Since 2003, Eve Online has been one of the most successful science fiction persistent-world MMORPG’s and in that time the game has grown in depth of story, so much so that a new coffee table book has been released to flesh out the back story of the game and expand the overall universe.

Eve Source (2014 - 200 pages. Full Colour) is published by Dark Horse with multiple writers and artists contributing to the finished article. The book measures 31 cm x 23.5 cm unopened.

The book lays somewhere between a primer and a full encyclopedia with each and every aspect of the game's world building being presented as either articles or short stories. The whole book is generously illustrated with pictures mainly based around individual planets or, given the game, on depictions of spacecraft and space battles.

The book groups its information around the factions and each of the factions has an entry for their own history, their political and religious institutions as well as more in-depth information around each single entry. Overall the book contains most of the history of the last ten years of the game, even though the book itself does not reference the game, rather it presents itself as a faux future history.

I would imagine that such a tome would be invaluable to new players and a nice source of information for those longer in the game. The real question is does it offer anything for those not interested in Eve Online?

The general answer is yes, the illustrations are well done and, as they look at the wider picture, do not seem to be referencing the game alone, rather it’s a good example of world or, in this case, universe building. The information and stories are interesting, without being mind-blowing and overall it’s a nice, good quality product.

8

Charles Packer