Track of Words interview with Peter Fehervari

[Sandlemad]

Part one for now: https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/05/19/peter-fehervari-talks-40k-and-the-dark-coil-part-one/

 

It's good stuff and a worthy affirmation of Fehervari being BL's dark horse/'cult author'. Interesting thoughts about voice, ambiguity and the metaphysics of 40k. Dude really puts the thought into this and knows how to express himself.

 

 

 

Writing for a much loved mythos like 40K is a privilege so I treat every story as a piece of art and strive to imbue it with substance beyond the surface layer, incorporating themes and subtext that genuinely mean something to me. I’m aware this could be construed as absurd in a world of Space Marines, Orks and ever Bigger Guns (they really do seem to be getting bigger…), but I think the 40K universe is ripe with potential for such depth. That’s why this weird, dark mythology continues to fascinate me long after my love for its more bombastic aspects has diminished. Don’t misunderstand me, power armour and epic battles for the fate of the galaxy are cool, but they don’t grab me the way they used to in my teens and twenties. It’s been a long journey since the days of Rogue Trader…

 

[DarkChaplain]

Hurray for this!

[Knockagh]

A delight to see a quote like this coming from a new upcoming author

[Master Ciaphas]

I really enjoyed Cult of the Spiral Dawn. That was truly awesome. And yes, it would have been even better with another 75-100 pages to round out the story a bit more!

[DukeLeto69]

What an interesting and thought-provoking interview.

 

Peter always comes across as a very deep and thoughtful person but at the same time someone who appears to worry about whether those very aspects make him come across as pretentious. Personally I do not think he does at all. In fact it is great to read (and feel) the passion he has for the setting.

 

As Peter says, it is great that BL have created space for different types of stories set in our beloved 40k setting. An imprint is an interesting idea (kind of what they are doing with Warhammer Adventures I guess but in reverse). IMO though if BL did a "mature" brand what would likely happen is the non-target younger teens would seek these books out anyway because you always want a taste of the "forbidden/restricted". It is like sneaking into a 15 certificate film when you are only 13 (by getting someone else to buy the tickets). Also like those "parental advisory" stickers we got on records and CDs back in the late 80s and 90s - talk about a red rag to a bull (I defo want to listen to THAT album).

 

There was a time when I purchased virtually every release from BL (more because I am an obsessive collector) but after a few years I stopped due to the variable "quality" and excessive amount (IMO) of bolter porn. I say quality in inverted commas because it is really about taste. Yes some writers are better than others, but better is possibly also subjective. The writers that *I* think are better are the ones whose prose, themes and world building is more sophisticated. The interesting thing (to me) is that my top three are Abnett, Farrer and Fehervari...

 

As much as I have seen praise from (arguably) more discerning readers for both Farrer and Fehervari, I have also seen criticism about the impenetrability or complexity and slow pace of both their styles. In addition, and perhaps this is an indicator of either sales being low or writing speed being slow, both of the "F" guys have rather limited output through BL (and both have day jobs of course). I for one would love to see more work from both of these guys!

 

Abnett is actually IMO something of an anomaly. He does excellent world building and characters, solid plots flowing with interesting themes. And yet his style is always very accessible and easy to read. His books just flow from page to page. They are literally "page turners". That is not to say he doesn't do complex but his books do not feel complex or inaccessible. He also has fun with his books and does experiments in style or approach (for example, compare Eisenhorn to Know No Fear). His only weakness IMO is that in some books he has clearly rushed the ending (possibly due to an impending deadline for another publisher) and needed another 50 pages. However, no matter what fun he has with his style or perspective when writing, Abnett has a very easy to read and accessible style.

 

In comparison Peter's work, certainly Firecaste, requires more effort (or did for me). The rewards come from putting that effort in. I had to really concentrate when reading that book (less so with GSC/CotSD which had a slightly easier to read style for me) less I missed things or got confused. The sheer number of characters and viewpoints/perspectives was at times bewildering. It certainly wasn't a book I could read on the train during my commute to work. I needed a quiet place and clear head space to focus. It was a wholly different experience to pretty much any other BL book I have read. However, it was immensely rewarding and thought provoking. I love the fact that Peter doesn't (as he says in the interview) give you the reader an absolute answer. You are left with ambiguity so that you can draw conclusions yourself. It is actually very brave and not something one might expect from tie-in fiction.

[FirstSonofHorus]

This is a really insightful interview. I like his work and reading how much thought goes into his approach makes me appreciate his craft even more. Great to see, and kudos to the interviewer for getting all this.