Death Guard

OUT NOW

The Horus Heresy short story Distant Echoes of Old Night.

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While I've been away I've missed a lot of reviews. The blog tends to be the place where I collect these, like some nut-crazed squirrel preparing for Winter. I'm going to get right back on with this but in no particular order. Up today is an appraisal of my Horus Heresy short story Distant Echoes of Old Nightfrom HachiSnax Reviews. The story details the dire exploits of the Death Guard legion and in particular their controversial use of units known as 'Destroyers'. Here's what HachiSnax had to say.

“Distant Echoes Of Old Night is a Horus Heresy short by the very talented Rob Sanders, which centers around the XIV Legion, the Death Guard. In Echoes, Death Guard Brother-Chaplain Morgax Murnau is charged with guaranteeing that no survivors remain on the felled Imperial Fists ship Xanthus, which has been shot out of orbit and now lays sinking in the mire of the blighted planet of Algonquis. Well, to be exact, it is a portion of the ship, however, any amount of Imperial Fists in a fortified area makes for an extremely tough nut to crack.

Purge the ship of survivors. A seemingly impossible task. But Murnau has a trick up his sleeve. In fact, it is the dirtiest trick in all the Legiones Astartes. He is set to deploy a group of Destroyers to finish off the Fists. These Destroyers bring a horrifying array of weapons to bear, most of them high-radiation, or chemical in nature. And not just your run of the mill biochemical warfare, these are tools usually deemed too harsh for most Space Marines to use, and remember, the Spaces Marines are an elite fighting force bred to bring entire systems to compliance. The game is set: the universe's greatest defensive players versus the most nefarious plague marines around. Murnau's instructions: no survivors.

Although Echoes is technically a Horus Heresy story, it, like most recent entries, can be read independently. This is, indeed, more a Warhammer 30K work than a HH tale. Now, I am not up to date on all the Heresy books, so if there are any clever Easter eggs, story arc progression, or hints about certain events, please let me know in the comments section. So yes, if you are not up to date on your Heresy reading, you can still sit down and enjoy these 21 pages of Death Guard/Imperial Fist action.

And enjoy it I did. Sanders brings a flair for vivid imagery to the fore in Echoes. A good chunk of the earlier pages give us a stark picture of the plague that has been unleashed upon the former forest planet of Algonquis by the Death Guard. Where once lush green foliage and tall trees defined the landscapes, all is swamp and insects. "Syrupy waters" lap against Mark III armor, and the buzzing of filthy fauna pervades all. Later on, the descriptive prose gives us an "in-your-face" look at the effects of the Destroyers' devious toys.

It is a good thing that The Black Library finally put this short into general release. I've been wanting to read it since it was announced for the chapbook, and I am sure many others have been champing at the bit to get a crack at it. Here's hoping he gets a crack at a full-length Heresy novel soon.

Here's what it is:
A nasty little tale of dirty deeds done dirt cheap. Space Marine specialists ask the age-old question, if an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, who will win the day? Can anyone win?

Final Score:

90/100”

You can but the short story Distant Echoes of Old Night HERE.

You can read the original piece and more of HachiSnax's fantastic reviews HERE. You can, of course, read more reviews of my work by hitting the Reviews tab on the menu above.


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'We play at perpetuity but we were not built for forever. Warmth will leave our great bodies. Our hearts will beat to empty echoes. Blood will sit stagnant in our veins and our flesh shall rot. Accept this.'
Distant Echoes of Old Night

After the Fall

OUT NOW

My short story 'Fearful Symmetries' in

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I’m happy to announce that my science-fiction short story Hyperion is released next week in the anthology ‘After the Fall’. The story is set in a world after technology has failed humanity and those who have survived have been plunged into a new age of darkness, superstition and ignorance.

I really enjoyed working on this with editor Alex Davis. ‘After the Fall’ is released from Boo Books on the 10th May. Pre-orders are available now. Check it out HERE.

After the Fall
Technology has changed the world around us over the last century, and promises even more great things for the future. But what does that future look like without the marvels of the machine age? After the fall of technology, what lies ahead for humanity?

Featuring a new story from Adam Roberts, plus tales from Allen Ashley, Mike Chinn, Caren Gussoff, Amelia Mangan, Stephen Palmer, Rob Sanders and many more.

You can find out more about Book Books HERE.
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'The Deathwatch do not fail, inquisitor?'
Fearful Symmetries in Deathwatch: Xenos Hunters

If Music Be the Food for Thought

OUT NOW

The short story 'Bring the Night' in

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How did authors ever get on without the internet? It makes instant experts of us all. Virtually everything is described and presented in images and diagrams for swift elucidation. This is an incredible boon to an author, who has all the libraries he or she is ever likely to consult at their fingertips. Images and art inspire authors in their depictions and are particularly useful in helping authors visualise people, places, objects and a million other things besides.

I like lots of stimulus when I writing. I'm not one of those go lock yourself in a silent room or spent the Summer in a remote cabin kinds of authors. I'm happy to have people around me while I'm writing. I write with my wife and children around me. I write in crowded cafes. I have even snatched an hour or two between seminars and signings at events, surrounded by authors and editors.

The one concession I make to isolating my thoughts is headphones. Music is a polite, little shower curtain I draw about myself when writing. I'm listening to music right now as I type this. I'm not saying I can't write without music but I certainly find it helps - and for more than just providing a barrier. I often try to match the feel of the music to what I am writing - in tone at least and not just content. This works particularly well with film, television, trailer and game soundtracks where an emotional architecture has already been built into the tracks. I find that great music can really help to lift the composition of a scene, description or interchange.

I recently asked around on social media for suggestions and am compiling a list of great tracks and soundtrack albums. I know that there are fantastic tracks out there that I haven't heard or perhaps just forgotten. I would welcome any further suggestions on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments section of the blog. As a reminder, you can join me on any or all of these by Liking, Following or Joining using the buttons on the side bars. The more the merrier. In return I thought I might share a few favourites of mine here. Tracks that I think are amazing for setting a certain tone of mood. Rather than go Space Marine-bombastic I thought I might present some more thoughtful tracks that build and gain a momentum in their different ways. Tracks that really carry you alone as you are writing.

So, my Top 20 thoughtful tracks, in no particular order. The trick is to ignore the context. Some are from fantastic films and some from poor ones. Try to divorce the music from its source and enjoy it as is. No analysis or information. I'll let the music speak for itself. Further great suggestions might change this selection, of course!



1. 'Song for Bob' by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis from 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'.




2. 'Journey to the Line' by Hans Zimmer from 'The Thin Red Line'.




3. 'Promontory' by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman from 'The Last of the Mohicans'.




4. 'Comptine d'un Autre Été: L'Après Midi' by Yann Tiersen from 'Amelie'.




5. 'Elegy' by Lisa Gerrard and Patrick Cassidy from the 'Man of Steel' trailer.




6. 'Wilson, I'm Sorry' by Alan Silvestri for 'Cast Away'.




7. 'Krypton's Theme' by John Williams for 'Superman: The Movie'.




8. 'Any Other Name' by Thomas Newman from 'American Beauty'.




9. 'The Departure' by Michael Nyman from 'Gattaca'.




10. 'Crossing the Atlantic' by John Williams from 'Amistad'.




Click HERE for Tracks 11-20.

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'We deal in dread...'
from Bring the Night in Renegades of the Dark Millennium.

If Music Be the Food For Thought 2

OUT NOW

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11. 'Drive Away' by Thomas Newman from 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'.




12. 'The Last Message / A particularly Beautiful Day' by John Murphy from 'Sunshine'.




13. 'London' by James Newton Howard from 'Blood Diamond'.




14. 'First Sleep' by Cliff Martinez from 'Solaris'.




15. 'Godspeed' by Klaus Badelt from 'The Time Machine'.




16. 'Good to Go' by Alan Silvestri from 'Contact'.




17. 'Chevalier de Sangreal' by Hans Zimmer from 'The Da Vinci Code'.




18. 'Trailer song' by Giles Lamb from the trailer for 'Dead Island'.




19. 'Finale' by Trevor Morris from 'The Tudors'.




20. 'Time' by Hans Zimmer from 'Inception'.




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'What must I do beyond the ease of killing, to get the attention of these daemon deities? These dogs of damnation?'
Archaon: Everchosen

Have You Seen This Man?

OUT NOW

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First off, an apology. It’s not nice when something just stops. A film. A relationship. A life support machine. I haven’t updated this blog in over a year. The year before that made I regular appearances here. The reasons for my absence are largely interrelated. There is no one thing that’s kept me away. I changed from being a teacher and author to a full time author. While this is fantastic, it meant a lot of extra hard work to ensure that my students and my department were left in a good place. At the same time I planned to move websites. I still intend to do this at some point but my neglect of this site was a little premature. The main reason I have been away, however, is simply hard work. I’ve been working on a plethora of short stories, audio dramas, novellas and novels – some that are out, some that are just coming out and some that are as yet to be released. I’ve also been hard at work creating new writing opportunities in new formats, which I look forward to telling you about.

Like a sequel that comes to be regarded as better than the original (I’m thinking The Empire Strikes Back or Aliens here), the blog has returned. My aim is to work as hard, or even harder, than I have been doing on my creative ventures but also to maintain a healthy commitment to the blog. To begin that I’ve given it a much needed streamline and overhaul, embracing clean whites and blues over the rather sombre black and orange theme I had going on before. It contains all the great material of its first incarnation – some highlights of which you’ll find still trending on the side bar list in my absence. Fairly swiftly I’ll be adding to it with news of new releases, long-standing questions answered (a special sorry to the faithful of the ‘Ask the Author’ section), reviews and features. I might also be able to make better use of social media than I have done in the past but no promises. Crawl. Walk. Run.

Finally, welcome back to friendly and familiar faces and a big hello to fresh ones. If you feel so inclined, I encourage you to follow me, my work and the blog in a number of ways. You can join this site on the right hand bar. You can Like my author Facebook page above on the right. You can follow my Twitter feed, also up on the right hand bar. Hell, do all three. Also, feel free to ask questions (as long as it's not the one about where babies come from) and comment on the blog itself. On the left hand bar I've placed my list of sites and blogs deserving of attention. These are sites maintained by readers who have usually found their way there by attracting my attention with reviews and interviews. If, on the other hand, you would like to add my blog to your own list - as many have - that would be cool too. So, let's begin...

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'What must I do beyond the ease of killing, to get the attention of these daemon deities? These dogs of damnation?'
Archaon: Everchosen

Nexus 6 (12-7-12)

It's that time of the week: time to check out what genre-related stuff I've been reading on the internet. Last week the greatest amount of interest focussed on Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford's poor promotion skills. What will it be this time, I wonder? For your consideration:


1. Top 50 Robots and Artificial Intelligence Computers in the Movies

We’re back with the dependable Den of Geek. Here they detail their Top 50 robots and artificial intelligence computer systems. There are many on the list that I’d forgotten. Check it out here and see if you agree with the order.

2. Panic Stations!

There aren’t a whole lot of mainstream board games with a science fiction premise, so it’s really nice to see Panic Station – a board game heavily influenced by John Carpenter’s The Thing. A team of heavily armed troopers enter a desolate army base. The collective mission: destroy the alien parasite that lurks within the darkness. Your team has only half an hour to locate the parasite hive and destroy it. But one member of your team has transformed into a host and will attempt to infect your team… one by one.

Panic Station is a paranoia-driven semi-cooperative game in which you control two characters in the Extermination Corps sent out by the government to investigate the presence of fiendish alien life forms. However, one of the players will become a Host. He must keep this identity secret, infecting as many team members as possible to gain allies and prevent the humans from completing their mission. Only players who carefully watch the behavior of team members will stand a chance against the infected players and roaming parasites. Panic Station is a game of growing paranoia in which no one can truly trust anyone. Players move both their Androids and Troopers through the base, exploring and gathering equipment that will help them to complete their mission: to find and destroy the Parasite Hive hidden somewhere in the inner depths of this doomed location. A player who gets his Trooper into the Hive and plays three gas can cards to fuel his Flamethrower wins the game for the humans. GMS Magazine reviews the game and gameplay here.


3. Herald of Oblivion

Continuing the gaming theme, this week Black Library released their first Path to Victory series gamebook to feature Space Marines. Last year Christian Dunn kicked off the series to great aplomb with Hive of the Dead. Check it out here. The modern master of the gamebook format Jonathan Green picks up the series reins with Herald of Oblivion. Cue blurb:

You are a veteran Space Marine of the Imperial Fists Chapter. Equipped with powerful Terminator armour and armed with the deadliest weapons that the Adeptus Astartes wield, you are a symbol of the Emperor's might. Trapped aboard the space hulk 'Herald of Oblivion' and the only survivor of your squad, you must fight your way through the aliens and heretics that infest the star vessel and find a way to escape the horror and return to your Chapter.

Check it out here. Jonathan talks about Herald of Oblivion and his gamebooks on his website here. I love that Black Library have returned to gamebooks many years after Games Workshop founders Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson began the highly successful Fighting Fantasy series. You can check out what I have to say about gamebooks here.


4. Alien (1979) Test Footage

This is interesting. Aliens relied a good deal on hydraulics/robotics. Alien 3 and every movie in the franchise since used CGI for their alien effects. Ridley Scott’s first Alien film used the old fashioned method of a man in a suit: but what a man! At 7’ 2’’, Nigerian actor Bolaji Badejo was an inspired choice for the alien. Check out this test footage from the film in which Bolaji takes direction and experiments with physicality and movement. Even out of the full suit, in the long corridor and using his body to great effect, Bolaji creates a seriously creepy portrayal of the movie monster.



5. Two Ways Science Fiction Is Destroying Itself

An interesting article here from Giant Freakin Robot in which they look at science fiction film trends this year and draw some interesting conclusions about the direction of the genre. I’m just glad to see that the genre is getting representation. In tough financial times it would be easy to do away with entire genres on the basis of their ambitions and cost of realisation but we also need to make sure that our science fiction diet isn’t becoming too stale.


6. Poor Luke...