A Happy New Year to all. Thanks for your posts and messages over the holiday season. I hope you all had, as Xhalax put it, a “Happy Candlemass”.
We all had a lovely quiet Candlemass of our own here at the Fortress of Turpitude, except the Hussar, who was suddenly very active again. He’s clearly trying to tell us something. I’ll blog more about that soon. Make sure you have a glass of warm punch and a crackling log fire ready.
Had a great day up at The Black Library last week, where Graham and I planned even more devious and astonishing elements to add to our Wolves vs Sons (“One Wins, One Runs Home To Tell Mummy”) fethfest, with help from Nick Kyme, Alan Merrett and James Swallow. We also kicked around a few ideas to throw into Jim’s BRILLIANT new notion for a Horus book. I cannot wait to read it.
I also want to take a moment to note the respective passings of Oliver Postgate and Forrest J. Ackerman. Two minutes silence for each, please, minimum.
May I also recommend the new album by White Denim, which I first heard when I went to see the Mighty Boosh play the O2 with Junior Daughter. You’ll find it comes at you like a bag of kestrals, sir.
The proper purpose of this blog entry is to tell you about Paris. We’ll always have Paris. Now you can have Paris too. I’ll post details of my mini-tour of Scotland when we firm them up: right now, we want to make sure Blood Pact is finished and printed before I lead my Clone Forces over the border to sign it. In the meantime, I will be in Paris between the 22nd and 24th of January, in a little signing trip arranged by the fine gentlemen at Bibliotheque Interdite. More details can, I understand, be obtained from (http://fr.games-workshop.com/news/news.asp).
The three Paris signings are:
Thursday 22nd: Signing at the Games Workshop Bastille store, from 5:00 to 8:00pm.
This will be a signing for GW fans in a closed store, apparently.
Friday 23rd: Signing at the Starplayer store, from 6:00 to 8:00pm. This will also be a closed store signing with me doing a little (translated!) Q&A at the end. Buy tickets in advance from their web site.
Saturday 24th: Signing at La Fnac in Les Halles, from 4:00 to 6:00pm. This is a regular, open to all-comers signing.
I will be the one looking windswept and interesting, with a Gauloise Blonde, a scarf shrugged artistically over one shoulder, and a small glass of pastis, muttering to myself such things as, “I see speculative fiction as an amphibious landing craft of...”
Yeah, maybe not. See you there, anyway.
57 comments:
Happy new year, Dan! Although I'll pass on the punch and crackling log fire for a fan and a long drink of icewater - high summer here, 37 Celsius days.
I'll understand if you're reluctant to go into details, but I'd be curious to know if you're planning to use the bit from Bill King's old "Dark Communion" story where the Sons try to actually physically transport Prospero itself out from under the Space Wolves and away across the galaxy. I've never seen it referred to anywhere else but it struck me as a cool idea.
Log activated.
scotland mini tour?!
Best.
Day.
Ever.
Also, I myself are going to see the Boosh tomorrow night in Glasgow. To say im excited is an understatement. :D
A glass of Pastis ??? You're the man Mr. Abnett !!! Beware though, as any excess of that bewitched beverage will automatically mutate you into a pétanque player !!!
However, too bad Paris is a bit far from my place on the French Riviera, but let me send you a lot of good vibes to help you deal with my fellow countrymen. have a good time anyway.
Danm I'm curious on what James Swallow's idea is... It doesn't even sound Blood Angels Horus Heresy Era related...
Herr Abnett..do you think we've got a long way to go to hear some solid news about Swallow's latest HH novel??
Herr Abnett... it's always strange to hear/read things like that in english texts, when you're german... ;)
But well, these are the things that make Warhammer Fantasy what it is. And 40k too, I think.
When is BL gonna send you to the states?
Have you seen Californiacation?
Book signing authors get all the action out here on the west coast!
I keep hearing good things about White Denim, like that they killed at South-by-Southwest this year and that they won "Best New Band" at the Austin Music Awards.
I had already noted down to see them the next time they came home to take a rest, and now I definitely will. If all else fails I'll see them in SxSW this year. (I'm gonna be smart and get a pass this year- no more standing 90 minutes in line to not see Vampire Weekend for me.)
Pack Master:
Since that Herr-ing in English twists your brain, dare I ask what you thought of Valkyrie?
I found it OK, but it was totally overshadowed by Gran Torino- God what a movie.
If GW ever makes a 40k movie, they better damn well cast Eastwood as Yarrick.
Space hoppers, Daleks, Wallace and Gromit, Ninentdo DS, Hoodie of DOOOOOOOOM, the return of Dancing on Ice and back to trampolining.....I've had fun over the last few weeks.
*can't run around waving her arms like a maniac because she jumped around like a maniac last night on the trampoline and is sore*
*falls over*
"If GW ever makes a 40k movie, they better damn well cast Eastwood as Yarrick."
Yes. Dear God, yes.
Or Thomas Jane as Eisenhorn.
-SD4
Rob:
haven't seen it yet - major problem on it is because every cinema in town is showing movies only in german, translated. I haven't seen a translated movie for a while now. I even have DVDs on my shelf, that I haven't seen in german^^
Funny thing, TV here is just showing a german production about Stauffenberg.
I'm sure Paris is all very well if you like that kind of thing, but it's hardly Birmingham, is it?
If you're writing the Space Wolf side of the Battle of Prospero, you might want to check out the last three albums by Amon Amarth (especially Twilight of the Thunder God). It's pretty much the soundtrack for the entire King/Lightner Space Wolf series.
“One Wins, One Runs Home To Tell Mummy.” So who does what? Either could be said to have won the BoP, and either did have to run and report to a superior at the end. I'm over-thinking. That'll teach me to marathon the Lost series before the impending season premier.
Anywho, looking forwards to the next release (Gaunt, right?). My wife offers a not so gentle prod at you to start on the rumored Bequin trilogy.
Satan D. Magnus gets battered bruv!, in point of fact he gets his back broken in a gorrila pressand Prosspero gets ..well ravaged .In Defence of Magnus (am i actually saying this )i feel he was trying to do the right thing he just did it the wrong way!Also to attack a planet with such considerable psychic defence means the Wolves didnt do it without the Silent Sisterhood!Bequins distant ancestors!?
Can u imagine how savage the Wolves were? the Canis Helix exposed to all that Chaos sorcery!
Man i would not have liked to have been a thousand son that day.I suppose that sorcery gives them a level playing field with the Helix,
but with the sisters there most of that would have been taken away.Can u imagine Leman Russ with a Sisterhood bodyguard hahaha.
Fantastic intergalactic Sword Vs Sorcery .Can u imagine the scale of planning it would take to invade another Primarchs home world!
I dont even know were Dan and Graham would start! what an undertaking.ive been waiting for this for nearly 20 years.
No pressure Dan....lol
Dan,
Good luck in Paris. Just step lightly around the mimes.
On a complete serious note, I'd like to ask you a question. I just read a review about War of Kings and, even though you and Andy have been working together for a long time, my non-sequitor mind started thinking aobut how you guys go about writing together. Are you the 'idea guy' and Andy the 'script guy'? Vice versa? Or do you both sit down and throw stuff at each other until you're both satisfied and one of you writes the script? You are obviously a great writer and could easily write these great comics by yourself, but I was just curious about the dynamic between you and Mr. Lanning.
Please respond if you are so inclined.
Happy new year everyone.
I had a great holiday, with a complete West Wing boxed set, the new Prince of Persia, Ben Goldacre's Bad Science book... and of course Titanicus!
Looking forward to my favourite author tackling the epic fall of Prospero (or at least half of it) It does concern me to hear you're concentrating on the Wolves, Dan, I hope the Sons are presented in an appropriately subtle light, but I must admit I can't wait to see what you make of Leman Russ!
Have fun in Paris! I wonder what accents the Tanith have in French?
This is gonna be good, Legion standard good :)
IF YOU AREN’T AWARE OF THE PROSPERO FIGHT AND ARE KEEN TO READ THE BOOK WITH AN OPEN INNOCENT MIND THEN LOOK AWAY RIGHT……NOW
I’m really looking forward to the planetary invasion, the street fights, the destruction of timeless monuments to all knowledge. As lets face it no one does wholesale, indiscriminate, overreaching destructive fury quite like Mr Abnett (The aqueduct in Necropolis anyone?)
I’m looking forward to the days long Primarch on Primarch fight, especially the Russ’s WWF inspired ‘primarch back breaker’
I’m looking forward to seeing which support that Russ will bring with him-which Titan Legions he’ll chose to bring and why
I’m looking forward to seeing Russ’s barely-one-fight-from-Khorne-fur-clad-frothing maniacs against Magnus’s bejewelled-have-they-already-sold-themselves-to-Tzeentch-warrior-mages
I’m looking forward to the 13th legion and their departure
I’m looking forward to the Wargear of Russ, and the Wolves by extension
But (if you hadn’t guessed already) I’m really looking forward to Russ, how he looks, talks, fights, interacts, Dan did such a brilliant job with Horus, Sanguinus, Dorn, and Alpharius that this will be the highlight
Oh and that’s 199 words, that’s how much I want to read this book :)
Dan is it hard writing about things
that have already been writen about? with so much expectation on every word?
i say in Dan we trust!u did wonders for the H.H. i just cant wait
Hussar-WWF.stlye Primarch back breaker....excellent!
Dukeleto-did u read the furious abyss the thousand son and his PDF
in that were really cool.Magnuss's story is a sad one but inevitably interwoven with Tzeentch, and this aint havin a punch up in some despots car park,this is a fight to the death!
and unfortunatly the Helix Father will win!
Hurrah:
"’m looking forward to the days long Primarch on Primarch fight, especially the Russ’s WWF inspired ‘primarch back breaker’"
Yu are mixing 2 things there: the days long primarch fight between Wolf and Lion, and the Back Breaker the Wolf did on the cyclope ;)
Yeah, I'm anxious too. Dan, please don't make things bad. In the Collected Visions there are many infos on how the Wolves were organised back then (which kind of packs they had) and he Fight between Russ and Magnus is very good desrcibed too (Hurrah said some things of it). You would make me very disappointed if you would change those things... Don't forget, we'll see each other on GD Germany THIS YEAR - The novel won't be out yet then, but I'm very good at threatening people ;)
I can't wait to see Freki and Geri in action!!!
Two wolfs the size of a rhino acting at Russ side ^^
I don't worry much about the Son's sorcery, Wolves are well defended by their runic lore, they are the most resilient to the lure of the warp, probably the Emp'ror knowed about that...
Prosper WILL burn!!!
Packmaster there are plenty of fights from Russ, the 'three days long fight' quote probably came from one of the endless fluff sites for WH40k so apologies for misquoting!
But I do definitely know that he ended the fight with Magnus by breaking his back over his knee.
It was what made me such a fan of Russ in the 1st place
Come to think of it Maurizio, no one has ever explained whether Space Wolves had librarians pre-heresy, I see the opportunity for Russ to forbid all un-Fenrisian psychic action after Prospero-seeing how destructive and warping such power can be.
Like before-the possibilities are mounting!
Maurizio-Freki an Geri in action the best!no own really mentions them anymore im glad u brought them up!
As for the Emperor knowing them to be warp resistant,well he built them that way! .Its literally in there genes The Canis Helix is resistant to the warping effect of chaos to a point .The closer they are to chaos the more wulfen like and savage they become.For a S.Wolf to turn traitor is a concious desciscion.They also are the only Chapter to have animal Dna
so when the all knowing Emperor made them he certainly had something in mind.Even the Lupercal's wolves only have the golden eyes i dont think its in there dna.When fighting Chaos the wolves only get stronger and more savage and it brings out the Wulfen thats always lurking in them! i fear thats why the attack on prospero is next to a war crime really!
I wonder how this affects Leman Russ.......does he just turn into the hulk or somthing haha he justs get stronger and stronger against Chaos....probably how comes the Lion got to sucker punch him!
Crack..." take that Leman ya big bastad......Well you have to get him when hes not looking!
I suppose the Helix is what gives the Wolves just that something extra amongst equals!
im not even sure the Blood Angels at this time have come back from campaign.....diturbed and they certanly havent developed the flaw yet......bless em!
I just finished Graham's "Mechanicus" Horus novel. It was ok. I can see where he took the new concepts you introduced to Titan lore in "Titanicus" and ran with them. Not a bad bit of work he did.
However, I still like your book better.
I don't mean to make this a Dan vs Graham post, but I just think you are the best writer in the Black Library.
Specifically, your skills lay in the ability to create characters. Characters that the reader can understand and identify with. Mourn even.
Most of the other writers in the BL can write well. To various degrees. *cough* But you stand a bit taller than the rest.
I find a similarity between you and Stephen King. Though you work in different genres, you are both good at fleshing out characters and making the reader actually connect to them.
Keep up the good work.
Eh up Dan,
Been working up the courage to make a post on here for a brief yonk or so, having obsessively preached about your works to everyone I know since I first got hold of Necropolis, then discovered Sinister Dexter had been you all along as well.
Although my broiling enthusiasm encourages me to blather incoherently, I'm going to limit myself to only one question - one question I know you probably can never answer, but still has to be asked, like a Zen Koan:-
What the hell is a Rhyming Sword?
multiple compliments to you otherwise, I've also just read Mechanicus then Titanicus, and I think the excellent teamwork between you and your homeboys at BL, together with the scope, daring and breadth of the stories being told these days, has done more to improve the 40k universe (and military sci-fi as a whole) than any other source. I've always loved the fact you've never been frightened to improve and expand GW canon in imaginative ways.
I hope you did have a gay Paris, and didn't get dragged into a dingy realm of espresso, clove cigarettes and absinthe (but if you did, that you at least got to see Kylie), and I have absolute trust that between you and Graham you'll get the full gut-wrenching tragedy of Magnus' misuse, abuse and forced exile into the next phase of the heresy.
cheers big-ears.
The dreary new year feeling is now kicking in.Just started mechanicum though so thats not a bad thing though.Not really getting where we are going with H.H. somewhere along journey we seemed to have lost focus on the main story,Captain Garro has made to the Fist's fleet and informed them of treachery and........uummpf.Whats happend to our story line this magnificently fast paced, action packed, roller coaster of a ride has....well fizzled out .I mean for all these extenstion storys and the other amazing storys that were happening at the same time, there should be a colour code on the spine of the book or something.Heck i would still buy them I mean Mechanicum is essential...and the Fall of Prospero (my Fav) i cant wait for!but with so much work to do shouldnt the writers have stuck to the main road rather than coming off it!I personally would like to be able to pick up from where we left off ! and more Primarchs please it 30k Fulgrim yes, Furious Abyss yes but at a later dateplease we have unfinished buisness!
I know exactly what you mean, Steve. The opening trilogy made a great impact and kicked us straight into the story. After Eisentein the momentum was somehow lost. Abyss was only a filler, Mechanicum was important but didn't really fit into the main part because the links to the all-scheme were missing, the impact the Marsian war made.
Really hoping for the SW/TS-double, because it tells forth the main story.
(something about this small text doesn't suit me well... has my english gone worse? Hmmm...)
Heck, just waiting for Prospero. Going out to feed my wolvers now.
Pack Master and big - Think of it this way. The Horus Heresy has existed as a concept in GW canon since 1st ed, the Realm of Chaos books (oh what beautiful books!) or before. That story's been there, influencing everything but with very little detail for about 20 years now.
After 20-ish years wait, I think it's only right that they do it *properly*. Imagine if they missed out something you loved, like, say, skipping Prospero to get straight to the Emperor's Palace? You're not going to want to wait another twenty years are you?
It'll be worth the wait :) Anyway, it's not like Dan can write them all, can he?
Can he?
On a completely different note....I found my box of coloured crayons when I was tidying my room.
The child inside of me is so ridiculously happy.
Vaguely more back on topic.....the Prospero books scare me more than any of the HH books so far (past, present and future) so I wait this one out without thinking about it at all so as to not start wondering and having me thoughts and theories smashed into teeny tiny pieces.
So I will not join in with the discussion and speculation on principal more than anything else (yup, I'm that much of a bitch).
On the Ghosty side....I really want to sit and read The Lost again, but can't because my brother is in possession of his copies and I'm not in possession of them. Boo!
Though I do have to wonder why Blood Pact has seemingly been pushed back on the BL release list.
Any thoughts/theories?
On the Inquisitory side, I'm wondering about the short stories.
On the graphic novel side....I'm wondering how many back issues of the 40K Boom! Studios stuff Travelling Man will get for me, since I basically asked them to try and get me everything 40K based rather than having to buy them online (I try to support my local....well Newcastle comic booky type stores whenever I can).
Other than that......YAY! for crayons....but BOO! for finally filling my sketch book (my AS level art one that I drew three pictures in and then dropped AS art because it sucked for 'twas fine art, which I don't care for. All the rest is filled with graphic art/manga/anything I feel like copying).
*doesn't doodle on the wall*
C.mon now no one is saying miss out the details or story lines but it should be recognized their are a few different arcs and a whole host of personalitys and characters that need covering,which should have there own books= different coloured book spines,.As i said i love em all
but some are completely not neccesary yet.
ie Descent of Angels .Another story arc in its own right!
Battle for the Abyss,again good book but a waste of a good writer's time right now.
Even (dare i say it) Legion fantastic,fantastic book but im more of a fan of Dans than i am of B.L. 's timing! i think Fulgrim ,Mechanichum and The Fall of Prospero are all essentials they show where the pieces are on the board so to speak. The Lighting Tower is and Night Haunter
are great to more pieces laid out for us.
But the guys shouldve 100 % stuck to the main course and then gave us our side orders,or even started out differently........
Still different coloured story arcs isnt much to asf for is it!
Got to say though i for one am glad im having this conversation! I have been waiting 20 years,to see the Heresy fleshed out and i know we will get there in the end!
One Arc that is important and i am really looking forward to is that of the Blood Angels.Their Fall from red armoured Ultramarines to Disturbed Killers in red armour should be fantastic!
i feel so behind. im only on galaxy in flames :D
but i have an excuse! *nods furiously* Ive had to read the most awful book ever written for school. Its called "Sunset Song" and is supposed to be a 'Classic'. Im telling you, books are no fun unless there are vampires or Spacemarines.. even if they just added one little eeniee weeeniee gun battle. it would have been better.
>.> ill catch up one day *sighs*
Big Steve: the BA-thing is just... y'know, this is happenig right at the end of the thing. Of course, we don't know yet how far the story in the books will go, but I'm afraid it will end with Horus dead and the Traitor Legions fleeing into the Eye of Terror, and that's it. If it is that way (which I really don't hope) you will never see anything about the BA's transformation...
I dont know about that Pack,Horus sends his brother to a system held by chaos they return triumphant
and changed...to save the Emperor and defend the Imperial palace ! Sanguinius (some say ) causes a wound on Horus which allows the Emperor to defeat him!
Im more of a Wolves fan but i think you'll find that after this campaign the Angels are "different" and not what the attackers expect them to be ,being worth much more than there number!
Any Blood Angels fans out there feel free to correct me.
Ah, yes, I remember this story. But the real cause of them turning bloodthirsty maniacs (on occasion) was the psychic death-shriek of Sanguinius. That's for certain.
Of course it is! haha but glad u know the story ..which would be good to read anyhow
i know that story, Sanguinius was beaten by a Blood Thirster infront of majority of the legion, they lost a great number of men
then Sanquinius beat the same Blood Thirster at palace gate by breaking its back
yeah they say that the defeat contributed to the black rage as much as Sanguinius's death
that would be a brilliant Heresy book!
big said "Got to say though i for one am glad im having this conversation! I have been waiting 20 years,to see the Heresy fleshed out and i know we will get there in the end!"
hear hear!
I've never known that much intricate detail about the Blood Angels, so can't comment. I know the red thirst is connected with Sanguinius' death, which was definitely by Horus' hand. Come to think of it, has anyone else read the original final battle of Horus vs the Emperor from the Realm of Chaos books? that was a good enough piece that it wouldn't seem dated today.
On another topic, but one connected with previous chatterings, since we've now placed the various accents of 40K cultures, how would y'all place or describe their a: sense of humour and b: taste in music?
to start things off:
Mechanicus: minimalistic and dry sense of humour. From what I got from Titanicus, they'd probably enjoy 'Yes Minister'. But at best they'd smile wryly while nobody was looking. Jack Dee would also be a possibility.
Musically, Kraftwerk is the long and the short of it. Probably the kind of music where nobody dances at the gigs. Or smiles.
And I'm just certain Space Wolves would have a very Russian sense of humour. No-frills black humour, like Kislevites.
Opinions?
Space Wolves are skandinavian Vikings, no communists. Tsk.
"Space Wolves are skandinavian Vikings, no communists. Tsk."
really? wow. Next you'll tell me they wear power armour and like axes...
also, Russians and Communists are not interchangable terms, and Russia was colonised by the Norse. All the Baltic states were, so there's a parallel in evolution there. Also my girlfriend is Russian and is very cross with you ;)
u know Pack hes got a point,all of us Nothern Europeans have got Germanic/Nordic roots even our southern and eastern brethren do to
Its not for nothing its called
Russ..ia, hahaha,i see the Russians as Vahallans though and the Wolves as a mixture of Viking,Saxon,Gaelic...all of these tribes were originally Germanic ..i wacthed a programme about genetic tracers the other night...mmmmm big words for me huh..
The Scots Guuards still excist yeeeehhhh...some caught one on video on duty down London,he was giving some columbian student (who was taking the piss out of him )
a slap!...i thought it was hillarious.
big, any chance you have a link to that video?
I'd love to see it.
its on the national news tonight!
its on the national news tonight!
"all of us Nothern Europeans have got Germanic/Nordic roots"
I believe this is the basis for the small amount of ginger in most men's beards. That little bit of Viking comes through in your manliest feature.
Honest.
I can't speak for anyone else, but that isn't MY manliest feature by a long shot ...
;)
Is that cause you always shave :P
Yes, those Scandinavians went everywhere. Hell, I was born in the middle of the Pacific, and I still managed to be mostly Norwegian.
After they finished plundering Europe, they all moved to Minnesota. That's why those Minnesotans are so full of fire, doncha know.
Alfred tried to pacify the Vikings with fire and sword... turns out all he needed was Lutheranism.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090123/video/vuk-guardsman-lashes-out-at-student-joke-49bfa63.html
Here's that vid.
McKennsy
Oh and I wish all the Scots a wonderful Burns Night.
Thanks Rob :D
I share a birthday with Burns :S
I heart BOOM! Studios
*sighs*
Joys! I was playing a generic massively multiplayer online role playing game last night and found myself bashing baddies alongside a Sanian and a Sabbat!
10 minutes later there was a tense moment as we discovered Sabbat had yet to discover Eisenhorn, but all was rectified with our unplanned combined ‘‘do you want to live forever’’ mass charge
Good Times
A great new year to you Dan.I'm a long time reader.Never figured you wrote wallace and grommet.To cool!I also write a bit through my blog.Not so much yet,but it's a work in progress.Any hope of you crossing the pond to the states?But you have a lot Irons in the fire.Brotherhood of the Snake,It was Fething great.Have a drink on me.Cheers!
Well the snows falling and im feeling more Wolfish than ever
After my familys battle with a "Werewolf" i think a little piece was passed on to me haha
GGGGRRRRRRR
Bring on the wild weather i love it!
Okay, I'm not going to freak too much until I have the actual codex in hand, but I just saw a certain Imperial Guard preview pdf file leaked from French GW, and it does not show our favorite Colonel Commissar in the codex. Who needs to be summarily executed to fix this? Are the Ghosts really just that, ghosts. I'm majorly bummed.
Hey Dan! Fantastic work, I'd just like to say thank you for entertaining me with the Gaunt's Ghosts novels over the past three years or so! You have inspired me the most out of all the authors for writing my own books! I try to follow the way you get such rabid and chaotic action in the battle scenes, which get the reader right into the action.
I would like to ask though, how might I go about getting an agent at my age? (I'm only 15 somewhat incredibly) I almost got my books published before but I went with a dodgy publisher who didn't require agents you see, and they required £9000! Despite this, many have told me my novels are good enough to get published-yet as I say, I have no clue how to go about getting an agent. Do you have to pay them from the off and how do you go about getting one?
Thanks,
One of your biggest fans (who is tortured by the fact you may currently have killed Gaunt off in Only in Death),
Alex Critchley.
P.S. Feel free to visit the site my uncle set up for me, you can check out my first two books. The grammar and such may be a bit messed up but it's the storytelling that's my skill really, and I can't get them edited proffesionally.
www.ortana.net
Thanks
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