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![[image loading]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/thereisnosaurus/emp.jpg)
This post is going to be a discussion into one of the larger cooperative works in modern science fiction and fantasy. I am an avid reader and I've been involved in the hobby that spawned warhammer 40000 for close to two decades now, so I thought I'd write a little introduction to what the HH series is all about, why it is important and how to get the most out of it as a work of fiction.
To start with, what is it? The Horus Heresy is a fictional time period in the warhammer 40000 universe which was envisioned roughly thirty years ago as a mysterious background setting up the fiction of the tabletop game. For around 25 years it remained just that- something hinted at but never fleshed out other than in oblique commentary and historical notes. Then, GW (the owning company) dedicated their writing arm to the task of covering the Heresy in a series of novels and novelas. They've been about it for more than five years now, putting out over 20 novels in that time documenting important events and perspectives in the timeline, expanding and fleshing it out into a complex history of a larger than life period in a larger than life setting.
It is sprawling, baroque and intricate. Bombastic, grandiose and sometimes quite ridiculous. It is at times terrifying, at times illuminating. It is full of strangeness but it is also full of truth. The Horus Heresy is what happens when myths and legends are built around the fireplace at night, only these days the fireplace is the size of the planet. It is a modern day Ramayana, Old Testament or retelling of the Eddas. Its value derives as much from the historicity of the actual writing as the fictional content. It is, quite simply, quite a lot to get involved with.
At its simplest, the Horus Heresy is the story of how humanity went from a species united behind a single ruthless goal to one shattered and stagnant. In the middle of a great, xenocidal undertaking to control the galaxy for humanity and humanity alone, the pantheon of bio-engineered demigods created to lead the endeavour come to bickering and eventually are manipulated into rebellion and wholesale civil war by a pantheon of gods of the magical otherworldly kind. What follows is betrayal and fratricide on the grandest scale and a dynastic conflict that sets up ten thousand years of war. The dramatis personae are the famous space marines, the elite warrior caste of humanity who were created to basically kill anything they ran into during humanity's expansion to fill the galaxy. As all the books make sure you know, at length, they are rather good at it.
But the series is a lot more than that. Like all good legends, it has potent symbolic value. Core themes are the battle between empiricism and superstition, between unity and individual choice, between duty and conscience and perhaps most subtly, the choice between two evils. Warhammer is a setting where every victory brings you closer to defeat, it is not a happy place. Heroes die gloriously, but they always die and the glory is fleeting, temporary. In its most overwrought grandiosity, the famous 'grimdark' dystopianism, it is also a sober reflection of reality.
It is also a discussion of power in all its forms (though sexuality plays little part in the series, since the protagonists are by and large sterile and celibate). Each of the key players in the heresy represents a human trait, a desire and a methodology of approaching power. The faithful and the inquisitive, the loyal and the ambitious. Their interactions plot out a broader theme of the inevitable contests between such archetypes. When the participants each control a vast army of utterly loyal super-soldiers, the loyalty of ten times that number of humans and a fleet capable of levelling solar systems, rest assured shit gets extremely real.
By and large the story of the Heresy is not told from the perspective of these key players, but their confidants and lieutenants, hangers on and observers. Some of them occupy pivotal roles in major events, some are simply bystanders. Pretty much all of them die horribly. As such the Heresy is also a story about the infinite tragedy of human conflict. It is played out on intensely personal levels and absurdly oversized ones. This is perhaps one of the more redeeming features of the series' portrayal of conflicts whose daily body count numbers in the millions. It allows a sense of scale, a proportionality that makes you appreciate actual conflicts the more.
Unfortunately for the newcomer, it is also often very obtuse and referential, making subtle allusions to events that only diehard fans of the 40k mythos will get. If you've played 40k, the Horus Heresy is like reading the bible at age 20, you know Jesus dies so you can appreciate the foreshadowing. If you're clueless, unaware of the greater background of the setting, a lot of the literary tension of the books is lost, because why oh why are there boob demons eviscerating people what the hell where did that come from what the fuck man, what the fuck. Thus it is recommended that one does some research on the background of 40k before diving in, this will give you more appreciation of the material, particularly the supernatural conflict between gods made of man's desire to build and gods made of man's hunger to destroy.
It's also important to note that the heresy was originally created by classically read english chaps with a fetish for Milton and Dante. The inspiration extends to the setting using terms like Chaos and Old Night, word for word from Paradise Lost. So there is also a symbolism sourced from old Christian literature that grants the Heresy even more mythological grandiosity. The story is a retelling of the fall from heaven with the titular (and very appropriately named) Horus playing the role of Lucifer, the brightest of angels who turns from the ordained path of God (in this case the godlike Emperor of Man). Just like Paradise Lost, the series overtly proclaims the perfidy and unworthiness of this act, while constantly justifying it subtly, calling into question the overt themes. The curious schizophrenia of morality in the series- the discussion of the brutality, xenophobia and general ugliness of humanity's grand undertaking, while at the same time portraying those who object as obscene traitors corrupted by both natural and supernatural evil is one of the more interesting of such portrayals in modern literature.
In summary, the Horus Heresy is one of the more remarkable undertakings in future-fantasy. It is at once superficial and incredibly deep for those who can put the effort into it. It a vivid and unique account and setting, one that is beloved by hundreds of thousands worldwide and that has generated a colourful culture of its own. It's nowhere near over and it's not to be taken lightly.
If this sounds interesting, give it a look.
  
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Hmm as a fellow WH40K buff, I'm not that sure if the horus heresy is a good picking up point for newcomers, even though it's so central to understanding the storyline of WH40k. Maybe short stories like Let the Galaxy Burn or Gaunt's ghosts would be a better jumping off point to spike someone's interest. But what do I know.
Cool article.
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The bible isn't a really good starting place to understanding christianity either, doesn't stop most people XD.
I think the heresy books can stand on their own two feet, at least the first trilogy after which someone will be interested enough to do the research required to set up the rest
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^^ um what? bible not the starting place...I don't think there is anything else.
While I personally don't play DoW or 40k I have perused the wiki because my friend wanted me to and found the Horus Heresy breathtaking. The magnitude and intensity of the entire 40k universe is something that no other work of fiction has come close to matching it (personal opinion).
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The Horus Heresy is a terrible place to get into 40k fluff. Pick up First And Only if you're a newcomer but interested.
That being said, The Horus Heresy series IS fantastic.
Edit: The Horus Heresy is a bad place BECAUSE it's so big and extensive and fantastic. It takes your knowledge of things very much for granted and someone who really doesn't know much about the setting and history won't really understand WHY the events in it are so important. Things like the Drop Site Massacre are so daunting and terrifying in the books because you just KNOW how horrible things are going to go, and someone who isn't familiar with the history doesn't get the full sense of dread that's intended.
Edit 2 because I'm so damned nerd-serious about this: In order to introduce someone to The Horus Heresy you had to show them this long ass blog. Whereas I can introduce someone to Gaunt's Ghosts by saying: "Green Berets in space go fucking A-team on shit." Both series are great but it's just so much easier for someone new to get into
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I played a little bit of 40k a couple years ago, although I did play Eldar not Space Marines. A few weeks ago I stumbled upon my old Codex and reread the whole damn thing because the story sucked me back in and I started searching for novels on the web. After finding out that there are approximately a thousand novels and short stories I looked a bit for a suitable starting point. Some people recommended to start with the codices but that would be kind of expensive, I guess and contains a lot of material I don't need (not playing anymore and no desire to start again). Some people said that it would be best to start with stuff like Horus or Grey Wolves (can't remember exactly, have it on my amazon list :D) because the human stories would be the most accessible. What's your take on it? Where should someone start who knows the broad strokes of the 40k universe but wants to know more about the cool stuff? I'm particularly interested in the Eldar, Chaos in all its glorious forms, the Tyranids and the Necrons. Advice would be very much appreciated.
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On December 04 2012 01:51 surfinbird1 wrote:
I played a little bit of 40k a couple years ago, although I did play Eldar not Space Marines. A few weeks ago I stumbled upon my old Codex and reread the whole damn thing because the story sucked me back in and I started searching for novels on the web. After finding out that there are approximately a thousand novels and short stories I looked a bit for a suitable starting point. Some people recommended to start with the codices but that would be kind of expensive, I guess and contains a lot of material I don't need (not playing anymore and no desire to start again). Some people said that it would be best to start with stuff like Horus or Grey Wolves (can't remember exactly, have it on my amazon list :D) because the human stories would be the most accessible. What's your take on it? Where should someone start who knows the broad strokes of the 40k universe but wants to know more about the cool stuff? I'm particularly interested in the Eldar, Chaos in all its glorious forms, the Tyranids and the Necrons. Advice would be very much appreciated.
For nid and necron fluff you're pretty much screwed. The old stuff is really sparse and the new stuff is terrible.
But if you like 40k and want to get into it, and you especially like the taint of chaos then friend, allow me to put you on the first step of a wonderful journey, and introduce you to a man called Gregor Eisenhorn.
http://www.amazon.com/Eisenhorn-Warhammer-40-000-Omnibus/dp/1844161560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354553770&sr=8-1&keywords=eisenhorn
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The Horus Heresy is a terrible place to get into 40k fluff. Pick up First And Only if you're a newcomer but interested.
Of course, but I'm not suggesting it as a springboard to the 40k hobby and fandom. I'm saying it stands alone as a collaborative work of literature. It's even more fulfilling if you ARE a 40k nut already, but the value of it isn't in that alone. I'd argue that the gaunt's ghosts series is somewhat similar, if a bit lower on the scale and thematic richness. Gaunts ghosts for the most part isn't what 40k is about either, it's just men fighting men in a variety of different settings with the odd xeno wierdness to spice things up on occasion. That's pretty much the HH series, only switch the core themes of the power of the common man of the imperium to the power of the privileged.
For nid and necron fluff you're pretty much screwed. The old stuff is really sparse and the new stuff is terrible.
also compounded by the fact that they don't really have much history interacting with the known 40k universe until very recently, nor are either faction particularly cultured, being mindless automata seeking only to destroy XD. I agree with hollowlord though that the Eisenhorn and inquisition war (Draco) books are fantastic for people who want to get into the 40k era non-battlefield background. I'll also suggest the shira calpurnia series, which kind of fills the niche the watch books do in discworld- in-universe police procedurals. The writing isn't quite as good as Abnett's but at least the content is fresh and different.
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Just read everything by Dan Abnett.
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Wow. This thread is really timely for me.
For whatever reason, the universe of Warhammer 40K has always corresponded to something deep in my soul. I think it's one of the most interesting and compelling fictional worlds that I've ever come across (not that I am huge fantasy/science fiction buff, but I did play way more than my fair share of tabletops as a kid). I never got into the game, though. It looked expensive!
Anyway, the past few weeks I've been feeling the bug again and poking around on the internet. I was just wondering today what authors in that universe were worth reading. I would like to have a non-literary, non-work related book (I’m getting a Ph.D. in literature) to zone out with every once in a while. This Dan Abnett would fit that bill?
(Excellent writing in the OP, btw.)
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On December 04 2012 10:53 HULKAMANIA wrote:
Wow. This thread is really timely for me.
For whatever reason, the universe of Warhammer 40K has always corresponded to something deep in my soul. I think it's one of the most interesting and compelling fictional worlds that I've ever come across (not that I am huge fantasy/science fiction buff, but I did play way more than my fair share of tabletops as a kid). I never got into the game, though. It looked expensive!
Anyway, the past few weeks I've been feeling the bug again and poking around on the internet. I was just wondering today what authors in that universe were worth reading. I would like to have a non-literary, non-work related book (I’m getting a Ph.D. in literature) to zone out with every once in a while. This Dan Abnett would fit that bill?
(Excellent writing in the OP, btw.)
Dan Abnett is the finest fluff writer in both 40k and Warhammer Fantasy(Though he doesn't write very much Fantasy). He's so acclaimed that even other authors will admit to you that he's the top. Other than him, Graham McNeil is great, James Swallow is great.
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Awesome, thanks! So I take it Warhammer Fantasy is like the Warhammer universe before all the technology and spacefaring and intergalactic warfare and all that?
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Fantasy came first, then 40k was basically Fantasy...........IN SPACE. Originally they were part of the same continuity but because they got so big GW decided to separate them. You can still see traces of how they used to be connected but the official standpoint is that they exist in different universes.
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Aaron Dembski-Bowden is also a rising star in the league of Black Library writers. Go give The First Heretic a look if you're a fan of the series.
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On December 04 2012 12:34 MaddieMondale wrote:
Aaron Dembski-Bowden is also a rising star in the league of Black Library writers. Go give The First Heretic a look if you're a fan of the series.
Yeah he's a dark horse. Keep an eye on him.
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I've read a decent amount of WH40k stuff. Did the Gaunt's Ghosts series, GK omnibus, a few of the ultramarine ones, and the first Horus heresy one. It's really interesting stuff but I don't really have time to make it through extended book series anymore  Game of thrones is next on my list I think. I'd love to make it back around eventually, though!
You've got a good style and you did very well to thoroughly explain what makes it special and unique. I enjoyed reading your bit about the schizophrenia - I think that's a very apt point. If humanity is so ugly and unforgiving in a moral sense, then are they really the protagonists in the universe? Wouldn't someone more noble like the Eldar fit the archetype better? Food for thought.
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On December 04 2012 13:07 calgar wrote:I've read a decent amount of WH40k stuff. Did the Gaunt's Ghosts series, GK omnibus, a few of the ultramarine ones, and the first Horus heresy one. It's really interesting stuff but I don't really have time to make it through extended book series anymore Game of thrones is next on my list I think. I'd love to make it back around eventually, though! You've got a good style and you did very well to thoroughly explain what makes it special and unique. I enjoyed reading your bit about the schizophrenia - I think that's a very apt point. If humanity is so ugly and unforgiving in a moral sense, then are they really the protagonists in the universe? Wouldn't someone more noble like the Eldar fit the archetype better? Food for thought.
The eldar are anything but noble. Really the closest thing that comes close to a race that is genuinely good are the Slann, and they're all pretty much dead.
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Or the tau, who WERE all noble and idealistic until... well, they left their planet.
Grimdark is contagious
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EPT
