Young Adult fiction in 40k

[rendingon1+]

Isn't it more accurate to say that Space Marines' normal human development stops at the beginning of their indoctrination, and that they progressively become something else? It's not like they have a 12-year-old's emotional maturity or cognitive capacity throughout their period as Neophytes, much less by the time the Apothecaries and Chaplains get to initiating them into full brotherhood. By the time their transformation is complete, Space Marines are properly post-human. They are not so much stunted as they are operating - in terms of thinking process, range of emotional responses, etc. - on completely different wavelengths from normal human beings.

 

EDIT: I second your "Hunger Games" idea, Not 1 step backwards.

No Legion or Chapter would go far if astrtes were mentally 12yo hehe. I think you nailed it here with "post-human" - it is often forgotten that astartes are no longer normal human and shouldn't be cosidered as such. I think that concept of astrtes being just angry little boys deep inside is a shallow misconception and heavy handed attempt to make things more grimdark. But logically it just doesn't work.

Also there are chapters who literally take newborns/infants as a recruits (Red Scorpions for exmple) - what then?

[bluntblade]

Isn't it more accurate to say that Space Marines' normal human development stops at the beginning of their indoctrination, and that they progressively become something else? It's not like they have a 12-year-old's emotional maturity or cognitive capacity throughout their period as Neophytes, much less by the time the Apothecaries and Chaplains get to initiating them into full brotherhood. By the time their transformation is complete, Space Marines are properly post-human. They are not so much stunted as they are operating - in terms of thinking process, range of emotional responses, etc. - on completely different wavelengths from normal human beings.

 

EDIT: I second your "Hunger Games" idea, Not 1 step backwards.

This.

[OnboardG1]

A lot of shade gets leveled at YA fiction because of the target audience (I'm not going to judge teenage girls on what fiction they enjoy because I'm not one and some of the dreck I read as a teenager was far worse than Twilight) but good quality YA stuff is a great way to teens reading and thinking. 

 

One of the big themes of YA fiction is how you find your role in life, because as a teenager that's really frightening. I'd think 40k would be perfect for that. Hell, I can imagine young Cain at the Schola Progenium being a good subject for it. 

[Plasmablasts]

I think Pariah actually meets that criterion for YA fiction: an adolescent protagonist trying to find her role in life.

[Ascanius]

Young adults are going to miss the Chambers pastiche, though.