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http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2012/12/news-privateer-press-moves-into-novels.html

Should be interesting, considering the lore behind Warmahordes anyway, thoughts on this?

I expect about the same level of quality I do from licensed gaming media and wargaming writing in general.

I'm excited. While the Black Library novels have been keeping my interest, I would love some good IK novels.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/492542.page

With that in mind, I can't say I'm excited about the authors they have as their starting "stable" but maybe they'll prove me wrong.

It's good for them, good for their business, and good for the hobby. Developed backstories are always good.

Personally, I have zero interest in PP products and don't care for the setting. Some of their models make interesting conversions. I doubt the novels will be particularly well written, but neither are GW's for that matter.

i have high hopes for them.

The last 2 warmachine books have had very good fluff. Much better then anything i read from GW.

 Spyder68 wrote:
i have high hopes for them.

The last 2 warmachine books have had very good fluff. Much better then anything i read from GW.

Out of curiosity, what all have you read from GW.

I wish they'd have gotten at least one "marquee" author to pen one of these books. I mean, CL Werner is getting ready to pen a book that isn't for Black Library, so clearly someone with a bigger name in the industry could have been had. But again, still hopeful.

The two authors they did pick are really quite good choices. Considering that people don't buy franchise novels for the author, but for the franchise, all you need is someone not to screw it up. Going for a bigger name in fantasy or sci-fi doesn't really get you any additional benefit from a project management standpoint.

What you need are writers that are used to freelance work that colour within the lines when it comes to the fictional universe. The two they picked meet those criteria.

I'm pretty sure these novels will be exactly what people are expecting and will be perfectly enjoyable. They're fantasy franchise novels, so don't be expecting high literary art.

I dunno. I think people do buy franchise stuff for the author, or at least they do with Black Library books.

I just think they could have made a bigger splash with a better name, or at the very least an author with a bit more pedigree. I realize these guys have done work for D&D and such, but I can't help but think they could have found someone bigger.

Again, still looking forward to them, but with much more baited breath.

 cincydooley wrote:
I dunno. I think people do buy franchise stuff for the author, or at least they do with Black Library books.

I just think they could have made a bigger splash with a better name, or at the very least an author with a bit more pedigree. I realize these guys have done work for D&D and such, but I can't help but think they could have found someone bigger.

Again, still looking forward to them, but with much more baited breath.

Uh What?

It is about getting Cool stories in the game world background. When i bought my first Space marine book (called Space marine) i was interesting in the setting and the subject, not thinking about the writer.
Franchise books are about settings and subject material the author is secondary IMHO, when reading non franchise books then the author is more important.

 Jehan-reznor wrote:

 cincydooley wrote:
I dunno. I think people do buy franchise stuff for the author, or at least they do with Black Library books.

I just think they could have made a bigger splash with a better name, or at the very least an author with a bit more pedigree. I realize these guys have done work for D&D and such, but I can't help but think they could have found someone bigger.

Again, still looking forward to them, but with much more baited breath.

Uh What?

It is about getting Cool stories in the game world background. When i bought my first Space marine book (called Space marine) i was interesting in the setting and the subject, not thinking about the writer.
Franchise books are about settings and subject material the author is secondary IMHO, when reading non franchise books then the author is more important.

Hmmm. I guess I falsely think that there are folks that read Abnett or McNeill or ADB penned black library books regardless of the subject matter within their canon.

 cincydooley wrote:

 Jehan-reznor wrote:

 cincydooley wrote:
I dunno. I think people do buy franchise stuff for the author, or at least they do with Black Library books.

I just think they could have made a bigger splash with a better name, or at the very least an author with a bit more pedigree. I realize these guys have done work for D&D and such, but I can't help but think they could have found someone bigger.

Again, still looking forward to them, but with much more baited breath.

Uh What?

It is about getting Cool stories in the game world background. When i bought my first Space marine book (called Space marine) i was interesting in the setting and the subject, not thinking about the writer.
Franchise books are about settings and subject material the author is secondary IMHO, when reading non franchise books then the author is more important.

Hmmm. I guess I falsely think that there are folks that read Abnett or McNeill or ADB penned black library books regardless of the subject matter within their canon.

They do. AFTER they start reading Black Library novels. It's not like any of them have particularly stand-out offerings from different publishers (Yet. Abnett has a rather interesting actual sci fi book in the works).

Until they kill off a main warcaster, I'm not reading a thing.

Let me rephrase my point: I think having a better "named" author would do more to create interest In those that may not otherwise read an Iron Kingdoms book.

Abnett has a nice body of comic book work.

However, I do think more people follow from licensed fiction to
other works rather than the other way around.

 cincydooley wrote:
Let me rephrase my point: I think having a better "named" author would do more to create interest In those that may not otherwise read an Iron Kingdoms book.

And Black Library ought to recruit Charles Stross to write for them so that people who don't read 40K books will buy in. Mind you, with the IK books I'm hoping against hope for Brandon Sanderson getting dragged in via Writing Excuses...

Sanderson would have been perfect. That's precisely what I'm talking about.

Also, I guess I'm not hip enough with the Sci Fi authors, because I'd never heard of stross.

As quickly as Sanderson seems to write, it should be no problem for him to get out an IK novel in a few months' time.

As for IK novels, I might pick up one to see how well they drag me in, but I don't usually expect much from "franchise" novels.

I figure they'll spend some time finding their voice between "game/rule reference so you know where this came from" and "fiction that happens to be set in universe". Basically the confidence to let a novel stand on it's own, but within a specific setting. BL has had years to develop a voice, and you can really see that evolution.

I'm game to give them time, as long as it's readable. Or so terrible it's good. Just not boring .

Chongara wrote:
I expect about the same level of quality I do from licensed gaming media and wargaming writing in general.

I'm not exactly excited as after reading tons of Battletech and WHFB and WH40K novels, I've come to expect a certain general quality in wargaming books. It's neither very high, nor very low, but never great.

I must be missing something, but the Horus Heresy books are, for the most part, pretty darn high quality writing.....

Seconded on that. They may not have the social commentary of classics such as 1984, but they certainly serve their purpose very well.

GreySkull wrote:
I'm not exactly excited as after reading tons of Battletech and WHFB and WH40K novels, I've come to expect a certain general quality in wargaming books. It's neither very high, nor very low, but never great.

I've also read a lot of Battletech, 40k, star wars and star trek books (as well as good sci fi ). I think the general wargaming books are actually somewhere between low and middle. In other words, not as bad as say the Mission Earth series by Hubbard but certainly not too much better. I wanted to burn my eyes out by the time I finished #10 - the only problem being that his books would have been the last thing I read. So, instead, I've spent the last 20 years trying to forget that

Perhaps the standouts for me within 40k have been the first 3 heresy books. Horus Rising was the first 40k book I picked up and I liked it enough to keep going. Ahriman:Exile (John French) and the two Andy Chambers DE books (path of the Renegade and Path of the Incubus) were both very good and I'm looking forward to more by those authors.

For Battletech, the Blood of Kerensky novels by Michael Stackpole were good. Enough that I picked up his X-Wing novels and generally liked them. Of course, I then picked up other Star Wars books and, well, meh.

Regardless, even the ones I liked I wouldn't put into the same class as Herbert, Asimov, Heinlen or even Wells. I'm not sure much can compare to Dune, Foundation, Stranger in a Strange Land or The Sleeper Awakes. Those authors laid the foundations for what is currently used and abused by modern sci-fi authors. To the point that most modern books are simply minor twists on their themes. Of course, there are good modern authors like Card (Ender's Game) and Steakley's Armor which took previous tropes and added a lot of depth. (edit: just realized those two were published nearly 30 years ago... I'm getting old). Bear in mind that I'm one of those people that think Kevin Anderson and Brian Herbert should have never ever have attempted to complete Frank's work. Neither were up to the task.

I think that "in universe" authors generally have a harder time doing anything other than mixing the characters around. Overall, the 40k books are "good enough" because they explore a certain possible future in depth. However, the downside being that a lot of that "depth" is simply blue/red/yellow marines eradicate white/green/purple xenos; which is par for the course. Some of the books like Ahriman:Exile and Horus Rising certainly went a LOT further and evaluated motivations and emotions. In other words they tried to expose the very souls of their characters and thereby raised the quality level quite a bit.

Now, if you want to read something "really different", then get a copy of House of Leaves by Danielewski. I still get shivers thinking about that book and I read it over 10 years ago. Do yourself a favor and don't read the wikipedia article about it or even search for it online (except to buy). Finish it first; then get a copy of his sister's album (Haunted by Poe) and listen. I'm not entirely certain how to classify that book.

clively wrote:
I'm not entirely certain how to classify that book.

Meta mindscrew with hints of Steven King on acid?

clively wrote:

GreySkull wrote:
I'm not exactly excited as after reading tons of Battletech and WHFB and WH40K novels, I've come to expect a certain general quality in wargaming books. It's neither very high, nor very low, but never great.

I've also read a lot of Battletech, 40k, star wars and star trek books (as well as good sci fi ). I think the general wargaming books are actually somewhere between low and middle. In other words, not as bad as say the Mission Earth series by Hubbard but certainly not too much better. I wanted to burn my eyes out by the time I finished #10 - the only problem being that his books would have been the last thing I read. So, instead, I've spent the last 20 years trying to forget that

Oh, dear God, you poor man. You too? I read them when I was in my teens and didn't know better. By the end even I knew they were drek. I've hated Elron Hubbard with every fiber of my being since then for his writing and his actions. And sadly, a lot of shared universe fiction isn't much better. Considering how low that bar is, it's sad.

For 40K/HH stuff, have you read Legion by Abnett yet? Easily one of my favorites.

About time.

What took them so long?

 Laughing Man wrote:

clively wrote:
I'm not entirely certain how to classify that book.

Meta mindscrew with hints of Steven King on acid?

That may actually be the closest description possible.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 CIsaac wrote:
For 40K/HH stuff, have you read Legion by Abnett yet? Easily one of my favorites.

Overall, I thought is was just okay. Seemed like two different books slammed together with a very abrupt ending as if Dan just didn't know how to wrap it up.

Re-reading Deathgate.

It hasn't aged well, but I still love Alfred Montbank.

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
It is about getting Cool stories in the game world background. When i bought my first Space marine book (called Space marine) i was interesting in the setting and the subject, not thinking about the writer.
Franchise books are about settings and subject material the author is secondary IMHO, when reading non franchise books then the author is more important.

While that's generally true, it's not always the case. I love RA Salvatore's Forgotten Realms books... but the rest of the series is largely dross. So I buy Salvatore's books and leave the rest alone. Similarly, I've pretty much given up on Star Trek novels, unless they're written by Peter David.

And as much as I enjoy most of the Black Library stuff, there are a couple of writers whose names on the cover will guarantee I don't pick the book up.

 insaniak wrote:

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
It is about getting Cool stories in the game world background. When i bought my first Space marine book (called Space marine) i was interesting in the setting and the subject, not thinking about the writer.
Franchise books are about settings and subject material the author is secondary IMHO, when reading non franchise books then the author is more important.

While that's generally true, it's not always the case. I love RA Salvatore's Forgotten Realms books... but the rest of the series is largely dross. So I buy Salvatore's books and leave the rest alone. Similarly, I've pretty much given up on Star Trek novels, unless they're written by Peter David.

And as much as I enjoy most of the Black Library stuff, there are a couple of writers whose names on the cover will guarantee I don't pick the book up.

What is noteworthy about that is that prior to him writing the Icewind Dale Trilogy - he was an unpublished author. Having a big name isn't nescessarily a factor in getting a good book. Those books sold like mad and brought a lot of people who were not otherwise interested in things like Dungeons and Dragons into the game since they were relatively well recieved by regular book reviewers.