One of the greatest challenges in writing the Traitor Legions is making them relatable. Not humanising them, exactly, but making them relatable. You don’t have to like them or agree with them, but I think it’s killer writing when people understand them.
I try to take an approach that reflects that these Space Marines were once human children, taken and indoctrinated into the culture of a Legion, raised and trained to live their lives on the battlefield. They may have stunted emotional ranges and struggle to interact with many humans. They may be crueller than humans, or more callous. They almost certainly adhere to codes of honour and morality that are alien to any outside their mindset. And yet, they’re still living, sentient beings beneath all the things they’ve been through. They should be ultimately understandable, even if their behaviour isn’t justifiable by human standards, or by the way we (as readers and fans) understand the setting. They can be right or wrong, validated or left as apostates. It doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that their choices make sense in the context of their lives, and have a depth of realism to them.
After all, no one thinks of themselves as the bad guys. Not even Khârn.
Aaron Dembski-Bowden
October 2012
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks as ever to Dan, Jim, Gav, Nick, Graham and especially Laurie Goulding for all the backup: research, ideas, encouragement, various whip cracks and the unlicensed street barbering. Thanks also to Alan Merrett, Alan Bligh, and John French for use of their third eyes, seeing into the warp of the IP, and to Matt Farrer for paving the way with the inspiring ‘After Desh’ea’ in Tales of Heresy. Extra special thanks to my draft readers: Rachel, Nikki and Marijan, who pulled out all the stops this time. Gemma Noon’s loan of a laptop in Canada was the difference between this book hitting its deadline and never seeing the light of day, so ‘thanks’ seems a bit weak, but it’s sincere all the same. And last but far from least: thanks to Jon O’Sullivan and GW Dublin, for helping me get my killer gaming table together (read: for doing all the work); and to Cathy and GW Belfast for the coolest offer of all time (still gutted I couldn’t take you up on it, but I was really honoured you offered).
A portion of this book’s proceeds will go to Cancer Research UK, and the SOS Children’s Villages charity, to help orphans in Bangladesh.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aaron Dembski-Bowden has written several novels for Black Library, including the Night Lords series, the Space Marine Battles book Helsreach, The Emperor’s Gift and the New York Times bestselling The First Heretic for the Horus Heresy. He lives and works in Northern Ireland with his wife Katie, hiding from the world in the middle of nowhere.
A BLACK LIBRARY PUBLICATION
Published in 2012 by Black Library, Games Workshop Ltd., Willow Road, Nottingham, NG7 2WS, UK
Cover illustration by Neil Roberts
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