RAPID FIRE: Dan Abnett Talks Saturnine

Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with authors talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

For this interview I spoke to legendary Black Library author Dan Abnett about his novel Saturnine, book four in the epic Siege of Terra series which is forming the conclusion to the Horus Heresy. If you’ve been following the Horus Heresy series then you’re going to want to read Saturnine – so read on to find out a little bit more about what you can expect…

Track of Words: What’s the elevator pitch summary for Saturnine?

Dan Abnett: That’s a little harder to do than with other novels. The Siege of Terra is one huge event that takes place across eight books, and the books are a team effort, so in many respects it’s just “the next bit of the huge conflict, advancing some individual storylines”.

But Saturnine, I suppose, is specifically about the Loyalists being brought to the brink, about Dorn having to make some decisions that are harder than any he’s even EXPECTED to make before. It’s about both unity and fragmentation on both sides of the conflict: unexpected forces coming together, reliable allies falling apart. It’s a major turning point on many levels. It is, I suppose, a game of chess (regicide?) between the key players, trying to out-move each other by means of increasing risks and gambits.

ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?

DA: Uhm… everyone? This book is huge. It’s the biggest, longest novel I’ve ever written, and it’s also the most complex, the largest in scale, with a huge cast and multiple storylines running side by side. It would be easier to list the people who aren’t in it. Dorn plays a major role, as does Sanguinius, Perturabo, Mortarion, Abaddon, the Khan… but the scope is vast, and I’m sure readers will be delighted at the appearance of some less anticipated characters.

ToW: Can you talk a little about whereabouts this takes place on Terra, and at what point during the Siege?

DA: Apart from one ‘aside’, it all takes place within the bounds of the Imperial Palace. But as that’s the size of Belgium there are many locations – and many ‘warzones’ – within it that we move between. The principle focus, I suppose, is the line of fortresses and bastions protecting the Lion’s Gate. Once the Traitors break that, they’ll be into the Inner Palace, the very heart of the Emperor’s domain.

ToW: Are there any key themes or ideas that you’ve focused on in this book, and which you can talk about without giving any spoilers?

DA: Loyalty, risk, desperation, innovation, sacrifice. Just for starters.

ToW: Aside from the previous Siege of Terra novels, are there any key Heresy stories or arcs that you would recommend readers are familiar with before starting this?

DA: I’ve tried to make it a novel in its own right, though to fully appreciate and relish the finer character points, I think it would help to have read the Siege series up to now, and to have a general understanding of the Heresy story and timeline. The book will still make sense if you haven’t, but some key moments inevitably rely on a deep understanding of the significance of relationships and motives.

ToW: What was your preparation for this book like? How much research did you have to do in order to make sure you had all of the details right?

DA: I did a vast amount – more than any planning and research I’ve ever done for a project. For example, I had to map the Palace. I actually spent a long time mapping everything out, for my benefit and for the benefit of the writing team, consolidating locations. My map is now the ‘standard map’ we all work off. You have to remember, the series is a team effort, written by a “writer’s room”. The Heresy series always has been, but with the Siege it’s become even more intense: we meet regularly, and we share our work in progress, and we brainstorm, and we check each other for errors and oversights.

It’s a wonderful and refreshingly exciting collaborative effort, a real change from the usual ‘solo life’ of an author. During Saturnine, I had an ongoing email thread with the editor and the other writers: we conversed every day (I also Skyped with different authors to benefit from different areas of expertise). I used the ongoing thread to ask questions and bounce ideas. I also kept a print-out of the thread for reference, and by the end it had run to 150 pages (printed two-up). I also accumulated a stack of reference books that took six trips to remove from my office at the end. A HUGE amount of research and reference.

ToW: Once that research was done, how did you find writing this in comparison with your previous Heresy stories?

DA: Hardest book ever – so intense, so immersive, so… relentless, just keeping up with every element. But also – and as a consequence – perhaps the most rewarding and enjoyable of all. It was exhausting and thrilling. Each of us who’ve written a Siege of Terra book have said the same. It’s an extraordinary experience, unlike writing other books (even Heresy books). When I get to the end of a novel and send it in, I’m usually very proud of it, I’ve usually loved writing it, but I’m always glad it’s over: that it’s done at last, and finished. There’s a sense of delicious closure, that my mind can relax and ‘let go’ of that book. With Saturnine, despite the hard work, I was sorry to see it go. For the first time in, what, fifty plus novels, I wanted it to continue.

ToW: Do you have a favourite element of the novel? Something you really enjoyed writing, or are particularly proud of?

DA: I think, particularly, the epic scope, the vast range. There are certain character beats that I won’t spoil that I’m especially proud of, some surprises, and several huge action set pieces that I hope are stand-out. There’s a LOT of action in it. I didn’t want all the action to ‘read’ the same and become boring, or repetitive, so I did a lot of work finding different ways of writing the war: point of view, long range observation, ‘stream of consciousness’… each action strand has its own way of being told, often dictated by the personalities of the specific characters involved. The book also has, I believe, some truly monumental surprises and WTF moments. All perfectly in official continuity, of course…

ToW: Looking back on the Horus Heresy series, especially as you personally kicked the whole thing off back with Horus Rising, how do you feel now that we’re on the home straight?

DA: I couldn’t be more excited. And it feels like only yesterday we started. From day one, we knew we would get here. We believed we would. But now it’s kinda odd to be actually there, writing the end game.

ToW: What do you hope Horus Heresy fans will get out of this book by the time they’ve finished it?

DA: A good read. Hopefully, a REALLY good read.

ToW: Finally, are there still stories you’re hoping to tell in the Horus Heresy setting, whether as part of the Siege of Terra or later, once the dust has settled?

DA: Well, of course.

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Huge thanks as always must go to Dan for taking the time to answer these questions. Click here to read my review of Saturnine, or if you’d like to check out my reviews of some of Dan’s other Black Library stories you can find them all here (along with more interviews like this).

Check out the main Horus Heresy reviews page on Track of Words.

Click this link to pre-order Saturnine.

Click here if you fancy taking a look at some other Rapid Fire interviews. If you have any questions, comments or other thoughts please do let me know in the comments below, or find me on Twitter.