Prodigal

Fabius Bile #Short Story

by Joshua Reynolds

When Fabius Bile is attacked by daemons aboard his frigate Versalius, he is surprised to be rescued by an old friend, one of his very first experiments. It has ever been the Apothecary's desire to improve mankind, to render them hardy enough to endure in a galaxy of pain and war. Such desires have often led to abominations created by Bile's own hand, and enemies too numerous to list. This creation, Mesuline, though ostensibly an ally, bears a cryptic message, one that could bode ill or well for her Progenitor.

Read it because
When you have as long and chequered a past as Fabius Bile, occasionally things are gonna come back to haunt you. Such is the case here, as an early experiment returns, and chaos ensues…

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Short Stories

18 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2016

About the author

Josh Reynolds’ work has previously appeared in such anthologies as Historical Lovecraft from Innsmouth Free Press and Horror for the Holidays from Miskatonic River Press, and his novel, Knight of the Blazing Sun, is currently available from Black Library. He can be found at: http://joshuamreynolds.wordpress.com

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘You are much changed, since last we spoke, Melusine,’ Bile said. ‘Where have you been?’
I have been dancing in the court of Slaanesh, and promenaded through the gardens of Nurgle. I have watched the fires of Khorne’s forges burn the horizons, and traded bits of dreamstuff with the caged seers of Tzeentch.’ She spun in a slow pirouette as she spoke. ‘I have been everywhere and nowhere and now, I am here.’

Sometimes Geller fields on old void-ships can fail... but not all the warp-spawned daemons breaching inside have to be necessarily unfriendly.

A more than good short tale from the pow of the most infamous "Mad Doctor" in the grim setting of W40K universe, and it leaves you wanting for more.
Luckly Fabius Bile: Primogenitor is already on my bookshelves, Fabius Bile: Clonelord arriving an a couple of months.

[Dylan Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review #2 (19 September 2018):
Ah but it is good to get back to 40k! And what better way than with one of my all-time favourite short stories, about one of my favourite characters, by one of my favourite authors!

Joshua Reynold's Prodigal really is the defining short story for Fabius Bile. As you can see from my first reading, I enjoyed it and felt it was very well done, but this 2nd read through definitely felt different to me, and I think I appreciated Fabius more this time around. The story works as the perfect introduction to Fabius Bile(assuming you know the basics around him and the IIIrd Legion).

But it goes so much farther than that. You get dropped right in to the mind of the titular madman himself, and really got engrossed in the labyrinthine passageways found there. While he is most certainly insane, there are little glimmers of genius, and a tragic humanity that really makes me fall in love the character. Throughout the story, you really get to see Fabius' view on the universe. From his massive disdain for Warp Entities to his secular views, Reynolds does an amazing job building a complex and interesting character. His hopes die while reminiscing on his past, and the future will be a broken, mutated shadow of what it should be. And he has the will to push on and complete his work.

Absolutely fantastic Mr. Reynolds!
5/5


Review #1 (12 December 2016):
Ah finally reading about 40k's mad scientist from his perspective! Prodigal is an exciting tale that does an excellent job of dropping us right into the laboritorium of Fabius Bile. From grisly daemonic action and gloriously heartfelt reunions to promises of damnation and the depths of madness, this story really did a fantastic job of not only showing us what Fabius Bile is up to at this point in time, but also letting us experience the mad brilliance of the Primogenitor! This one definitely has me excited to read the novel!
5/5

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tenth story in Black Library’s 2016 Advent Calendar is Prodigal by Josh Reynolds, a Fabius Bile story which sees the apothecary musing on the nature of his work and what his legacy will be. When his pensive mood is shattered by a daemonic attack launched directly into his laboratorium, he’s surprised to find that not all of the daemons are trying to kill him, or at least not yet. Faced with the return of one of his earliest (and perhaps greatest) creations bearing riddle-like warnings, an unexpectedly paternal side of Fabius is revealed.

Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my Omnibus edition of the Fabius Bile stories this is billed as the second entry (I guess not wanting to lead with a short story.) However it does provide a better introduction to the character and setting, albeit it there is what is becoming a perennial problem of how do you start with the Warhammer 40K universe? It is flippin' huge, and I mean HUGE, so keep that in mind.
Again Reynolds provides us with character that is clearly a monster, but believes himself not only to be sane, but definitely the good guy. Well drawn and complex even within the confines of a very short story this defines Bile's desire to improve humanity in order to let it survive within a really dreadful place. It details a reunion with one of his earlier creations and (presumably) sets up the next book.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid intro to Bile as a character, and decent set-up for his solo series

[Mikael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Explains Melisandre.

[Luke Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different kind of story involving Fabius Bile, but a very thought provoking one as his oldest creation returns from exile to give him a cryptic warning...

[Gamer Gamersson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a shockingly human reflection on fatherhood, and one's relationship with estranged family. There are a number of parallels between Fabius' relationship with his 'daughter' and that of the Emperor's with his fallen children. Seeing Fabius reflect on the mistakes he's made during her upbringing felt so grounded and real that I genuinely forgot I was reading a story about space-Frankenstein talking to his goat demon daughter. Delightful read.

[Andrew Alvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but interesting take of Fabius and his relationships with his creations.

[James Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book, pretty standard fare for the 40k universe. Fabulous bill will some day be either the death or salvation of the Imperium.

[Joseph Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My least favorite of the FB shorts but enjoyable, it is nice to see a bit of old Bill's more psychopathic and cruel side as well as his paternal.

[Louis Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet