# Author X writes about Y & you hate it. Writes about Z and you love it. Wut?



## Diatribe1974 (Jul 15, 2010)

As the title goes, have you ever found an author that if they write about something in one area, you find yourself either hating it, or simply not enjoying the experience at all. But the moment they write about something else, you're having the time of your life? For example:

Dan Abnett

With his Gaunts Ghosts series, I'm having a really, really hard time reading it. I know so many of you love the series, but for me, I'm having such a hard time even wanting to finish even the 1st Omnibus after finishing 2/3's of it. I decided to take a break from it and get a 'Quick Space Marine Fix" in the area of the various "....of the Space Marines" series of short stories (Legends of...... and Victories of..... style of books). Needless to say, that once I finished the "Legends of the Space Marines" and faced with the prospect of picking back up "The Founding" Omnibus again, I decided to read "Victories of the Space Marines" instead.

But, you change the subject matter and have him write about Space Marines, and it's a totally different experience for me. Right now, after finishing up the "Victories of..." book, I was once again faced with finishing off the 1st Gaunts Ghosts Omnibus & I decided to read "Brothers of the Snake" by Abnett. Man. Talk about some good stuff right there! Sure, it's a bunch of short stories about the Iron Snakes Chapter, but I'm enjoying it infinitely more than I was with the GG series.

Has anyone else had similar problems with authors currently (or in the past)? To clarify, I'm not talking about those folks who refuse to accept an author working on material they're not famous for (i.e. people who might not read anything from J.K. Rowling if it's not a Harry Potter novel), but simply the characters involved just had you with such a horrendous "Meh, fekk this...." bad taste in your mouth that you didn't like it.


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## Gree (Jun 13, 2010)

Oh, with every author they have a story or novel that I dislike but another I like.

For example with Abnett I love his Ghost series and Horus Rising, but I utterly despise Brothers of the Snake with a white-hot passion.

For McNeill I thought A Thousand Sons was good but my reaction to his Ultramarines books so far as of this point has been mixed.

For Gav Thorpe I found Angels of Darkness good but some of his other works to be rather bland and unsatisfying.

For Simon Spurrier Lord of the Night was excellent, but Fire Warrior was just another video game novel for me.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Well I have had a few experiences like this...

I enjoy Graham McNeill's Ultramarines novels but I think that Nick Kyme writes them much better then he does. _Fall of Damnos_ is better than _The Chapter's Due_, _Courage and Honour_, _Warriors of Ultramar_. It just is.

Ben Counter's Grey Knights trilogy is great but now with Aaron DB writing his own trilogy I know that i'm going to like it more. That may be presumptuous but I just enjoy ADB's works more than others, so i'm confident in my prediction.

And actually I feel the same way as you Diatribe. I don't care for _Gaunt's Ghosts_, I think its overrated and I prefer Ciaphas Cain, but I find Abnett's Astartes to be far superior. Garviel Loken is one of the best Astartes characters that Black Library has given us. Though just a note, I like his characters but the choice of story lately.. eh. Just really hoping that _No Know Fear_ isn't another innocents get dragged along for the ride story.


Lord of the Night


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## raider1987 (Dec 3, 2010)

See for me Dan has written some of the best fiction available, and by that I mean in all catogories, not just Black Libary. I have only read his heresy books (legion, Horus rising, Prospero burns) and his inquisition novels. Eisenhorn/Ravenor. I have yet to get to gaunts ghosts. 

The Eisenhorn/ravenor series is incredible beyond belief. I was so hyped for prospero burns and it was terrible. Truly awful. I thought truly his book could not fail, I mean the first full space wolf book set during the heresy, them fighting and eventually taking on the thousand sons. And it was just terrible, I was just in shock about it. I couldn't beleive that the same guy who wrote Legion and Eisenhorn wrote it. And what makes it seem so much worse was the short story, 'The wolf at the door' by Mike Lee in tales of heresy was brilliant and so was A Thousand Sons. It should have been brilliant, and challenged the best books in the series for top dog. But as it is it sits on the naughty step with battle for the abyss. 

Graham McNeill is another author that can be inconsistent. See his Heresy books in my opinion have all been great, and his short story in tales of heresy 'the last church' is outstanding. Then I read his short in age of darkness and I really didn't enjoy it. And I also quite enjoyed his first 3 ultramarines books, but apparently the last 3 are terrible. I am reading Storm of Iron and its brilliant. He can create some truly epic battles you have to give him that.

Ben Counter, I loved Galaxy in flames. Really enjoyed it. However, battle for the Abyss, while at least readable was just poor. I own his grey knights novels, but it just put me off reading them.

James Swallow, I loved Flight of the Eisenstein AND Nemesis, yes I know Nemesis has its haters but I really liked it. I haven't read any of his Blood angels books yet but am looking forward too. Then Garro: Oath of moment came out and it was a bit poor. Both his short stories in tales of heresy and Age of darkness have been sub par as well. Garro: Legion of one was great though.

Aaron Dembski-Bowden, rather annoyingly, I have loved everything he has written. So I can't draw up a single complaint, so it makes me sound like a fanboy. Damb him.


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## Diatribe1974 (Jul 15, 2010)

Yeah, earlier last night (when I wrote the OP), I'd only read about 40-50 pages of "Brothers of the Snake". Then later I sat down and read another 30-40 pages (and would've read more, but was too tired to keep reading). With his GG series, if I read 40-50 pages in his Omnibus (roughly 60-80 regular book pages) and I'm tapped out, no more, even if I had more time as I couldn't stand to read another page that day. This does help renew my faith in Dan Abnett after so many folks built him up as such a great writer, then my 1st experiences with him was the GG series and me left with a "Ho-Hum" attitude, so I'm looking forward to the HH series as soon as "Flight of the Eisenstein" arrives from it being on back order (will read everything from Horus Rising to Age of Darkness as I'll have all those books).


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## cheeto (Apr 1, 2011)

For me it is Thorpe. I only read his book Malekith and thought it was the worst book I have read since I was 12. I'll be giving some of his Dark Angels books a shot in hopes that the rule in the title of this thread applies...


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## KingDeath (Nov 18, 2008)

Abnett is one of those authors for me.
Some of his GG books are great, some of the later ones aren't.
I liked the Eisenhorn trilogy but was bored by Ravenor.
Horus Rising was great but Legion wasn't.
Of course, given the sheer volume of black library novels he writes it isn't
suprising that there are some that i simply don't like.

Swallow is another, a bit more negative, example. His Blood Angels novels are
perhaps among the worst BL products i ever had the misfortune to read, but i genuinely liked Flight of the Eisenstein.

Oh, and not to forget Counter, Daemonworld was pretty cool...well, ok. That's all about him. Don't want to start a rant about the Blood Drinkers or his incredibly trite Grey Knights novels.


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## forkmaster (Jan 2, 2010)

Dan Abnett, I think the first 2 books are bit hard to get into, but the 3rd really picks up and continues that way. The Saint omnibus have the best stories of all GG. Horus Rising is really good, but Legion I had some problems with. Its not bad, but its not great. Im simply just not a fan of it.

In afterwards I think Prospero Burns had a great message, the different views upon knowledge and what to remember but it simply wasnt good. I felt nothing about the characters, too many jumps in memories and a bit confusing at its areas.

Graham and ADB so far are the authors who have provided most promising great stories, Storm of Iron, A thousand sons and Fulgrim (my aboslut favorite together now with SoI), and ADB you all already know about. Its only Mechanicum thats was a bit disappointed, only cause Im not that interested in Mars and Titan battles.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

Yeah, some authors have been known to write shit and excellent stories at the same time, as stated by pretty much everybody above me.

Examples are Ben Counter (_Galaxy in Flames_ Good, _Battle for the Abyss_, Not so Good)
Graham McNeill (_A Thousand Sons, Fulgrim_ Good, _Courage & Honour, The Chapter's Due_, not very good at all.
Gav Thorpe, (_Path of the Warrior_ Good, _Purging of Kadillius_, Not Good).
Nick Kyme (His fantasy novels are pretty poor, the 40k ones are enjoyable.)

I do believe there's only a handful of writers that I've enjoyed everything by: Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Dan Abnett, Chris Wraight (Despite not having read _Sword of Justice_ and _Iron Company_, but everything else).

That's pretty much all I can remember right now, I'm probably missing out somebody really ovbious.


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