I want to start reading more books from the 40k universe. I only read one so far and already borrowed 3 books from Prim, which I haven't even gotten started with yet. But I would like to ask you experienced veterans on where to start from? What series? Is it ok to start from anywhere?
Also I want to ask about audiobooks, are there many audiobooks? Audiobooks are actually better for me because I can listen while doing other hobby related stuff.
40k Fiction - Where to Start?
- me_in_japan
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Re: 40k Fiction - Where to Start?
I cant say about audiobooks, but I have shelves and shelves of the BL books.
I'd start with:
Gaunt's Ghosts by Dan Abnett. Yes, its about IG, but Abnett is one of the few BL authors who is actually good at writing. The stories all clip along at a fine pace, and you get really quite attached to the characters. (And then Bad Things start to happen to em. Abnett is a mean, mean man, in my opinon )
Eisenhorn, then Ravenor by Abnett. Same reason as above. Good characters, and a great perspective on the Imperium from the POV of a regular citizen.
I like the Ultramarines books by Graeme McNeill. Very Space Mariney, but the main characters are interestingly conflicted (well, for a space marine) and they go to interesting places (the eye of terror - yay!) and do interesting things (like accidentally waking up gods)
There are maybe one or two companing books about chaos marines (Storm of Iron is one of them) by McNeill. Characters from these books show up in the Ultramarines books and vice versa.
Some of the short story collections are quite good. Obviously, the quality of writing varies from story to story.
Brothers of the Snake is Dan Abnett's only space marine novel. Quite good. Kinda Grecian themed marines.
Titanicus is Dan Abnetts Titan Legion book. Again, fine.
Other than that, the Horus Heresy books are entertaining, mostly, but theyre not 40k per se.
There are others, but Ive just listed about 40 books, so that should do for now, Id imagine
*edit* The Night Lords stories by Aaron Dembski-Bowden are good, too.
I'd start with:
Gaunt's Ghosts by Dan Abnett. Yes, its about IG, but Abnett is one of the few BL authors who is actually good at writing. The stories all clip along at a fine pace, and you get really quite attached to the characters. (And then Bad Things start to happen to em. Abnett is a mean, mean man, in my opinon )
Eisenhorn, then Ravenor by Abnett. Same reason as above. Good characters, and a great perspective on the Imperium from the POV of a regular citizen.
I like the Ultramarines books by Graeme McNeill. Very Space Mariney, but the main characters are interestingly conflicted (well, for a space marine) and they go to interesting places (the eye of terror - yay!) and do interesting things (like accidentally waking up gods)
There are maybe one or two companing books about chaos marines (Storm of Iron is one of them) by McNeill. Characters from these books show up in the Ultramarines books and vice versa.
Some of the short story collections are quite good. Obviously, the quality of writing varies from story to story.
Brothers of the Snake is Dan Abnett's only space marine novel. Quite good. Kinda Grecian themed marines.
Titanicus is Dan Abnetts Titan Legion book. Again, fine.
Other than that, the Horus Heresy books are entertaining, mostly, but theyre not 40k per se.
There are others, but Ive just listed about 40 books, so that should do for now, Id imagine
*edit* The Night Lords stories by Aaron Dembski-Bowden are good, too.
current (2019) hobby interests
eh, y'know. Stuff, and things
Wow. And then Corona happened. Just....crickets, all the way through to 2023...
eh, y'know. Stuff, and things
Wow. And then Corona happened. Just....crickets, all the way through to 2023...
- Colonel Voss
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Re: 40k Fiction - Where to Start?
I'll second Abnett. I just finished reading Treadheads which was good. Again guard but it moves along at a good pace and is mostly armor based so it provides a different perspective.
It's easy to die in the swamp. What's hard is to staying dead.
-Alten Ashley
Iron within, Iron without
-Alten Ashley
Iron within, Iron without
Re: 40k Fiction - Where to Start?
I'll go along with what M_i_J said for now, though I found Brotherhood of the Snake to be fairly weak by Abnetts standards.
Lord of the Night is a great read, as is Rebel Winter.
For a more light-hearted look at the 40k-verse I love the Commissar Cain books. They are definitely worth a read.
Lord of the Night is a great read, as is Rebel Winter.
For a more light-hearted look at the 40k-verse I love the Commissar Cain books. They are definitely worth a read.
Painted Minis in 2014: 510, in 2015: 300, in 2016 :369, in 2019: 417, in 2020: 450
Re: 40k Fiction - Where to Start?
Thanks for the advice, so I assume that there is no real "start", it is ok to read from any novel possible.
Re: 40k Fiction - Where to Start?
Yep. 40k is a setting, not a story line in and of itself. Some books do come in a sequence (Gaunt's Ghosts, Commissar Cain) and should be read from first to last. Other books are stand alone stories and can be picked up at random.Seb wrote:Thanks for the advice, so I assume that there is no real "start", it is ok to read from any novel possible.
Painted Minis in 2014: 510, in 2015: 300, in 2016 :369, in 2019: 417, in 2020: 450