Conn Eremon Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 They have not done away with them, they have merely introduced other types that are released first. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3564771 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kol Saresk Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Yep. I've already seen Mass Market editions of Angel Exterminatus and Betrayal at my local Books-A-Million so they do still exist. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3564776 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormborn Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Thanks guys, the crafty buggers have called them legacy editions. Ok it seems I now have no problems with BL. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3564855 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conn Eremon Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 The names honestly are confusing, as I keep forgetting which is which. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3564890 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebus Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 marvmoogy, I hear you. And agree with you, along general lines. I think there are a good number of very well-written novels published by the Black Library. Unfortunately, there are also many with telegraphed scripts and shallow characters. My suggestion is to be thorough with your research (in terms of reviews, etc.), and vote with your wallet. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3565324 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kol Saresk Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Yeah, I honestly don't see the point of the "trade paperback". It's just a bigger version of the regular. If it at least came with the artwork, that'd be one thing. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3565348 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormborn Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 You had to mention pictures. I'm not a huge fan of the pictures that have started to pop up in the HH novels. (There is a time and a place for pictures in novels its called college!) a map at the front or the start of a chapter that is ok bu pictures in a novel is just wrong I want to imagine what character x looks like not see a picture of them that jars with my vision of them. I agree with you Phoebus. Unfortunately, big series like the HH or even Stars Wars expanded universe need a lot of authors just to keep them moving and if your a fan of the series you sometimes have to plow through the dross just to make sure you don't miss something that another author picks up on at a later date. Ideally BL should be more selective but if the HH was just down to ADB, Dan Abnett and Chris Wraight the story wouldn't move very far as their hands would be bleeding at having to produce so many novels, short stories etc. each year. The good point of having wirters that I'm less keen on is that when ADB, DA & CW start thumping the keys in earnest (i'm assuing none of them write in long hand in a red leather journal like Bilbo, would be cool if they did though) the work they produce is that little bit more special. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3565808 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kol Saresk Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Eh, personal preference. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3565812 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormborn Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Absolutely, its why I don't do the mp3 and prefer books to films. I have my image of how a character looks and sounds. Admittedly if BL do a HH sapce wolves novel on mp3 with russ voiced by the sweedish chef from the muppets. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3565825 Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvmoogy Posted January 10, 2014 Author Share Posted January 10, 2014 Just read a paragraph in Nemesis that was so full of WIN! The bit where one of the assassins gives examples of kills and says 'Brother-Captain....' and gets cut off....two words of brilliance! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3565869 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaeron Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 People seem to be unnecessarily critical of many of the other authors - if those 'disliked books' were removed from the HH series, and were standalone, I should think that they would be much more popular. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3565927 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormborn Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I don't agree, I think the series is the big draw not the actual author writing the novels. Personally if I see a BL novel has been written by an author I don't like I rarely buy them unless I've money to spare and need my BL fix, when a HH novel comes out I buy it as soon as I can regardless of who the actual author is. It would be intersting to see how the sales of authors books outside the HH compares with the sales of their novels within the HH series. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3566278 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaeron Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I don't doubt that at all - but equally, they're decent books, just perhaps not considered as that because of the fact they don't necessarily follow the biggest story arcs or whatever - they're more tangential. Admittedly, you may get a smaller readership - but the books do have an intrinsic value in themselves, and would perhaps be more interesting when removed from the series. I'm thinking Outcast Dead or say Nemesis. For sure, people buy them because it's the latest in the series - I'm simply positing as to whether they'd be better received without being under that banner. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3566700 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodanshi Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I don't doubt that at all - but equally, they're decent books, just perhaps not considered as that because of the fact they don't necessarily follow the biggest story arcs or whatever - they're more tangential. Admittedly, you may get a smaller readership - but the books do have an intrinsic value in themselves, and would perhaps be more interesting when removed from the series. I'm thinking Outcast Dead or say Nemesis. For sure, people buy them because it's the latest in the series - I'm simply positing as to whether they'd be better received without being under that banner. I actually really enjoyed The Outcast Dead and Nemesis. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3574856 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaeron Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I don't doubt that at all - but equally, they're decent books, just perhaps not considered as that because of the fact they don't necessarily follow the biggest story arcs or whatever - they're more tangential. Admittedly, you may get a smaller readership - but the books do have an intrinsic value in themselves, and would perhaps be more interesting when removed from the series. I'm thinking Outcast Dead or say Nemesis. For sure, people buy them because it's the latest in the series - I'm simply positing as to whether they'd be better received without being under that banner. I actually really enjoyed The Outcast Dead and Nemesis. I did too, but people generally present them as being weaker tomes within the series. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3575092 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kol Saresk Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Well The Outcast Dead kind of went [voice=Marvin the Martian]"Ha-Hah! Be gone, Foul Continuity!"[/voice] not to mention virtually eery character except for the astropath went through a major Worf Factor routine. "Oh, World Eaters can punch through power armor with their bare fists!" and for not other purpose except to make the Thunder Warriors look that much more powerful. It was good, but ultimately it was rather 2-D. As for Nemesis, I honestly can't think of a reason why it wasn't liked so much other than it probably wasn't as "Assassin's Creed" as some may have liked. Although the existence of a Slaanesh cult on Terra was a rather funny thing to find out. I mean it wasn't fantastic but it wasn't horrible. I'd rate it higher than some of the other HH books. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3575248 Share on other sites More sharing options...
FleshTearer5000 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I love the addition to audio dramas. Maybe its because I spend a lot of time on the road, but they definitely make long car drives much more bearable. You make it seem like they have switched to audio dramas to the exclusion of physical books. That is not really true. They even put out hardback collections of the audio dramas for people that do not want to listen. The quality of BL writers has never, ever, been better. From old stalwarts like Abnett and McNeill, to the fantastic "new kids on the block" ADB, Wraight, French, Sanders, Haley, and Annandale. The new crop of authors have breathed new life into BL, and I am very excited for many more stories to come. This is spot on in my opinion. Being in a job that has long hours to kill, the audio dramas, although some extremely short sometimes, are a god send. You cant beat a hardback at the end of the day but I for one cant get enough of the mp3 range. The price is the only hurdle for me, $60AU for Pandorax. Ouch. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3589940 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkByDesign Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I love the HH series. Some of the best sci fi stuff. I love the one - distant echo of old night and the battle for calth "know no fear" I think. Great books! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3593059 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkByDesign Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I see what you mean about the first 3 HH books and get that a trilogy will be able to afford more detail. From a writing point of view, I really liked the first DA book. It did a really good job developing the traits of the Chapter....but the ending could have used an extra 100 pages or so! To me, Battle for the Abyss and Flight of the Eisenstein are the worst offenders......so far! I found those two a bit lacking as well. The DA book did have a lot of detail in it for the first 2/3rds of the book but I just found it a bit of a chore to read. Incidentally my favourite of the series so far is Dan Abnett's Know No Fear, which I think you will like as it covers a single event in quite a lot of detail. ^^^ This and distant echos from old night are amazing. Then I love the short story from Iron within about the war smith and the schadenhold. That's brilliant writing there. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/279481-something-wrong-with-bl-books/page/5/#findComment-3593093 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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