/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.21305314]

Warhammer 40K Recs? I want to get into this lore as the new game comes out soon and I start collecting figs. I heard that the Warhammer 40k books are either really good or dogshit terrible.

[Anonymous No.21305335]

Try asking >>>/tg/

[Anonymous No.21305393]

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.miniatures.historical/c/jgEibUQS508

read the reply from chucker. And then avoid joining one of the most atrocious subcultures that manages to ruin wargaming while popularizing it at the same time

[S10241875 No.21305440]

>>21305314
>get into this lore as the new game comes out soon and I start collecting figs
https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Main_Page
https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Warhammer_40k_Wiki
Well, read the "Codex"es. The books are, as it were, a novelization of the lore from the codes, they do not always coincide, but it is believed that the official lore from the GW is in the codex, and in the books there is more of an author's interpretation. From the book lore is simply not always visible. Lore is a "galactic" scale, and the book can be about how some soldiers defend the fortress from local rebels, this is a micro scale level.
>I heard that the Warhammer 40k books are either really good or dogshit terrible.
I would not say. Now, this is quite a strong mediocrity. There are just old books, from the 90s, they are very funny, there is a feeling that a 12-year-old is writing this for the same readers. Vakhalit annoys me less than "serious" literature, because the author of the Wakha thinks how to work out the author's order and makes a good craft, and "serious" literature is often an unsuccessful attempt to create a masterpiece, that is, bad art. And I love good craft more than bad art. Of course there are crappy books, about one in five. There are some great books too. I would rather give a Nobel for some Waha book than for what they are now awarding.

[Anonymous No.21305618]

>>21305393
who cares

[Anonymous No.21305630]

>>21305618
You're supporting the tabletop gaming equivalent of marvel movies. Local whores I met from r9k were cosplaying as 40k memes back in 2016

[Anonymous No.21305634]

>>21305314
hrrmm

DEATHWING is very fun and puts you into the shoes of a Terminator Marine; I was impressed with their culture being almost "primitive" tribesmen given super advanced weapons, this compared to the usual way the space marines are portrayed.

[Anonymous No.21305662]

>>21305630
So it's /lit/ approved?

[Anonymous No.21305771]

>>21305630
I don’t support it, I’ve never bought any of the little toys you’re so mad about. It’s weird you’re so mad about it. Do you ever get pussy or what.

[Anonymous No.21305775]

>>21305662
go to tg and make a thread. Those guys will not such up about 40k

[Anonymous No.21305782]

>>21305314
If you just want to get into the lore you shouldn't be reading novels. Read the rulebook, codices, and wiki pages instead. You can find links on /tg/.

[Anonymous No.21305814]

>>21305782
Lorefags are the worst.

[Anonymous No.21305841]

>>21305393
>>21305314
>So figs I start consuming..
You absolute insufferable faggots. You are the ruin of all that is good in this world and then you have the audacity to complain for being such a brainless roaches pretending that you care.. oh motherfuckers I despise you like you wouldn't believe.

[Anonymous No.21305856]

>>21305841
>t.me le kewl gatekeeper

[Anonymous No.21305876]

>>21305314
Just read Dan Abnett.

[Anonymous No.21305949]

>>21305314
I read the Eisenhorn trilogy and then just started with the Horus Heresy series (skipping the books that are widely reviewed as shit or unnecessary). They’re not great literature but they are good fun. I do also think there’s some literary value in the scale of the world-building (even if sometimes it’s inconsistent or plagued with plot-armour).

[Anonymous No.21306012]

>>21305775
>Those guys will not such up about 40k
Speak english, bro

[Anonymous No.21306027]

>>21305314
read the 6 frank herbert dune books, warhammer rips a lot off stuff out of them

[Strange Love No.21306125]

>>21305314

Go look up Oculus Imperia on Youtube perhaps.

[Anonymous No.21306147]

>>21306027
You're thinking of Star Wars; Star Wars steals and mollifies a lot of the cool plot points of Dune, whereas 40K steals imagery from various things; I forget where Space Marines came from, Heinlein I think, but 40K is a self-aware goof... it's a conglomeration of popular sci fi tropes of the 80's and 90's, on steroids and LSD.

Since 40k never enforces copyright claims on imagery and names, because they obviously can't, I'm inclined to leave them be.

[Anonymous No.21306157]

[Anonymous No.21306175]

>>21305314
Any of the authors featured in Architect of Fate
>Dembeski-Bowden or however the fuck it's spelled
>Guy Haley
>Dan Abnett

[Anonymous No.21306597]

The last thread kind of intrigued me so I did some digging. To save everyone the time: No, you shouldn’t get into 40k. It’s ”lore” is secondary to the game which makes it absolute shit across the board. It’s only purpose is to sell toys. The writing quality of their stories ranges from passable to the level of a New York Times article.

[Anonymous No.21306644]

>>21305314
I just read the wiki when I'm in the mood for some over-the-top pulp. The wiki rips text from the sourcebooks verbatim.

[Anonymous No.21306647]

>>21305314
I tried to read some but honestly the warhammer 40k wiki is far more interesting to read than any of the novels.

[Anonymous No.21306663]

>>21305314

[Anonymous No.21306666]

>>21306663

[Anonymous No.21306681]

>>21306125
No

[Anonymous No.21306739]

>so my futuristic setting is....
>sword fights with big guns but somehow not yet advanced enough to obsolete sword fights
>highly believable

[Anonymous No.21306801]

>>21306739
>he thinks the appeal of WH40k is realism
I'm surprised you can manage to use a computer desu

[Anonymous No.21306802]

>>21306739
Good thing no one’s ever been stabbed since the invention of gunpowder

[Anonymous No.21307173]

>>21305393
I can’t imagine getting this emotional for a series for kids.

[Anonymous No.21307240]

>>21306801
why the fuck would I read nu fantasy garbage in space for the epix grimdark alone?

[Anonymous No.21307291]

>>21307240
Because you have no life.

[Anonymous No.21307295]

>>21305314
OP I asked this question in /tg/ and they say the Horus Heresy books are the best entry points.
I've not read the books yet, so I don't know about the quality.
On the other hand, I'm going through Gotrek & Felix Omnibus and I can say that it is just popcorn literature, and if you want just that, there's no problem. Just don't hav any expectations beyond that and it should be fine.

[Anonymous No.21307612]

>>21306597
> so I did some digging
Dig more.

>It’s ”lore” is secondary to the game
Really the game is secondary to the "lore"; or it used to be and anyway technically is, e.g. the stories and the lore came from actual tabletop battles (hence the wide possibility for chapters to be made, cos people did when they built their little armies), as the books can be taken on their own and did come before most of the game.

good example is to consider where a model came from; did the figurine of Jaq Draco riding his power trike precede the book? Was the book written about the figurine? i think not.


Whilst GW sucks today I consider some of the books to be the best fiction ever produced. some. So it shouldn't be shrugged at.

[Anonymous No.21307971]

First three Horus Heresy books are compulsory reading (assuming you have some basic knowledge on the setting - and having played Dawn of War is enough)

[Anonymous No.21308018]

>>21305440
>Vakhalit
>Wakha
>Waha
the fuck are you talking about anon

[Anonymous No.21308027]

>>21306663
>>21306666
Thanks!
Also some conflicting views in there

[Anonymous No.21308036]

>>21306802
kek

[Anonymous No.21308049]

>>21306175
So I'm assuming that book is good? Because one of the charts posted here tells me "space marine battle novels" are shit with some exceptions

>>21306663
>>21306666
Do you have the Horus Heresy chart kind anon

[Anonymous No.21308738]

>>21306666
Been reading this recently and can confirm that the chart is accurate

[Anonymous No.21308788]

i would say just read the first horus heresy book and see what you think - continue with the next two if you like it and go from there. the eisenhorn trilogy is really good - basically anything by Dan Abnett is going to be decent. you could read the codexs and whatnot i only did after i had already read some books and had some interest - also just reading through the wiki is cool as well- it helped me though to have some foundation and then from there sort of discovered more and discovered more of what i liked/wanted to read but yeah id start with horus rising and honestly just use the wiki while you do that and see where it takes you

[Anonymous No.21310002]

[Anonymous No.21310080]

how did you 40k readers get into this genre. As an outsider it looks as big a moneymaking geek scam as the SW expanded universe

[Anonymous No.21310542]

>>21310080
Either tabletob wargaming nerds or those who got sucked into it by a 2005 RTS game. Myself the latter. Last couple of years saw more coming in from the newer video games I think, especially the Total War crowd. There's definitely lots of moneygrabbing going on but the setting has not been analraped like SW was so it's OK

[Anonymous No.21310574]

>>21310080
Played it with friends.

[Anonymous No.21310596]

>>21305314
Helsreach
Wrath of Iron (personal favourite)
Battle of the Fang
Fall of Damnos
Deathwatch

[Anonymous No.21310604]

>>21305949
>inconsistent
Part of the setting. Lore is often written from a big picture perspective, based on incomplete information.

[Anonymous No.21310787]

I'd rather discuss W40K with /lit/ than engage with the insufferable autists on /tg/

[Anonymous No.21311636]

Anyone have an epub for Maledictions or am I going to have to pull up zlib?

[Anonymous No.21311670]

>>21305314
Ciaphas Cain - Hero of the Imperium

Well set in the lore, enjoyable characters, MC experiences a little bit of everything 40k has to offer. It's light on spess mehreen content, but when MC does encounter them they are written as appropriately formidable and makes them seem appropriately powerful and rare. We all know the guard are where the action is.

[Anonymous No.21311681]

>>21310080
Dawn of War vidya gaems

[Anonymous No.21312038]

Dollar store Star Wars.

[Anonymous No.21312061]

>>21312038
Star wars is dollar store star wars.

[Anonymous No.21312250]

>>21310080
You know what finally convinced me it was all bullshit and nobody at Gw cared?
When the new Cadian stuff came out with the “totally not gender bender” Creed model.
In the THREE Cadia books it was stated and shown to be true that the Cadians had settled on a new planet and it was General Benedikt that was the last surviving highest ranking officer. It was his entire arc to be the hero that kept the Cadian regiments together.
Then the new rulebook came out and that was all shown to be utter bollocks.
It lost complete faith that what I was reading was a fictional history and instead it’s a scam that the people in the company don’t care about to even try to keep their resetted lore in order.

[Anonymous No.21312670]

>300 recommendations already
>OP doesn't respond
>OP is a faggot

[Anonymous No.21313379]

>>21305314
I loved the gaunts ghosts books when I was younger

A group of Scottish imperial men who lose their home world and go on multiple campaigns to find a new one

Was based, I liked traitor general the most I think

[Anonymous No.21314402]

>>21313379
Do you think you'd still like it now