The Book of the War (novel): Difference between revisions

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=== The History of Faction Paradox ===
=== The History of Faction Paradox ===
{| width="100%"
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* The [[Anchoring of the thread|Anchoring of the Thread]]
* The [[Anchoring of the thread|Anchoring of the Thread]]
* [[Faction Paradox armour|Armour (Faction Paradox)]]
* [[Faction Paradox armour|Armour (Faction Paradox)]]
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* [[Protocols of Linearity]]
* [[Protocols of Linearity]]
* [[Loa]]
* [[Loa]]
|
* [[London]] ([[18th century|Eighteenth Century]])
* [[London]] ([[18th century|Eighteenth Century]])
* Godfather [[Morlock]]
* Godfather [[Morlock]]
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* The [[Unkindness]]es
* The [[Unkindness]]es
* [[Houses of Parliament|New Palace of Westminster]]
* [[Houses of Parliament|New Palace of Westminster]]
|}


=== The History of Earth ===
=== The History of Earth ===
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* The [[Analytical engine|Analytical Engine]]
* The [[Analytical engine|Analytical Engine]]
* The [[Book of Enoch]]
* The [[Book of Enoch]]
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* [[Karachi]]
* [[Karachi]]
* [[Liber Sanguisugarum]]
* [[Liber Sanguisugarum]]
|
* [[Mal'akh]]
* [[Mal'akh]]
* The [[Maltese incident|Maltese Incident]]
* The [[Maltese incident|Maltese Incident]]
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* [[House Xianthellipse]]
* [[House Xianthellipse]]
* [[Robert Scarratt]]
* [[Robert Scarratt]]
|}


=== The A-Z of the War ===
=== The A-Z of the War ===
With the inclusion of the prior and subsequent entries, "Robert Scarratt" and "Jungle Children", this section includes one entry for every letter of the alphabet.<ref>In the original "Design Spec" document, the nonexistent entry "Scarratt's Group" was included in this section as an intentional error.</ref>
With the inclusion of the prior and subsequent entries, "Robert Scarratt" and "Jungle Children", this section includes one entry for every letter of the alphabet.<ref>In the original "Design Spec" document, the nonexistent entry "Scarratt's Group" was included in this section as an intentional error.</ref>
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* House Strategist [[Entarodora]]
* House Strategist [[Entarodora]]
* The [[Monsters Coda|"Monsters" Coda]]
* The [[Monsters Coda|"Monsters" Coda]]
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* [[Apportation]]
* [[Apportation]]
* [[Dressing up as women|Women (Dressing Up As)]]
* [[Dressing up as women|Women (Dressing Up As)]]
|
* [[Nechronomancer]]s
* [[Nechronomancer]]s
* [[Highest Entropy Matter|HEM (Highest Entropy Matter)]]
* [[Highest Entropy Matter|HEM (Highest Entropy Matter)]]
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* "[[Killerbot]]s" (Autonomic)
* "[[Killerbot]]s" (Autonomic)
* [[Temporal vaccination|Vaccinations (Temporal)]]
* [[Temporal vaccination|Vaccinations (Temporal)]]
|}


=== Houses and Orders ===
=== Houses and Orders ===
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* [[jungle child|Jungle Children]]
* [[jungle child|Jungle Children]]
* [[Hauserkinder]]
* [[Hauserkinder]]
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* [[Cast]]s
* [[Cast]]s
* [[House Catherion]]
* [[House Catherion]]
|
* [[House Ixion]]
* [[House Ixion]]
* [[Lethean Campaign]]
* [[Lethean Campaign]]
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* [[War prediction|War Predictions]]: Chatelaine [[Thessalia]]
* [[War prediction|War Predictions]]: Chatelaine [[Thessalia]]
* [[Zo la Domini]]
* [[Zo la Domini]]
|}


=== The History of the Homeworld ===
=== The History of the Homeworld ===
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* [[Closed Session]] (of the [[Ruling Houses]])
* [[Closed Session]] (of the [[Ruling Houses]])
* [[Dronid]]
* [[Dronid]]
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* The [[Lord President|Presidency]]
* The [[Lord President|Presidency]]
* [[Protocols of the Great Houses]]
* [[Protocols of the Great Houses]]
|
* [[Regen-inf|Regen-Inf]]
* [[Regen-inf|Regen-Inf]]
* The [[Ruling Houses]]
* The [[Ruling Houses]]
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* Appendix III: [[Carmen Yeh]]'s "[[Fantastical Travels in an Infinite Universe]]"
* Appendix III: [[Carmen Yeh]]'s "[[Fantastical Travels in an Infinite Universe]]"
* [[Compassion]]
* [[Compassion]]
|}


=== The History of Posthumanity ===
=== The History of Posthumanity ===
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* [[Earth]]: History
* [[Earth]]: History
* [[Posthuman]]ity
* [[Posthuman]]ity
* [[Praxis]]
* [[Praxis]]
* [[Siloportem]]
* [[Siloportem]]
|
* [[Time travel|Time-Travel]]: Posthuman
* [[Time travel|Time-Travel]]: Posthuman
* [[War prediction|War Predictions]]: The [[Rivera Manuscript]]
* [[War prediction|War Predictions]]: The [[Rivera Manuscript]]
* Appendix IV: Notes on the [[Rivera Manuscript]]
* Appendix IV: Notes on the [[Rivera Manuscript]]
|}


=== The Academician's Story ===
=== The Academician's Story ===
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* [[Academician for Game Logic|Academicians for Game Logic]]
* [[Academician for Game Logic|Academicians for Game Logic]]
* Academician [[Devonire]]
* Academician [[Devonire]]
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* The [[Grandfather Paradox|Grandfather's Arm]]
* The [[Grandfather Paradox|Grandfather's Arm]]
* [[Kaiwar]]
* [[Kaiwar]]
|
* [[Paradox anxiety|Paradox Anxiety]]
* [[Paradox anxiety|Paradox Anxiety]]
* The [[Thousand-Year Battles]]
* The [[Thousand-Year Battles]]
* Waves of the [[House Military]]
* Waves of the [[House Military]]
* Appendix I: [[the Cataclysm|The Beginning of the War]] (A Chronology)
* Appendix I: [[the Cataclysm|The Beginning of the War]] (A Chronology)
|}


=== The Non-History of the Celestis ===
=== The Non-History of the Celestis ===
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* [[Anarchitect]]s
* [[Anarchitect]]s
* [[Chaotic limiter|Chaotic Limiter]]
* [[Chaotic limiter|Chaotic Limiter]]
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* [[Gargoyle (The Book of the War)|Gargoyle]]s
* [[Gargoyle (The Book of the War)|Gargoyle]]s
* [[Meme]]
* [[Meme]]
|
* [[Mictlan]]
* [[Mictlan]]
* [[Order of the Dragon]]
* [[Order of the Dragon]]
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* [[Sacrifice]]
* [[Sacrifice]]
* [[Shift]]s
* [[Shift]]s
|}


=== The Shift's Story ===
=== The Shift's Story ===
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* [[Beshielach]]
* [[Beshielach]]
* Dating War Era Events (Difficulties)
* Dating War Era Events (Difficulties)
* The [[Greater Autrobulan Franchise]]
* The [[Greater Autrobulan Franchise]]
* The [[Lords Celestial]]
* The [[Lords Celestial]]
|
* [[Memeovore]]
* [[Memeovore]]
* [[Planetesimal]]s
* [[Planetesimal]]s
* [[Personality Reboot]]s
* [[Personality Reboot]]s
* [[Worldofme]]
* [[Worldofme]]
|}


=== The City of the Saved ===
=== The City of the Saved ===
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* [[City of the Saved]]
* [[City of the Saved]]
* The [[Timebeast Assault]]
* The [[Timebeast Assault]]
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* [[Amanda Legend Lefcourt]]
* [[Amanda Legend Lefcourt]]
* [[Gargil Krymtorpor]]
* [[Gargil Krymtorpor]]
|
* [[Ghetto of the Damned]]
* [[Ghetto of the Damned]]
* Lord [[Foaming Sky]]
* Lord [[Foaming Sky]]
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* The [[Piltdown Mob]]
* The [[Piltdown Mob]]
* [[Sons of Tepes]]
* [[Sons of Tepes]]
|}


=== The Impaler's Story ===
=== The Impaler's Story ===
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* [[Tirgoviste]]
* [[Tirgoviste]]
* [[Ulterior World]]s
* [[Ulterior World]]s
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* The [[Edimmu]]
* The [[Edimmu]]
* [[Gragov]]
* [[Gragov]]
|
* Lord [[Halved Birth]]
* Lord [[Halved Birth]]
* [[Investigator]]s
* [[Investigator]]s
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* The [[Poenari Relic]]
* The [[Poenari Relic]]
* [[Dyavol|Grigori Efimovitch Rasputin]]
* [[Dyavol|Grigori Efimovitch Rasputin]]
|}


=== The Thirteen-Day Republic ===
=== The Thirteen-Day Republic ===
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* Cousin-Thrice-Removed [[Anastasia Romanov|Anastasia]]
* Cousin-Thrice-Removed [[Anastasia Romanov|Anastasia]]
* The [[Cult of Celebrity Death]]
* The [[Cult of Celebrity Death]]
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* Cousin-Once-Removed [[Nadim]]
* Cousin-Once-Removed [[Nadim]]
* Cousin [[Octavia Sutherland|Octavia]]
* Cousin [[Octavia Sutherland|Octavia]]
|
* The [[Red Burial]]
* The [[Red Burial]]
* [[Removal of Members]]
* [[Removal of Members]]
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* The [[Winter Palace]]
* The [[Winter Palace]]
* [[Time sensitivity|Witch-blood]]
* [[Time sensitivity|Witch-blood]]
|}


=== Labyrinths ===
=== Labyrinths ===
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* [[Biodata]]
* [[Biodata]]
* [[First Diaspora|The Diaspora]]
* [[First Diaspora|The Diaspora]]
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* Mrs. [[Foyle]]
* Mrs. [[Foyle]]
* The [[House of the Rising Sun]]
* The [[House of the Rising Sun]]
|
* [[Labyrinth (The Book of the War)|Labyrinths]]
* [[Labyrinth (The Book of the War)|Labyrinths]]
* The [[Remonstration Bureau]]
* The [[Remonstration Bureau]]
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* The [[Venue Accords]]
* The [[Venue Accords]]
* [[Weaponstore]]s ([[Remote]])
* [[Weaponstore]]s ([[Remote]])
|}


=== The Ghost Dance ===
=== The Ghost Dance ===
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* [[A'daltem Ano'nde]]
* [[A'daltem Ano'nde]]
* Cousin [[Belial (The Book of the War)|Belial]]
* Cousin [[Belial (The Book of the War)|Belial]]
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* [[Native American|North American]] [[Warrior tribe|Warrior Tribes]]
* [[Native American|North American]] [[Warrior tribe|Warrior Tribes]]
* [[Nunaha'wu]]
* [[Nunaha'wu]]
|
* [[open door|Open Doors]]
* [[open door|Open Doors]]
* [[Pai'ngya]]
* [[Pai'ngya]]
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* [[Tenskwatawa]]
* [[Tenskwatawa]]
* Appendix II: From the [[North America]]n Journals of Cousin [[Belial (The Book of the War)|Belial]]
* Appendix II: From the [[North America]]n Journals of Cousin [[Belial (The Book of the War)|Belial]]
|}


=== The History of the Remote ===
=== The History of the Remote ===
{| width="100%"
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* [[Anchorman|Anchormen]]
* [[Anchorman|Anchormen]]
* The [[Broken Remote]]
* The [[Broken Remote]]
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* The [[Jallama Reed|Jallama Reed Transmissions]]
* The [[Jallama Reed|Jallama Reed Transmissions]]
* The [[New Young Gods]]
* The [[New Young Gods]]
|
* [[Remembrance tank|Remembrance Tanks]]
* [[Remembrance tank|Remembrance Tanks]]
* [[Shadow-Mask]]s
* [[Shadow-Mask]]s
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* The [[Viewers and Listeners Protocols]]
* The [[Viewers and Listeners Protocols]]
* [[Wovoka]]
* [[Wovoka]]
|}


=== Faction Hollywood ===
=== Faction Hollywood ===
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* [[Michael Brookhaven]]
* [[Michael Brookhaven]]
* [[Brookhaven's Follies]]
* [[Brookhaven's Follies]]
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* [[Hollow spectacular|Hollow Spectaculars]]
* [[Hollow spectacular|Hollow Spectaculars]]
** Inset: Brookhaven's [[Mujun: The Ghost Kingdom|Ghost Kingdom]]: The Six Central Characters
** Inset: Brookhaven's [[Mujun: The Ghost Kingdom|Ghost Kingdom]]: The Six Central Characters
|
* The [[Hollywood Bowl shooting|Hollywood Bowl Shooting]]
* The [[Hollywood Bowl shooting|Hollywood Bowl Shooting]]
* The [[House of the Seven Gables]]
* The [[House of the Seven Gables]]
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* "[[Through the Eye of Eternity]]"
* "[[Through the Eye of Eternity]]"
* [[Chad Vandemeer]]
* [[Chad Vandemeer]]
|}


=== The End ===
=== The End ===
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* "[[Briefing]]s"
* "[[Briefing]]s"
* [[Human]]ity
* [[Human]]ity
* [[Nanotechnology]]
* [[Nanotechnology]]
|
* [[R. B. Nevitz|Ronald Bela Nevitz]]
* [[R. B. Nevitz|Ronald Bela Nevitz]]
* [[time travel|Time-Travel]]: [[Biodata]] Principle
* [[time travel|Time-Travel]]: [[Biodata]] Principle
* The [[Younger World Story]]
* The [[Younger World Story]]
|}


=== Coda ===
=== Coda ===

Revision as of 14:48, 4 November 2022

RealWorld.png

prose stub

The Book of the War was the first novel in the Faction Paradox series.

Edited by Lawrence Miles and written collaboratively by more than ten authors, The Book of the War was formatted like an encyclopedia, with a number of stories spread across multiple alphabetically-sorted entries. In each entry, some words were emphasised in bold to point to other entries with that name, enabling the reader to jump around the book and read related entries.

Publisher's summary

The Great Houses: Immovable. Implacable. Unchanging. Old enough to pass themselves off as immortal, arrogant enough to claim ultimate authority over the Spiral Politic.

The Enemy: Not so much an army as a hostile new kind of history. So ambitious it can re-write worlds, so complex that even calling it by its name seems to underestimate it.

Faction Paradox: Renegades, ritualists, saboteurs and subterfugers, the criminal-cult to end all criminal-cults, happy to be caught in the crossfire and ready to take whatever's needed from the wreckage… assuming the other powers leave behind a universe that's habitable.

The War: A fifty-year-old dispute over the two most valuable territories in existence: "cause" and "effect."

Marking the first five decades of the conflict, THE BOOK OF THE WAR is an A to Z of a self-contained continuum and a complete guide to the Spiral Politic, from the beginning of recordable time to the fall of humanity. Part story, part history and part puzzle-box, this is a chronicle of protocol and paranoia in a War where the historians win as many battles as the soldiers and the greatest victory of all is to hold on to your own past…

Alt text

The War so far (in highlights); the location of the exact centre of history; the lo-tech way to break into the Eleven-Day Empire; the truth about gravity spiders; the dangers of investigating Violent Unknown Events; the art of breeding your own timeship; a short history of the various ends of humanity; the fate of the Grandfather's Arm; the secrets of removing yourself from history while still leaving yourself free to interfere; a brief interruption from the future; where to meet every human being who ever lived; how to bring your world to the attention of the Spiral Politic using 23,000 corpses; why the War-time powers never recruit celebrities; the problems of running a time-active brothel; on telling the difference between the afterlife and the trailer; banality as a weapon of War; the Faction Paradox guide to Hollywood; and how the Sixth Wave revealed the truth about the enemy without even trying.

Entries

This page lists the entries in the order specified in the "Design Specs for Advanced Users", which were published on a hidden page of the Faction Paradox website,[2] rather than alphabetically as they appear in the book. Two errors were deliberately included in the "Design Specs": the nonexistent entry "Scarratt's Group" in "The A-Z of the War"; and the exclusion of an "Easter egg" entry which was not linked to in other entries and therefore unfindable except by reading in alphabetical order.

The Core Entries

The History of Faction Paradox

The History of Earth

The A-Z of the War

With the inclusion of the prior and subsequent entries, "Robert Scarratt" and "Jungle Children", this section includes one entry for every letter of the alphabet.[3]

Houses and Orders

The History of the Homeworld

The History of Posthumanity

The Academician's Story

The Non-History of the Celestis

The Shift's Story

The City of the Saved

The Impaler's Story

The Thirteen-Day Republic

Labyrinths

The Ghost Dance

The History of the Remote

Faction Hollywood

The End

Coda

References

Notes

  • While editing The Book of the War, Lawrence Miles described it as "a continuity in a book, it's an encyclopaedia to the War Era universe. It's got a structure rather than a plot, the way history's got a structure or a Bible's got a structure. Some parts of the universe are cross-referenced with other parts, and it all comes together to make up this great big … vision."[4]
  • Miles carefully structured the book so it could also be understood if the entries were read in alphabetical order: at one point, he specifically requested that Jonathan Dennis rename a character to move the respective entry in the book.[5] The entries in several sections of the Design Specs listing are notably given in alphabetical order.[2]
  • Miles was selective regarding which concepts were explicitly borrowed from the Doctor Who universe, particularly with regards to alien species. For instance, he had permission from the Robert Holmes estate to use the Sontarans, who had previously appeared in his The Faction Paradox Protocols audio stories, but he decided they weren't necessary.[6] In contrast, he obtained permission from Neil Penswick to use the Yssgaroth from The Pit, because, even though the concept was generic, Miles described "Yssgaroth" as "the best name I've ever heard".[7]
  • Lawrence Miles briefly considered releasing an expanded version of The Book of the War on CD-ROM.[8] Though Mad Norwegian Press' other Faction Paradox books would be later be released as ebooks, CEO Lars Pearson said that the number of permissions that would be needed from the contributors made it untenable.[6]
  • The entry for the City of the Saved quotes a traveller's lyrical description of the City as "an urban sprawl the size of a spiral galaxy… a fabulous shimmering lightscape nonillions of miles across". This traveller was intended to be Iris Wildthyme.[9]
  • Besides its continuity connections to the Doctor Who universe, The Book of the War also includes references to many stories from other universes and genres. For instance, the effects of praxis and, more specifically, the story of Robert Scarratt defusing a native uprising on House Xianthellipse's praxis-supplying planet reference the classic science fiction novel Dune; similarly, the Eremites, who self-mutilate and live in the labyrinth, mirror the Cenobites from Clive Barker's Hellraiser franchise.

Who wrote what?

Simon Bucher-Jones, Daniel O'Mahony, Ian McIntire, Mags L. Halliday, Helen Fayle, Philip Purser-Hallard, Kelly Hale, Jonathan Dennis, Mark Clapham, and Lars Pearson[1] all contributed material to the book. Each contributors mostly worked on their stories independently, only discovering Lawrence Miles's added intersections with other stories once the book was released. It was deliberately kept unclear as to which authors contributed which entries, but later releases provided some clues.

Unincluded entries

The book credits Lance Parkin, David A. McIntee, and Eddie Robson as writers who "wanted to play but whose material didn't quite fit anywhere".

Additionally, Simon Bucher-Jones wrote two extra entries, "Protective Neotony" and "Instant Animals", for the proposed CD-ROM expansion of the book; after the cancellation of that project, he published the entries on his blog.[8] Bucher-Jones returned to the concepts from "Protective Neotony" in his 2018 Faction Paradox short story The Short Briefing Sergeant's Tale as the "Hausanthropic equations".

Continuity

External links

Footnotes