Seminar # 2 - Then and Now (30K vs 40K)

Then and Now (30K vs 40K)  This seminar was interesting as it got to the real diffeences between writing for each era.  The panel was Gav Thorpe, Alan Bligh, Aaron Dembski-Bowden and Dan Abnett.
 
The panel started by saying there are three main differences authors have to  pay attention to, Sense of Scale, The Primarchs and the Grandeur of the Imperium.

Sense of Scale - what is the difference between battles in 30K vs 40K

There are as many Ultramarines in 30k as Space Marines in 40k!

40k is the end times, 30k is how it got screwed up

Abnett - 30k is a less ignorant time.  There is more enlightenment and desire to know.

Thorpe -  Massive battles with thousands of marines.  Truly epic in scope.  There must be revelation in each novel.  You may know what happened, but HHS novels tell you why and things you didn't know.

Bowden - 40k novels are about one chapter, 30k involves multiple chapters.  You can have multiple characters from different legions and it is totally appropriate, not so in 40K.

Bligh - 30k has more secrets.  The Imperial Truth is just one truth.  Secrets of Legions, Mechanicum, secrets of old night, etc.

The Primarchs

Dan - The origin myth. You have to create more depth to their character.  And you must get good at this because the Emperor will be there at the end and you will have to write him.

Bligh - they drew up a table rating each Primarchs and how they would do at HtH, smarts and special effects.  e.g. Logar  pretty good at special effects it not at HtH.

Aaron - the Legions are the Legions of their Primarchs.  Not so in 40k.

 The Grandeur of the Imperium - everything is bigger.

Great Crusade books have been discussed.

Abnett wants to do Unification Wars books

Custodians are fundamentally different than Space Marines.  Dan said when you write them you ultimately write them differently.

Bowdens next novel will deal with Legio Custodes.

Bligh - Xenos are in hiding.  The Scouring allows them their revenge.  We will not see Xenos in 30K.


That's it for now.  A ton of photos coming on the future of 30K!

Loken