Horus Rising

[Sikkukkut]

Just noticed that Marc Gascoigne, in responding to a thread on the Black Library boards, dropped this into his reply:

PS, Horus Heresy novel range, new from the Black Library, debuts Spring 2006 with Horus Rising by D. Abnett. Countdown begins.

Hmm.

[KDP Morgoth]

Just noticed that Marc Gascoigne, in responding to a thread on the Black Library boards, dropped this into his reply:



Hmm.

OMG!!! It's the end of the World!!!!

Seriously though, that's something I hadn't quite expected. There's a lot of good potential in this, and hearing that Abnett is going to be writting them gives me a little more hope that it will be done well. I just really hope that it doesn't screw up.

[Inquis. Jaeger]

Cool. I'll look forward to that. I really like Abnett's writing, and the Heresy is a great setting for it.

Anyone feel GW are doing a bit of a Star Wars with the novels? Marketing out the bits of the timeline for novels, TGC that aren't explicitly part of the current tabletop game, as Lucas did with the timeline after Return of the Jedi?

[DantesInferno]

Anyone feel GW are doing a bit of a Star Wars with the novels? Marketing out the bits of the timeline for novels, TGC that aren't explicitly part of the current tabletop game, as Lucas did with the timeline after Return of the Jedi?

Talk about a jinx.......

Seriously, I've always wanted some quality 40k fiction set during the Heresy, but I'd prefer it if it didn't focus on Primarchs or significant players too much. I mean, I like the way that Horus' motives, for example, are left relatively unspecified at the moment - it's unclear to what extent he's an idealist who genuinely thinks he can lead Humanity to a new Golden Age or just a power-hungry madman. Ironically, exactly the same could be said about the Emperor.

I'd just prefer it if they didn't take the ambivalence out of the Heresy, which could be a considerable danger if a story centred around Horus, for example.

[Rich]

this sounds very promising - however, I'm also slightly worried. Abnett is not known for his accuracy re. the fluff, and while his novels are enjoyable, I'm not sure that he is necessarily the best choice for writing something which, after all, is crucial to the 40k fluff.

A better bet would be Graham Mcneill, although it has to be said that I would rather him follow up Dead Sky, Black Sun!

[venusianfurs]

Two words: Ian Watson. Yes, I know those aren't words.

[Easy E]

How about Bill King? Didn't he write the original Horus Heresy story.

[Delicious Soy]

this sounds very promising - however, I'm also slightly worried. Abnett is not known for his accuracy re. the fluff, and while his novels are enjoyable, I'm not sure that he is necessarily the best choice for writing something which, after all, is crucial to the 40k fluff.

Pretty much my response. Though there were stuff ups in the heresy books so I guesss we can expect more of the same. BL is a subsidary of GW, surely the person who manages fluff in the studio should also do it in BL?

[neXus6]

I don't think Bill King would be a good choice, they could end up like the Space Wolf novels, and while I have persevered and read them all they are bellow the standards of the Cain Novels, Storm of Iron, Eisenhorn trillogy and Double Eagle.
It does seem like a good thing as long as they end up more Eisenhorn than Gaunt novel. As for taking the novels as background, I don't really do that, I keep the two seperate.

[Brimstone]

Bill King is taking a break from GW novels at the moment so it wouldn't be him.

Ian Watson hasn't written for GW in years.

I would have preferred Graham Mcneill as well but Dan Abnett is 2 or 3rd on my personal list.

I'm hoping this tells the story from Horus's point of view, that would be excellent.

[Randallw]

Do you mean in the vein of the Dark Angels or Nightlords novels?. Showing how the supposed bad guys were in fact right.

[Brimstone]

Yes and Storm of Iron, it makes perfect sense from their point of view.

[Delicious Soy]

Actually that would work with Abnetts style IMO, 1st person Eisenhorn is far superior to the 3rd person GG stuff. And Horus easily has the potential to be as compelling, especially during his fall, which is STILL unsatisfactory, mainly because they've explained it but it comes across about as well as anakin in epIII.

[Brimstone]

I keep forgetting about Esienhorn a excellent series of books, I hope he writes to that standard rather than the GG series.

[Randallw]

In fact I had a totally unrelated idea yesterday about writing 2 books detailing the opposing viewpoints of the same incident. Each side thinks the other is wrong but we see the action from only 1 side in 2 different books, the result being that depending on which book you read you think the opposing side are the bad guys.

[Rich]

Personally, my vote would be for a book detailing the Captain Garro story - both to clear up that piece of fluff (whatever happened to them in the end?) and to tell the fall of horus from the point of view of someone who was supposedly a loyal follower of his. Perfect!

[Delicious Soy]

Which ever way you approach it, I would seriously not want to be in Abnetts shoes. This is going to be the most epic thing the BL has ever produced. Expectations will be off the chart.

[venusianfurs]

There will also be some serious homework to do on his part (I hope, anyway); While I'm looking forward to reading about the Primarchs, on both sides, it's cynical, maybe, but I'm keeping my expectations low - as I would whoever was writing it, I mean - the better to be surprised.

[Xisor]

If they'd persuaded Gordon Rennie to write it, I'm sure it would have been a nicely astounding piece of work. His description of the Battle of Gethsemane in Shadow Point makes me feel that Dan Abnett should speak to him for how to describe some aspects of the Heresey.

Still, I've faith it'll do well, I hope GW would have the gall nto to publish it if it was clear it wasn't up to scratch.

Xisor

[sulla]

Personally, my vote would be for a book detailing the Captain Garro story - both to clear up that piece of fluff (whatever happened to them in the end?) and to tell the fall of horus from the point of view of someone who was supposedly a loyal follower of his. Perfect!

Yes... Definately one of the better angles for HH novels. Seeing your own brothers turn traitor and betray the Imperium... Having, in turn, to betray your own battle brothers... and then probably being betrayed by the Imperium... sounds like it would need Akira Kurosawa to write it and Toshiro Mifune to star though...