So you found us? Very few do. Only those lucky enough or with enough strength of will. But you’re here now, come on in, take a seat, and let me introduce you to the world of Warhammer 40k lore.
The Warhammer 40,000 universe is often overlooked when it comes to its novels and stories because the miniatures are placed front and centre, but honestly I doubt I’d even play the game or collect the miniatures if it wasn’t for the truly epic stories behind it all. The universe is massive, and no matter what part of it you want to delve into, I guarantee there will be a novel that relates to it in some way. Do you want straight up Space Marine battles? There are a ton. Gritty retelling of the short life of an Imperial Guardsman, check out Fifteen Hours. Prefer an epic tale of two rivals from an immortal race of robots told (humorously) over 10,000 years? The Infinite and the Divine awaits. Or maybe you just want to embrace your inner Waaaagh! The Orks are all over the place.
So there are a fair few books right? Well…there are 5 books in the Game of Thrones series. 7 in Harry Potter. 29 in Jack Reacher and 39 in James Bond.
Warhammer 40,000 has over 400! That’s right, 400! And still going strong. Hell, even the Horus Heresy series, which is actually a prequel set around the year 30,000, is 62 books. That’s a lot of books, plus plenty of short stories thrown in.
I’m sure you’re thinking, 400 books, that sounds like they get churned out without much thought, the quality must suffer. Well, while I can’t comment on them all, I’ve not read a bad one myself. They have been coming out since 1993, so there are bound to be differences over time, but if you stick to what interests you then you’re likely to have a good time. For instance, my favourite series is Ciaphas Cain, a flashman like hero who is an abject coward but always manages to save the day. I love these books (of which there are 11) and will devour any new ones. But on the other end of the spectrum I read one of the ‘Crime’ category of books, I can’t remember which one, and I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much. That just comes down to me wanting my 40k reading to be big, epic and heroic, rather than gritty, sneaky and understated. I’m sure those interested in that kind of thing would have loved it.
Oh and the books are written by a variety of authors. Instead of having a ‘staff’ for these things, Games Workshop has known authors they call on when they have a novel they’d like written. Or maybe one of their known authors comes up with an idea and submits it to them. You find the different authors are good at different things, and often have their favourite factions. Honestly you might find yourself following an author rather than any particular series. Do you want to become a Black Library author? They often hold competitions where you can submit short stories in the hope of being published in a collection. From there you are known to them and can work your way up. Come to think of it…I think I’m waiting to hear back about the last one. Fingers crossed.
Some additional thoughts from a couple of our bloggers:
Neil Parker has chosen – Eisenhorn Omnibus
The Eisenhorn Omnibus, complete with four novels and four additional stories is, in my humble opinion, one of the most significant books based in the Warhammer 40K universe. It is certainly my favourite to date, despite other strong contenders. Why is this?
For me, the stories give a great insight into the mind of both an Inquisitor, his team and the environment they work in. The 40K world is depicted as grim and dark, and it is, but there is so much more to it, there is depth and culture to explore across worlds and insight to be gained into ordinary lives to some degree. The core novels lead you along a thread and a narrative that builds as you read and is compelling. The shorter stories add further layers and flavour.
Eisenhorn is a good character, but not perfect and he treads a very fine line and arguably crosses it at times for a greater good. The reader will judge the ethnics according to his or her own standards no doubt, but I felt the character realistic and likeable enough to root for him and his team with ease. The choices he faces are hard choices; you can see his karma play out as his choices have consequences, and at times he faces little or no choice. What would you do in these situations?
There is humour and he genuinely cares for those he works closely with. There is in short, a strong humanity in him that influences his actions. I think this is a key reason why I find the character and the stories so compelling and enjoyable to follow.
Ross Coulbeck has chosen – Ciaphas Cain series (Yes it’s me, shh)
Ciaphas Cain is known throughout the galaxy as a great hero that has saved countless lives, defeated many dangerous foes, and saved entire planets from destruction. And while much of that is true, he is also an abject coward.
His stories are told through his memoirs, edited at a later date by Inquisitor Amberley Vale, which gives you an interesting combination of an unreliable narrator, and someone trying to fill in the blanks (or more often, leave an amusing comment). While the Imperium sees only the hero, his personal memoirs tell an altogether different story. At every turn he is trying to find a way to save his own skin and will happily let others die to save himself.
But, and this is the crucial thing, he is more than he believes himself to be. He often does save others, usually because saving them is the best way of keeping himself alive, but he saves them nonetheless. Also because he’s trying his best not to die, he has exceptional instincts and is a master swordman. This is a man who isn’t relying on the Emperor to keep him alive, he’s taking care of it himself, and being quite the inspiration along the way.
This duality of coward and hero, plus a lighter tone than other novels, keeps me coming back time and time again. I would definitely recommend them to others, especially those new to the universe. The books cover various locations and situations, and you get a good feel for various other parts of the universe while Cain stumbles his way across the univers
