QUESTIONS - The Infinite and the Divine
Added 2022-04-17 08:09:30 +0000 UTCWe're going to record the next book club soon, so if you have any questions or observations you think we should address in the video, please post them here and we'll go through as many as we can!!
Comments
How do you feel about the way the Necrons are portrayed now in 40k, as exemplified in this novel, compared to their old lore of being practically mindless automaton death machines with no real opportunity for characters? As 40k has a long history of focusing on elements of the human condition/philosophy/politics, do you think that the way 40k handles aliens as "humans-but-different" is more appropriate to the setting and how it's so far from hard sci-fi, or does it do 40k a disservice by having these aliens feel so "relatable" when we have alien creatures that don't feel different enough to humans to really have a distinct identity? For Mira: As a newcomer to 40k, how do you feel about Necrons after reading this novel? And between Orikan and Trazyn, who was your favorite curmudgeonly old alien man? :)
V. R.
2022-04-23 00:32:18 +0000 UTC"Fleshing out the Necrons" is how you get Flayed Ones. You don't want those. :)
Pål Røtnes
2022-04-19 15:49:33 +0000 UTCI enjoyed this book more than I expected to, no doubt because the author treats the subject matter with the amount of seriousness it deserves (i.e. very little), and didn’t attempt to craft an ancient immortal alien psyche, unless ancient alien psyches are the same as those of petty humans. Perhaps this is the best approach? The ‘odd-couple’ comedy that it becomes did have bits that made me laugh (e.g. “You stupid bastard, you got us box seats to a coup” “Well, the reviews were very good”). If I have a question I guess it’s: to what extent does the silliness of the story undermine the bits where the author is trying to be more serious? For example, when Trazyn is talking to his librarian and makes digs at the imperium (“Yours is a terrorized culture, my friend, and terror breeds obedience – but not loyalty”) and environmental destruction (“…when you ask whether I intend to destroy this world, my question to you is: do you truly need the help?”)
Greg Hitchcock
2022-04-19 10:42:16 +0000 UTCAlso, would you mind comparing the difference in humanity between the Necrons and characters from the Imperium?
Daniel Encio
2022-04-18 06:10:45 +0000 UTCLoved this book and its dark humor. I love how they are fleshing out the Necrons. If you liked this book you might like The Twice-dead King: Reign.
Daniel Encio
2022-04-18 06:09:30 +0000 UTCHands up, I loved this book. Some great, pratchett style humour in it (the court scene in the first half for example...). On the flip side of one of the other patrons questions, the necrons feel far more relateable than other xenos races (those that aren't automatons seem to have very similar motivations to Eldar), therefore are you surprised there hasn't been more necron pov books? I think this book did a good job of showcasing necron society, and with millions of years to choose from, there feels like a lot of available creative real estate.
Chris J
2022-04-17 12:26:16 +0000 UTCWhat was your favourite prank? Did you catch "Chekhov's genestealer"? Did either of you find your self thinking "gogo guard heavy weapon platoon" or similar when Trazyn was using his pokeballs? :P Favourite item in Trazyns collection? This is my favourite 40k book just for getting the grandeur and the absurdity of the setting so perfectly, really keen to hear what you folks think!
Scott Anderson
2022-04-17 12:16:32 +0000 UTCThe book makes an interesting observation on what happened to the necrontyr children. It appeared that the necrontyr lost their entire next generation while going through biotransference, and the question remains how much of them would remain if they would even find a way to transfer back. How did you think the book managed to get across this existential threat to the necron, that for all their mastery of technology and grandeur they very likely never be able to become beings of flesh again? Also, I liked how the book got across how determined the destroyer cults are in destroying all life, down to the individual molecules.
Makariel
2022-04-17 11:26:30 +0000 UTCHow do you feel about the evolution of the background for the Necrons? And would you enjoy a Jurassic Park style story where Trazyn opens up his museum as an amusement park only for it to go terribly wrong?
Nick Weston
2022-04-17 08:28:17 +0000 UTCYeah, we just did the Spear of the Emperor one and it's probably the best example of a Marine book I've seen - really cleverly deals with what they ARE
ArbitorIan
2022-04-17 08:26:08 +0000 UTCGenerally why i feel like a lot of Marine pov books don’t quite land (for me). Indoctrinated superhuman child soldiers? Where do you start!?
Jimi Rowe
2022-04-17 08:25:07 +0000 UTCNah, it's a valid question and an interesting one cos - I'm not sure this book makes much of a difference, which is an issue - there are immortal humans in 40k, so how does/should that contrast?
ArbitorIan
2022-04-17 08:22:55 +0000 UTCIn 40k Aliens are very “other”. That’s obviously hard in a POV story, how did the author try to portray their alieness? Their impossibly long fleshless existence? Etc. (Have not read the book… so if it’s all from a human pov. Soz!)
Jimi Rowe
2022-04-17 08:18:53 +0000 UTC
