The Black Library discussion

So, i played the video game Warhammer Space Marine and by the end of it i was extremely interested in the lore. I thought about reading the books but the i get a figurative slap on the face when i realize there are literaly hundreds of them. My question is, how do i get into reading this gargantuan book collection?

PS: i have ONLY played the Space Marine game, i dont know anything else from the series.
PPS: Sorry for my english, im not a native. I understand it, i have read many books in english, but its not perfect.

personally, I'd grab one of the omnibuses, as they are generally good stories, and you get like 3+books for the price of like 1 and a half.
again, personally, I'd wait to read the big stuff until you have an understanding of the lore.
don't read the horus heresy until you know enough about the universe to really get everything out of it.
but, chronologically, the Horus Heresy is like "the beginning".
I just think it shouldn't be read until you know all about the primarchs and abaddon, and kharn, and what not. you get more out of the series that way.

Maybe start with
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Its a bunch of short stories about various space marine chapters with various authors. Find a few you like and seek out stuff by that author or about that chapter.

The Horus Heresy is a big undertaking. It is the defining moment of the Warhammer 40000 universe.
There isn't a heap of "assumed knowledge", but being familiar with some of the main players would be a bonus.
Also, skip the Dark Angel books as they are just awful.

Adam wrote: "The Horus Heresy is a big undertaking. It is the defining moment of the Warhammer 40000 universe.
There isn't a heap of "assumed knowledge", but being familiar with some of the main players would b..."

I actually really liked Fallen Angels. Thought Mike Lee did a damned good job with turning the disaster of Descent of Angels into something kinda relevant.

http://www.blacklibrary.com/horus-her...

That is a somewhat recent official timeline list. I do see that Lord of the Red Sands is not in it, which I would read anytime after Galaxy in Flames, as I would with many of the primarch origin stories, except for The Reflection Crackd or Feat of Iron, which would come great after Fulgrim (book 5), as they have many insightful preconceptions or foreboding of things that sit very well post these actual events. I am really not so much concerned now over strict timelines. The skill of the writers can fill in the story so well sometimes that you are not really losing or 'skipping' ahead intentionally (or unintentionally) so much as just filling in gaps which expand the timeline without wrecking anything. We'll see. I do hope they add the shorts into this official list though. At least the ones that are out as of this writing.

If you want to start in chronological order you could try the list below. It's what im doing atm.

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/Tymell...

I'd recommend the Eisenhorn omnibus as a great starting point in getting to know the lore, then one of the Space Marine omnibuses, then jump back and start hitting the Horus Heresy. The Gaunts Ghosts series is excellent too, but it's not so lore focussed.

Oliver wrote: "If you want to start in chronological order you could try the list below. It's what im doing atm.

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/Tymell..."

I've just started the Eisenhorn Omnibus! Just got through Xenos and loved it! I am now completely addicted 😂

The great thing about Warhammer novels is that there's an IMMENSE amount of them. So you'll always have something guaranteed to entertain you :)

I'm going to Eisenhorn, then Ravenor, then the Bequin stuff.

I'm really enjoying the way Abnett writes.

I was thinking of heading to Horus Heresy after that.

What was your starting point?