A Mote in God's Eye[Spoilers]

[Lonestar]

So, I just started reading this last night(got to the point where the expedition left New Scotland) and I am amazed, yes amazed at the background "Fluff" for the Empire of Man. It is clear to me now that a lot of WH40K Imperium fluff(right down place names) is stolen directly from from A Mote in God's Eye.

Anyone else ever read it?

[Ma Deuce]

Yes, that was a good book. You should also check out the other books in Pournelle's CoDominium series of which this book is a part. Fascinating, if somewhat implausible premise. (the Empire of Man began as a union between the United States and Soviet Union called the CoDominium).

[Imperial Overlord]

I've read it, although not in a long time. I can't recall anything that 40K stole from Empire of Man. Could you use specific examples?

[Lonestar]

I've read it, although not in a long time. I can't recall anything that 40K stole from Empire of Man. Could you use specific examples?

Sure. Besides place names(Tanith, an Admiral is referred to as the "Butcher of Istvan" ) Imperial Marines are feared and are apperently the primary ground forces, Religion plays an important role(a religious contingent associated with the state religion is with the expedition), much of the technology of the past has been lost(in regards to the "First Empire"). Langston Fields appear to be similiar to Void shields, etc.

[Imperial Overlord]

Right Tanith. Forgot about it for a while and yes void shields do share a number of characteristics with Langston fields. By the way, the account of the Second Battle for Tanith in the War World II, Death's Head Rebellion is one of the best space battle stories I've ever read.

The marines don't wash. They are good, but Saurons were much more deadly and Sauron Cyborgs were even worse. At that point in the time period, the Empire has lost some of the high technology of the past and does use religion as a unifying force but it isn't nearly as intense and omnipresent as that of the Imperium. It's worth noting that Pournelle wrote (it takes place in his universe) a whole series of novels covering that universe covering a thousand years of future history. It's only in the last bits, when Second Empire is rising from the ashes of the Secession Wars, that there is lost technology and strong religious forces and even that is transitory as the Empire rebuilds and recovers.

This is, admittedly, the perspective of someone who is familiar with the universe as whole instead of this one slice of it.

[Gil Hamilton]

And keep in mind that Pournelle made up all the past history of the Empire of Man well after "A Mote in God's Eye" was published based on the snippets of detail in the book. Alot of it was, uh, embellished, to say the least, such as the Sauron Supermen. Further, they are Catholic nominally, but not theocratic particularly.

[Imperial Overlord]

And keep in mind that Pournelle made up all the past history of the Empire of Man well after "A Mote in God's Eye" was published based on the snippets of detail in the book. Alot of it was, uh, embellished, to say the least, such as the Sauron Supermen. Further, they are Catholic nominally, but not theocratic particularly.

Pournelle's Codominion universe existed before Mote. High Justice and King David's Spaceship were written before Mote in God's Eye. The Saurons were invented in Mote, but the Codominion, First and Second Empires as well as the Secession War were invented previously.

[Lonestar]

I'll believe that he created a timeline or something, and fleshed it out...but Mote was published in 1973, and all the stuff that jumps out is in the book, unless he dramatically changed it in later printings.