Morning folks, well it’s 2010 now and since it’s still January, I feel I can still wish you all a happy new year without it feeling too weird. The Christmas/New Year break always involves a fair bit of travelling for us, and though we had a great time over the holiday period, it was good to return home to familiar surroundings and get back to work. I’d reached a good way through The Chapter’s Due before downing tools, and, as always, it took a little bit of time to get back into it. But the book’s back underway nicely, and I’ve been writing some truly titanic battle scenes over the last few days that I think are shaping up in a nicely apocalyptic way. It’s been a real challenge to make this book as big as it needs to be without having it run away from me and become a ten-volume epic, but it’s staying (mostly) on track and it funnelling into a nice three-tiered climax I’m very pleased with, though the death toll is going to be something terrible and nasty for a couple of characters in particular.

 

Links

Over the holidays, I was sent a few links and did a few interviews I’d like to share with you. One is in French, so you’ll either need to be able to read French or have a handy Google translator to hand. With Dead Sky, Black Sun coming out in France, the lovely chaps at Bibliothèque Interdite invited me to say a few words to the French fans, so you’ll find the link to that here.

 

Continuing on the theme of Ultramarines, Luke over at Luke Reviews nominated Courage and Honour as one of his top fifteen books of 2009, which was fantastic, and he invited me to say a few words about the book, which you can read here.

 

And last, but by no means least, Team Preston reviewed A Thousand Sons, and you can read what they thought of it by clicking here, though you'll need to scroll down past a couple of books to get to it. Jeff was kind enough to send me the link, so thanks for that!

 

New Year, New Competition

 

I realise I’ve been lax with my blogging, so to make up for that, I decided to give away a few juicy bits and pieces that I have in my office and which you might like to get your mitts on. I’ll tell you what you have to do to win them in a moment, but first off, here’s what the lucky winners will receive…

 

First Prize – A signed hardback edition of the complete run of Fire & Honour comics, signed copies of all my Horus Heresy books to date (though, sadly, this won’t include A Thousand Sons, as I don’t have any copies of that to hand), and a signed, limited edition, poster for The Dark King/Lightning Tower chapbook.

 

Second Prize – A signed softback edition of the complete run of Defenders of Ultramar comics, and a signed Mechanicum poster.

 

Third Prize – A signed, limited edition, poster for the Imperial Munitorum manual, and a signed Heldenhammer poster.

 

Right, to win one of these bumper bundles, what I want from you lot is to put your thinking caps on and mash up Black Library book titles with a theme that sits close to my heart – heavy metal and rock n’ roll. I want to laugh, to cry, to be appalled at the punning... You might win bonus points if they’re my books, but they don’t have to be, any Black Library title is fair game. I’ll give you a couple of (admittedly terrible) mash ups to get you started, so how about ‘Manowarriors of Ultramar’ and ‘Mechanicum Animals’. Like I said, they’re the first ones that came to mind, but I’m sure you can do better… I’ll announce the winners sometime towards the end of February, so you’ve a good few weeks to have a ponder and see if you can think of ones better than what I’ve come up with – which shouldn’t be too hard! Post your entries in the comments section of this post.

 

Things going into my brain

 

Reading: With a little bairn in the house, my reading has taken a knock, but I’m gradually getting back to the printed word in a meaningful way. My mum got me a copy of The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes for Christmas, which I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into, as I think it’ll be great material for Horus Heresy books, with a real vibe for that 30K era of enlightenment. I just finished ‘Don’t split the party’, the latest of the collected stories concerning the Order of the Stick. If you haven’t seen this webcomic then I urge you to rectify that immediately. Go get the collected books (there’s only five previous ones…) and read them, laugh at them, and love them.

 

Music: Not much in the way of new music has drifted my way, though through my US connection, I’ve picked up a few new records I’m liking. The new Kittie album is getting a lot of play just now, which is surprising me, as I was never the biggest fan of all female bands. But this album’s got me exploring their back catalogue with a more open mind, and I’m liking what I’m hearing.

 

TV: Most of the TV shows I love are on hiatus just now, but will be coming back in the new year. Lost and 24 are starting soon, and who doesn’t love Jack Bauer doing his thing and kicking major terrorist butt? And the ending of Lost getting closer? My mouth’s watering just thinking about it…

 

TV over Christmas was more or less a non-event, with there being literally almost nothing to watch except repeats of old shows. Even Doctor Who was a bit of a confused mash of ideas that didn’t really gel coherently for me, though I did like the addition of the Time Lords and Gallifrey as the villains of the piece. Yet it all combined with such fervour and apocalyptic glee that it was hard not to reach the end without a big smile on my face. David Tennant’s last line almost caused a tear or two before he began to change, and I’m looking forward to seeing where Steven Moffat takes the series and what Matt Smith makes of the Doctor. I just hope folk give him the chance to grow into the role and don’t simply decry him as ‘not being as good as the last one…’ or somesuch. What do you think?

 

Games: This Christmas, I was lucky enough to receive a bunch of games for my 360, so I’ve been shooting bad guys in Modern Warfare 2, blowing up zombies in Left 4 Dead 2, and zapping my way through Ferelden in Dragon Age: Origins as a mage. I’ve enjoyed the quick fix of the shooters, but have been immersed in Dragon Age far too much to be healthy. As much as it’s about as generic a fantasy setting as it’s possible to make, it’s sucked me into its world and I actually care about my little party and the world they inhabit. I love the game, the sense of humour and the level of detail and richness that’s made it a compelling place to visit (far too often for far too long and far too late at night…) and swing a magic staff. It’s a great game and though I’ve played it for nearly twenty-seven hours, I’ve still only scratched the surface of it.

 

Though if there’s one niggle I have, it’s the end of level boss fights. Now I love a good boss battle, me, but please, for the love of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, when I’ve beaten it, let it stay beaten. You sweat blood, you swear at the unfairness of it all and wrestle with the buttons until you finally beat the daemon/zombie lord/alien king. You’ve won, triumphed against ultimate evil! Except you haven’t, and you watch with a sinking sense of cheated victory as the boss laughs maniacally before getting back on his damn feet again with a fully regenerated health bar in a new, sleeker, deadlier form.

 

And this can go on for several incarnations, while I’m burning up health pack or guzzling down healing potions like an addict. I understand the dramatic impact of a new threat arising or the bad guy’s sudden resurgence, but it just gets tiresome when you see it in game after game. I had the same thing with Silent Hill: Homecoming, with that bloody Doll Monster, Scarlett. And given the hellishly awkward controls for Silent Hill, defeating that thing FOUR times just got so impossible that I gave up on the game. So here’s my tip for Games Designers out there. Make end of level bosses Uber Hard, almost unkillable until you become the ninja master of the controller, but make it so that when you kill them, they bloody well stay dead! Okay, rant over.

 

Right, that’s enough for now. Get thinking about the competition and try not to let the greyness of January and February get you down. There’s lots to look forward to, so on that thought, I’ll say see you later,

 

Graham

Right, so the promised flood of bloggage never quite appeared, but never mind. Road to hell etc… On the upside, I’ve managed to make good headway into the sixth Ultramarines book, The Chapter’s Due, which now sits at a comfortable 67,000 words, well on the way to completion and a bit further on than I expected it to be prior to the Christmas break. It’s a book I’m very proud of so far, as it’s twisted in ways I didn’t expect and is moving along at a good speed, which usually means I’m getting the plot and characters nailed in my head as we go along on the journey together. There’s been planetary destruction, big players strutting their stuff on the screen and plenty of nice ‘wow’ moments that I’m really liking. And there’s still the big ending to come. Nice.

 

The last project I finished was A Thousand Sons, and you can watch the trailer for it right here. I had literally a minute to think of what to say for this, and I wish I’d had a little more, as I’d have liked to put in some real zingers of soundbites, but there you go. I think it looks great, and the guys at Shroud Films have done a great job on it. You may have seen this already, but if not; enjoy.

 

In November I went to the Thoughtbubble comic convention in Leeds, which was great fun. Neil Roberts, of the Horus Heresy covers fame, was there too, and we made a fine double act touting our wares and extolling the virtues of the series. It started slowly, but as folk got the vibe we were there, things really picked up.  I’ve worked as a salesman before (albeit for just one day) and loathed it more than anything in the world, but it was actually pretty good fun pitching my books and taking actual money from actual people. I think I enjoyed it because it was something I though people might actually want, rather than trying to frighten them into buying burglar alarms. Thanks to the guys at Traveling Man for having me up there, I’ll definitely be back, and this time I’ll join the queue for Frank Quitely in time to get my copies of The Authority and WE3 signed.

 

I’ll be doing some signings for A Thousand Sons early next year, and I’ll let you know the exact dates nearer the time, but let’s just say that February is going to be a busy month.

 

On a bit of a tangent, there’s a post other folk have linked to that I’d like to share. You might have read it already, but I think what's said is useful and interesting enough to read again and again, so have a look here, for some interesting posts on the topic of genre fiction vs ‘proper’ fiction. Though, really, there shouldn't need to be a vs at all.

 

In other news, Empire, the second book in the Sigmar trilogy has been nominated for the Gemmell Legend Awards, which is a great honour once again. The previous book, Heldenhammer was also nominated, and while it didn’t win, it achieved a respectable place in the rankings, so I was happy. Nathan Long’s Shamanslayer and Richard Williams’ Reiksguard have also been nominated, so check out the Awards page here to vote for your favourite book. I’ll let you know when voting opens, so we can all push towards a BL book being in the top echelons of the placings…

 

And as Christmas comes upon us with its annual inevitability, it’s nice to fall back on traditional things. But equally it’s nice to throw some of them out. And it’s on that note I was dancing around the living room on Sunday night when I heard that Rage Against the Machine had taken the Christmas No1 spot. I’d done my part and bought a copy of the song, even though I already own all the Rage albums. I haven’t paid any attention to the Christmas No1 since Iron Maiden claimed the top spot back in 1990 with Bring your Daughter to the Slaughter. The memory of watching Maiden singing that number in the tinsel-decked Top of the Pops studio will stay with me till my dying day.

 

So with that thought uppermost, I’ll wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!

 

See you in 2010 for more books and mayhem in the Warhammer universes. And if they haven’t invented my flying car and jetpack by then, I’ll be most upset.

 

Cheers,

 

Graham

ps - I listened to Raven's Flight by Gav Thorpe on the walk into town last weekend, and I'd thoroughly recommend it to you all. Go buy it now!

Afternoon all,

Just to let you all know - in case the banner wasn't specific enough - that this weekend (21st November) I'll be at the Thought Bubble in Leeds, signing books, comics and whatever else comes my way. I'll be in Saviles Hall from around 12 noon until around 3pm, though those times may stretch to either side if enough of you come around! Rather than try and tell you what Thought Bubble is, I'll shamelessly borrow from the Thought Bubble website to let you know what it's all about...

"Thought Bubble is a four day annual event which celebrates sequential art in all its forms, including everything from superheroes to independent small press. We are a non profit making organisation dedicated to promoting comics and graphic novels as an important cultural art form. Taking place at a variety of venues across the city, our aim is to cater to both long-time comic book fans and those who have never picked up a graphic novel before! Thought Bubble will take place 19th - 22nd November 2009 with a centre-piece one day convention on Saturday 21st

Thought Bubble will include art and writing based workshops for young people and adults, panels and talks lead by industry professionals and a programme of sequential art related film screenings. The special one day convention includes an incredible line up of leading artists and writers, and over 150 tables selling comics and merchandise. The day will also feature portfolio viewings and competitions. This promises to be one of the best events of its kind in the UK, where you’ll be able to meet some of your favourite comic book creators and browse the huge selection of memorabilia on sale - brought to you by the biggest and best exhibitors and dealers from across the country"

Sounds good, huh? You can see more of what's going on and what other writers and artists are going to be there by clicking here.

Hope to see you there.

Graham

First of all, a great big thank you to everyone for their congratulations to Anita and I on the birth of Evan. We’ve been overwhelmed by the support, love and best wishes we’ve had from friends, family and people we’ve never met. It means a lot to us, so be sure we’re very thankful for everyone’s kind thoughts. He’s a very lucky boy to have had such a welcome to the world. It’s been a busy two months since he arrived, as we’ve been getting into the swing of having him in the house with us, dictating when we can grab showers, eat our dinner and when we get to watch tv or a movie. Evan is now almost eight weeks old and it growing like a weed, with cute little chankles and folds in his arms. Which is a good sign, I’m reliably informed. And though I’m biased, he’s about the cutest kid you’ll ever see.

Evan doing his best Fred Durst impression.

Anyway, onto the writing stuff...

A Thousand Sons

At 1am in the wee small hours of Wednesday morning, I typed THE END at the conclusion of the biggest writing project I’ve ever undertaken. After having a nice long sleep, I read and corrected the last four chapters of A Thousand Sons and then sent the whole damn lot over to Black Library. It was a strange sensation to let it go, as I’ve been so immersed in its creation for so long. I put in a lot of time up front with this book to make sure the Thousand Sons weren’t just another legion who looked, walked and talked just like any other, and that took a bit of time to flesh out. Which meant the book looked at my planned word count and shook it’s head with a weary ain’t gonna happen expression.

It took a lot longer to write and covered a great deal of ground, with lots of things in there that surprised me and which I hadn’t intended to cover, but which felt wholly natural and necessary. I’m sure with a vicious enough carving knife, there’s plenty of darlings that could be murdered in the manuscript without compromising the core of the novel, but each section – whether it dealt with the legion, Magnus or the Remembrancers – felt as though it was a necessary adjunct to the main driver of the plot. Without the supporting cast of characters and the events that surround them, the main plot would have been all the poorer.

Now, is that just me waffling to excuse the fact that I went over my word count? Under normal circumstances, I’d maybe agree with you, but having skimmed through the manuscript with a critical eye (as opposed to the ‘what did I write six chapters ago?’ eye) I think that it’s a book that grew to the length it needed.

Is it the book I had in mind when I started out? Yes and no. Yes, it hits the milestones we need to see with the Thousand Son, but it also explores the legion in ways I hadn’t expected, since I didn’t want them to be the same Astartes as any other legion that just has a different colour of armour and shouts, ‘For Magnus!’ instead of ‘For Horus!’. I think I’ve done that, and I’ve expanded what we know about Magnus and his legion in ways that are unexpected, unusual and like you might not expect. Are they still the Thousand Sons of yore, absolutely. Are they different from anything you’ve seen of them before? Also absolutely.

It’s a story that stands alone, but which will be enriched when read in tandem (in, not on) with the other half of the Magnus/Russ duology; Dan Abnett’s Prospero Burns. Dan and I spoke often during the writing of these books, finding common ground, unifying themes and interesting ways they could connect, intertwine or otherwise reference each other. You’ll read one and perhaps glimpse a scene running alongside it in the other. Elements appearing in one book will be passed, like the baton of a relay runner, from one book to the other and back again. There’s some very cool stuff going on between them, and I can promise there will be some revelations that will please/infuriate people in equal measure. But the good thing is, the interpretation is all yours. As each book is intended to be that legion’s version of events, there are going to be scenes that wilfully contradict one another, and that’s something we knew we wanted to do from the very beginning. It’s not a mistake, we did talk to one another, we did compare notes, but we wanted you to make your own mind up.

But I think you’re going to like it. I enjoyed the writing process of this, as it’s always good to collaborate with the Awesomeness that is Dan Abnett (the capitalisation is totally justified). Every time I would come off the phone, I’d have pages of notes, ideas and things to go back and change, and it doesn’t get much better than that as far as the collaborative process goes. Inspiring just doesn’t cut it as a descriptor, but it’ll have to do for now.

So, with A Thousand Sons put to bed, I’ve a few other tasks to get my teeth into. I’ll be spending the rest of today getting a plan together for a short fiction piece for White Dwarf and drawing up some more detailed plans for The Chapter’s Due, the sixth Ultramarines novel (note I said sixth, NOT last), which I’ll be starting next week. It’s going to be a belter, full of action and adventure, with war on a scale I’ve not yet tackled. Watch this space. There’s also another project I need to get my teeth into planning, which required me to get hold of Time-Life’s ‘This Fabulous Century’ and Gangs of New York. I’ll say no more. I’ve already said too much…

TV Gold

Been watching some new tv shows since The Wire finished on BBC 2 recently, which was simultaneously sad and inspiring. Sad because it’s over, inspiring because I think I learned a lot from it in terms of pacing and characterisation. I loved how everyone on it; from the cops, drug dealers, killers, thieves to the politicians and ordinary folk were wonderfully fleshed out with real flaws and real virtues. Everyone was compelling to watch and no-one was wholly bad or good. Just like real people in fact. Aside from great drama and wonderfully realised dialogue, it was inspiring to see that the creators were willing to take their time with the story, not rushing towards any resolution and not being afraid to pull the rug out from their characters at the last moment. The last montage in the finale of season 2 was just wonderful, perfectly encapsulating what made this show so perfect.

We’re dipping our toes in Flash Forward, which is shaping up nicely in the void between seasons of Lost. I’m rewatching Generation Kill, which is much easier second time around now that I know who everyone is and don’t have to try and tell identically clad soldiers apart from a brief long shot or snatched line of dialogue. Like The Wire, it just chucks you into the characters and events with a ‘here you go, deal with it’ attitude, which I love, as I get bored with the spoon feeding attitude a lot of tv drama seems to take in underestimating its audience.

Books on the go

Reading-wise, I’m reading a lot of my H.P. Lovecraft just now (though I did pick up a copy of Gav Thorpe’s Shadow King at BL yesterday, so that might just nudge itself to the top of the reading pile alongside The Corner, one of the books written by the creators of The Wire). Sitting by the bed, like a guilty secret, is 1812, a novel about vampires set during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. Now I picked this up with such high hopes, but they’ve been cruelly dashed upon the rocks. Russian vampires. Napoleonic warfare. Should be a slam-dunk, right? I’ve never struggled with a book so much. It should be rip-roaringly exciting, but just keeps dragging its heels and I’m in that horrid position of thinking that I might not bother finishing it, even though I’m about two thirds of the way through.

Rock Baby

I’ve been listening to a lot of Planet Rock on the radio recently, as dancing around the front room with Evan in my arms has proved to be the best way to get him off to sleep. My writing playlist has swollen again with lots more albums, most notably Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces by Seether, all three albums of Shinedown (who I’m off to see at the beginning of November at Rock City) and Sci-Fi Crimes by Chevelle. Good stuff and right up my alley. I got the new Rammstein album yesterday and it’s fantastic, as hard, heavy and melodic as you’d expect, with some killer riffs.

Right, that’s enough waffle for today. With A Thousand Sons done, I should hopefully have a bit more time to ensure a more regular presence here (famous last words perhaps, but I’ll try). I think I’ll try and do a Q&A with the responses on previous posts to answer some of your questions next.

Gamesfest 4 and Thought Bubble

Oh, and before I forget, I’ll be appearing at Gamesfest 4 at the Watford Colosseum on the 24th of October. I’ll be signing books and chatting, and I’ll also be on a Horus Heresy discussion panel with the Towering Presence of Jim Swallow. So if you’re around that way be sure to stop by. And one for the diaries next month, I’ll be at Thought Bubble in Leeds on the 21st of November.

See you soon,

Graham

Hi folks,

It’s been a while since I posted a blog entry, but trust me, I have a good excuse this time instead of just falling back on my laziness. I’ve been meaning to put this entry up for a while, but have been a little busy recently, and not just by the towering amount of work I have to do…

I’ve been so busy because at the end of August, our son, Evan James McNeill, was born, all 9lb of him. So we’re now proud parents of a month-old baby boy.

Me with Evan the day after he was born.

He’s a bonny wee lad and is the spitting image of me, so I’m well proud to have my own mini-me. My parents have shown me pictures taken when I was Evan’s age, and it’s uncanny how much he looks like I did (much to his mum’s chagrin…).

 

Mini-Me McNeill.

So, as you can imagine, it’s been a busy time around here, but we reckon we’re doing a pretty good job so far (after getting a lot of help from our families) so little Evan’s already had a great start in life. I’ve already had him roll some dice for me; a respectable 4, 6, 5 and 4, so his Space Marines all hit their targets, and have read him a little of A Thousand Sons, which he seemed to like and I’m taking as a good sign. So, I hope you’ll bear with me if my blog entries slow down a little, as there’s a new master in the house, and it ain’t me. The McNeill household now dances to Evan’s tune and no-one else’s.

Bedtime stories as I read Evan some of Blood Pact.

In non-baby related news, I’ve just finished Book 2 of A Thousand Sons, which is proving to be an ever-expanding monster of a novel…there’s just so much to fit in! But I’ve now reached the point where the warriors of Magnus have returned to Prospero after the Council of Nikaea, so things are hotting up for the big scrap we all know is coming.

And it can’t have escaped many people’s attention that it’s UK Games Day on the 27th of September. I’ll be there all day to sign books, chat and talk all things Heresy, Ultramarines, Time of Legends and so on. Hope you can make it, as it promises to be a cracking good day, but bear with me if I look a little tired and strung out from all the restless nights.

Right, I’m off to plan out The Chapter’s Due, as I’m meant to be starting it soon once the razing of Prospero is done.

Take care, and see you all at Games Day.

Graham

Morning folks,

Just to let you know that I'll be in Games Workshop Nottingham (the store on Friar Lane in the town centre, NOT Warhammer World) this Saturday (1st Aug) between 1pm and 3pm, signing pre-release copies of Empire as well as any other books you happen to have on you - though if they were mine that'd help...

I know it's a bit short notice on this blog, but, hey...I've been busy on A Thousand Sons.

So, hope you can make it along and see you there.

Cheers,

Graham

Just a quick entry today…

Couple of things to note. One is that I have succumbed to the lure of Twitter. After reading about it and hearing from Dan – it’s all your fault! – about how it’s not as massively intrusive as Facebook, I’ve decided to give it a try. Looks fairly harmless, and I think I can control myself from spending all my time on it when I should be working. We’ll see. Anyway, if you want to keep an eye on my goings on, then you can 'Search' for me, originally enough, as GrahamMcNeill, so have a look if you think you might be interested in the little details of my days…or if that doesn't work try www.twitter.com/GrahamMcNeill

Also, I’ve been chatting with BL about the prospect of doing a full on interview with the guys of BLtv, so if you haven’t already, head over to the Black Library site (either on Facebook or the BL Forums) and send us that question you’ve always wanted to know the answer to. What are you waiting for? Go now!

Cheers,

Graham

Morning folks, it’s a lovely day and I thought I’d take this brief moment to slap a few words down on the page since it’s been a good, busy month, some cool things have happened and I’m about to embark on a project I’ve been salivating about for quite some time.

The Time of Legends continues
Anyway, to begin with I’ve recently had my copies of Empire delivered, and mighty fine they look too. Empire is the second in the Sigmar trilogy, and is in many ways it’s a darker book. I know these days people are contractually bound to make sequels darker, but this one is darker in what I feel is a more necessary way. Looking at the arc of the three books, I look at them as thematically representing the three ages of Man. I know that sounds very pompous, but bear with me. Heldenhammer is the ‘Child’ part of the trilogy, where the characters are bursting with optimism, full of hope for the future and suffused with the immortality of the young. Empire is the ‘Grown Man’ book where the some of the edge of teir optimism has been worn down by life experiences, concerns of family, mortality and the looming threat of age rearing its head. I haven’t written the final book yet – I’m not scheduled to start that until early next year – but I already see that as the ‘Autumn Years’ book, where the characters are staring death in the face (literally), and are looking back over their lives with a sensation of things coming to an end. That makes it sound like the third book is going to be really depressing, and it will be full of darkness, but I also expect it to be uplifting and triumphant.

So, to celebrate the release of Empire, I’m going to be doing a signing in Warhammer World early in August (most likely the 1st, but check back and/or keep an eye on the Black Library website for confirmation and times).

A Signing in Bristol
While we’re on the subject of signings, I’m going to be visiting the South West soon. I’ll be appearing at Games Workshop Cribbs Causeway in Bristol on Saturday the 18th of July. I’ll be there from 1pm to 3pm (and possibly a little longer), so I hope to see you there! You can contact the store on 0117 959 2520 for more details.

Iron Warrior
But…as I said, Iron Warrior is finished. And what, pray tell, is Iron Warrior, I hear you ask. Well, it’s something of a new venture, and I don’t want to say too much, but I think you’re going to really like it. No prizes for guessing which traitor legion it’s about, but the stuff the design guys have got going on for this book is making my mouth water just thinking about it.

Okay, to give you a little taster of the book, here’s a few lines from Chapter 1.

“Only that the Thrice Born is the bane of the Gatekeeper of Zalathras,” said Honsou, letting his frustration show as Moriana crouched beside the purple fire. “And that it would rise again in the Time of Ending to wreak bloody revenge on those who paid homage to his sons.”

There, don’t say I’m not good to you. And as that project sails off into the editorial sunset, my attentions turn to A Thousand Sons, my latest Horus Heresy novel.

A Thousand Sons
I’ve written the synopsis for A Thousand Sons, got the characters sorted in my mind, and have planned out the themes and approach I want to take to its style and vibe. So, with the opening monologue written, it’s full speed ahead to get as much done before our first baby arrives. I’ve asked Anita if she can hold onto the little tyke for a couple of weeks, as that would really help me out with my deadlines, but she just gave me a funny look.

As with any Heresy book, I’m really excited about getting into this one, as we’ve had several meetings about this and all things Heresy. The stuff Dan Abnett and I have planned for these books are, even if I do say so, mind-blowing. The story of the Space Wolves and the Thousand Sons you think you know is like catching a fragment of a tv show when you flick onto the channel just before the credits roll. There’s so much more going on that we’ve worked into the story that enhances it, embellishes it, gives it meaning and depths we couldn’t have imagined when we started, but which all fits neatly into the existing storyline. It’s a fragile, finely balanced thing at the moment, existing only as fantastic concepts, and I just hope I can do justice to the amazing things we have planned.

And in a seamless leap from A Thousand Sons to other matters Heresy. If you’ve been reading the blogs of various BL writers or keeping up with events on the BL site, then you’ll know that we had a Horus Heresy meeting a few weeks ago. As usual, it was a fantastic day, with ideas and concepts thrown onto the table that are, no word of a lie, goose-bump moments when I think of what they mean to the background. It all fits, it all makes sense, it doesn’t materially change the Imperium of the 41st Millennium, but boy does it skew your perception of it. Naturally, after such a tease, I can’t actually tell you anything about it, though it’s given me no end of gentle amusement to see how people have reacted to the words: ‘Dark Ages of the Horus Heresy’, deciding that it’s the wrong phrase for something when we’ve given them no clues as to what it is. Trust me, it’s the right phrase and when we get onto that part of the story, you’ll be gasping for air, since we’ll have taken your breath away.

WFRP 3
A coupe of weeks ago, our regular roleplaying group was privileged enough to playtest 3rd Edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. The guys from Fantasy Flight Games were over at Games Workshop HQ, and Jay Little very kindly did a show and tell for us over at Alessio Cavatore’s house, where we saw how much the game has changed from its previous incarnation. Our gaming group has been going for some time and we were all interested to see what was new with WFRP, since we’d playtested the previous edition also. It was in interesting evening, and the game was very different to anything I’ve played before, with a lot of table space taken up by character sheets, action and ability cards, dice etc. It felt like a strange hybrid of board game and roleplaying game at first, but once the notions of the new mechanics took hold, it felt very natural. Likewise, the new dice pool system felt odd at first, but once we’d rolled a few dice it immediately became very intuitive, which is surely the holy grail of any roleplaying system.

By the time we’d despatched the goblins and rescued the coachman, we didn’t have much time left to play out the more interpersonal encounters of the intro game, but we’d already gotten our heads around the system and were already looking to develop our characters – which is a good sign in any playtest. Overall, I really liked the changes to the game, and it makes a nice change from sitting with my Players Handbook and a grubby character sheet. I’m liking what Jay has done with the game, and there’s a clear desire to make it fit properly with the Warhammer World, where a lot of the previous edition’s books, with the best will in the world, just didn’t.

Romance beckons
As I mentioned in my last post about BookExpo America, the ladies of the Romance Writers of America took a keen interest in the gothic horror of the 40k universe. True to their word, I was sent a book; Sleepless at Midnight by Jacquie D’Allesandro. It looks exactly as I’d imagined, with a winsome heroine wrapped in a gossamer sheet on the front cover, with a big, shirtless guy embracing her on the inner cover. I’ve not read it yet, but I intend to, as it’s only right and proper. The ladies of the RWA were so nice to me that it’s the least I can do to read the book after Jacquie was good enough to send her book across the Atlantic. What ramifications this will have for the worlds of Warhammer of 40k I can’t say, but don’t expect to see a book with the subtitle, “The heat of battle was no match for the heat of their passion…”

Random stuff
Anita and I went with some friends to see AC/DC at Wembley Stadium last Friday, and what a great gig that was! The boys rocked the place (though their sound system was a bit crap to begin with) and played a set that, with the exception of a smattering of songs from the new album, was pretty much the same set they’ve played for the last twenty years. And thank the Brazen Gods of Metal for that. We had the fifteen-minute solo from Angus Young, the striptease at The Jack, the finale of Highway to Hell and For Those About to Rock. Just what I’d been looking forward to. Anita fled the final song, as the booming cannons seemed to be upsetting the little one she’s carrying, but I say it’s acclimatisation for the rock it’ll be hearing when it decides to make an appearance.

We also went to see Terminator Salvation, which I’d heard mixed reviews of, but which we went to with an open mind. I have to say, I really enjoyed it and thought it was an excellent kick up the backside of a franchise that had somewhat stalled after T3 (an average movie that simply retreads the ground of T2, and is only saved by its utterly killer ending). I’ve only seen a few episodes of The Sarah Connor Chronicles, but wasn’t impressed by it, so it was with real relish that I watched this movie break out of the conventional ‘chase’ structure and become its own movie, with everyone getting to do cool stuff, be it Moon Bloodgood’s fighter pilot, Marcus the Terminator or John Connor himself. And it was nice to see ‘Arnie’ in the movie, albeit as a digitally mapped face on another body. The only bit where I though there was an opportunity missed was the ending. I liked the ending, it was good, it fitted the story and keeps us trundling on to the next movie, but I was left with a lingering sensation that there was a better ending in there…

[SPOILER ALERT – DON’T READ ON IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE!]

At the end of the movie, when John Connor and the Arnie Terminator are battling in the Terminator production facility, Connor gets badly skewered by a spike of metal and is close to death. Marcus saves the day and kills the bad guy Terminator. And here was a moment where, had the writer/director/studio had been bold enough they could have done something wonderful. I, and I’m sure others, saw the potential for John Connor dying at this moment and Marcus taking his face for his own. How cool would that be? No-one else was there to see it, and who’d have blinked an eye to see John Connor staggering from the wreckage? The idea that the ‘John Connor’ who goes on to save humanity from the machines was himself a Terminator had me smiling all the way home. It fits perfectly, doesn’t mess with continuity and would have phenomenal dramatic potential in the later movies, leading to real weighty issues, like what it means to be human, the truth of identity and whether a machine can truly evolve.

Now, I heard bits and pieces of a ‘controversial’ ending to the movie before it was even finished, and if this is what it was originally intended to be, then I’m disappointed they didn’t go for it – though I’m not surprised. It smacks of the raging fanboy outcry that derails so many well-intentioned movies. Directors and movie-makers should just ignore the fans and make the movie they want to make. Sounds harsh, but look what happened to Wolverine, Blade Trinity and Spiderman 3 when the fans clamoured for cameos from their favourite characters or studios insisted on the inclusion of villains who didn’t need to be there (or demanded potential for spin offs). Wolverine was hamstrung by the introduction of too many characters who added nothing to the story and were simply introduced as sops to the fans. The result? None of them were served as well as their characters demanded, and the whole movie became a sprawling mess that lost its focus. It’s a Wolverine movie, I want to be about Wolverine. It’s a Blade movie, I want it to be about Blade, not some naff vampire hunting team who may or may not get a spin off. Keep your focus, ignore the fans, stay true to the lore and get on with making the movie that needs to be made.

Competition Winner
A while back I ran a competition to give away a copy of Mechanicum signed to ‘The Bob’. Looking at the entries, I’ve decided to give the book to Elenaria, for this response:

++Begin transmission++

It would be like sacred oil to the cogitators of Adept Bob, youngest brother-adept of Runepriest Elenaria, to in his archive have the holy tome of Mechanicum signed with his name, by the revered Fabricator General McNeill.

++All praise the Omnissiah++
++End transmission++

Elenaria, drop me a line through the website with your address and I’ll get the book and a few other goodies posted out to you.

Reader Responses

Alexander “Scud”: Thanks for the kind words on The Last Church, it’s a story that seems to have gone down well with folk. And I hadn’t heard about that movie, but it’s one I think I’ll definitely check out.

Sam: We are well indeed, thanks. That was very much the challenge I set myself, to tell an interesting story without any guns blazing or chainswords chopping. Great review too and the site’s looking good.

Bastiaan: Thanks for the congratulations, much appreciated. Glad you liked The Killing Ground, and hope you enjoy the building towards the third book in the arc (Iron Warrior will give you some clues as to what to expect). Hopefully the above post will shed some light on the Heresy (though probably not…) but, trust me, Dan and I have some great things planned, some you’ll never expect, and others that will leave your jaw hanging slackly… And I will do my best to continue with books you enjoy.

Steven G: Yeah, I’ve read a bit of World War Z, when I snuck a read of a few pages when Kirsten Williams left it next to her suitcase on the way back from Games Day Chicago. It looked really interesting, so I guess I should pick up a copy. And as much as I loved Australia, the USA does hold a special place in my heart. I love going over there and there’s something about American cities and American people I really like.

Dju: Really? Scandalous that you don’t have a copy. I’m make sure Matt has one to take back to France after Games Day this year, though I have a chunky French version of the book on my shelf now too. Thanks Natalie!

Jeff Hall: Yeah, great to see you and Jason and the rest of the lads in Baltimore. Looking forward to the next time, as it was a blast chatting at the event and in the bar afterwards.

Xhalax: An Adeptus Mechanicus costume…now that would have been great. Oh, well, just have to spot you with a frog bag/sheep bag or will there be a new animal bag this year?

Gav: It may well have been, but I think I see what books you have in your shelf near where you write. Explains a lot…

On the Reading Stand: I’ve just finished George Mann’s excellent The Affinity Bridge, which was a thrilling adventure in steampunk Victorian England. Well worth a read, so hustle to your nearest bookstore and procure yourself a copy! With that book finished, I’m hip deep in the collected comics of The Savage Sword of Conan 1, which I borrowed from Alessio a while back and have only now got round to reading.

On the Hi-fi: As I type this, I’m listening to Fear Factory, but Rebel Meets Rebel, Soulfly and Bloodsimple have been getting some good airtime.

Okay, that’s enough bloggage for one day. Talk to you soon, hopefully at one of the signings…so keep your diary free on the 18th of July if you’re anywhere near Cribbs Causeway, the 1st of August if you’re near Warhammer World.

Cheers,

Graham