John French at Black Library Live

[TheAlephNull]

I watched the interview at https://www.twitch.tv/warhammer/v/102050404

 

Did John speak about Praetorian of Dorn any further anywhere else?

 

 

I'm still processing the ending and probable death of Alpharius and I'm curious if he said anything further about it?

Given the reaction of the Iron Hands to the death of Ferrus and Blood Angles to Sanguinius; Omegon reacts but it's seems a little strange to me that the rest of the Legion do not react.

I still like the book, I'm just confused at the conclusion since French says he loves Legion by Dan Abnett so much.

 

[Scribe]

Someone said it was confirmed as true.

[TheAlephNull]

Really curious about what his Alpha Legion series would have been like. A real shame that they never green-lighted it.

[TheAlephNull]

Someone said it was confirmed as true.

Sigh. Kinda wish they had kept it ambiguous, even if so.

[tgjensen]

"keeping it ambiguous" is just another way of saying "yep, definitely still alive", so they were kinda backed up into a corner.

[DarkChaplain]

Laurie Goulding confirmed it as true right after the book hit. He reconfirmed it on Twitter recently. He also confirmed it at BLL. There's no getting out of this, guys. Just get to terms with the death.

[b1soul]

DarkChaplain, Laurie is actually Alpharius...do not be fooled by his misinformation

[DarkChaplain]

If you can't trust the overseeing lore guru to do a good job, every single bit of trivia and structure in the series is worthless. So I guess I'll take my chances trusting him.

[b1soul]

You sound like you could be Alpharius as well

[TheAlephNull]

"keeping it ambiguous" is just another way of saying "yep, definitely still alive", so they were kinda backed up into a corner.

 

 

I get it, just frustrated by trying to figure out why He put himself into that kind of situation, just does not make sense based on the previous lore. Not knocking John French, I loved the rest of the book, I just worry that all the great setup from Legion, Serpent Beneath, Seventh Serpent, etc got rushed and wasted. I guess time will tell.

 

[DarkChaplain]

Why do you think all the setup got wasted, instead of this big twist throwing everything up in the air being the whole point of it all? That this isn't going all according to plan and was inevitable?

[HeritorA]

Why do you think all the setup got wasted, instead of this big twist throwing everything up in the air being the whole point of it all? That this isn't going all according to plan and was inevitable?

Dark Chaplain you missed the major point - AL novel is in the work. and probably is a 43 or 46 title and made by Sanders - hussah!

[IronDrake28]

 

 

Why do you think all the setup got wasted, instead of this big twist throwing everything up in the air being the whole point of it all? That this isn't going all according to plan and was inevitable?

Dark Chaplain you missed the major point - AL novel is in the work. and probably is a 43 or 46 title and made by Sanders - hussah!

Is it? I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not. :P

[HeritorA]

Why do you think all the setup got wasted, instead of this big twist throwing everything up in the air being the whole point of it all? That this isn't going all according to plan and was inevitable?

Dark Chaplain you missed the major point - AL novel is in the work. and probably is a 43 or 46 title and made by Sanders - hussah!

Is it? I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not.

It's not sarcasm - info was taken via torture from Editorial choir. I think they should release something for HH weekender - so, probably, it would be it

[Xisor]

I was there. Laurie prefaced the HH seminar with: "John, to start and to get it out of the way: is he actually dead?" "Yes."

 

So, there you are. Straight from a guy down the pub. (Albeit the pub was Bugman's.)

 

I also had a brief chance to exchange words with John about his forthcoming =][= novel, and before that the people chatting to him were very much chatting Alpha Legion.

 

They were speaking quite candidly about the nature of it. The Alpha Legion aren't all in on one conspiracy, it's more that they can't *not* conspire, or over-prepare. They don't think or move in straight lines.

 

That's not meant to diminish them, and it's certainly not the only detail, but John was v convincing (as per his writing, unsurprisingly) that it's just not how they behave. They don't have a reason for complexity; they're reason is complexity.

 

Whilst I can see why the end of PoD could be a bit mystifying, I think it's almost an inevitable consequence of their philosophy. There are times when conspiracies will spiral out of control. When objective A1 is lost. So you proceed to objectives A2-z999 until, as John said, statistically you've got a grouping that you can claim is your victory.

 

Obviously, that's me badly paraphrasing, but it doesn't sit Ill with me at all. (And since reading PoD, I've suspected it *should*, based on how I otherwise agree with it not making sense based on all that went before...)

 

Actually, I think I'm very at ease with it. Difficult to "love" it, obviously. But hearing John's thoughts on the matter left me both impressed, a bit charmed, but also ultimately zen too.

 

His logic was sound. :)

 

---

 

I'd disagree with DC though - there's plenty of ways out of it. GW, even at John French's behest, might be overcome with an even better idea that builds on (and undoes) some of the detail... I just doubt they will. And it certainly isn't necessary to do so; it's sortof... comfortable?

 

---

 

I also got to try not to spy on John and Alan Bligh at lunch in Bugman's on the Friday. Didn't chat to or otherwise bug (man's?) them (as I was busy finishing the Beheading), but it was some effort to see them and not try some theatrical attempt at creeping or eavesdropping!

[HeritorA]

I was there. Laurie prefaced the HH seminar with: "John, to start and to get it out of the way: is he actually dead?" "Yes."

 

So, there you are. Straight from a guy down the pub. (Albeit the pub was Bugman's.)

 

I also had a brief chance to exchange words with John about his forthcoming =][= novel, and before that the people chatting to him were very much chatting Alpha Legion.

 

They were speaking quite candidly about the nature of it. The Alpha Legion aren't all in on one conspiracy, it's more that they can't *not* conspire, or over-prepare. They don't think or move in straight lines.

 

That's not meant to diminish them, and it's certainly not the only detail, but John was v convincing (as per his writing, unsurprisingly) that it's just not how they behave. They don't have a reason for complexity; they're reason is complexity.

 

Whilst I can see why the end of PoD could be a bit mystifying, I think it's almost an inevitable consequence of their philosophy. There are times when conspiracies will spiral out of control. When objective A1 is lost. So you proceed to objectives A2-z999 until, as John said, statistically you've got a grouping that you can claim is your victory.

 

Obviously, that's me badly paraphrasing, but it doesn't sit Ill with me at all. (And since reading PoD, I've suspected it *should*, based on how I otherwise agree with it not making sense based on all that went before...)

 

Actually, I think I'm very at ease with it. Difficult to "love" it, obviously. But hearing John's thoughts on the matter left me both impressed, a bit charmed, but also ultimately zen too.

 

His logic was sound. :)

 

---

 

I'd disagree with DC though - there's plenty of ways out of it. GW, even at John French's behest, might be overcome with an even better idea that builds on (and undoes) some of the detail... I just doubt they will. And it certainly isn't necessary to do so; it's sortof... comfortable?

 

---

 

I also got to try not to spy on John and Alan Bligh at lunch in Bugman's on the Friday. Didn't chat to or otherwise bug (man's?) them (as I was busy finishing the Beheading), but it was some effort to see them and not try some theatrical attempt at creeping or eavesdropping!

It's good we have an incoming Harrowing HH novel (43 or 46) to make the story right!

[Sandlemad]

They were speaking quite candidly about the nature of it. The Alpha Legion aren't all in on one conspiracy, it's more that they can't *not* conspire, or over-prepare. They don't think or move in straight lines.

 

That's not meant to diminish them, and it's certainly not the only detail, but John was v convincing (as per his writing, unsurprisingly) that it's just not how they behave. They don't have a reason for complexity; they're reason is complexity.

 

Whilst I can see why the end of PoD could be a bit mystifying, I think it's almost an inevitable consequence of their philosophy. There are times when conspiracies will spiral out of control. When objective A1 is lost. So you proceed to objectives A2-z999 until, as John said, statistically you've got a grouping that you can claim is your victory.

 

Obviously, that's me badly paraphrasing, but it doesn't sit Ill with me at all. (And since reading PoD, I've suspected it *should*, based on how I otherwise agree with it not making sense based on all that went before...)

 

Actually, I think I'm very at ease with it. Difficult to "love" it, obviously. But hearing John's thoughts on the matter left me both impressed, a bit charmed, but also ultimately zen too.

 

His logic was sound. :)

 

John French seems to have had some input into Extermination, so that way of thinking isn't new with PoD. I think it's the best approach to reducing or qualifying their seeming 'just as planned' omnipotence. Having a legion of warriors who combine a tendency towards (over)elaborate ways of war with a hyper-competitive attitude and massive chip on their shoulder makes for glorious victories but also makes for a legion with, as Horus says, a dagger placed at its own back. Let alone how this makes them predictable in their unpredictability as in PoD, it is not healthy. Seeing Autilon Skorr's plans come to ruin in Retribution because he treated his allies like dirt was satisfying but it's not a mistake many others would have made.

 

That the war council of Terra could look on them and privately express similar concerns to those raised about the World Eaters or Night Lords - that they might be, as a legion, going mad - is really attractive to me. Not that they are definitely broken or lost (how can a legion as an entity 'go mad', really?) but that others in-universe could look at the Alpha Legion and worriedly raise the question. One of the serious fault lines towards the end of the great crusade.

[TheAlephNull]

I was there. Laurie prefaced the HH seminar with: "John, to start and to get it out of the way: is he actually dead?" "Yes."

 

So, there you are. Straight from a guy down the pub. (Albeit the pub was Bugman's.)

 

I also had a brief chance to exchange words with John about his forthcoming =][= novel, and before that the people chatting to him were very much chatting Alpha Legion.

 

They were speaking quite candidly about the nature of it. The Alpha Legion aren't all in on one conspiracy, it's more that they can't *not* conspire, or over-prepare. They don't think or move in straight lines.

 

That's not meant to diminish them, and it's certainly not the only detail, but John was v convincing (as per his writing, unsurprisingly) that it's just not how they behave. They don't have a reason for complexity; they're reason is complexity.

 

Whilst I can see why the end of PoD could be a bit mystifying, I think it's almost an inevitable consequence of their philosophy. There are times when conspiracies will spiral out of control. When objective A1 is lost. So you proceed to objectives A2-z999 until, as John said, statistically you've got a grouping that you can claim is your victory.

 

Obviously, that's me badly paraphrasing, but it doesn't sit Ill with me at all. (And since reading PoD, I've suspected it *should*, based on how I otherwise agree with it not making sense based on all that went before...)

 

Actually, I think I'm very at ease with it. Difficult to "love" it, obviously. But hearing John's thoughts on the matter left me both impressed, a bit charmed, but also ultimately zen too.

 

His logic was sound. :)

 

---

 

I'd disagree with DC though - there's plenty of ways out of it. GW, even at John French's behest, might be overcome with an even better idea that builds on (and undoes) some of the detail... I just doubt they will. And it certainly isn't necessary to do so; it's sortof... comfortable?

 

---

 

I also got to try not to spy on John and Alan Bligh at lunch in Bugman's on the Friday. Didn't chat to or otherwise bug (man's?) them (as I was busy finishing the Beheading), but it was some effort to see them and not try some theatrical attempt at creeping or eavesdropping!

Thank you for taking the time to write this out. This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. Any Legion fan base is going to have a strong reaction to a development like this and this helps me understand it a bit better.

 

Now, if only I could understand how to make my freaking Headhunters work on the tabletop, I would feel much better...

[TheAlephNull]

"It's good we have an incoming Harrowing HH novel (43 or 46) to make the story right!"

 

This has been confirmed? Exciting news if so!

 

[DarkChaplain]

I haven't seen any confirmation straight from the authors/editors, personally. All I've heard is people reporting that Laurie didn't want to name either the 43rd or 46th books yet and instead kept them under wraps. I'd really like to have some proper sources on those rumors too.

[caladancid]

I don't care what he is writing about, lets just get more John French in our lives. That man can write. The Crimson Fist remains one of my favorite works from the entire series.

[Praetor of Calth]

I don't care what he is writing about, lets just get more John French in our lives. That man can write. The Crimson Fist remains one of my favorite works from the entire series.

Nah buddy, let's have another 3-4 books with the quality of Deathfire, that's what the fans want to see.

 

I still feel kinda miffed that that character died so soon. Him dying in the Heresy I was pleased about,but there was so much more that could have been done with the character before he got popped.

[HeritorA]

I haven't seen any confirmation straight from the authors/editors, personally. All I've heard is people reporting that Laurie didn't want to name either the 43rd or 46th books yet and instead kept them under wraps. I'd really like to have some proper sources on those rumors too.

You haven't been to BL live 2016 it seems - do you?

 

I don't care what he is writing about, lets just get more John French in our lives. That man can write. The Crimson Fist remains one of my favorite works from the entire series.

Yes he can - Crimson Fist is one epic novella.

 

 

I don't care what he is writing about, lets just get more John French in our lives. That man can write. The Crimson Fist remains one of my favorite works from the entire series.

Nah buddy, let's have another 3-4 books with the quality of Deathfire, that's what the fans want to see.

 

I still feel kinda miffed that that character died so soon. Him dying in the Heresy I was pleased about,but there was so much more that could have been done with the character before he got popped.

 

That was sarcasm - right? Quality of Deathfire - right?

[caladancid]

I really enjoyed Tallarn Ironclad also.

 

But enough of this- John French....more Harrowing on the double!

[Veteran Sergeant]

John French is one of my favorite authors. He's at his best when not writing about Space Marine protagonists, too. So I'm definitely looking forward to His Inquisition book.