Just picked this up today when I went to the bookstore to find the new Ravenor book (which wasn't there).I have been really impressed with the writers I have been exposed to from the Black Library. Dan Abnett and Graham McNiel are really top rate. I would go as far as to say that Dan Abnett ranks up there with some of the top military Sci-Fi authors that I have ever read. For sure he is comparable to John Scalzi, Orson Scott Card and Heinlein. Graham is no slouch either and with the Fulgrim book he is really top rate.
At first I was really a Sci-Fi snob when it game to the 40k books since I have always considered series books like these that are based on Games, TV shows or whatever to be cheese. But the Eisenhorn book and then the rest I have devoured has really changed my mind. I came to playing 40k pretty late but with the combination of a fun miniature game and a great universe that is being built up constantly by these authors it has me hooked.
Now if only GW would really start driving their mini and codex releases based more around these books that would be awesome. :)
Some of the Black Library stuff is really good. The Horus Heresy books have all been solid reads within a genre and series. I agree that books within a genre/series can be cheese... cool reads, but not deep, moving literature that connects with you and is really well written. Haven't gotten to Eisenhorn yet but will soon. But yeah...
ReplyDeleteFulgrim was also amazing. I talked about it so much and the different aspects of it that I actually got my girlfriend to pick it up and she is chugging along. The fight scenes and some of the sci-fi aspects are hard for her to get into, but there's a lot to glean from it. She's gonna check out some of Abnett and McNeill's short stories in Let the Galaxy Burn and Tales of Heresy too. Which leads to...
Some of the Black Library writing (especially in the compilations) can be cheesy... and just really disappointing. It can be painful to read an Abnett piece, then next page read something really flat, one dimensional, poorly written, and just bleh.
But, yeah, the codexes and GW stuff should really be based on the books and have that harmony. That would make it really cool.
I am probably gonna pick up the Tales of Heresy just for their stories. How are the stories from Ben Counter? I have been a little leery of trying his books. Is he one of the flat ones?
ReplyDeleteBen Counter has his suprising moments of skill in my opinion, but I find him to be mostly one dimensional. I think he tells a good action tale, very genre oriented, but from what I've read (I think the first two of his Grey Knight books), his characters aren't that deep and he doesn't really push limits. He's enjoyable at the time, but easily forgotten.
ReplyDeleteBut, everyone has different tastes and I'd say he's at least worth a try at some point.