Catalyst Game Labs has made some puzzling choices in recent years with their Battletech franchise, but a new Battletech Romance: Hungry Like The Wolf novel by Christina F. York is leaving fans puzzled as to what they’re doing with the franchise.
Increasingly, those involved in the official fandom of Battletech have been pushing into woke activism and feminism in recent years. Most notably, Battletech author Blaine Pardoe, a man responsible for much of the background lore and many of the most famous novels of the game, was fired from Catalyst Game Labs because of an online stalker who pretended to be a woman making threats about him.
Blaine Pardoe is currently suing the Topps Corporation, who owns the license Catalyst Game Labs uses, for breech of contract. However, with a company’s official stance pushing identity politics as part of its mantra, it has emboldened woke activists in local communities to begin harassing players in real life over their political stances.
Pardoe just released a new book with another conservative author Mike Baron, who’s known for his work on Nexus and The Punisher. Their book is titled, Tenure, released on Amazon on ebook, print, and audiobooks.
Meanwhile, in the Battletech universe, they’ve abandoned popular military science fiction writers like Pardoe for trying to push the romance genre.
On the official Catalyst Game Labs website, they released a new book for Valentine’s Day, Battletech Romance: Hungry Like Wolves.
The book cover features a half-naked man on it, which apparently is meant to entice modern audience Battletech fans from BlueSky as many of those homosexuals are more interested in looking at such material than mech combat.
The description reads:
THE WAY TO THE ILKHAN’S HEART…
In the aftermath of the bloody, brutal campaign for Terra, Alaric Ward’s Clan Wolf is victorious, but has paid a fearsome price. Their touman nearly crushed, the Clan must rebuild quickly, for there are more adversaries outside the Fortress Wall. Alaric, however, is resolute in his ability to not only restore the Wolves to their former glory, but to protect humankind’s homeworld from all potential enemies.
However, there is much more that needs rebuilding—including the ravaged planet of Terra itself. And leading the charge is Dr. Darvendra Ellstone, head of one of the largest remaining non-government organizations tasked with helping save the exhausted, defeated populace and start restoring the planet’s shattered cities…a monumental undertaking that pits her against the newly declared ruler of Terra, ilKhan Alaric Ward.
And when they finally meet, sparks do fly…but of a kind neither one expected. As the peacemaker and warrior work together, both try to deny the growing attraction between them. But when a new enemy arises, they must join forces to stop a deadly threat that endangers everything they’ve built together…including their clandestine love affair.
Author Christina F. York has a lot of books to her name on Amazon, including several romance novels and tie-ins to the TV Show Alias. Her science fiction work comes in the form of a few Star Trek-related works she co-wrote with her husband.
The concept and art for the cover originally came from BigRed40Tech, a YouTuber with a Battletech fan account who made a fan fiction story which he read aloud on his channel based on a Michael Stackpole joke made at a convention.
Battletech fans tell Fandom Pulse BigRed40Tech has worked hard to gain clout within fandom to try to get his concept into the official lore.
While it’s been speculated that Christina F. York was a pen name used by the man, it looks like Catalyst Game Labs hired an actual author with tie-in credentials to make it into a reality.
It seems Catalyst Game Labs doesn’t understand what its audiences want and is greenlighting works that only tarnish its brand rather than build the mech universe.
On the other side of fandom, those who are blacklisted and scorned for actually enjoying the wargaming hobby and military science fiction have released a fanzine containing stories, mech builds, and more by some of the most talented individuals surrounding Battletech fandom.
Lutra’s Gaming organized a new fanzine called The Heatsink, a magazine that’s completely free online to read and contains content far more in line with what real Battletech fans will be interested in than anything Catalyst. Game Labs has released in years.
It features not only storied author Blaine Pardoe, but several other prominent and revered members of the Battletech community contributing work, including Minis & Dumbells, Mage Leader, and The Sixth World.
When companies can’t get the settings right, fans take matters into their own hands and produce far superior content. It seems to be a pattern across franchises.
What do you think of Catalyst Game Labs dropping a romance novel on their official Battletech line? Leave a comment and let us know.
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For the record, the like is for mentioning the Heat Sink fanzine and good reporting. When it comes to Battletech I just want giant stompy robots running into each other while blasting one another with heavy firepower.
I enjoyed 'Tenure'.