostic movement between the 12th and 14th centuries which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France. Follow ...

, and the 1244 siege of

Château de Montségur The Château de Montségur (English: Castle of Montsegur; Languedocien dialect, Languedocien: ) is a former fortress near Montségur, a Commune in France, commune in the Ariège (department), Ariège Departments of France, department in southern ...

Commercially-published Foreworld Saga novels and short stories

''The Mongoliad Cycle''

The series is identified interchangeably by the publisher as ''The Foreworld Saga'' and ''Mongoliad Cycle''. * ''The Mongoliad, Book One,'' by Neal Stephenson, Erik Bear, Greg Bear, Joseph Brassey, Nicole Galland (aka E.D. deBirmingham), Cooper Moo and Mark Teppo; April, 2012. * ''The Mongoliad, Book Two,'' by Neal Stephenson, Erik Bear, Greg Bear, Joseph Brassey, Nicole Galland (aka E.D. deBirmingham), Cooper Moo and Mark Teppo; September, 2012. * ''The Mongoliad, Book Three,'' by Neal Stephenson, Erik Bear, Greg Bear, Joseph Brassey, Nicole Galland (aka E.D. deBirmingham), Cooper Moo and Mark Teppo; February, 2013. * ''Katabasis, The Foreworld Saga, Book Four'', by Joseph Brassey, Cooper Moo, Mark Teppo and Angus Trim, October, 2013. (The first ''Foreworld'' novel not co-authored by Neal Stephenson.) * ''Siege Perilous, The Mongoliad Cycle, Book Five,'' by Nicole Galland (writing as E.D. deBirmingham); January, 2014

Foreworld SideQuests

These are, with the exception of the "Foreworld SideQuest Comics", of novelette length. They were initially published in e-book and audio formats. * ''Sinner'', by Mark Teppo; August, 2012. * ''Dreamer'', by Mark Teppo; September, 2012. * ''The

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

in Chains'', by Mark Teppo; October, 2012. * ''The Shield Maiden'', by Michael Tinker Pearce and Linda Pearce; November, 2012. * ''The Beast of Calatrava'', by Mark Teppo; January, 2013. * ''Seer'', by Mark Teppo; February, 2013. * ''The Book of Seven Hands'', by Barth Anderson; March, 2013. * ''The Assassination of

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

'', by Joseph Brassey; April, 2013. * ''Hearts of Iron'', by Scott James Magner; May, 2013. * ''Symposium #1'' (comic format), by

Christian Cameron Christian Gordon Cameron (born August 16, 1962) also writes under the pen names ''Miles Cameron'' and ''Gordon Kent'' (used only for those novels written with his father, author Kenneth Cameron). Christian, a Canadian novelist, was educated and t ...

(author) and Dmitry Bondarenko (illustrator); July, 2013. * ''Tyr's Hammer'' by Michael Tinker Pearce and Linda Pearce; October, 2013. * ''Symposium #1'' (comic format), by Christian Cameron (author) and Dmitry Bondarenko (illustrator); October, 2013. * ''

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

versus the Assassins'', by M. Harold Page; November, 2013. * ''Blood and Ashes'', by Scott James Magner; February, 2014 * '' Suffrajitsu: Mrs. Pankhurst's Amazons'' (comic format), by Tony Wolf (author) and João Vieira (illustrator); January, 2015.

Kindle World fan fiction stories

In keeping with Subutai's original intent to augment the Foreworld Saga with fan or community content,

fan fiction Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settin ...

publisher

published ten new stories "inspired by" the ''Foreworld Saga'' in June, 2013. ''Foreworld Saga'' co-author and

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

Mark Teppo explains, "As you can see from the Kindle Worlds storefront, there is a distinction between Canon and Kindle Worlds material. We’d like to see some of the Kindle Worlds material elevate itself up to Canon by its quality." * ''The Outcast'', by Robert Kroese; June, 2013. Taking place during the Viking invasions. * ''The Qian,'' by Aric Davis; June, 2013. Taking place during the Mongol war. * ''Kingdom of Glass,'' by Roberto Calas; June, 2013. Taking place toward the end of the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

. * ''Sword of the Scholar'', by Mel Odom; June, 2013. Taking place during the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

China. * ''Bloodaxe,'' by Charles Sasser; June, 2013. Taking place during the Viking invasions. * ''The Brutus Coin'', by Leigh Knight; June, 2013. Taking place after the assassination of Julius Caesar. * ''Envoy,'' by Anselm Audley; June, 2013. Taking place during the wars of Attila the Hun. * ''Belly Full of Hell'', by Aric Davis; June, 2013. Pit fighting during the Mongol war. * ''The Mountain of Mist and Shadow,'' by S.M. Ruttan; June, 2013. Taking place during Julius Caesar's wars. * ''The Adventures of Dysingli Soon,'' by Joanna D. Jakubcin; June, 2013. Taking place in Medieval Rome. * ''Lanes of the Victorious,'' by Jon Mickus; January, 2014. Taking place during the

First Mithridatic War The First Mithridatic War (89–85 BC) was a war challenging the Roman Republic's expanding empire and rule over the Greek world. In this conflict, the Kingdom of Pontus and many Greek cities rebelling against Roman rule were led by Mithridates ...

of the Roman Republic. * ''Sword of Mongetai,'' by Richard Stiller; March, 2014. Taking place right after the Mongol invasions of

. * ''Out of the East,'' by Jerry Goodwyn; March, 2014. Taking place after the death of

Pope Clement IV Pope Clement IV ( la, Clemens IV; 23 November 1190 – 29 November 1268), born Gui Foucois ( la, Guido Falcodius; french: Guy de Foulques or ') and also known as Guy le Gros ( French for "Guy the Fat"; it, Guido il Grosso), was bishop of Le P ...

. * ''Infernal Castles,'' by Jon Mickus; July, 2014. The sequel to ''Lanes of the Victorious''. * ''Shield of Mongetai,'' by Richard Stiller; August, 2014. The sequel to ''Sword of Mongetai''. * ''The Veil of God,'' by R. Randolph Irwin; December, 2014.

Sources

External links

Official site

Subutai Corporation

Fan/author recruitment site at Kindle Worlds

Video:
Neal Stephenson and Greg Bear discuss the historical scope of ''The Mongoliad''

Boing Boing ''Boing Boing'' is a website, first established as a zine in 1988, later becoming a group blog. Common topics and themes include technology, futurism, science fiction, gadgets, intellectual property, Disney, and left-wing politics. It twice won ...

, May 25, 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Mongoliad, The 2010 works Adventure fiction Electronic literature works Europe in fiction Works by Greg Bear Works by Neal Stephenson Secret histories