Bequin "trilogy"/Sequel to Pariah?

[DarkChaplain]

To be fair, hasn't he said that for a while?

[Sothalor]

Eh, at this point it seems safest to assume that all of Abnett's (formerly) ongoing series are dead.

 

If something does happen, great, but we should probably expect nothing.

[HeritorA]

I'd love Nik to write some more Ghosts stuff - her short stories are very interesting, very intriguing. Plus BL needs female authors, full stop - my personal love would be for them to poach Una McCormack (who writes excellent tie in lit, and is a cambridge sociology phd, now creative writing lecturer) or seek out just female authors out in the big world of sci fi and fantasy - really some of the best lit in our genre is being produced by under-read female authors as important as Ursula K. LeGuin or Shelly. But to return to Nik, I'd love her to finish off her husband's work, if that would help complete it. But urgh ... wish Warmaster, Archon and Penitent would come. I want to know about Alpharius, what Gregor is up to, Cherubael, the Emperor's Children and the pact between the Ecclesiarchy and the Word Bearers. The imagery - that basilica so large it had clouds and micro-climates, its byzantine crypt levels, the decayed city out with it, the Maison Dieu, the last house of House Glaw, the continued connections between Dan's works like Prospero Burns and this.

Also has there been any word on Matt Farrer's Urdesh/Iron Snakes novel?

About two months ago Matt Farrer posted a picture on Twitter showing his laptop screen. This clearly had the Urdesh novel manuscript underway. Which is great news for two reasons:

1. It means Matt Farrer is writing a BL novel which is a very rare and wonderful thing.

2. As it is direct tie in to the events in Warmaster it would be odd to be writing it if Warmaster is not underway or finished.

As a W40k and HH fan I am gutted Abnett has been absent from BL for so long (apparently he wrote I Am Slaughter over 4 years ago but it went on the BL shelf while they put the series on hold). Waiting for Penitient, Warmaster and Archon has been really frustrating but...

As a human being I can totally understand that:

1. Dan Abnett needs variety in his work to feel inspired and has always mixed up who he works for.

2. He has been drawn to the bigger pay check working for Marvel probably brings

However, it would be nice to get a bit of definitive news from the man himself!

1) Matthew Farrer will finish Urdesh this year and his story would be pilling on editors desk while Abnett will write Warmaster. Which will not happen in 2016 and probably would not happen in 2017 due to his @marvelization@, @predatorization@ @wildanization@@aquamanization@ etc. etc.

2) Comics are easier to produce and pays more.

The end.

Maybe - just maybe 'Warmaster' would be written (cause 'Urdesh' need to be released after all) - but I don't think we will get to the point then we will see something else from Abnett for BL.

RIP 'Penitent'.

p.s. for being who would say that BL just released

New Dan Abnett short story

I would say - that it was written in 2002 for "Let the Galaxy Burn" anthology.

To be fair, hasn't he said that for a while?

Last 3 years lol lol lol lol lol

[DarkChaplain]

By the by, I got a newsletter from DriveThru a while ago. Looks like Nik is now writing as Nik Abnett rather than Nik Vincent.

http://www.drivethrufiction.com/images/2560/194963.jpg

 

I'm still unsure if I should give Dan & Nik's Tomb Raider novels a try. Lukewarm reception for both of them..

 

I knew Ork Hunter sounded familiar, but god damn, aren't they advertising it as a "new" short story? "Brand new" isn't a reprint from 2002....

[HeritorA]

By the by, I got a newsletter from DriveThru a while ago. Looks like Nik is now writing as Nik Abnett rather than Nik Vincent.

http://www.drivethrufiction.com/images/2560/194963.jpg

 

I'm still unsure if I should give Dan & Nik's Tomb Raider novels a try. Lukewarm reception for both of them..

 

I knew Ork Hunter sounded familiar, but god damn, aren't they advertising it as a "new" short story? "Brand new" isn't a reprint from 2002....

 

Savant is strange - I can't fathom my feelings about it so far.  Dan & Nik's Tomb Raider novels are luckluster sadly.

Yes they did advertised Ork Hunter as a new short - probably cause old fans like us should have missed the fact (memory issues :) ) and new ones wouldn't know the difference. But in truth that means that they tried to show that Abnett is still writing for them. But he is not - 'warmaster' history is the best example.

As for the 'Keeler Image' it was released 'recently' but was written a long time ago.

[Melmoth]

i have just started reading Pariah and I must say that its amongst the best BL fiction i've ever read.  DA's writing has been a bit lumpen at times but this is fantastic.   Be a damn shame if this is it.

 

BL i think have an ongoing problem with never really knowing if they want to be a genre publisher or if they want to let their writers take risks with the material.  I think the HH novels are indicative really.  Some of them are fantastic, others are rubbish of the highest order.  There's generally less rubbish these days though.  I suspect that since ADB has come into the fold everyone else has had to up their game a bit to try and keep up!  

[DarkChaplain]

Since ADB has come into the fold? 2009 with Cadian Blood and the first Night Lords stories?

 

I don't think it has much to do with Aaron. He came into the mix when the Horus Heresy series got realigned, when they figured out that it was going to be a big thing and needed more direction. That is covered by Laurie Goulding in some afterwords as well.

[Xisor]

Great minds, Melmoth. I'm about 80% through it and I agree: it's a hell of a novel.

 

Dan's Abnettverse still rubs me up the wrong way from time to time, including the heavy references to modernity, but I think that bugs me on any situation. Works a charm, I just don't like it! :D

 

But the novel itself is great fun. For a casual reader, I imagine it'd be nothing short of excellent. For myself, I find myself wishing he'd gone more obscure and wacky rather than tying it down to things we know and love (such as, err, recent/Modern France...?).

 

More thoughts soon!

[DukeLeto69]

I LOVED Pariah and so wish Abentt would write the next one. So many questions to answer and plot lines to explore!

 

While some might say it is very Abnettverse I really enjoyed that first third of the book where you could actually be reading a dark fantasy novel as opposed to W40k. It totally threw you as the reader off kilter which I believe was exactly the effect Abnett was going for! if you think about what is happening to the lead character the style and setting fits perfectly, i.e. nothing is quite right or as it seems. As the reader you are saying "wait a minute I thought this was 40k, this doesn't feel right at all!!!!"

 

Awesome.

 

Actually enjoyed it even more second time through.

[DukeLeto69]

When asked about how Penitent was coming along:

 

"Penitent is third on the list (After Warmaster and a fantasy novel)... if that sounds like it's an enormously long way, keep in my mind that I tend to write 3, possibly 4 novels a year, so we're not talking an immense distance off. I think there was also a slight retrenchment in the last few years in the Black Library itself were they were very interested in producing material that was connected to the core values of the game, space marines and Imperial Guards... the Bequin books which were about Inquisitors were left of centre and a bit peripheral. They were written in the heyday of 'what's fun and interesting and diverse?' and that diversity faded a little. (So) Penitent got pushed back because it didn't fit in with the game-plan of what GW really wanted to be publishing. I think the pendulum is swinging back the other way and people would be more receptive to it."

 

He says the Eisenhorn OS game might rekindle the interest in the novel series, making now a good time to release Penitent. He also says GW is broader in what it wants to put out now.

 

There's a lot more he talks about in relation to Gaunt's Ghosts and the Horus Heresy, so the whole cast is worth a listen to if you have the time.

Just been looking back on this thread and it does seem Abnett's take on GW/BL is correct and that timing wise things have changed. I started another thread about BL getting their mojo back a couple of weeks back. I think TBA was a great idea that all in all was pretty satisfying. The Genestealer Cults book from Fehevari was awesome, let me say that again AWESOME. A far more mature and well written book then we have seen for ages. The line up for next year is looking great and I couldn't be more excited to have two new Inquisitor books from Wraight and French (if the shorts are anything to by these will be great). We had ADB's Black Legion. The HH has got some serious momentum and is on a high after several excellent releases.

 

Actually the only thing that would improve the BL catalogue for me this year would be the surprise releases of:

 

1. Warmaster

2. Urdesh by Farrer

3. Penitent

 

Well I can dream right?

[HeritorA]

 

When asked about how Penitent was coming along:

 

"Penitent is third on the list (After Warmaster and a fantasy novel)... if that sounds like it's an enormously long way, keep in my mind that I tend to write 3, possibly 4 novels a year, so we're not talking an immense distance off. I think there was also a slight retrenchment in the last few years in the Black Library itself were they were very interested in producing material that was connected to the core values of the game, space marines and Imperial Guards... the Bequin books which were about Inquisitors were left of centre and a bit peripheral. They were written in the heyday of 'what's fun and interesting and diverse?' and that diversity faded a little. (So) Penitent got pushed back because it didn't fit in with the game-plan of what GW really wanted to be publishing. I think the pendulum is swinging back the other way and people would be more receptive to it."

 

He says the Eisenhorn OS game might rekindle the interest in the novel series, making now a good time to release Penitent. He also says GW is broader in what it wants to put out now.

 

There's a lot more he talks about in relation to Gaunt's Ghosts and the Horus Heresy, so the whole cast is worth a listen to if you have the time.

Just been looking back on this thread and it does seem Abnett's take on GW/BL is correct and that timing wise things have changed. I started another thread about BL getting their mojo back a couple of weeks back. I think TBA was a great idea that all in all was pretty satisfying. The Genestealer Cults book from Fehevari was awesome, let me say that again AWESOME. A far more mature and well written book then we have seen for ages. The line up for next year is looking great and I couldn't be more excited to have two new Inquisitor books from Wraight and French (if the shorts are anything to by these will be great). We had ADB's Black Legion. The HH has got some serious momentum and is on a high after several excellent releases.

 

Actually the only thing that would improve the BL catalogue for me this year would be the surprise releases of:

 

1. Warmaster

2. Urdesh by Farrer

3. Penitent

 

Well I can dream right?

 

1. Warmaster - yes

2. Urdesh by Farrer - yes.

And only because they are 2/3 finished.

 

Penitent hansn't even a sentence written, lol. So no luck for you!

[DukeLeto69]

Heritor... Two out of three ain't bad lol

[HeritorA]

Heritor... Two out of three ain't bad lol

As I mentioned before - Warmaster and Urdesh were in work (page by page) for 3 years now since 2014. Penitent - only in Dan's awesome brain so far