Best Black Library Author

[Grailkeeper]

As well as asking who peoples least favourite author is, for balance I should ask who is the Primus inter pares of black library's writers

[RocketRollRebel]

Graham McNeill has written some of my favorite BL novels ever and is awesome but I also loved the Ciaphus Cain series so Sandy Mitchell would be a close second for me.

[infilTRAITOR]

Out of the list, Sandy Mitchell with Aaron Dembski-Bowden a second. I love the Cain series and his Inquisitor duet.

[Baron Spikey]

Dan Abnett, no doubt. With Graham McNeill, Gav Thorpe, and Sandy Mitchell holding the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th spots respectively- if The First Heretic is as awesome as the extract on Aaron's blog promises then he may rise from 5th to 4th or even 3rd place in my estimations.

[scadugenga]

I think Abnett has the best chops overall as a writer--and he's done more professional work than just GW related stuff, so that's a plus.

I'm also a big fan of Sandy Mitchell's stuff--while his inquisitor series took a bit to get into, it's still good, and Cain is just what the 40k world needed--a good sense of the ludicrous.

[wittdooley]

I really wish I could have voted for 2. It's a crime that Aaron Dembski-Bowden doesn't have any votes yet.

[Hugz4Genestealers]

Abnett definitely gets my vote. Gotta love those Ghosts! Sandy Mitchell gets an honorable mention, because Ciaphus Cain is my hero, and makes a great role model.

[Connjurus]

Abnett definitely gets my vote. Gotta love those Ghosts! Sandy Mitchell gets an honorable mention, because Ciaphus Cain is my hero, and makes a great role model.

I agree with you 100%.

[Porty1119]

notes that C.S. Goto is mysteriously absent from this particular poll

[Mike X]

Abnett is my favorite. I've tried to read the non-HH books by Ben Counter but found that he reuses words too much and just doesn't grasp the entire concept of his subjects very well.

[Warp]

Very difficult question to answer.. Dan Abnett is absolutely fantastic and has written some of the most intense war books I've ready. Graham McNeill is also a magnificent author and has written some of my favourite fantasy novels as well.

Dembski-Bowden is someone I'm too unfamiliar with, what I have read shows me he's a freaking good writer and can end up on the top once I get more books under my belt, while William King's Gotrek series are some of the most fun Fantasy books out there, but he's not done much besides that so I can't put him on the top.

In short, I voted for McNeill due to the versatility I've seen in his books and the fact that he's done some of my favourite books in BOTH 40K and Fantasy. However, I wish I could vote for two as Abnett's 40K books are just as good imo.

[imperialsavant]

:) Well in MHO Dan Abnett is by far the best BL Author but Sandy Mitchell with his wonderfully "quirky" spin on the 40k universe with Caiphus Cain is close behind!:cool:

[thelonegrif]

Abnett not only for the ghost but he was the chosen one for the ultra marines movie screen play i think

[Colonel Pryde]

Ben Counter not listed? Love his Grey Knight Series, his books in Horus Heresy, and his short stories. My vote goes to others then!

Col.Pryde

[razcalking]

Okay, so Dan Abnett is probably the best.

I voted for Aaron Dembski-Bowden because he deserves to come in second.

[madlib]

I'm pretty new to Black Library Novels, but I've always been meaning to read the Horus Heresy Series and I recently picked up the Ultramarines Omnibus. I like Graham Mcneill's writing style; you can tell straight away that he's a proper writer. He has a good command of language and he doesn't write down to his audience. His style is sophisticated enough to do justice to the subject matter yet it's accessible and not overwrought. He also has a really good sense of what the Ultramarines are about and captures their nobility and honor without being too over the top. His style has depth beyond what one would expect in some background fluff in a GW Codex meant for gaming. For example, he seemlessly pieces together a chapter about political unrest and intrigue on an imperial world between cartels along with chapters before and after from the perspective of an Ultramarine Captain on his way to that world. He has command of the subject matter and writes convincingly not just about the world of the Space Marines, but also other aspects of the Imperium, that a lesser writer may not be able to bring to life without faltering.

I also picked up The Purging of Kadillus by Gave Thorpe, though the voice in the back of my mind warned me against it, considering how poor the writing was in Codex Dark Angels. I was so much more pleased with the quality of writing by Mathew Ward in the 5th edition Space Marines codex in contrast.
I'm sure Gave Thorpe is a good guy and all, but he's just not a great writer. His style is too basic; its almost grade schoolish at times. His style and sense of the subject matter doesn't do justice to the 40k world, especially not to such a storied and respected Space Marine chapter as the Dark Angels. I feel terrible ripping on someone's writing, but honestly, I tried to read the prologue of The Purging of Kadillus and I couldn't finish it. It was silly. Gav Thorp's style is possibly better suited to writing short blurbs in Codexes, though even in that capacity I think his writing was pretty weak.

[NobleSeven]

Goto multi-lasered his name off the list then back flipped away from the polls in his Terminator armor. He was last seen surfing away on a Rhino towards the rising sun.

[newtoncain]

Abnett and McNeill are 1 and 2 by far.:eek:

[plawolf]

Goto multi-lasered his name off the list then back flipped away from the polls in his Terminator armor. He was last seen surfing away on a Rhino towards the rising sun.

What Goto deserve is to be multi-lazered in the face, then have his back broken by a termie and finally run over by a Rhino.

He has done worse things to the English language every time he has picked up a pen...

But the best BL author has to be Dan.

He is by far the most gifted and talented author, just look at the massively diverse range of things he has covered, and none of it feels 'samey'.

Eisenhorne is a classic and well worth re-reading.

Graham lacks Dan's skill and finesse, but makes up for it by being able to orchestrate carnage on a grander scale a lot better than Dan. You can see a pattern where Dan's novels have a very tight focus, like a laserbeam, but he can only cover a small scope in the level of detail he is accustomed to.

Graham is more like a search light. What he lacks in detail is made up for by the awesome scope of his constructs.

Sandy has created a magnificent character and series with Cain, but until he can reproduce that form with a different style, one cannot quite shake the doubt about whether he has the breadth of skill to be a true author or is just a one trick pony (but with an amazing one trick).

1. Dan
2. Ben
3. Sandy

[Legoklods]

Very difficult to chose between Abnett and McNiell but selected McNiell becouse of the amazing "a thousand sons".
Allthough where the heck is James Swallow? He's my number 4...

[geisthammer]

abnett by far is my fave. Eisenhorn,gaunts ghosts, double eagle and his run on marvels punisher are all fantastic works.

[Grailkeeper]

Sinister Dexter is pretty good too