C.S. Goto's books

[Iron Father Ferrum]

The only Goto book I've read is Eldar Prophecy, and it took me three attempts because it was boring as Hell and discarded a lot of established canon.  Here are a few of the sins I can remember:

 

1. A fat Eldar.  This is a race that can psychically control their bodies and personal appearance, so why in Asuryan's name does one of them choose to be obese?

 

2. A Farseer who isn't actually a Farseer.  "Farseer" is used as a title for the political head of the Craftworld; he isn't actually a seer of any kind, yet he's the only "farseer" on the Craftworld.

 

3. Eldar who worship Slaanesh.  The politicos who puppeteer the "Farseer" actually worship the one entity that wants to swallow their souls and expose them to eternal torment.  So corrupted are they that they are trying to steer the Craftworld into the Maelstrom and so deliver the entire population into Slaanesh's waiting maw.

 

4. A Warp Spider without a shrine.  The main character miraculously becomes a Warp Spider, possibly an Exarch or even a Phoenix Lord, without having had any martial training or having taken any steps on the Path of the Warrior.

 

So horrible.  The only reason I finished it was because I was deployed to Iraq and had nothing else to read.

[Kol Saresk]

3. Eldar who worship Slaanesh.  The politicos who puppeteer the "Farseer" actually worship the one entity that wants to swallow their souls and expose them to eternal torment.  So corrupted are they that they are trying to steer the Craftworld into the Maelstrom and so deliver the entire population into Slaanesh's waiting maw.

You haven't perchance read Path of the Renegade or Path of the Incubus, both by Andy Chambers yet, have you?

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Renegade yes; Incubus is sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finish my re-read of the Night Lords trilogy.  If memory serves, there are no Slaanesh-worshipping Dark Eldar in PotR, just the one guy they brought back to life who is actually a daemon.

[Xenith]

Oh and in Prophecy, the thing that really got me was the duel where the Warp spider takes off their helmet before doing warp jumps in combat.

 

Just smacked of not really having done their research.

[Collective Consciousness]

 

Khorne Sorcerers.

What? Khorne hates sorcerers.

SINDRII

[Kol Saresk]

 

 

 

 

Khorne Sorcerers.

What? Khorne hates sorcerers.

 

 

SINDRII

 

 

By the way, did anything ever say he was actually a devotee of Khorne?

[Conn Eremon]

I know he worked with a devotee of Khorne, but not that he was a devotee himself. And considering all of the "SINDRII" lines in that game, the known devotee of Khorne really didn't like the guy. In the games, all we know is he is an Alpha Legion Sorcerer.

No, the Dawn of War's Khornate Sorcerer smacked you in the face with it. There's no mistaking it, or being unsure of it. It's all right there for you to see.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmj0Vanuw4I

[Kol Saresk]

Oh, the Librarian who turned to Khorne and then was never ever ever seen using his psychic powers other than to communicate threats to the player? Oh right. Yeah, I remember him.

[Conn Eremon]

My reaction as well. Especially when he ascended. It was all falling rocks and punching. Khorne turned him into a Muscle Wizard.

 

"I CAST MAGIC FIST! BAMBAMBAMBAMBAM! WHO'S YOUR MAGE"

 

But, the point still stands that a Librarian, quite a powerful one, gets the attention of Khorne, seeks to be glorified in Khorne's name, and ascends as a Daemon Prince of Khorne. A lot of people didn't like the sound of that. Me, way I see it, Khorne loves axes. He hates swords. Azariah Kyras was a swordsman. But then he found Space Jesus, and began using an axe, to the exclusion of all else, especially swords. Khorne was happy.

 

Really, I'm just sad for Nurgle. What are Kyras' words in that bit? "Though it was a simpler, lesser voice . . . " Ouch, bro. For those of you who have not played the games, and I'm not using spoilers because it's been out for long enough, Azariah Kyras is the Chapter Master/Chief Librarian of the Blood Ravens. In Chaos Rising and Retribution, you find out that he became corrupted by a Greater Daemon of Nurgle, only to decide that he was going to instead purge the entire Sector under his Chapter's control with Exterminatus' and bloodshed so that he could ascend as a Daemon Prince of Khorne. And he would have succeeded, too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids and that dog.

[Kol Saresk]

My reaction as well. Especially when he ascended. It was all falling rocks and punching. Khorne turned him into a Muscle Wizard.

 

"I CAST MAGIC FIST! BAMBAMBAMBAMBAM! WHO'S YOUR MAGE"

 

But, the point still stands that a Librarian, quite a powerful one, gets the attention of Khorne, seeks to be glorified in Khorne's name, and ascends as a Daemon Prince of Khorne. A lot of people didn't like the sound of that. Me, way I see it, Khorne loves axes. He hates swords. Azariah Kyras was a swordsman. But then he found Space Jesus, and began using an axe, to the exclusion of all else, especially swords. Khorne was happy.

 

Really, I'm just sad for Nurgle. What are Kyras' words in that bit? "Though it was a simpler, lesser voice . . . " Ouch, bro. For those of you who have not played the games, and I'm not using spoilers because it's been out for long enough, Azariah Kyras is the Chapter Master/Chief Librarian of the Blood Ravens. In Chaos Rising and Retribution, you find out that he became corrupted by a Greater Daemon of Nurgle, only to decide that he was going to instead purge the entire Sector under his Chapter's control with Exterminatus' and bloodshed so that he could ascend as a Daemon Prince of Khorne. And he would have succeeded, too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids and that dog.

thank goodness for the Black Legion.

[depthcharge12]

I was rooting for Eliphas the Inheritor.

 

I want him to junk punch Abby and take over the forces of Chaos to get stuff done.

[Chaeron]

For me it was his seemingly complete lack of knowledge when it came to the established canon, combined with a turgid and uninspired writing style that made reading his novels feel like wading through treacle. Being able to create an acceptable short story, but fail utterly when writing anything of substance, does not make for a good writer.

 

Interesting that I haven't found anything written for him post-2007, but that was only a quick, cursory search. Shame - he's obviously talented enough to get published numerous times, but has that dried up in the interim?

[Grand Master Aldric]

The only Goto book I've read is Eldar Prophecy, and it took me three attempts because it was boring as Hell and discarded a lot of established canon.  Here are a few of the sins I can remember:

 

1. A fat Eldar.  This is a race that can psychically control their bodies and personal appearance, so why in Asuryan's name does one of them choose to be obese?

Hold the phone!  There are 

NO

 fat eldar in that book, Morfraon  is slightly chubby not modern American fat.

[Bunta]

I really dislike his books, I couldn't even finish the Dawn of war omnibus.

[Dumah]

I know it's been said once already but...

 

Space Marine Multilasers. That's really all you need to know to understand just how terrible Goto is. But of course, as everyone has proven with an abundance of examples, he's terrible for many reasons. If you want to like him, that's ok. Canon and accuracy aren't important to everyone... But they are to me and many others. I feel like he'd do alright if he didn't have to work within an established universe so he could make up whatever he wants. But he does, and that universe has lots and lots of loyal, and (sometimes) rabid fans.

[depthcharge12]

I know it's been said once already but...

 

Space Marine Multilasers. That's really all you need to know to understand just how terrible Goto is. But of course, as everyone has proven with an abundance of examples, he's terrible for many reasons. If you want to like him, that's ok. Canon and accuracy aren't important to everyone... But they are to me and many others. I feel like he'd do alright if he didn't have to work within an established universe so he could make up whatever he wants. But he does, and that universe has lots and lots of loyal, and (sometimes) rabid fans.

 

 

I am one for sure. I would be the first to knee jerk into action! :P

 

 

But Davian Thule was such a man, except for the time when he picked up a heavy bolter, but thats ok since something bad happened to him ;) but he came out of that one even cooler

[jifel]

And yet no one has bright up Warrior Brood here? Tyranids blocking vox casters with the Shadow of the Warp... Fusing Tyranid parts with machines...

[Zincite]

I remember Assault Marines hovering in mid-air to fire their bolters. Fitting an Eldar into an Imperial Vessel never sat right with me either. In fact, the Eldar as a whole never sat right with me. 

 

I did enjoy the parts about the initiate's transformation to a Space Marine during the Blood Raven books. It's something you hear about often but not regularly described in detail. Luckily, his age wasn't pointed out to me until after I'd finished the books.

[Kol Saresk]

It was pointed out in the books that the Guardsman was older than usual and there might be complications, part of why it was there throughout the series.

 

Besides, the Space Wolves did the same thing when they first found Russ and nobody twitched an eyelid.

 

And how are Jump Packs floating in mid-air bad? With Massacre's mention of Astartes flying around(literally, flying around) and James Swallows' mid-air battle with Rafen and Arkio, popping up to dump grenades and then popping back down doesn't seem too bad.

[Zincite]

Aye, I remember that. But Space Marines are chosen before they reach maturity for a reason, and he must have been a fair bit older than the normal recruit. I did enjoy his storyline. But it's that little sliver of wrongness that makes me blink.

 

I haven't read Massacre, and don't recall the Blood Angels books all too well. Assault Marines hovering - not flying, hovering - feels wrong, though. They're Assault Marines. Those might have been Tactical Marines with Jump Packs. Hover packs.

 

... Maybe they were.

 

You're right. It's possible, particularly in a universe as varied as 40K. But I didn't like it. That's all I remember from the DoW books, to be honest. A series of little oddities that might have worked on their own, and even been quite cool. But stacked atop one another they became eye-twitch moments.

[Kol Saresk]

Oh believe me, I know why the age exists. IIRC, we find out in the third novel that he is arounnd his forties, which is way up there. And also explains why everyone was so worried about it working and why he got his mutations. Although I', still curious as to how a rushed implantation on a forty-ish year old man resulted in worm hands.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

 

The only Goto book I've read is Eldar Prophecy, and it took me three attempts because it was boring as Hell and discarded a lot of established canon.  Here are a few of the sins I can remember:

 

1. A fat Eldar.  This is a race that can psychically control their bodies and personal appearance, so why in Asuryan's name does one of them choose to be obese?

Hold the phone!  There are 

NO

 fat eldar in that book, Morfraon  is slightly chubby not modern American fat.

 

Yes, chubby.  Meaning he isn't lithe, sveldt, skinny, willowy, elfin, or any of the other vocabulary words normally used to describe the Eldar.

[Lysere]

Aye, I remember that. But Space Marines are chosen before they reach maturity for a reason, and he must have been a fair bit older than the normal recruit. I did enjoy his storyline. But it's that little sliver of wrongness that makes me blink.

 

I haven't read Massacre, and don't recall the Blood Angels books all too well. Assault Marines hovering - not flying, hovering - feels wrong, though. They're Assault Marines. Those might have been Tactical Marines with Jump Packs. Hover packs.

 

... Maybe they were.

 

You're right. It's possible, particularly in a universe as varied as 40K. But I didn't like it. That's all I remember from the DoW books, to be honest. A series of little oddities that might have worked on their own, and even been quite cool. But stacked atop one another they became eye-twitch moments.

 

Jump Packs hovering are just fine, in fact the Deathwatch RPG allows just such a thing. (Burns through fuel very very fast but hey) Also they have terrible control when hovering so it's not like they suddenly enter skimmer mode or something. If Deathwatch allows it of course authors will. Multi-laser Space Marines though is just wrong.

[Zincite]

Now multilasers - I can justify those. Sort of. But hovering jump packs is silly.

My personal peeve, I guess.

[Conn Eremon]

Jump pack hovering might not have anything to do with Goto's writing talents if it was in the DoW omnibus. He could have depicted it only to remain loyal to the game itself, which depicted Assault Marines as afloat at many times.