Rob Sanders's Blog, page 11

Difficult To Put Down

Review time! I've been meaning to get around to this one. The ever insightful Graeme Flory at Graeme's Fantasy Book Review had some nice things to say about my novel Legion of the Damned. Graeme doesn't pull his punches and he throws in a few issues with his compliments - which I don't mind from reviewers that clearly think about their responses and give fully rounded appraisals. Check out Graeme's other reviews at Graeme's Fantasy Book Review.

"The ‘Space Marine Battle’ series has been a bit hit and miss as far as I’m concerned. Hang on, a ‘bit hit and miss’? More like ‘more than a bit hit and miss’ actually as the quality see saws wildly between superb and, erm… its polar opposite…

I keep going back though, as much for those hidden gems waiting to be found as for a morbid sense of curiosity that wonders which direction the series will swing in next.
Add Rob Sanders to the mix and my curiosity was piqued yet further. I’ve read two of Sanders’ books so far and I’m still sat firmly on the fence about his work. It’s not that Sanders can’t write, he’s very good but prone to sometimes forgetting the story and going overboard on the background. You can’t ‘not read him’ though as you are potentially missing out on some great stuff if you ignore his books.

Which side of the fence did ‘Legion of the Damned’ fall on then? Lets just say that I’m looking forward to reading Sanders’ novella in the forthcoming ‘Primarchs’ collection.

Heralded by a blood red comet, the Cholercaust has come to the cemetery world of Certus Minor… An unstoppable horde of cultists, daemonkin and World Eaters Traitor Marines seeking to burn a path to ancient Terra itself. Only one company of loyalist Excoriators Space Marines stand in their path, not nearly enough to halt such a tide of blood. Or is it?

Inquistorial forces arrive on Certus Minor to find one Excoriator left alive amidst a veritable sea of traitorous corpses. Just what happened on Certus Minor to have victory spring from inevitable and crushing defeat? Sometimes, only sometimes, prayers are answered in the strangest of ways…

Like I said, I’ve had trouble with Sanders’ books in the past and this time was no different in that respect. This time though, Sanders rose above those issues to deliver a novel that proved to be only a hairs breadth away from being a compelling read. I could put it down; to do other stuff, but doing that was very difficult. I’ll have more along these lines please!

The issue I’ve always had with the ‘Space Marine Battles’ book is that a lot of them take the easy way out and just make the battle the focal point of the entire plot. In fact there isn’t a plot, just one big battle where the outcome is predetermined because of who is involved. The good guys either win or make it so that the Traitors cannot win themselves. It kind of takes the fun out of the read for me…

Thank goodness for Rob Sanders then who turns the whole thing upside down and presents us with a question out of that seemingly foregone conclusion of a victory. Yes, there was a victory but how could there have been? What the hell really happened? It's a great hook to snare the reader on, I was certainly interested to read more and find out what happened.

This was where the journey started to get a little choppy though. Sanders likes to delve into the murky background of Warhammer 40k and give his readers a full on encompassing view of these times of war. The only problem is that the story gets shoved to one side and you’re left with a whole load of detail. That’s what happens here with the ‘Feast of Blades’, a great piece of action but one that becomes mired in the politics of the competing Chapters a little too much to hold up properly for the length of time that it takes to recount. There were some awesome bone crushing moments of raw combat but I couldn’t help but feel that I wanted to hurry along and get to the main event.

It was a good job then that the main event ended up proving to be more than worth the wait.

Sanders clearly knows that a battle isn’t just about weapons being fired, it’s also very much about the people forced to pull the trigger in the heat of the moment. What are they feeling? Do they even want to be there?
These questions are answered in the contrast between Marines bred for war and un-enhanced humans forced to defend their homes and livelihoods. There’s a full range of emotions and motivations on display here and Sanders balances these nicely with the constant bark of bolter fire to give us an in-depth look at the conflict.

What’s interesting though is that this contrast is very much evident in the lead character of Zachariah Kersh himself. Kersh is a Marine who glories in warfare but would much rather be doing it elsewhere. Duty has called him and his men to Certus Minor though and Kersh will see that duty fulfilled despite the grumbling from within his company. Kersh questions himself (and his very sanity) at every turn and this keeps his character fresh, there are lots of questions to be answered in the heat of battle.

This battle is depicted very clearly without becoming too ‘technical’ and like a White Dwarf battle report. You know just what’s at stake from the sheer energy and focus that people put into just staying alive. What you do know though is the outcome and Sanders faces a tough task springing something that we already know onto us. He does it but it’s a very close thing, the answers are with us the whole time but you won’t see them until everything fits together and the picture is complete. Yet another plot device that holds the attention superbly.

‘Legion of the Damned’ suffers from a choppy start but recovers to become something really close to a stand out moment in the ‘Space Marine Battles’ series so far. I’ll happily keep reading these books if I can have more moments like these.

Eight and a Half out of Ten"

Nexus 6 (22-6-12)

I come across some great science fiction stuff on the internet on in magazines. Often, I’ll see a great article or feature – perhaps even a meme (some people love them, some hate them) – and think that I’d like to keep a link to that or show them to others. People do this already with Twitter and Facebook but they are often fleeting and missed. So I’m introducing a new regular feature called 'Nexus 6', in which I’ll introduce links to other science fiction and fantasy stuff (nexus being a means of connection and six being the number of items introduced each time!) This will probably mean some moving back and forth, so why don’t you do yourself a favour and ‘Favourite’ Rob Sanders Speculative Fiction now – or if you have a blog yourself, add it to your links! I won’t mind.


1. Awesome Books To Replace Your Favourite Cancelled TV Shows


We hate it when our favourite shows are cancelled – and the loss is especially grieving when it’s a science fiction or fantasy show because they seem to get less of a chance than most. I09 provides a helpful solution to such loses by suggesting fiction alternatives to your favourite shows. Check it out here.


2. Total Recall (2012)


I wasn’t the slightest bit interested in the Total Recall remake starring Colin Farrell. I think that the 1990 version still has some charm. Farrell hasn’t been at the top of his game and the addition of Underworld director Len Wiseman doesn’t inspire. I was introduced to the trailer, however, and my interest was ignited. I’m loving the mash of Bourne-style action, Minority Report inspired technology and Bladerunner backdrops. Check out the trailer here and hope for the best!


3. Astronomers Discover A World With a Science Fiction View


I love world building. Character and plot come first, but world building is an oft-neglected aspect of science fiction writing. I hate lazy writing, in this respect. If you take your readers to the other side of the universe, you damn well better be able to help them visualise what they find there. Giant Freakin Robot reports that scientists have recently discovered an actual planet – Kepler 36-b – that they believe has the most spectacular science fiction inspired view. Check out more here.


4. Warhammer 40k Storm Eagle


I write fiction for the Warhammer and Warhammer 40k universes and have to admit to not being much of a player, painter or modeller. New models provide inspiration for my work and some are so cool that it’s tempting not to buy them for the sake of ornament alone. Check out the details of Forge World’s new Storm Eagle gunship here.


5. Six Things That Never Make Sense About Zombie Movies


I love articles about zombies. I used to be a werewolf fan and while vampires have their place, they have suffered of late from over exposure (ha, ha!) Zombies all the way, at the moment – and not just because they are in vogue. Their appeal lies in being the most possible of all the supernatural creatures. Anyway, the ever reliable Cracked has an article here about problems with the popular representation of zombies. Interesting if disgusting reading.


6. Return of the Jedi


What is it about that outfit? : )

Sucker Punched

I recently had the pleasure of watching Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch. I don’t think Snyder always pulls it off but I was gleefully repulsed by Dawn of the Dead and exhilarated by 300. I think that 300 is his best film and while Suckerpunch is not in any danger of stealing that crown, it still had much to recommend it to a science fiction junkie like myself.

It’s the 1960s and a teenager (known to us as ‘Babydoll’) accidentally shoots her younger sister while trying to defend them both from the abusive stepfather with which they live. In order to silence Babydoll about the abuse and claim the family estate for himself, the stepfather has her committed to a brutal mental hospital – Lennox House. In the asylum Babydoll withdraws into a fantasy world and soon it is difficult to tell what is reality and what is not. The other girls in the asylum begin to feature in Babydoll’s epic and anachronistic fantasies. Each fantasy demonstrates an impossible task or mission that serves as a metaphor for different stages in the girls’ attempt (led by Babydoll) to escape their grim surroundings – both mentally and physically.

Sucker Punch is visually stunning. The crowning achievements of the film are four killer set pieces. These pit the Manga-esque Babydoll and ninja sword – supported by her squad of femme fatales - against computer-game style oriental bosses, clockwork Nazis (undead, of course), WWII bomber-eating dragons and an army of robots intent on delivering a doomsday weapon to a city on a far off alien world. All the while Scott Glenn delivers advice like a training-level mentor on a first-person shooter. Sucker Punch certainly shares some material and ambitions with The Matrix and Inception but unfortunately isn’t as good as either. Its narrative doesn’t hang together as effectively as it might and instead is only memorable in so much as the music-video visuals and action are impressive. An honourable mention should also go to the soundtrack which is pretty good. I had fun watching it but couldn’t escape the feeling that the same CGI budget, actresses and even elements like visual style and outline concept might have been turned into something truly spectacular.

The Gods are Hungry!

I discovered an interesting hobby site the other day called 'The Dice Gods Are Hungry' by a great guy called Neil Drakes. On there - as well as lots of brilliant material on Warhammer and Warhmmer 40k fluff, miniature conversions and gaming tournaments - I discovered the site's first fiction review. I was jazzed to find that Neil had chosen Legion of the Damned for such an honour. I have shamelessly stolen the review and reproduced it here - because I'm an internet kleptomaniac and that's what we do. I encourage you to check out 'The Dice Gods Are Hungry' here. Of course, Neil earns his place on my growing list of interesting blogs and sites that are deserving of attention - 'The Scene' - which can be found below on the side-bar of fame. Cheers, Neil!

"Firstly, the bit that might annoy you. This is not a novel that follows the exploits of Legion squad, nor does it reveal the secrets of their foundation. But dont worry! Instead you get a cracking read and you'll probably be very tempted to start yourself an Excoriators army when 6th Edition gets released!

Rob delivers character-driven prose sprinkled liberally with mouth-watering action at a relentless, unforgiving pace that pulls you into the story and doesn't let go. You feel the emotions, you see the bullets fly and there is nowhere for you to hide, no convenient line breaks or changes of scene. You will devour whole chapters at a time and come the final page, you'll be disappointed there isn't more book to read.

To begin with you get to live and breath the 'feast of blades', the centennial gladiatorial contest briefly mentioned in codex Space Marines and competed in by many chapters whose geneseed is the progeny of Rogal Dorn. You get thrown in at the deep end with our reluctant hero. A nice honour duel this isn't!

Then theres tragedy, resentment and repentance instead of honour and glory, the main character is haunted by a silent apparition that nobody else can see. There's infighting, bad blood and a desperate defense to prepare in the face of the encroaching cholercaust-a spacebound horde of frenzied Khorne worshippers baying for blood.

Infuriating beurocracy, politics and near endless bloodshed marches you on towards the final chapters, and then.........

I'm not going to spoil the ending for you (you need to buy the book!) but the titular legion is a constant feature throughout the book...I'll say no more!

Honestly though, I enjoyed this book immensely. It retains the engaging style of 'Redemption Corps' but seems more rounded, more complete in a myriad of ways that's difficult to put your finger on.

If you're familiar with Rob's previous work you'll be excited to know that this is probably his 'breakout' book, a brilliant piece of work that should see him thoroughly ensconced in the bestseller lists for the foreseeable future (he's hit the New York Times bestsellers list recently). And there will be more books from Mr Sanders, so watch this space....."

Want to Play: Solution

As promised, here is the solution to the wordsearch yesterday. The ten Alpha Legionnaires from my novella The Serpent Beneath have been identified and revealed - as has the Alpha Legion's rather controversial and ironic warcry 'FOR THE EMPEROR'. Thanks all for playing!

Want to Play?

I love playing games. It reminds me that many Black Library readers are Warhammer and Warhammer 40k gamers and computer gamers. A number of the Black Library authors are also former games developers. Authors in general aren't that different. We like to play with the readers' expectations - guiding them down certain paths - narrative and emotional - and sometimes wrong-footing them on purpose for effect. Stories that involve mystery are especially appropriate to game playing. The trick is to calibrate the complexity of the mystery to the audience. If the mystery is suitably complex and the reader guesses it correctly or hits on how the hero will solve the mystery before the hero actually does, then the reader feels appropriately clever. If they fail to do so, at least the reader is left with the feeling that the author put a decent amount of work into constructing the mystery and therefore the fiction was worth the time or the price of its purchase. Quiz shows and puzzles work in a similar way. An illustration: ten Alpha Legionnaires from my my Horus Heresy novella The Serpent Beneath are hiding in plain view in the wordsearch below. Can you locate all ten of them? Also, hidden in the puzzle is a secret message. Can you find it?



Solution supplied tomorrow. Hydra Dominatus!

Celebrations

Today Black Library has been celebrating the entry of The Primarchs on The New York Times Bestsellers List. Check out their blog here to read what my esteemed colleagues and Horus Heresy authors Nick Kyme and Graham McNeill had to say about it, as well as my own views. Black Library have seen fit to mark this occasion with the release of a new Horus Heresy short story from Graham McNeill called Kryptos. In related news, one of my Horus Heresy short stories, Army of One, is now included in the Horus Heresy EBundle - including seventeen novels, eighteen short stories and four novellas. This EBundle can be found here.

J is For…

It’s not often that my science fiction and fantasy influences stretch to poetry (my literary influences perhaps) but for the letter 'J' I’ll make an exception. I’ve always loved the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. There is something about the playful nature and suggestiveness of the language that I think all science fiction and fantasy writers and readers respond to. I love the way he crafts fantastical creatures and a fairy tale landscape purely out of sounds and letters. At its heart, the poem is a piece of nonsense verse that tells a tale of monster-slaying. The most impressive aspect of the poem is the way that is makes everyone into a fantasy writer. We all create our own versions of the setting and its strange inhabitants – it is open to endless interpretations. There have been film and cartoon versions of the poem and while they are fun, they cannot do justice to the poem because the reader is intended to be intimately involved in the description’s realisation. This was Carroll’s genius. He skilfully constructs the suggestion and then hands the poem over to our imagination. I find myself attempting to employ similar strategies in some elements of my work and believe that it was reading Jabberwocky as a child that probably planted that seed. I reproduce this classic poem here for your enjoyment.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

I'm a New York Times Bestseller!

Good news everyone!

I'm absolutely made up to announce that my most recent fiction is a New York Times Bestseller. My latest release is the Horus Heresy series anthology The Primarchs in which my novella The Serpent Beneath features. The Primarchs shot in at Number 29 this week on the Paperback Mass Market Fiction chart.



I'm thrilled to share the pages with Black Library luminaries Graham McNeill, Nick Kyme and Gav Thorpe but there are a few people I should thank. Try to imagine me in a tux in front of a podium. First off, I should thank Christian Dunn - veteran Black Library editor and author - for giving me the opportunity to appear in his brilliant anthology and allowing me to write about two of my favourite Primarchs. Cheers, Christian! I would also like to say a big thank you to the legion of Black Library and Games Workshop staff on both sides of the Atlantic who work hard to make sure Black Library books get noticed and appreciated. Huge respect. Finally I'd like to say a colossal thanks to my Submissions Editor at Black Library - Laurie Goulding. Laurie's my editorial point man - scouting out opportunities, both creative and technical and his are the first pair of eyes to see my work. It was great working with him on The Serpent Beneath and I look forward to more of our adventures.

Well, I'm going off to celebrate. Thanks to everyone who read The Primarchs . I hope you enjoyed The Serpent Beneath. If you haven't checked it out yet, then let me cheekily point you to the side-bar upon which you will find a link and a book trailer.

‘Thunderous’ Applause

I was sad to read of the death of science fiction writer Ray Bradbury earlier in the week. I won’t repeat here a mini biography of Bradbury, suffice to say that he was an early innovator, long-term and stalwart advocate and then elder statesman of the genre. His fiction is well-respected, frequently anthologised and nominated for numerous awards. His passing is a clear loss for science fiction writers (to whom he was an inspiration), science fiction readers (to whom he provided so much entertainment) and culture generally (to which he contributed a great deal). His works are too many and too wide-ranging in subject matter to summarise but my personal favourite is the short story A Sound of Thunder, which I not only love personally but had the privilege of teaching it to a class of thirteen year olds. I’m not sure that they appreciated his skill and imagination as much as I did, but they certainly loved the idea of the characters hunting a Tyrannosaurus Rex on a Time Travel Safari!

RIP Ray Bradbury