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40k and fantasy have both borrowed literally from everywhere. Fantasy is itself (to a historian like me) completely unoriginal. It's various feudal countries/empires mixed with fantasy races.

Yet... it is also original to me because it's the only universe where Holy Roman Empire state troops ride demigryphs to charge into giant armored demon-men.

40k is likewise an amalgamation of classic sci-fi/fantasy/ and history. But it also gives it's own spin on it, making it unique in it's own way.

But we can ponder what is original all day long. Is Tolkein original? I don't think so. Almost all the races are from Norse or European mythology, all the countries are based on regions of Europe (Gondor = Byzantine Empire, etc) and any of the Godly and villainous entities are straight from Judeo-Christian mythology.

Anyways, to the original topic, I'm not really sure what is utterly GW's own invention. Skaven are pretty unique to me, so maybe them. But I'm sure someone can pull out an obscure novel from 1957 featuring ratmen.

To me it's just it's take on the universes and lores it's borrowed from that makes 40k unique, yet obviously familiar. I'll admit I have no interest in Dune, know nothing of it, but to me 40k was always and clearly the story of the Roman Empire and various historical bodies in spaaace. From the brief things I've read I can def see where 40k's Dune and Moorcock origins also came from.

Also, Orks are very different from other Orcs (minus the ever-present warlike culture). I believe GW created the concept of "giant, powerful, green-skinned Orcs" because before that Tolkeins were just weedy little cowards. After that Warcraft got Orcs popular again and those ones were inspired by Warhammer, not Tolkein.

I'll also point out that 40k Orks definitely draw inspiration from Mad Max.

 RadiationCurse wrote:
Anyways, to the original topic, I'm not really sure what is utterly GW's own invention. Skaven are pretty unique to me, so maybe them. But I'm sure someone can pull out an obscure novel from 1957 featuring ratmen.

On that note, the earliest reference I can think of to ratmen is H.P. Lovecraft's "The Dreams in the Witch House" from 1933.

Fafrd and the Grey Mouser encountered an entire culture of world-domination-inclined rats in one of their adventures.

That said, those were just normal rats, they just happened to wear clothes and have an Elizabethan-style court hierarchy once you shrank down to their size.

Space Marines are original. GW says so and defends it.

I'm a little late to the party, but when I first got into 40k aged 13 (early 90s RT era) it felt completely original. Sci fi I'd been exposed to up to that point was Star Trek, Star Wars etc, all glittery hi tech promise.. this was completely different .

I understand now how much was pilfered, but when I think of the 40k setting I can't help thinking of Carl Sagan when he said (possibly paraphrasing) "We are building are world based on science and technology, in which almost no one understands science or technology". That quote was from the 1970s and I'd like to think that somewhere in the creative process that was a starting point.