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[Digital Hellhound]

TBH, it plays out like most standard SM fiction. Mysterious occurrence, unknown threats, possible moral threat, an inevitable betrayal, 90% of characters killed, victory in the end.

Also, here's the best map of the 40k universe I've found to date. There are many additions to it that come from the (best educated) guesses of happenings in various 40k stories, like The Inquistor Eisenhorn series. I've made some additions to keep it current with the 40k Table Roleplaying games settings, because I use it for my game references.

I'll direct link it, because it's bloody huge and stupidly high res. And yes, it's Imperial-themed. Sorry heretics and xenos scum. http://imgur.com/IjJw0M3

Heh, they've put the Spinward Front (and the Calixis in the north) just by the Helican Subsector. I wonder if any DH book stats out worlds and NPCs from the Eisenhorn books.

[LordBaal]

You are the heretic, for you do not accept the Ethereals into your hearts.

[GiglameshDespair]

I'll accept the Ethereals into a furnace, if that counts.

Damn blueberries.

[nenjin]

I wonder if any DH book stats out worlds and NPCs from the Eisenhorn books.

Haven't read all the supplements but not that I've seen. DH never states exactly when the campaign starts, but iirc Eisenhorn's shit is going on circa 300.M41 or so, and spans a couple hundred years.

It's funny. Everyone wants to set their stuff somewhere near the Eye of Terror, even though in terms of content, that sector of the Imperium is more detailed than virtually any other. Even Ultramar hasn't had as much written about it is as that Sector. Meanwhile, you have the Segmentum Tempestus and other places that continue to be void of new writings.

[gigaraptor487]

Talking of fan films, has anybody seen damnatus? Helped me watch a 40k movie and practice my German at the same time .

[Dutchling]

As someone who loves the lore but never played any of the games (although I acquired a bunch of video games on various Steam sales), what books would you recommend to me?

[GiglameshDespair]

Eisenhorn and Ravenor.
The first six Gaunt's ghosts books.

And definitely, for the love of the Emperor, not The Emperor's Mercy by Henry Zhou.

[Dutchling]

Also, I really like the "Humanity fuck yeah (also fuck your freedoms/sanity)" trope in Warhammer

[LordBaal]

The Ciaphas Cain HERO OF THE IMPERIUM series are good too.

[GiglameshDespair]

The Ciaphas Cain HERO OF THE IMPERIUM series are good too.

Though they aren't exactly realistic in universe. Amusing, but inaccurate. See space hulk bit.

[nenjin]

Yeah, as much as want to like the Ciaphis Cain novels, eventually his flippancy and sheer incongruity of every story starts to wear on my nerves. In 40k, either you're a heroic badass or you're not IMO. Being a heroic badass one minute and then turning into a duty-shirking putz who just manages to always get put exactly where he's needed starts to wear thin.

Eisenhorn and Ravenor.
The first six Gaunt's ghosts books.

And definitely, for the love of the Emperor, not The Emperor's Mercy by Henry Zhou.

Dan Abnett has written perhaps the best Imperial Guard novels of any of the authors. The way he establishes the scenes, taking the time to explain the logistics of war and life in the Imperium makes those novels some of the richest in imagery an ideas.

Two of the best Imperial Guard novels IMO are: Double Eagle (all about aircombat in the 41st millenium) and Necropolis (part of the Gaunt's Ghosts series, but can be read in isolation and is perhaps his best example of world building/conflict description.)

That said, his inquisitor novels, both Eisenhorn and Ravenor, start to suffer from their own complexity. I couldn't finish the Ravenor Omnibus, because it started to lose its own thread toward the end of the last book. I like the sort of gumshoe/detective story nature of his Inquisitor novels, but in trying to weave these vast conspiracies and reasons for his characters to tramp all over the Imperium.....you sort of forget what the reason was for the story to be where it currently is, because it's driven by an ipso-facto plot logic. ("We must go to Planet X because of an astropathic transmission mentioning a name of a character who is tangentially related to a 500 year old heretic. And so off we go! Wait, why are we doing this again?")

For Space Marine novels.....mmmm.....kind of a mixed bag. Graham McNeil if you want to read about Smurfs. Deus Encarmine and others by James Swallow if you want to read about Blood Angels (that's my Chapter but honestly I'm not the biggest fan of his treatment.) I don't follow Space Wolves but I know they've got a big line of novels too.

In truth, the short story is best format for most 40k stories. Grand, 3,000 page series are great and all, but I find most 40k stories start to collapse under the weight of their own drama and the dramatic needs of the genre (betrayal is a guaranteed feature of practically every Imperial story, such that it becomes a cliche.) Some of the best Imperial Guard and Space Marine stories to me are the short ones, 200 to 300 pages. The longer an author starts to dwell on their subject matter, the less interesting it gets. (For example, I loved the first Soul Drinkers novel. So I went out and bought two of the Soul Drinker's omnibi. Turns out though that what lent the novel such strength in the beginning (Space Marines turning away from the Imperium and almost into the hands of Chaos) starts to fall apart through successive novels. (The author himself, Ben Counter, begins the second ominbus saying "I knew there was no way a chapter like the Soul Drinkers could survive the brutality of the 40k universe, so it became a question of how to plot their demise" (paraphrase.))

[LordBaal]

Well, he certainly doesn't want to be that heroic badass. I see him as a coward badass that has no luck on staying out of action and has the luck to go through it alive. It is inconsistent (but what in 40K isn't?), but even that inconsistency is coherent in 40K, I mean, it's supposed to be memories and tales heavily changed/censured/altered what we are reading.

[Digital Hellhound]

I'd suggest picking up some short story collection, to get a sort of 'around the world' experience. Story quality varies, but there are some gems.

Graham McNeill's Ultramarines books (well, I've read the first three) are alright, but mainly I recommend them because the man writes the best combat scenes in 40k.

Gaunt's Ghosts really gets good around Necropolis, the third book, which is fantastic (though starting from the first is only smart). 4-6 are good, and I love some books further on - Only In Death and His Last Command, particularly - but I've found the latest books kinda forgettable. Still not bad, mind you.

I'll put in another vote for Eisenhorn.

[GiglameshDespair]

Actually, the Grey Knight books are pretty good as well.

[nenjin]

Well, he certainly doesn't want to be that heroic badass. I see him as a coward badass that has no luck on staying out of action and has the luck to go through it alive. It is inconsistent (but what in 40K isn't?), but even that inconsistency is coherent in 40K, I mean, it's supposed to be memories and tales heavily changed/censured/altered what we are reading.

Like I said, I think he's just exceptionally glib, and for a man who has been through all that, I just didn't see a lot of change in the character to reflect it.