Your Favorite Short Stories, by Author

[Roomsky]

So this was intended to be entirely distinct from my Favorite Works, by Author thread, but people posting short stories there won't stop me from erecting a thread dedicated to it here (in no small part because several awesome Fraters did obey the rules). The rules are as follows:

 

1: Short stories only, no novels or novellas

2: This is a thread to promote positivity, please only be negative if you feel you need to put a favorite piece into perspective

3: You must have read more than one short by the author in question, else-wise the endorsement is meaningless

4: You don't need to explain why it's your favorite, but it might make the discussion more interesting!

 

As before, I'll start with 3:

 

Matthew Farrer: After Desh`ea

The beginning of Angron's illustrious rise from a cardboard cut-out into an actual character. Perhaps not an essential read, it's full of character and does what I always admire in giving it's small cast very distinct voices, differentiated by how they speak as well as how they act. It sums up everything you need to know about Angron in a very tight package.

 

Nick Kyme: Imperfect

The first story focusing on Fulgrim with anything approaching restraint. We see a still arrogant, but troubled Fulgrim that struggles with his inability to turn Ferrus. It sort of retroactively improves on Fulgrim as well, showing that much of the character's missteps are indeed due to overconfidence rather than ineptitude. Solid all around.

 

David Annandale: The Binary Succession

A gripping little tale that was incidently the first time I even noticed that "Mechanicum" and "Adeptus Mechanicus" were even to denote different entities. The action isn't overdone, the characters are realistically flawed (to the point where any sides failure is a possibility), and finally gives the tech-priests a chance to flex their muscles after being sidelined for so long. The audio's excellent production quality is just icing on the cake.

[bluntblade]

Abnett: Little Horus stands head and shoulders above his other shorts, even considering his high calibre in general.

 

French: Trickier, but I'm inclined to say The Keys of Hel or Templar.

 

Wraight: Having read a whole heap of his shorts this is a struggle, but I think The Last Son of Prospero wins for the jaw-drop factor.

 

McNeill: My Abandon grumbles aside, The Wolf of Ash and Fire is an excellent showcase of the Luna Wolves at their best.

 

AD-B: Savage Weapons because Prince of Crows is a novella, I believe. It's just a really good, tight and character-packed short, and with my favourite straight-faced swear in the entire series.

[Roomsky]

Ima bump this with a few more:

 

Rob Sanders: Distant Echoes of Old Night

Despite it's oddity in the Heresy series, the short oozes atmosphere and really gets into a (admittedly too advanced) 14th Legion. It gets right to the grotesquery of the Plague Lord, and the Fists as antagonists is a nice change of pace.

 

James Swallow: Gunsight

I'll be honest, I love Swallow's Horus. He really gets the casual presence of the character, the very nearly soft-spoken might and dread he can inspire. Kell's descent into madness is fun and well paced, and the scene of the aforementioned primarch plucking the bullet from the air is wonderful imagery.

 

Guy Haley: Twisted

A much needed look into life with the 16th, and a welcome spotlight on one of the series most underutilized characters. Displaying Maloghurst with all his strengths and weaknesses laid bare was a joy, as was finding out "whatever did happen to those Davinites?"