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Is there room in the far future for a "love story"?

Ovidius Incertus

By Ovidius Incertus
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Uprising Venerable Brother

Uprising

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Wait...is Celestine/Greyfax not canon?

Where did this even come from?

The same place Guilleman and Yvrain comes from: The fevered imagination of fa/tg/uys.

 

I need sources.  This sounds like a fun read.  Also, I like the Ahriman and Yvrain as a ship. 

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Kinstryfe Veteran

Kinstryfe

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The obvious answer is yes, but the question that's really at play is "What would be unique about a love story taking place in this setting?" If it's just another love story, without 40k specific trappings, then what's the point? And since 40k is a wargame, most of what is unique about the setting is focused on war, meaning you'd almost HAVE to make the plot include the 40k "grim darkness of the far future". Two guardsmen in love? Why not just be a WWII piece? An Inquisitor and an Eldar Farseer? Closer, but still just an extreme example of Romeo and Juliet. About the only 40k setting unique love story would be examining the emotional connection between two Astartes. As Marines are (thus far) shown to be asexual beings, the relationship between two squad mates and how their dedication to the Chapter replaces what is traditional sexual love could be done, but would be probably more controversial than gw/bl would want to dig into.

 

In other words, it isn't whether it COULD happen, it's about why this setting adds anything to the story, or not.

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totgeboren Veteran

totgeboren

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I really don't want to see a romance 'get Orky'.

 

In a way the story of that ork Warboss who went back in time and got an extra of his favorite shoota (by killing himself) is the basis of a love story, at least by Ork standards. But not really all that relatable to us humans...

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Volt Veteran

Volt

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There's a decent love story in Eye of Ezekiel where a Vostroyan psyker Lt. chases after his lover carrying his child while the entire world comes down around them as Orks invade, and Dark Angels are doing Dark Angel things.

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Domhnall Venerable Brother

Domhnall

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The biggest hurdle to having a novel with romance as the main story arc in the 40k setting, is GW deeming it worth the time and money to produce.

 

I could easily see a book about the growing bond and emotions between two members of the Imperial Guard, as they fight on far flung worlds in the name of the Emperor. Standing together on the battlefield as their comrades are torn apart under fire and blade; then remembering the glory days of the past while huddled together aboard their transport ship, surrounded by a sea of new recruits. All leading up to a finale where they declare their love for each other in the rubble of a firebombed alien city.

 

Would a story like this sell as well as standard BL fare? Maybe. Is it a risk they'd be willing to take? Probably not. 

There's a good reason why they don't often stray too far from fighty fighty novels, and that's because they know fighty fighty will sell. They have tried to branch out with different genre types on occasion, some fall flat and are forgotten, other genres are successful and are added to the list.

 

I would say the majority of GW customers are short term players, who dip into 40k for a few years, then leave it. They are attracted to the war, fighting and death. Us long term followers are a minority, but the most likely to be looking for something different within the setting. Yes, some may be interested in something like romance, but is there enough people interested to invest in it? That's the question.

Maybe they should get somebody to write a story for one of their short story books, and see how well it's received?

 

However, being grimdark, things can't be all happiness and smiles: There really can't be a happy ending in 40k, and this does sort of go against romantic ideals.

 

TL:DR - Romance is a big departure from grimdark, would GW be willing to take a risk?

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Uprising Venerable Brother

Uprising

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The biggest hurdle to having a novel with romance as the main story arc in the 40k setting, is GW deeming it worth the time and money to produce.

 

I could easily see a book about the growing bond and emotions between two members of the Imperial Guard, as they fight on far flung worlds in the name of the Emperor. Standing together on the battlefield as their comrades are torn apart under fire and blade; then remembering the glory days of the past while huddled together aboard their transport ship, surrounded by a sea of new recruits. All leading up to a finale where they declare their love for each other in the rubble of a firebombed alien city.

 

Would a story like this sell as well as standard BL fare? Maybe. Is it a risk they'd be willing to take? Probably not. 

There's a good reason why they don't often stray too far from fighty fighty novels, and that's because they know fighty fighty will sell. They have tried to branch out with different genre types on occasion, some fall flat and are forgotten, other genres are successful and are added to the list.

 

I would say the majority of GW customers are short term players, who dip into 40k for a few years, then leave it. They are attracted to the war, fighting and death. Us long term followers are a minority, but the most likely to be looking for something different within the setting. Yes, some may be interested in something like romance, but is there enough people interested to invest in it? That's the question.

Maybe they should get somebody to write a story for one of their short story books, and see how well it's received?

 

However, being grimdark, things can't be all happiness and smiles: There really can't be a happy ending in 40k, and this does sort of go against romantic ideals.

 

TL:DR - Romance is a big departure from grimdark, would GW be willing to take a risk?

But you must remember in a universe of grim dark you must have hope, you must have happiness, you must have love.  Having these positive emotion makes the fall into the grimdark much more sweeter.  There a reason the quote "Hope is the first step down the road to disappointment" is a main stay theme in 40k. 

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M@verik115 Veteran

M@verik115

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Of course there is love in 40K! 

What? Do you you think guardsmen come as little pieces of plastic and you have to glue them all together? 

Nobody can sustain that level of guardsmen production without a serious case of love. 

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ERJAK Battle-Brother

ERJAK

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Posted

 

 

Wait...is Celestine/Greyfax not canon?

Where did this even come from?
The same place Guilleman and Yvrain comes from: The fevered imagination of fa/tg/uys.

Pfft, did you even read the gathering storm? They practically screamed it.

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Slave to Darkness Venerable Brother

Slave to Darkness

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Define 'love story'? What about a mothers love for her child? Honour to the Dead had a pretty good plot about a mother and her baby trying to survive as the Word Bearers rightfully torch the worlds of Ultramar!!! It even has rock em sock em Titans on the cover. 

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Corsovitt Battle-Brother

Corsovitt

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I don't think there is any reason that a love story wouldn't work in the setting, they would just need an author interested in the investment of their time on a project which might not find the readership.

 

Warhammer fantasy battle had multiple love stories running through many of their novels as a driving story arc and there is no real issue as to whether a love story tied into a sci-fi grim dark adventure would work the problem is would the majority of black library readers be interested in the concept. Far easier to write adventure in the same setting with small plot arcs covering love/romance and relationships as this has repeatedly proved to be a big sell.

 

But never say never, the star wars expanded universe reboot has included a romantic story arc between two male protagonists which was well written and felt natural to the story not just tacked on for plaudits or recognition.

Edited by Corsovitt
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Evil Eye Venerable Brother

Evil Eye

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As much as I adore grim darkness in the far future, and I love exploring just how depraved and twisted the setting can get without going into the realm of edgy drivel, I do like a good romance. I'm tempted to work one into a 40K story some day, though given my fiction tends to revolve around a descendent faction of the Emperor's Children, AKA the most unspeakably despicable individuals in the galaxy (which in 40K is really saying something) that might be difficult.

I suppose, like so many things, it all depends on context. Love takes many forms, and even the blackest of hearts can be moved by it. Not all love has to be standard romance after all- there's parental love, platonic love etc etc.

 

Case in point: Patroklos the Half-Breed is a selfish, narcissistic and heartless individual, yet he cannot help but feel oddly protective towards the aberrant Daemonhost caged within the bowels of his ship- Aa-Yana-Mii-Re'lith, the Oblivion Child. In spite of its horrific nature as a warp aberration given flesh, the creature is somehow innocent and naive, and whilst intended as a weapon of unspeakable power, Patroklos has begun to view it with almost parental fondness.

 

But in answer to the actual question: Yes, love CAN bloom on the battlefield.

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Trevak Dal Veteran

Trevak Dal

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Well it would kinda be like Enemy At the Gates but with Las weapons, or any war movie with romance in it but with the bad :cuss turned up to "welp we're all pretty :cussed"

 

One of my antagonists, the Daemon Princess leader of the Siege Dancers (think Bible Black, daemonculaba grown, obliterator virus changed Iron Warrior transexuals and you got it) has a..."fascination" with Tyrael Adrastus the "Anathame" reluctant antihero, and Perpetual. She wants to have a child by him.

 

She sees it as romance. Drat doesn't care and wants nothing of it. She had captured him once and repeatedly tortured and killed him, forcing herself on him before being rescued by Giselburtus and a strike team of Nightblades.

Edited by Trevak Dal
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