DukeLeto69

I have a lot of sympathy with this view. For me (and others) it may stem from the fact that for decades W40k was indeed a SETTING and not a STORY that progressed. It was a sandbox with rich history and lore that allowed us to play with our metal (then finecast then plastic) toys. But saying that, as the IP grew it started to seem restrictive. After all, how many BIG events can be simultaneously happening in the same year/month/week/day that necessitate sourcebooks and campaign books and new models etc to keep us spending our money. How many “events/campaigns” can be set up to be run in the real world to create a buzz and sell product but still end up with the status quo (looking at you 13th Black Crusade). The only way shifting to a STORY that progresses can work is if the outcome of these events deliver substantive change or else it is all for nought. GW need to make their mind up between setting and story and if the latter then really lean in (perhaps they think they did with the Great Rift etc?)

I quoted Brother Tyler’s post which itself had a quote from the Realm of Chaos book from 1st Ed. That book states the Sensei are psychic blanks. I have always assumed being a blank (undetectable by warp entities) worked both ways?

In the 90s, having been playing since RT and then 2nd Ed and way before any of this real world trans debate had even been dreamed of…my head canon already de-gendered Space Marines. When the term “trans-human” (during early HH novels I believe and possibly Abnett was first) started to be used it, for me, backed up that position. For me being trans-human or “other” made perfect sense because Space Marines were “built” using baseline organic material. The fact that the vast majority (some would say ALL) of the baseline organic material was adolescent male humans was simply down to physical ability to survive the recruitment tests etc. Space Marines, as far as we know, are unable to breed. They are infertile. That too makes sense. Why create something superior to yourself that then has the ability to replace you! Being genderless biologically engineered super weapons just always made sense to me!

I am a Perpetual (as they became in the HH series) hater but knew they were based on the Sensei idea (Abnett, and Haley, is also laying seeds for a return of the Star Child) and this Realm of Chaos quote started off with me nodding along saying “yep this is better” but for one thing… If they are psychic blanks (cool) then how can they sense what is happening in the Warp or detect Daemons etc? Isn’t that virtually an oxymoron?

Hmm wonder what that is? The title sounds a but omnibus or anthology like rather than a novel?

Hmmm in the interview Abnett made a big thing about Warp time dilation and how it is feasible that what we might think is “historic” 40k could in fact still be contemporary! Sneaking feeling one IS Pandaemonium and it will tie into the present timeline via the City of Dust etc

Totally agree some books need to be read rather than listened to so your own brain/imagination brings it to life rather than another creative interpreting the authors words. I love the ADB NL trilogy but think it had diminishing returns. The first book is by far the best. The second is the second best and the third is third!

Great interview (these always are) and two big hints from Abnett (though bound by NDA so couldn’t be specific)… 1. He has two finished novels both set in the current timeline (ie post Great Rift) 2. He appeared to drop a heavy hint he is working on a background book for his Inquisitor series (in a similar vein to the Sabbat Worlds/Crusade background book)

Well there we go. Good old BL and their minuscule print runs! My Amazon order of this Std HB to match all my SoT books has been cancelled due to not being able to secure a copy from the publisher. Thing is in the past I would have been upset about not completing my collection but I am strangely ambivalent about it!

Although to be fair, they did! We had several Necromunda novels when the game returned. Some were excellent inc those by Justin D Hill and Denny Flowers.

I too soooooo wish for more WH Crime

The Scouring series will be as long as sales/success dictate. GW beancounters will determine whether it is profitable or not. The more profitable the more books we will get. No way this has been more than loosely mapped out. It will be “let’s see how this goes”. For me, I am reverting back to waiting for MMPB like I did with the entire HH having committed to Std HB for SoT believing it was only 8 books! Will also try to ONLY buy those that review well and cover things I am really interested in having been burned by DoF series. I need to fight my “collector instincts”!

In the shadows!

From a readers POV I agree but from a GW POV they will continue with numbered series as so many of their customer/fanbase are collectors and will buy the lot to avoid gaps in our collections. If you allow standalone novels away from numbered series, then that creates choice to not buy based on premise of the story.

All true and fair, especially the bit about GW/BL dropping the ball on digging into this setting goldmine. But AS A NOVEL (not a pseudo sourcebook) it was dull and was ADB by the numbers…again! I wanted to love it. I loved so much of his previous work but…nope! It’s not bad. ADB’s writing style has too much flair for him to write a bad book. But it was just so dull and samey. Subjective of course!