Outgunned (Warhammer 40,000)

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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? I enjoy working out. In theory anyway; I haven’t really done it properly for years. But I’m hopeful that if I bring it up here it will shame me into getting off my butt. So if you happen to run into me feel free to ask how the gym is going so I can shuffle my feet awkwardly before throwing a smoke bomb and fleeing. Simlex’s cynicism develops interestingly; but his creeping horror as it dawns on him that the simple caricature of orks he has been raised to expect is a dangerous lie is excellently portrayed. Likewise the slow peeling away of Shard’s protective(?) personality and the uncovering of the cause of Bacchus’ decay and blight. His trio of servo skulls help progress the plot unobtrusively and I *really* appreciate the way that their use as translation devices is gradually introduced- the Xenos in this book, unlike several recent titles, aren’t conveniently fluent in Gothic. DF: Caleb Cursebound is the Underhive’s ninth most dangerous man, and a skilled thief, fighter, lover and liar. Probably. There are certainly plenty of stories that paint this picture, though the origin of most of these stories appears to be Caleb himself. He is prone to arrogance, greed, drunkenness, and not considering the consequences of his actions. However, Caleb has one redeeming quality, something rather unusual for the Underhive; in his heart he is a hero. Not because of a desire for glory and fame (though that certainly is a driving force too), but because somewhere under his neuroses and insecurities is a spark of goodness, and an unwillingness to look the other way. 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!).

ToW: To start things off, how would you describe Outgunned, and what readers can expect from it? What sort of story is it? DF: I just hope they enjoy it; I’m so grateful for this opportunity and the chance to write for a company that has been a big part of my life for at least twenty years (man I’m old…). I think it will appeal to fans who like their sci-fi a little more low-key and character driven. Its tone is a little closer to Firefly than Star Wars.It’s not often we get to witness tales of aeronautical derring-do in the 41st Millennium, but now the action ascends to the skies in Outgunned by Denny Flowers. The pilots of the Aeronautica Imperialis have been thrown into battle against hordes of Ork flyboyz, and propagandist Kile Simlex has been sent to capture the exploits of ace pilot Lucille Von Shard! …if only things were going as well as he was told. Can Trooper Torvin earn the respect of Colonel ‘Hell Fist’ Alvaron and his Catachan Devils? Because if not, they may turn out to be even more dangerous to his health than the Orks… Denny Flowers: Outgunned is the story of Propagandist Kile Simlex’s attempts to produce a cinema-pict depicting the brave pilots of the Aeronautica Imperialis. Simlex has lofty aspirations for the pict, envisioning it as his magnum opus, featuring the fearless Flight Commander Lucille von Shard’s victory over craven ork invaders. DF: I love the cover! Though I think the tone is a little more WW1. I say that because, by WW2, I think most people considered the war a necessary sacrifice to oppose the Axis powers. But in WW1 there remained a romanticised view of war, an expectation that glorious victory would come any day and life would return to normal by Christmas. Only those who had seen frontline combat knew what was really happening.

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.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. Characters themselves are top notch ones. Lucille von Shard - a bratty and rebellious airhead rebel, best ace in the Imperium and a woman with a heavy burden on her soul. Lady-Governor Dolos - a magnificient queen of a dying world. Flight Sergeant Plient - a cheerful and competent soldier not unlike Jenit Sulla from Ciaphas Cain series. And of course many more others. I play various games depending on my time constraints. Currently I’m in my third Blood Bowl league; it’s such a well-designed game and it fits neatly into my gaming time constraints. I’m also painting up some Death Guard that have only been sitting on my painting table for a couple of years, an impressive turnaround for me.

I can’t recall how many times I’ve read Catch 22 (teenage obsession exacerbated it being a set text a few years later), and as soon as I read that Outgunned was occurring in the Yossarian sub sector I was predisposed to enjoy the book. That sort of real-world nod can sometimes be too on-the-nose, but while Outgunned employs some of the same archetypes as Catch 22, it only recalls the spirit of the earlier book rather than retreading it. I’m telling the story through the eyes of an Imperial Propagandist, Flowers gives us a good outsider’s perspective not just on the conflict on Bacchus, but also on the realities of life in the military wings of the Imperium of Man as opposed to how Simlex and his colleagues present it. 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. 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. I also deeply enjoyed how Flowers paired Simlex with three servo-skulls who are linked to him mentally. These skulls (literal skulls that have been turned into drones) are specifically altered to act as Simlex’s cameras, and he uses them to record the combat footage and gather information as he attempts to unravel the conspiracies of Bacchus. The powerful link he has to these skulls ensures that his mind is often split between different perspectives, and he often views the world through these robotic eyes. This unique method of viewing the world becomes a key part of Simlex’s character, and it was fascinating to see how connected he was to his floating skulls, who almost become characters in their own right. Simlex proved to be an impressive centre for this entire narrative, and his dark and compelling view of the world really helped to shape this awesome book. Outgunned served as an impressive standalone entry in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and I deeply enjoyed how self-contained the narrative turned out to be. Flowers also did a great job explaining most of the relevant Warhammer 40,000 elements featured within Outgunned, and I felt that this book can be easily enjoyed by most science fiction fans, although established Warhammer fans will probably get the most out of it. I loved some of the very unique Warhammer 40,000 aspects that Flowers featured in Outgunned, as the author came up with some fantastic new elements that added so much more to the story. I personally thought that Flowers did a really good job examining the Imperium through his character’s eyes, and you really get to see a fun new edge to it. Not only do you get to see the Aeronautica Imperialis in action, which will appeal to many Imperial Guard fans, but you also get a cool viewpoint of the Imperium’s propaganda department. Watching the protagonist dive into the techniques and motivations of the Imperial propagandists is quite fascinating, and it gives another great edge to the already dark and gothic Imperium that make you understand that deep down, they really aren’t the good guys they try to make out. Throw in a fun blast of Imperial politics, as a corrupt planetary governor can manipulate the Astra Militarum for their own selfish ends, as well as some dark viewpoints of the brainwashing of young soldiers that occurred to certain characters, and you have a great, cynical view of the Imperium that I deeply enjoyed.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. ToW: What would you say your strengths are as a writer? Alternatively, what do you enjoy writing the most?