BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction is a non-fiction book published by Catalyst Game Labs in 2009 about the science fiction wargame BattleTech . It includes artwork, a description of the development of the game, an historical timeline of in-game history, and twenty pieces of fiction by authors such as Michael A. Stackpole, Robert Charrette and Victor Milán.
In addition to many pieces of art related to BattleTech, the book contains:
FASA originally published BattleTech as a board wargame in 1984. Twenty-three years later, in 2007, Catalyst Game Design acquired the licenses to both BattleTech and Shadowrun . [1] : 386 For the 25th anniversary of the BattleTech franchise in 2009, Catalyst released Battletech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction, [1] : 386 a large 304-page coffee table book with lavish illustrations including "The Unseen", a number of pieces of art that had been used in early iterations of the game but had never been republished. Although originally offered for sale in July 2009, the book was almost immediately removed from Catalyst's inventory. A month later, Catalyst's managing editor Randall Bills revealed that after the book's release, Catalyst had discovered that the North American license for twelve of the "Unseen" images rested with another American company, the result of a confidential agreement following a court case in the 1990s. [2] Catalyst subsequently reprinted and released a new version of the book without the twelve images.
Writing for BattleGrip, Philip Reed called this book "the source of hours of entertainment. Though the fiction in the book may be new — and fun — it’s the art from the eighties, nineties, and up through 2009 that makes this book a great buy for anyone who has ever enjoyed the BattleTech games or fiction." Reed highly recommended the book, saying, "This book is one that I’ve taken off of the shelf countless times over the last few years. Excellent work and lots of fun." [3]
FASA Corporation was an American publisher of role-playing games, wargames and board games between 1980 and 2001, after which they closed publishing operations for several years, becoming an IP holding company under the name FASA Inc. In 2012, a wholly owned subsidiary called FASA Games Inc. went into operation, using the name and logo under license from the parent company. FASA Games Inc. works alongside Ral Partha Europe, also a subsidiary of FASA Corporation, to bring out new editions of existing properties such as Earthdawn and Demonworld, and to develop new properties within the FASA cosmology.
Michael Austin Stackpole is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for his Star Wars and BattleTech books. He was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, but raised in Vermont. He has a BA in history from the University of Vermont. From 1977 on, he worked as a designer of role-playing games for various gaming companies, and wrote dozens of magazine articles with limited distribution within the industry. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.
BattleTech is a wargaming and military science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2001, which was in turn acquired by Topps in 2003; and published since 2007 by Catalyst Game Labs. The trademark is currently owned by Topps and, for video games, Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios; Catalyst Game Studios licenses the franchise from Topps.
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the gaming industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 Origins.
Classic BattleTech is a table-top wargame set in the fictional BattleTech universe that simulates combat between futuristic mechanized forces. Originally published by FASA Corporation, the game is now produced by Catalyst Game Labs under license from WizKids. The term "Classic" is used to differentiate the original game from variants and related games that have derived from it, such as MechWarrior: Dark Age. The game has an extensive range of 1/285 scale miniatures.
Fantasy Productions Medienvertriebsgesellschaft GmbH is a German publishing company based in Erkrath.
Jordan Weisman is an American game designer, author, and serial entrepreneur who has founded five game design companies, each in a different game genre and segment of the industry.
Robert N. Charrette is an American graphic artist, game designer, sculptor and author. Charrette has authored more than a dozen novels. His gaming materials have received many Origins Awards. Charrette was inducted in the Origins Hall of Fame in 2003. His work is known for a clean, realistic style that invokes themes from Feudal Japan and Chanbara films and in particular, historical and fantastic representations of Samurai culture. His early work in game design and miniature sculpting set the tone for depictions of Japanese mythology in American fantasy and science fiction. His 1979 role-playing game Bushido was one of the first role-playing games with a non-Western theme and remained in print for more than three decades. Charrette produced gaming products for Fantasy Games Unlimited, Grenadier Models Inc., Ral Partha Enterprises, FASA and currently operates Parroom Enterprises, LLC, a boutique miniatures game company.
AeroTech is a tabletop wargame published by FASA and set in the BattleTech universe. It simulates combat between aerospace fighters, troop-carrying DropShips, and interstellar JumpShips and WarShips. The name "AeroTech" defines space/air elements of BattleTech universe. There have been five revisions of these rules.
Loren L. Coleman is an American science-fiction writer, born and grew up in Longview, Washington. He is known for having written many books for series such as Star Trek, Battletech/Mechwarrior, Age of Conan, Crimson Skies, Magic: The Gathering and others. He has also written game fiction and source material for such companies as FASA Corporation, TSR, Inc. and Wizards of the Coast. He resides in Washington with his wife Heather and three children.
MechWarrior is a set of role-playing game rules published by FASA Corporation in 1986 that were designed to be used with FASA's previously published mecha wargame BattleTech.
Elizabeth T. Danforth is an illustrator, editor, writer, and scenario designer for role-playing games and video games. She has worked in the game industry continuously since the mid 1970s.
MechWarrior: Dark Age is the title of an ongoing series of novels set in the BattleTech Universe. The series was created by WizKids and has a companion game MechWarrior: Dark Age. The Dark Age series of books is intended as a re-launch of the BattleTech book franchise, to create an easy starting point for new readers.
Formed in 1975, Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, is now known as Ral Partha Legacy Ltd. and produces miniature figures in 25 mm, 30 mm, 15 mm, and 54 mm scale. The company's products are made by spin-casting metal alloys which depict soldiers, adventurers and creatures that have been inspired by history and fiction. Their miniatures are sold at gaming conventions, in hobby shops, and by internet and mail order for use in role playing games, wargaming, dioramas, competitive painting, and collecting.
MechWarrior Online is a free-to-play vehicle simulation video game, officially launched during September 2013 by Piranha Games for Microsoft Windows. The game takes place within the larger BattleTech universe.
James Holloway was an American artist of fantasy and science fiction illustrations whose work appeared in role-playing games, on the cover of Dragon, and on the covers of board wargames.
Randall N. Bills is an American game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games.
InMediaRes Productions, LLC is an American game company that produces role-playing games and game supplements.
Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine is a magazine covering various BattleTech topics such as short fiction and campaign scenarios. The first issue was released in June 2020 by Catalyst Game Labs. Various BattleTech authors have appeared in the issues, such as Michael A. Stackpole and Blaine Lee Pardoe. It was a created after Catalyst Game Labs reached a stretch goal in a Kickstarter campaign. It has been called a spiritual successor to the original BattleTechnology magazine from the 1990s. The magazine is helmed by John Helfers and Philip A. Lee.
In the meantime, Battletech also had an anniversary in 2009. Catalyst celebrated that with BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction (2009). They were able to include stories in this print anniversary book thanks to their new license.