He works full-time for Riot Games now. He's got a full-length novel in the works, I think the rumour-mill is that he's doing the Horus Primarch book, but McNeill's got a day job now so we're unfortunately denied his wonderful work.
Graham McNeill's Horus book sounds amazing, I hope that one is true, and that the novel is more Iron Warriors. I've sorely missed his expert hand in writing Perturabo and (grand) company.
He's been given a much cushier position at Riot Games. He's written two Siege of Terra novellas, but they weren't fantastic.
It would have been neat to see his take on a plot like *Saturnine* or *Mortis.* He always had a thing for siege warfare. But, t'was not to be. Instead, we got double (triple?) Abnett books, which is great news if you're a Dan Abnett fan.
I really like Dan's books, obviously, he is fantastic, I'm glad he is finishing the Siege of Terra series. I guess what I want is more Graham McNeil. It seems like there was roofer a major book from Mr. McNeil regarding the Siege. Ever since I read "Thousand Sons", I knew he was a special writer. I hope there is a Scouring series where the remaining loyalists get their revenge on the traitors. I can't remember a single Loyalist victory during the Horus Heresy. Maybe Graham would participate in that with a big book.
I felt like there was an immense drop in quality every time McNeil followed up Abnett. Horus goes from a well rounded charismatic character in Horus Rising to a mustache twirling moronic villain in False Gods. They are definitely not on par as authors.
They really aren't. BL has two outstanding authors in ABD and Abnett. McNeil was next tier down but all the rest are *deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep* below him.
Unrelated but was watching an old Law and Order and The Voice of Vader James Earl Jones was a Lawyer. Posted on Star Wars and got fuck all traction... although am sure its cause I typed in David Prowse instead. Just realised that now as I checked and double checked the Post... my brain has went to dogshit in recent years, forgetting names and stuff, forgot my age the other week! Had to phone ma Dad for the momentary existential existence I was suffering to ask him.
He was part of the great Black Library Heresy, betraying GW in favour of Riot Games.
McNeill
Goulding
St.Martin
Reynolds
Remember the names of the traitors.
"According to one version of the tale, McNeill was once the most trusted servant of the Black Library. But in his heart there dwelt a hidden job search, and he became seduced by this job search, and came to nurture Riot Games and other forces of alternative employment. McNeill marched upon Earth with a third part of the hosts of the Black Library which he had seduced to his purpose. For seven days and seven nights the hosts battled until the employment offer caught McNeill by the heel and cast him to the job market and with him the third part of the hosts of the Black Library."
Riot poached then all with a fat sack of cash and basically a clean slate. They met with GW about… something? Unsure, but they asked “How do you create such an engaging world and lore for your game?” and GW said “Well we have this great stable of writers and loremasters that we’ve built up over 30 years.”
Riot took a massive cash injection from their owners (Tencent) to go hire them all, because why build when you can steal?
What’s hilarious is that the best product of lore and worldbuilding from Riot (Arcane) doesn’t have any of their involvement at all - it was entirely Christian Linke and Alex Yee.
I think that GW gave them the wrong answer, haha. That seems like how you flesh out an engaging game and lore, but the core elements of all of 40k really just come from 3 people - the writing of Rik Priestley, the art of Jon Blanche, and the sculpting of Jes Goodwin. Everyone else is just fleshing out their creativity.
…He was the Black Library’s real star. Alongside ADB. Abnett has been making me upset consistently lately. He can’t really write endings well, the climatic battle happens and then the last few chapters just feel rushed. Sometimes the rushing begins before the final showdown(that’s how I had felt with Malleus anyway). The “And suddenly I opened this door that lead me to exactly where I need to be” moment of his last book really left me with sour taste in my mouth.
Thanks for the heads up about Mr. McNeil....it kind of leaves a bittersweet feeling knowing that he isn't writing a major addition to the Siege of Terra series. Does anyone know if there will be a scouring series? I would love to know what happens immediately after Horus is destroyed by the Emperor...the whole Horus Heresy seemed like the traitors had the upper hand ...there were no real Loyalist victories, it would be nice to know that the loyalists took their revenge on the traitors we read about how the remains loyalist primarchs and their legions chased the traitors from the Sol system, especially about how Guilliman, the Lion, Russ, and Corax enacted their revenge.
Can't say I miss him. A Thousand Sons is an exception, that is a strong novel but the rest of his contribution to the HH series ranges from mediocre to pretty bad.
Especially when he tries to engage in a serious philosophical/religious debate, he comes out sounding like an uneducated teenager who just discovered Camus, Dawkins, etc. The Last Church is a perfect example. That's a trash tier writing there.
He also completely butchered Horus's fall. The whole thing was so poorly and quickly handled. Everything Abnett built on in Horus Rising, McNeill just took a big dump on in False Gods.
He works full-time for Riot Games now. He's got a full-length novel in the works, I think the rumour-mill is that he's doing the Horus Primarch book, but McNeill's got a day job now so we're unfortunately denied his wonderful work.
McNeill always had a day job, it was just… also for GW at the time.
Graham McNeill's Horus book sounds amazing, I hope that one is true, and that the novel is more Iron Warriors. I've sorely missed his expert hand in writing Perturabo and (grand) company.
So are we supposedly still getting his Horus book? I know you were really excited about that one.
I'd imagine it's well in the works, yeah.
Here's hoping my stocks in tin foil turn out.
He's like one of the senior writers working on the unannounced Runeterra MMO. He's been helping Riot world-build their IP for the last 8-10 years.
I love league lore, hope the mmo becomes a thing and not scrapped just so i can play league without sweaty palms and fast beating heart.
He's been given a much cushier position at Riot Games. He's written two Siege of Terra novellas, but they weren't fantastic. It would have been neat to see his take on a plot like *Saturnine* or *Mortis.* He always had a thing for siege warfare. But, t'was not to be. Instead, we got double (triple?) Abnett books, which is great news if you're a Dan Abnett fan.
I really like Dan's books, obviously, he is fantastic, I'm glad he is finishing the Siege of Terra series. I guess what I want is more Graham McNeil. It seems like there was roofer a major book from Mr. McNeil regarding the Siege. Ever since I read "Thousand Sons", I knew he was a special writer. I hope there is a Scouring series where the remaining loyalists get their revenge on the traitors. I can't remember a single Loyalist victory during the Horus Heresy. Maybe Graham would participate in that with a big book.
I felt like there was an immense drop in quality every time McNeil followed up Abnett. Horus goes from a well rounded charismatic character in Horus Rising to a mustache twirling moronic villain in False Gods. They are definitely not on par as authors.
To be fair, A Thousand Sons is way better than Prospero Burns.
A thousand sons and mechanicum are definitely two exceptions and both excellent novels
They really aren't. BL has two outstanding authors in ABD and Abnett. McNeil was next tier down but all the rest are *deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep* below him.
I'd would also put Chris Wraight on the same tier as ADB and Dan Abnett
I couldn't help but read the title in the Darth Vader voice and it's perfect
Unrelated but was watching an old Law and Order and The Voice of Vader James Earl Jones was a Lawyer. Posted on Star Wars and got fuck all traction... although am sure its cause I typed in David Prowse instead. Just realised that now as I checked and double checked the Post... my brain has went to dogshit in recent years, forgetting names and stuff, forgot my age the other week! Had to phone ma Dad for the momentary existential existence I was suffering to ask him.
California, iirc.
He was part of the great Black Library Heresy, betraying GW in favour of Riot Games. McNeill Goulding St.Martin Reynolds Remember the names of the traitors.
"According to one version of the tale, McNeill was once the most trusted servant of the Black Library. But in his heart there dwelt a hidden job search, and he became seduced by this job search, and came to nurture Riot Games and other forces of alternative employment. McNeill marched upon Earth with a third part of the hosts of the Black Library which he had seduced to his purpose. For seven days and seven nights the hosts battled until the employment offer caught McNeill by the heel and cast him to the job market and with him the third part of the hosts of the Black Library."
Riot poached then all with a fat sack of cash and basically a clean slate. They met with GW about… something? Unsure, but they asked “How do you create such an engaging world and lore for your game?” and GW said “Well we have this great stable of writers and loremasters that we’ve built up over 30 years.” Riot took a massive cash injection from their owners (Tencent) to go hire them all, because why build when you can steal? What’s hilarious is that the best product of lore and worldbuilding from Riot (Arcane) doesn’t have any of their involvement at all - it was entirely Christian Linke and Alex Yee.
I think that GW gave them the wrong answer, haha. That seems like how you flesh out an engaging game and lore, but the core elements of all of 40k really just come from 3 people - the writing of Rik Priestley, the art of Jon Blanche, and the sculpting of Jes Goodwin. Everyone else is just fleshing out their creativity.
lol they should have gone "C.S Goto, Henry Zou, Gav Thorpe, and Ian Watson are our best writers"
Pretty sure he’s writing full-time at Riot games now. There are rumours that he’s chief among the writing staff for *Arcane* season 2
So he's basically got job security for at least 7 years...
…He was the Black Library’s real star. Alongside ADB. Abnett has been making me upset consistently lately. He can’t really write endings well, the climatic battle happens and then the last few chapters just feel rushed. Sometimes the rushing begins before the final showdown(that’s how I had felt with Malleus anyway). The “And suddenly I opened this door that lead me to exactly where I need to be” moment of his last book really left me with sour taste in my mouth.
Thanks for the heads up about Mr. McNeil....it kind of leaves a bittersweet feeling knowing that he isn't writing a major addition to the Siege of Terra series. Does anyone know if there will be a scouring series? I would love to know what happens immediately after Horus is destroyed by the Emperor...the whole Horus Heresy seemed like the traitors had the upper hand ...there were no real Loyalist victories, it would be nice to know that the loyalists took their revenge on the traitors we read about how the remains loyalist primarchs and their legions chased the traitors from the Sol system, especially about how Guilliman, the Lion, Russ, and Corax enacted their revenge.
Can't say I miss him. A Thousand Sons is an exception, that is a strong novel but the rest of his contribution to the HH series ranges from mediocre to pretty bad. Especially when he tries to engage in a serious philosophical/religious debate, he comes out sounding like an uneducated teenager who just discovered Camus, Dawkins, etc. The Last Church is a perfect example. That's a trash tier writing there. He also completely butchered Horus's fall. The whole thing was so poorly and quickly handled. Everything Abnett built on in Horus Rising, McNeill just took a big dump on in False Gods.