Favorite Warhammer 40K Books?

AnneMarble

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OK, I don't know why, but the bloody Warhammer 40K section of my bookstore lured me back in. I'm fascinated by the world, but still have only read a few of their short stories, rather than entire novels. Then I checked the Black Library website and found that the ebook prices are sometimes reasonable. (Sometimes not. :tongue)

I am familiar with some of the big name authors -- Dan Abnett, Graham McNeill, etc. Heck, I even have some of their omnibus editions. (Some of which my nephew may be... borrowing. :)) So I was wondering what you would recommend by those authors, and which other authors would you recommend?

I've even started checking out some of the Warhammer books (that is, the Times of Legends stuff, etc.). And even the Horus Heresy, although I had tried to avoid that because I couldn't get into the first books, and everyone declared that you had to read them first.

Also, what non-gaming books do you recommend that are sort of in the same style as the Warhammer and Warhammer 40K stuff?
 

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OK, I don't know why, but the bloody Warhammer 40K section of my bookstore lured me back in. I'm fascinated by the world, but still have only read a few of their short stories, rather than entire novels. Then I checked the Black Library website and found that the ebook prices are sometimes reasonable. (Sometimes not. :tongue)

I am familiar with some of the big name authors -- Dan Abnett, Graham McNeill, etc. Heck, I even have some of their omnibus editions. (Some of which my nephew may be... borrowing. :)) So I was wondering what you would recommend by those authors, and which other authors would you recommend?

I've even started checking out some of the Warhammer books (that is, the Times of Legends stuff, etc.). And even the Horus Heresy, although I had tried to avoid that because I couldn't get into the first books, and everyone declared that you had to read them first.

Also, what non-gaming books do you recommend that are sort of in the same style as the Warhammer and Warhammer 40K stuff?

I've only really read the Abnett books, but I like them very much. The Eisenhorn / Ravenor / Bequin sequence is great; the Gaunts Ghosts ones are fun also. I tried some of the Horus Heresy space marine stuff but I can't really take the marines seriously.

In a similar vein, although not mil-SF, you might like the recent JACK GLASS, WOLFHOUND CENTURY (although wait until the sequel comes out, because WC ends in the most bafflingly abrupt way), Peter Hamilton's NIGHT'S DAWN trilogy, and maybe Neal Asher? Mil-SF I don't know very well, but you might look at John Scalzi's OLD MAN'S WAR series, which is great fun and more that sort of thing. (Not nearly so grimdark/operatic though.)
 

AnneMarble

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I've only really read the Abnett books, but I like them very much. The Eisenhorn / Ravenor / Bequin sequence is great; the Gaunts Ghosts ones are fun also. I tried some of the Horus Heresy space marine stuff but I can't really take the marines seriously.
Those Space Marines are a tad... over the top, aren't they? I once bought some of the little plastic ones and threatened to paint them My Little Pony colors. But then I opened the box and realized how tiny tiny they were. Ouch. I'll stick to decoupage boxes.

I do still read them now and then. It was hard getting my brain to "parse" the Space Marines at first. ("They're how big? They live how long? They can do what? Wait, no sex?!")

I have to figure out what happened to my Eisenhorn. I have the Ravenor omnibus, but I wanted to read Eisenhorn first. I might have to learn to text so that I can ask my nephew. :D

In a similar vein, although not mil-SF, you might like the recent JACK GLASS, WOLFHOUND CENTURY (although wait until the sequel comes out, because WC ends in the most bafflingly abrupt way), Peter Hamilton's NIGHT'S DAWN trilogy, and maybe Neal Asher? Mil-SF I don't know very well, but you might look at John Scalzi's OLD MAN'S WAR series, which is great fun and more that sort of thing. (Not nearly so grimdark/operatic though.)

Thanks! I'll add WC to my wishlist. I think I have a humungous ebook omnibus of Night's Dawn. That is, if I still have it in a format I can read. Sigh. I know I have Old Man's War somewhere...
 

Torgo

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I do still read them now and then. It was hard getting my brain to "parse" the Space Marines at first. ("They're how big? They live how long? They can do what? Wait, no sex?!")

When they show up in the medium-scale (inquisitor) or small-scale (Imperial Guard) stories they're effective - they're demigods. When everyone in the story is a demigod, it's a bit like bad TV wrestling. "I WILL DESTROY YOU RAARGH"
 

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I love Ciaphas Cain.

Love him to pieces. Even if the books are a little repetitive.

But, hey, repetition can be fun sometimes...

I too find Marines more interesting when they're teamed up with humans. At their heart, they have a fascinating philosophical issue going on with them: To defend mankind, they must abandon their own humanity...and if they do that, what do they fight for?
 
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