While I was at Gen Con, Dan Abnett sent in his answers to the questions that were posted. Here are his responses.

One of the more possibly interesting questions was actually far too long to include but it might be an interesting jumping off point to talk about the brutality of the 40K setting. Its a rather long comment by spooktalker at this URL. I think the direct answer is that no-one wants escapist literature that is as brutal as the real-world but there is an interesting disconnect, I think, between the 40K setting itself and the types of books that get produced for it. Why do we want to read literature in a setting that seems to be antithetical to the notion of a hero?

Interesting point there (I went and read the thread). I would argue that 40K fiction is quite spectacularly brutal, and often shows the atrocious extremes of the Imperial regime. It is a particularly dark, callous and totalitarian place, where life is miserably cheap. However, I would find it pretty relentless if that’s all there was. Characters like Gaunt and Eisenhorn provide, I hope, points of reference in the gothic madness, sharing our horror or disgust at things. I’d like to think that even in the far future where there is only war, some human beings will still attempt to be decent and honourable.

Do you tire of the Gaunt’s characters? It has been 10 (11?) books now, they are much beloved by us 40K fans, but how do you keep your enthusiasm at the level that is demanded by us?

I have enormous fun writing the Gaunt stories, because it’s now become so character driven, and I’m very fond the characters. The next book, Only In Death, is actually going to be the last one for a short while: it ends the third arc, and I think I should rest the series there for a moment before heading off on another epic. I’ll be writing a rather different 40K novel next just to recharge my batteries. As far as Gaunt’s Ghosts is concerned, I do intend for there to be more, for as long as I can dream up stories and keep it fresh. I’d hate to get into a situation where I’m out of ideas but still feel obliged to crank Gaunt stories out. Right now, I still have plenty of ideas to go. Oh, and a caveat - just because there may be more Gaunt’s Ghosts novels after Only In Death, I can’t promise which of the characters will survive Only In Death to star in them!

Who is your “secret tip”, i.e. an author you admire who isn’t that well-known but deserves to be read by all of us?

If you like combat SF, John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War is a treat, and I’d also recommend David Gunn’s Death’s Head, and John Birmingham’s Weapons Of Choice. If you like fantasy, particularly beautifully written, very off beat stuff, Kelly Link is superb. She’s one of my favourite authors.

You’ve been professionally active in writing commercial fiction for established entertainment companies since the late eighties, how do you feel the field has evolved? Is there a difference between the business as it was in 1988 & as it is today, from an authors point of view?

That’s hard to answer. The industry ebbs and flows - comics, for example, have seen several low points in the last decade, but now seem to be creatively hot again. In terms of fiction, it seems like a boom time: just look at the success of Black Library, and its original fiction imprint Solaris.

Are there any comic book properties you wish you had the opportunity to write?

Through Nova and the cosmic books (Annihilation: Conquest), I’m actually getting to write some of my long term favourite characters. I’ve always loved Daredevil, Thor and Iron Man, but all through of those characters seem to be in very safe hands right now.

One of the real treats in Dan’s 40k work is the coined words like Vox-caster for radio. They’re usually familiar enough that readers recognize and remember them but add a lot of texture to the universe. Any tips on how he creates them?

There’s not really a trick to it. I’m a magpie when it comes to gathering up interesting or unusual words (I keep a notebook on me at all times) and when I need to coin a new term, I leaf through my notes to see what’s there. Sometimes the most unlikely words are the ones that fit. Basically, I play around until it feels right to me.

Is there anything for GW he wanted to do but was not allowed (due to continuity, marketing, or other reasons)? What about in comics?

They let me do everything I want;)

Actually, I go through approvals and pitches just like everyone else. Sometimes ideas just don’t work out, or BL wants something specific. I do have a great idea for a sequel to Riders of the Dead, but I can’t do that, because it has to be set twenty years on and that’s too far in the future of the Warhammer world. Basically, I can’t go writing about the Empire twenty years down the line, because even GW doesn’t know what the political and cultural landscape of the Warhammer world will look like then. In comics, I always wish Andy (Lanning) and I had got to write our final Legion of Superheroes story, but the timing didn’t work out.

I understand there are a lot of forces determining genre fiction, often pulling in opposite directions. Can you talk about the expectations you, as a Black Library writer, have to meet?

See above. First and foremost, I have to write books that ‘fit’ into the BL/GW remit. There’s no point running off on some mad flight of fancy if it’s not proper 40K. That said, I’ve found there’s a huge amount of room to be creative within the limits of the 40K (and Warhammer) universes. The Horus books allow a great opportunity for invention and development. And sometimes what GW is doing commercially specifically drives my fiction: I wrote the Eisenhorn books simply because I saw the work in progress on the Inquisitor game and thought it would be great fun to play around with that sort of material.

Do you have plans to branch out and develop and write “creator owned” characters and settings?

Yes. I already have in comics. Next year, you should see my first ‘original’ novel, all being well.

You are obviously not afraid to kill off characters, regardless of how well liked they are. Is this something you plan well in advance or is it decided “on the spot” as you write?

Both. Some deaths are designed into the narrative scheme, because they serve a proper dramatic purpose (even if it is just to get readers worked up!!). But sometimes, they just happen spontaneously. Several deaths have surprised me, which I think is a good thing as that’s what war is like. Once in a while, a death has been inevitable: I’ve realised a particular character HAS to die in order for a plot to work, even if I had no wish to kill them off. That’s an odd feeling.

Double Eagle seems to have come out of the blue and was quite popular. Where did the idea for the book come from and were you surprised by its popularity?

I love air combat stories. I pitched DE simply as an excuse to channel all that air combat stuff in my head (and to make a change from infantry based stories). DE is the Battle of Britain in 40k, I’m quite happy to admit that. It was a popular book: I’ve had so many requests for a sequel, that’s now in the schedule. It’s called Interceptor City, and I’ll get it finished just as soon as time allows.

Between the Legion of Super-heroes and the 40K universe you seem to excel at plotting stories in settings that have a very deep background. How do you manage to navigate that and still come up with fresh writing?

I simply enjoy getting immersed in the fluff and the continuity. Rather than being constraining, it’s actually quite liberating to have a properly developed universe to play in. And, especially with 40K, I’m actively adding to and expanding that deep background all the time.