View source for The Founding of the Clans

{{InfoBoxProduct
| image               = FoundingoftheClansad.JPG
| name                = The Founding of the Clans (advertisement downloadable from BattleCorps website)
| type                = Novel trilogy
| author              = [[Randall N. Bills]]
| development         = 
| primarywriting      = 
| pages               = 
| cover               = 
| interiorart         = 
| illustrations       = 
| publisher           = [[FanPro]] (German novels)<br />[[BattleCorps]]<br />[[CGL]]
| productioncode      = 
| year                = 2004 (FanPro)<br />2007 (BattleCorps)<br />2021-2022 (CGL)
| ISBN10              = 
| ISBN13              = 
| MSRP                = 
| content             = 
| era                 = [[Star League era]], [[Succession Wars era]]
| agency              =
| universedate        =
| timeline            = 5 November [[2784]] - 9 June [[2815]]

| series              = 
| precededby          = 
| followedby          = 
}}
'''''The Founding of the Clans''''' is a trilogy of [[BattleTech]] novels by [[Randall N. Bills]], who began writing the books when he was the [[BattleTech Line Developer]] at [[FASA]]. Centering on [[Aleksandr Kerensky]]'s younger son [[Andery Kerensky]] (brother of [[Nicholas Kerensky]], who is considered the "father" of the [[Clans]]), the series describes [[Operation EXODUS]], the [[Pentagon Civil War]], and the creation and early history of the [[Clan]] society ([[Operation KLONDIKE]]).

==Publication history==
The books are notable for their complicated publication history: After having completed the manuscripts for the first two books in the trilogy, Bills found that FASA unexpectedly ceased active operations in 2001, and [[Roc Books]] voiced no interest in publishing more novels in the [[BattleTech]] line which looked as if it was going to be discontinued. Meanwhile, the license was transferred to [[WizKids]] for their [[MechWarrior: Dark Age]] game which was set in the setting's future, with its own, distinct game and novel line. The manuscripts for the ''Founding of the Clans'' trilogy thus remained unpublished for the time being.

[[Fantasy Productions]], the German BattleTech license holder, subsequently acquired the complete license to what was now dubbed "[[Classic BattleTech]]". They started a line of entirely [[FanPro Novels|new, original BattleTech print novels in German]] from 2004 onward. As part of that line, the first two ''Founding of the Clans'' novels were translated and published as German novels in 2004 and 2006, respectively.

In 2007, the original English-language version of the first novel was published in serialized electronic form through [[BattleCorps]], without a cover. The second manuscript remained unpublished in its original language.

Over the course of the [[2019 Clan Invasion crowdfunding campaign|2019 crowdfunding campaign]] for the [[BattleTech: Clan Invasion]] boxed set, completion and publication of the full trilogy was offered as a stretch goal. The stretch goal was met. However, [[Catalyst Game Labs]] didn't simply republish the existing manuscripts. In the two decades since they had been written originally, much detail had been added to the BattleTech timeline and Bills also felt he was a better writer now, so he decided to revise the manuscripts and expand them with additional interludes to create authoritative versions of the first two books, both of which were published in 2021; the third book had to be written from scratch and was published in July of 2022.

{| class="wikitable"
!width="140"|German novel cover
!width="140"|German title
!width="140"|English novel cover
!width="140"|English title
|-valign="top"
|[[Image:ClangründerAbkehrCover.jpg|left|140px|Clangründer: Abkehr]]
|''[[Clangründer: Abkehr]]'' (''"Clan Founders: Breakaway"'')

FanPro, 2004
|[[Image:Fall from Glory (cover).png|left|140px|Fall from Glory]]
|''[[Fall from Glory]]''

BattleCorps, 2007 (original edition)

CGL, 2021 (revised, authoritative edition)
|-valign="top"
|[[Image:ClangründerTraumCover.jpg|left|140px|Clangründer: Traum]]
|''[[Clangründer: Traum]]'' (''"Clan Founders: Dream"'')

FanPro, 2006
|[[Image:Visions of Rebirth (cover).png|left|140px|Visions of Rebirth]]
|''[[Visions of Rebirth]]''

CGL, 2021
|-valign="top"
|n/a
|''Clangründer: Bande'' (''"Clan Founders: Bonds"'')

(announced but never published)
|[[Image:Land of Dreams cover.png|left|140px|Land of Dreams]]
|''[[Land of Dreams]]''

(Previously announced as ''Forging of Blood'')

CGL, 2022
|}

==External links==
* http://www.battlecorps.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=4926 BattleCorps forum announcement with download link for ad flyer (defunct site)
* http://www.battlecorps.com/community/download.php?id=355 Download link for ad flyer (defunct site)

[[Category:Anthologies‎]]