Nov 3 · 2 min read
Dear Oscar,
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, though those based on facts and logic are naturally better received.
You are fortunate enough to have a platform to express said opinions, which places more responsibility on you than the average Joe down at the pub.
As such:
- I found this article poorly, or possibly hastily researched. I assume (see: hope) it was not in support of an agenda, but in the opinion of most, the Warhammer universe is neither satanic or ‘mean’ and irredemable. It does not serve as a mouthpiece or advocate of any current ideology/group (e.g, extremism, fascism, the U.S, or what-have-you), and it also moves beyond a trite ‘good vs evil’ story. Instead, it is exactly what it describes on the tin: a Universe; a setting in which many stories take place. I could try explaining the background, factions and motivations behind each actor in this setting, but it would both take too long and there are other resources which describe it far better than I could already. Suffice it to say that Warhammer 40,000 has its basis in human nature and various periods of our history, but divorces them from current events, adds an element of exaggeration and tongue-in-cheek dark humour, then turns them up to 11.
- As an avid fan of all things science and science fiction, and having devoured almost all books, short stories and series/movies made about Scifi, I can safely say that Warhammer is one of the more interesting, complex and deep settings out there. It does not have the same hope for our future that Star Trek has, not the same swashbuckling feel Star Wars exhibits, or the elegance of Asimov’s Foundation. What it does have is a gritty realism lacking in almost all SciFi, a pragmatic approach to problems that is neither utopian nor humane, and takes the plethora of our failings to its logical conclusion. It is not politically correct, it does not guarantee a happy ending for everyone, there are no clear ‘good’ and ‘bad’ guys (with a few exceptions on the bad), it diverges from Aristotle’s definition of a story, and it does not pander to your sensibilities. Which is why its both appealing and radically different from most settings out there.
- As such, the only thing we can agree on is that it is not suitable for the hypocritical ‘dickbags’ (sic) of Hollywood. And thank God and the God-Emperor for that.