I'm actually writing! And posting!

I am currently writing a short story submission for an anthology called Dead Rush, a collection of horror/western short stories.

My story features ancient spirits disturbed from their rest when treasure seekers invade their once great city.

Researching the Indian tribes and old towns of the mid-west has been really interesting, and I'm having fun putting it all together.

I've got until Feb. 28th to get it done. Better get back to work!

On a side note, I posted on Greg Bear's website to let him know how much I love his books, particularly Halo: Cryptum and Halo: Primordium. I really must write up proper reviews on here to truly show my appreciation, although I think I'll have to read them both again first!

Ultramarines - A Warhammer 40,000 Movie

Ultramarines, a CG movie in development at Codex Pictures featuring Games Workshops eternally popular blue armoured servants of the Emperor, now has a writer and a director.

Martyn Pick, director of the film Age of Stupid, will be helming this epic undertaking.

But it is the writer of this upcoming film that will knock the socks off regular readers of Warhammer 40,000 fiction. The movie will be written by none other than Dan Abnett, author of some of the best of the current crop of Warhammer titles, including working on the Horus Heresy, Malus Darkblade, and writing the hugely popular Gaunt's Ghosts series!

I must admit to having had a certain amount doubt as to how this film would be handled, but my fellow readers will surely agree that this movie could be placed in no better hands. While Dan Abnett is most often praised for his ability to capture the unique warfare of the grim future, it is the humour and warmth he instills in his characters that makes one really feel the rocket propelled bolter rounds fly past.

If anyone can make 8 foot tall armour plated walking death into real human characters that the audience truly feels for, its Dan Abnett.


Keep up to date, and follow movie related news at the Ultramarines - A Warhammer 40,000 Movie website.

Image courtesy of Games Workshop via Wikipedia, used under fair use.

Horus Heresy

For more than 30,000 years, the Emperor has protected us. As humankind spread its way across the galaxy, always did the Emperor watch over us.

But now the Emperor has sequestered himself away in the depths of his vast fortress capital on Terra, and the Primarchs are left to their own devices. So when the most charismatic of all the Primarchs, and the Emperors chosen, the great Warmaster Horus succumbs to the temptation of the vile creatures of the warp lines must be drawn.

Horus Heresy: Collected Visions is both a synopsis of the overall course of the Heresy, as well as a fantastic artbook, featuring the collected Heresy artwork of both the Games Workshop studio artists and the Horus Heresy CCG. It also includes a short story that ties into the Horus Heresy novel Mechanicum, explaining the origins of some of the characters.

The Horus Heresy series of novels chronicles the fall of a civilisation on the doorstep of ruling the galaxy from its pinnacle of achievement to a new dark age of constant war. The series covers the great fall of the Imperium of Man through the eyes of the good and the bad, everyone from the mightiest space marine primarchs to the lowliest servitors. The depiction of all that the modern era of the 41st Millennium has lost really gives one an insight into the violence now plaguing the galaxy.

The tales told in this series are many and varied, ranging from tales of heroic sacrifice to the depths of hedonistic depravity. Characters and sub-plots weave their way in and around the main story arc, and despite the major outcomes being known, it is the fates of the hundreds of minor characters that make this a compelling series.

I happily give this series my seal of approval, and I would (and do) recommend it to anyone, not just Warhammer 40000 players.

Be on the look out for the next two novels, A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns, which detail the sacking of the Thousand Sons homeworld of Prospero by the Space Wolves from both sides of the conflict. These books are due March/April next year.

As a special treat, I plan to have my own Thousand Sons miniatures painted up by then, and will be posting pictures of them for my review!

Halo Encyclopedia

I really like the Dorling Kindersley (DK) visual dictionaries. Its great to see the fantastic artwork and visual style of such iconic works as Star Wars, Pixars movies, Transformers, and now Halo, brought to the page in full colour glossy large format.

Getting caught up in the 'feel' of a game can sometimes render the beautiful art design as a grey blur, in fact good art design will always do this. Good art design will enmesh one so completely in a game world that a zen like state of complete oneness may be achieved. As the bullets fly, alien battle cries ululate, and war machines tear up the battlefield, there is no time to stop and smell (or visually take in in this case) the roses.

After saving the universe, its good to go back and take a look at just how beautiful everything you saved is. It can be easy to forget that every plant, every rock, every tree, weather, water, fire, every character movement, twitch and facial expression was crafted by the hands of talented artists. Every chunk of metal flying out of that tank you just blew up was meticulously brought to life by a visual effects artist.

And I haven't even started on the insights a reference like this can bring to the fiction of the universe...

Keep your eyes peeled for the guy in green with the can do attitude, due later this month.

Elder Scrolls: The Infernal City

I enjoyed Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. At least until my incredible vampire powers could no longer keep up with the enemy characters. The scaling enemies in the game rapidly become invincible if you spread your skill points to thin. I never finished the game, maybe I'll go back to it someday.

Or maybe I'll just move onto the next installment, Elder Scrolls V, a game which had its existence confirmed by the the announcement of the new Elder Scrolls book, The Infernal City.

The cover art is great to boot.

The Infernal City is due at the end of the month, and I'll post a review here once I've read it.