Outgunned (Warhammer 40,000) [Paperback] Flowers, Denny [Paperback] Flowers, Denny

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ToW: What else can you tell us about what you’re working on, what else you’ve recently had released or what you’ve got coming out over the coming months? ToW: What do you hope 40k and Necromunda fans will get out of this by the time they’ve finished it? I read a lot on the train. All sorts of genres and authors; whatever I could find. One day I ran out of books but had some paper in my bag. I decided to try writing a story, which soon became a novel, and then became a completely different novel. I experimented with a variety of genres and formats and was wildly unsuccessfully, but kept trying. Though Simlex is the semi-reliable narrator of the novel, the hero and star of Outgunned is Flight Commander Lucille von Shard. A fighter ace of consummate ability, Shard’s skills are matched only by her disdain for her foes, peers, superiors, acquaintances, and virtually everyone and everything else she encounters. In fact, were she a less capable warrior, she would have long since been consigned to a penal colony. Or more likely an executioner. Travelling to the fetid swamp planet of Bacchus, Propagandist Simlex plans to chronicle the adventures of the Aeronautica Imperialis, the brave flying aces who traverse the skies, fighting in deadly aerial combat against the rampaging ork hordes. In particular, he hopes to make a pict about legendary fighter ace, Lucille von Shard, considered to be the greatest pilot in the Imperium, to turn her into a renowned hero. However, not everything is as it seems on Bacchus, and Simlex’s attempts to get footage may cost him everything.

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Denny Flowers: I was born in Kent and never moved. I’m still in walking distance from the house I grew up in. I did go to University in Brighton and then spent a few years commuting to London where I worked in a children’s hospital. My job was collecting and analysing the morbidity and mortality data for children in intensive care, something an acquaintance once cheerfully referred to as ‘The Most Metal Job Ever’. Bleak as it sounds, it was really rewarding (and sometimes heartbreaking) work, but the commute was four hours a day and it slowly killed me. However, his biggest threat may come from his chosen subject, as Lucille von Shard is an arrogant and disobedient pilot who has only avoided execution due to her peerless flying abilities. Determined to make the situation work, Simlex attempts to chronicle the reluctant Shard’s skills, while also investigating the strange occurrences on Bacchus. But is even the legendary Lucille von Shard capable of defeating the mysterious enemy waiting for them within the clouds? The Green Storm hungers for combat, and the entire Imperium may shake as it approaches. This was a superb and deeply impressive Warhammer 40,000 read that really highlights Flower’s growing skill as a science fiction writer. Containing a unique and highly addictive narrative, Outgunned was an outstanding read that blended an exceptional story with some impressive glances at the wider Warhammer 40,000 universe. I had an amazing time getting through this book and it was one of the more exciting and compelling Warhammer novels of 2022 so far. ToW: What appealed to you about writing an Aeronautica Imperialis story? Are you a particular fan of planes and/or aerial combat stories? I was also quite impressed with the intriguing and cool viewpoint of the orks contained in Outgunned. 2022 has been a pretty good year for fascinating ork novels, such as Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waagh! and Catachan Devil, and Outgunned offered another great look, even though you rarely get to see the creatures in person. Instead, Flowers offers an interesting look at them through the human characters’ eyes as they try to work out just how these supposedly crude creatures are winning the war for the skies over the planet. Watching the characters slowly realise just how ingenious and clever the orks really are is pretty fun, especially as the propagandist main character has spent most of his career showing them as stupid beasts. As such, the book shows many fantastic examples of the complex ork culture through the eyes of characters who really don’t understand it, which I think worked to make it appear a lot more interesting and mysterious. Established fans of the ork faction (and what Warhammer fiction reader doesn’t love the orks?), will have a blast watching the characters, especially the sheltered Simlex, try and understand their motivations and tactics, and I felt that it was a great way of showcasing the orks without having a major ork character present. I deeply enjoyed all the awesome Warhammer 40,000 elements contained with Outgunned, and it really proved to be an amazing entry into the wider canon.DF: I recently took voluntary redundancy, so in the last couple of months I have gone from working full time to being primary carer for my son and being a full-on house husband. So cooking, shopping, washing clothes and/or watching The Lego Batman Movie for the sixty-fifth time are all distinct possibilities. I also read and write, though not usually at the same time. But these skills may prove the only hope of survival, for something vast and terrible lurks within the clouds. The Green Storm approaches. High-flying dogfights unfold in the skies above Bacchus, as the Imperium clash with orks, and an arrogant hotshot uncovers a secret that could doom the entire planet.

Denny Flowers | Warhammer 40k Wiki | Fandom Denny Flowers | Warhammer 40k Wiki | Fandom

ToW: The (brilliant) cover has a real WWII war movie vibe – was that the sort of tone you were going for with the book? Can you talk a bit about some of the influences you drew upon while writing this? In the far future, the soldiers of the Imperium of Man fight monsters and aliens on many battlefields and there is always a need for fresh bodies to fill the gaps in the ranks. That is where Kile Simlex comes in. A talented propagandist, Simlex excels at creating moving cinematic picts to inspire the people and increase recruitment to the Astra Militarum. However, Simlex desires greater realism and seeks to travel to a battlefield to gain real footage for his greatest pict yet. ToW: To start things off, how would you describe Outgunned, and what readers can expect from it? What sort of story is it? Propagandist Simlex has been sent to the (notional) agriworld of Bacchus to make a recruitment film for the Imperium as volunteers are better fodder for the meatgrinder than conscripts. His choice of subject is the Aeronautica Imperialis Ace Lucille Von Shard as who is better than a dashing and faithful hero of the Imperium who daily duels the foul Ork menace in the sky as his focus? At least that what he thinks until he actually meets her...ToW: Could you give us an overview of your general writing process, in terms of how (or whether) you plan your writing, when you find the time to write and so on? DF: The initial appeal was less the aerial combat and more the tone. The novel was pitched as a satire somewhat in the vein of Ciaphas Cain. That part really appealed to me, but I actually had reservations concerning the aerial battles. I’ve been a Warhammer fan for a couple of decades, but Aeronautica Imperialis was one of the few games I’d never played (my main experience with Valkyries was being gunned down by them during 5th edition 40k; those things were beasts!). I enjoy the subtext of a story, especially in dialogue, where characters may converse on one topic whilst something else unspoken is nevertheless being actively discussed. I also enjoy the moments within stories where a twist changes everything yet makes perfect sense, to the point where you almost want to start the story over just so you can see how the idea was foreshadowed. I would not in any way say I have mastered this skill, but I do enjoy seeding hints and writing the payoff. DF: Propagandists sit somewhere between journalists and filmmakers, though their outputs must of course align with the interests of the Imperium. The picts they produce act as sanctioned entertainment for the masses, allowing them to witness the glory of the God-Emperor’s forces with their own eyes. Picts also serve as recruitment tools, with viewers aspiring to enlist and become dashing fighter aces. In truth, the closest the majority of them will get to flying is scrubbing promethium stains off the planes’ hull, but by the time they learn the truth it is too late.

Outgunned – Denny Flowers – Track of Words Outgunned – Denny Flowers – Track of Words

DF: I always feel like I’m still learning my craft, but I have been praised for my characters and dialogue, as well as my handling of plot, pace and structure. I also have an unpleasantly active imagination. Or perhaps it’s just unpleasant. Either way, directing it towards world building is probably for the best. I wouldn’t like to leave it unoccupied for too long. Thanks SO MUCH to Denny Flowers for sending me a copy of Outgunned in exchange for my honest review.

I must admit that while I deeply enjoyed Outgunned’s brilliant narrative, it honestly wasn’t what I was expecting when I first started reading it. Rather than a completely combat/military focused story about battles in the sky, Outgunned is a powerful and intense story that spends just as much time examining the darker aspects of the Imperium of Man as it does facing off against the ork threat. This becomes clear very early on, especially as the opening introduction from Simlex hints at the deceit, cover-up and lies that are to come. However, I was still unprepared for the full extent of the fantastic narrative that Flowers came up with, as he blends a lot of complex themes and components with some exceptional character work and clever universe expansions to create something truly special. Though an exceptional pilot, Shard is not the only hero in her family. Her parents were martyrs who served in the Imperial Guard, and her brothers and sisters are renowned servants of the Imperium, excelling in disparate roles. Though each sibling is an asset, the family’s greater value is as a propaganda tool. The von Shard line is idolised as exemplars of honour, sacrifice, and service to a higher cause. Simlex had previously served in the field with the noble Commissar Tobia von Shard, and it was his recommendation that saw him assigned to Bacchus. Unfortunately, Simlex discovers that Flight Commander Shard has little in common with her brother, and cares nothing for his approval. DF: The story was a natural follow on from The Hand of Harrow, where our heroes’ somewhat rash choices were inevitably going to have consequences. Low Lives opens with the two of them escaping the latest batch of bounty hunters, and life on the run has begun to take its toll. Caleb is drowning his fears and Iktomi is increasingly paranoid and aggressive. Low Lives gave me the chance to explore how they react under pressure, their unusual friendship, and exactly how far each is willing to go to keep their word and honour intact. Braving the foetid waters of Bacchus and its rampaging greenskin hordes, Simlex is tasked with producing a cinema-pict portraying Shard as an Imperial hero. Shortly after his arrival planetside, however, he discovers the war effort is in shambles – the Imperium’s overstretched forces are in full retreat, the local planetary governor is desperately downplaying the conflict at every turn, and Shard is an arrogant misanthrope who only avoids sanction due to her consummate skills. ToW: Why this story? Of all the possible stories you could have written about these characters, what made you go for this one?