In the Shadow of Tolkein: 40k and Collaborative Fiction

[Deadlift]

All a,bit "deep" for simple old me but I enjoy the black library stories and your ideas will no doubt have me thinking about what I'm reading a bit more. Not sure if that's good or bad for me lol. Cool read Lamenter.

[The Last Lamenter]

hey Miteyheroes, will you send me the link? I'd love to read it, still finding my feet in terms of site navigation. I'm working on another article that will bring some more lead to the claim. How can I make sure you see it when I'm done?

[The Last Lamenter]

Deadlift, thanks so much for reading, I'll have some more stuff up later on this week, concerning mythology of the future. It will revolve around the idea that because man could not fathom his origins without the assistance of Gods, so he could not fathom his end without the same. 40k is one of the first to explore this idea fully.

[Nabterayl]

40k is one of the first to explore this idea fully.

One of the first pieces of art to really make a go of exploring the idea that man cannot fathom his end without the assistance of gods?

[The Last Lamenter]

I don't mean this in the Biblical sense, the Norse mythology sense, or apocalyptic literature in general 40k takes a completely different, unique spin on it. Give me about a week to get it up on here. Trying to lend some legitimacy to this incredible story.

[Jax]

Hey mate, that was an excellent read and I concur that the writings of the Black Library can transcend the somewhat asinine trappings of battle porn we see the books accused of by the more mainstream consumers of science fiction. In particular, I feel that Aaron Dembski- Bowden is a good candidate for producing more thoughtful works - the Night Lords trilogy succeeded in humanizing what is realistically a cast of psychopathic monsters and giving the reader lee-way to empathize with the characters.

Personally, I'd like to see the writers explore life within the grand universe of 40k lore for the common citizen more thoroughly; like most great literary scifi works there should be parallels between the fantasy world and our own implicit reality - I've always viewed the human aspect of the lore with the most interest as it speaks to me about deep - seated xenophobia and the fallacies of ignorance and zealotry.

I believe you are correct in analyzing the adaptation of Sci Fi tropes to strengthen the cumulative narrative; and it is interesting that the adaption is somewhat akin to an acknowledgement of genre - specific archetypes and devices, which is not plagiarism but merely an extension of logical thought to provide a means to tell a good story given the context of the events (FTL being neccesary, the Navigators etc) and I love the combination of hard science fiction with fantasy trappings. I've never once viewed the similarities to other science fiction works as plagiarism, much as not all crime fiction is derivative simply because it features a detective, a crime and such.

The world of Warhammer does not get the respect it deserves from the broader community; yet some of the best modern science fiction comes from the world of 40k - I'm an avid reader of all science fiction and I believe the Warhammer universe really does set the bar for science fiction in a way few other modern works can.

You should consider starting your own blog to propagate your ideas - you definitely have an interesting perspective on the literary aspects of Warhammer.

[The Last Lamenter]

Jax, thanks for reading, and you're so right about Aaron. I've read all of his books. I'd like to see a little more every-citizen writing too. Maybe a short story or two. Can I add you as a friend on here? Have you read The Iron Within?

[Jax]

Go for your life mate, and I haven't picked up that anthology as of yet which is unfortunate as that story does sound interesting.