Fear the Alien- a new 40k Short Story Competition

[fgalkin]

We’re pleased to announce this open call for Warhammer 40,000 short stories.

Over the next twelve weeks we’re inviting submissions for our new anthology, Fear The Alien. If you fancy yourself as a writer, or just love writing, this is a great chance to get your work in print for the first time.

The Stories

All stories need to be feature a Warhammer 40,000 alien race in some capacity.

All stories need to be set in current 40K universe. Sorry, no Horus Heresy stories!.

Orks as protagonists are not ruled out in this instance.

Please don’t write about existing fictional characters (eg, Uriel Ventris, Eisenhorn).

How to Submit

You must submit a synopsis of no more than 500 words along with a writing sample of between 500 and 1,000 words for consideration by the Black Library editors. If you don’t know what a synopsis is you’ll find a short description below.

Please note that there is a limit of two submissions per person, so make sure to send in your very best ideas.

What Happens Next

The submissions that show the most promise will go forward to a second stage where the selected authors will be asked to write a short story of around 7,000 words. The one story we deem worthy of publication after this stage will appear in Fear The Alien and the author will be paid for his or her work at the standard Black Library short story page rate as well as receiving three sample copies of the book.

Submissions will only be accepted through this online form and the deadline for synopses is Monday 27th July. No feedback will be given on unsuccessful submissions. Successful authors will be notified within eight weeks of this date and then given four weeks to turn their synopsis into a full manuscript. The successful author will then be chosen from these completed stories.

Synopsis

This is a succinct break down of your story, describing in brief what it’s about. Try to think of it as a film pitch – who the story the story is about, where it’s set (the setting) what your characters are doing and why (the set up) and who or what is trying to stop them (the conflict or confrontation). Some of the best short stories often have a twist, too, so try to work one in to your story (the conclusion).

Remember: keep it short and to the point. All we need is roughly what the story is about, not the whole thing!

Rules and regulations

Authors can submit a maximum of two stories.

Successful authors will be notified via email no later than eight weeks after the closing date. Unsuccessful authors will not be notified and any emails received by us enquiring about the status of submissions or asking for feedback on a specific submission will not receive a reply from BL Publishing or its representatives.

The deadline for submissions is Monday 27th July 2009.

Authors who successfully get through the first stage of the submissions process will be given a period of no more than four weeks to produce a manuscript of their short story.

Manuscripts accepted for publication will be paid for at the standard Black Library short story rate – 3 pence per published word. We will also supply you with three free copies of the anthology. All published stories become the property of Games Workshop Ltd. to use in any way they see fit.

Only submissions received through the proper submissions process (detailed above) will be considered. Any submission deemed incomplete, inappropriate and/or offensive will be disqualified.

We will not make any judgements based upon age, sex or level of writing experience. We are looking for great writing that is true to the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Submissions will not be returned.

All submissions must be in English.

The submissions process is not open to any author previously published by The Black Library.

Click Me!

All right, ya grotz and skvigz! Last time we'z got close, but we aint got none uv dem oomie cigarz. Dis time, dis gonna be different! Weze gonna show dem BL boyz vho da biggest and da meanest vritaz in all da Ooniverse!

Whoz viv me?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Ford Prefect]

Can you say Da Transporta?

[Peptuck]

Can you say Da Transporta?

Oh hell yes.

[Ford Prefect]

I can't say I've had much incentive to actually write a story about an Ork who drives shit around in his jalopy, but hey, they might appreciate an extended and ridiculous car chase.

[Lord Relvenous]

Can you say Da Transporta?

Do it.

I'll have to think about whether or not I want to try this. I'm fair at writing, but most of my detailed 40K knowledge is Imperium and Chaos related. You're entering then, fgalkin?

[open_sketchbook]

I'm actually totally finished my mod work for the next 2 months so I'm going to take a swing at this. I'm feeling something Tau, something mecha, but it may just be because I just got back from Anime North.

[Juubi Karakuchi]

Many thanks for mentioning this. I've always wanted to enter, but I keep missing it.

[Revy]

Sweet, thanks for the info. Question though - the writing sample you send in addition to your synopsis, is it meant to be a sample of the story itself, or just a general sample of your writing? Does anyone know?

[fgalkin]

Sweet, thanks for the info. Question though - the writing sample you send in addition to your synopsis, is it meant to be a sample of the story itself, or just a general sample of your writing? Does anyone know?

You can send in any writing sample, but it is recommended you send in a fragment of the story, as it gives them an idea of what it will be like.

And yes, I will be entering this one. Hopefully, I'll do better than last time.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[NecronLord]

Sooo... Time I wrote another necron story?

I'm thinking of a basic 'base under seige' scenario based on the idea (in the new rulebook) that other races have scavenged necron communications repeaters across the galaxy. The guard/navy shall have to hold such a facility against the terrible monsters, and then they will be rescued by space marines.

[Revy]

I'm gonna go for a 'nids story. With extra flamethrowers. I wonder if I could get away with that classic Aliens line; "They're coming outta the walls, they're coming outta the goddamn walls!"

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

40k frequently throws in all manner of references to other 80s sci-fi (among other things), so it certainly wouldn't be unprecedented.

[Revy]

Does anyone know anything about the Hellguns used by Imperial Guard Storm Troopers? One of my stories is a Storm Trooper squad POV, and whilst I know how most Warhammer weapons work, I've got nothing that details what Hellguns are, how they work, how many shots they have etc. Not important if you're just playing a 40k game, but if you're writing about them then it'd be a help to know, and I can't find anything.

Also, I'm trying to track down the two remaining C'Tan, but I can't figure out where the hell they are. It seems to be widely agreed that the Void Dragon is on Mars and is the Machine God some people worship, but reading through the Corteswain fluff from the Necron codex all I get is seriously confused. For example, he says he was captured on a dead world on the eastern fringe called Cthelmax, and that he was then brought before the Machine God, which would seem to suggest that (if the Machine God is indeed the Void Dragon) that it is *not* on Mars at all, but this world Cthelmax.

But it gets muddier. Earlier Corteswain seems to be talking about the Outsider - "The One who lives Beyond, the Lord of insanity," (which is about the only defining characteristic of the Outsider I can find). He even says that when on Cthelmax he was attacked by Emissaries of "The One who dwells Beyond", again making it sound as if he is talking about the Outsider. Yet after that, he seems to be describing the Machine God (which he describes as being Necron/C'Tan from the sounds of things).

So who is Corteswain talking about? On the one hand he seems to be implying that he was captured by forces of the Outsider on Cthelmax, and then discarded because his bionic implants marked him as being a follower of the Machine God (Void Dragon?). Then again, when he describes his captivity he seems to be suggesting that it was the Machine God he was brought before, not the Outsider. Surely the Outsider is not the Machine God? All hints seem to point towards the Void Dragon being the technically inclined C'Tan, and the Outsider being a C'Tan that just sends people mad.

To add to this, Phineus (the character questioning him) says that he is trying to find out about a series of incidents "In the north eastern reaches of the Segmentum Solar, some nine hundred light years below the galactic plane," in which several outposts were attacked, and the survivors went mad and killed each other. This certainly sounds like the work of the Outsider more than anything else. But ... does that mean the Outsider is already active and attacking places?

Well looking at the map provided with the Codex, we have the very Necron world of Naogeddon in the north eastern fringe of the galaxy, but there is also a massive artificial construct well below the galactic plane that the Tyranid hive fleets are avoiding. Are either of those pottential locations of the Outsider? And if so, how does that fit with Corteswain being attacked on the eastern fringe world of Cthelmax? And which C'Tan, if either, did he encounter?

The whole thing is bugging me. I need to try and work out, at the very least, where the Outsider is for the purposes of my story, but I can't make heads nor tails of it from the fluff I've read so far. Can anyone help?

[The Grim Squeaker]

Well, The Horus Heresy book Mechanicum all but outright states that it's the Void Dragon on mars.
(It's an ancient "Dragon" that was subdued by the Emperor, and is the source of the Mechanicum's mechanical inspirations and the "Great lie of Mars").

[ray245]

For one, it will be interesting to have a story where a relativity stable world that has a high standard of living, as well as being rather out of the loop with the chaos that is going around the galaxy getting invaded by the Imperium's enemies.

[NecronLord]

Does anyone know anything about the Hellguns used by Imperial Guard Storm Troopers? One of my stories is a Storm Trooper squad POV, and whilst I know how most Warhammer weapons work, I've got nothing that details what Hellguns are, how they work, how many shots they have etc. Not important if you're just playing a 40k game, but if you're writing about them then it'd be a help to know, and I can't find anything.

Bigger lasguns. Hundreds or thousands of shots depending on setting, as they tend to be powered by backpack power supplies.

Also, I'm trying to track down the two remaining C'Tan, but I can't figure out where the hell they are. It seems to be widely agreed that the Void Dragon is on Mars and is the Machine God some people worship, but reading through the Corteswain fluff from the Necron codex all I get is seriously confused. For example, he says he was captured on a dead world on the eastern fringe called Cthelmax, and that he was then brought before the Machine God, which would seem to suggest that (if the Machine God is indeed the Void Dragon) that it is *not* on Mars at all, but this world Cthelmax.

But it gets muddier. Earlier Corteswain seems to be talking about the Outsider - "The One who lives Beyond, the Lord of insanity," (which is about the only defining characteristic of the Outsider I can find). He even says that when on Cthelmax he was attacked by Emissaries of "The One who dwells Beyond", again making it sound as if he is talking about the Outsider. Yet after that, he seems to be describing the Machine God (which he describes as being Necron/C'Tan from the sounds of things).

So who is Corteswain talking about? On the one hand he seems to be implying that he was captured by forces of the Outsider on Cthelmax, and then discarded because his bionic implants marked him as being a follower of the Machine God (Void Dragon?). Then again, when he describes his captivity he seems to be suggesting that it was the Machine God he was brought before, not the Outsider. Surely the Outsider is not the Machine God? All hints seem to point towards the Void Dragon being the technically inclined C'Tan, and the Outsider being a C'Tan that just sends people mad.

The Deceiver also delights in rendering its victims insane. Cypher (that guy) confronted the Deceiver upon the world of Cthelmax and was defeated, losing his C'tan phase knife in the process.

It's quite likely written as being the Deceiver, not the Outsider. However, the theory that 'The Outsider is trapped in a dyson sphere' is so prevalant online, I'd not be at all surprised if it gets into the canon.

As for ambiguity - not really. The Void Dragon is the Machine God, yes. But that doesn't mean the other C'tan don't have equal technological skills and knowledge - the Void Dragon happens to be the one on Mars who inspired the machine cult.

To add to this, Phineus (the character questioning him) says that he is trying to find out about a series of incidents "In the north eastern reaches of the Segmentum Solar, some nine hundred light years below the galactic plane," in which several outposts were attacked, and the survivors went mad and killed each other. This certainly sounds like the work of the Outsider more than anything else. But ... does that mean the Outsider is already active and attacking places?

Well looking at the map provided with the Codex, we have the very Necron world of Naogeddon in the north eastern fringe of the galaxy, but there is also a massive artificial construct well below the galactic plane that the Tyranid hive fleets are avoiding. Are either of those pottential locations of the Outsider? And if so, how does that fit with Corteswain being attacked on the eastern fringe world of Cthelmax? And which C'Tan, if either, did he encounter?

Naogeddon is the tomb world of the Deceiver. It is featured in the short story Deus Ex Mechanicus.

The whole thing is bugging me. I need to try and work out, at the very least, where the Outsider is for the purposes of my story, but I can't make heads nor tails of it from the fluff I've read so far. Can anyone help?

The Outsider's location is unknown, and it is not yet active. It is, however, almost certainly one of the locations on the Eldar map in 5th ed, labelled as 'monitored site' - the other three C'tan tombworlds (Mars, Naogeddon and Pavonis) are there. The other remaining candidates are 'Talismans of Vaul' (Unlikely. These are the Blackstone Fortresses. While there were necrons on them according to one 13th Black Crusade scenario, they were small in number) 'Shrine of Elronhir' 'Ath-Ethon' 'Lyriax' (Lyriax is the eldar name of the dyson sphere, the eldar codex shows the same anomalous hive fleet movements around it) and 'The Moon of Nightmares'.

My money would be on that last being the location of the Outsider, from its name. However, as I've said, Lyriax is likely to become the canonical home of the Outsider if they ever do anything with him.

However, in all honesty, for some free advice - make it a necron lord. There's no way they'll let an unknown author write a story featuring one of the unexplored C'tan in any kind of detail. They're a limited resource for the studio to develop in the future.

[Revy]

Bigger lasguns. Hundreds or thousands of shots depending on setting, as they tend to be powered by backpack power supplies.

The fluff I have read called them compact melta guns, and the storm trooper models do not have backpacks on (save for those Kaskrin (sp?) ones). Also, I've read that storm troopers initially used hot-shot laser guns (which used backpacks) but later replaced them with hellguns. If the hellguns are a compact melta type gun, thousands of shots seem unlikely. Since my story with them involves them emptying their guns into endless swarms of 'nids, finding out how much ammo a hellgun has is kinda important, though I might be able to write around it.

The Deceiver also delights in rendering its victims insane. Cypher (that guy) confronted the Deceiver upon the world of Cthelmax and was defeated, losing his C'tan phase knife in the process.

It's quite likely written as being the Deceiver, not the Outsider.

Even though he calls it the 'One Who Dwells Beyond, the Lord of Insanity'? That sounds as close to a description of the Outsider as one can possibly come up with. The Deciever already has a hundred odd different names, any one of which could have been used instead of a vague description that sounds for all the world like the Outsider.

However, the theory that 'The Outsider is trapped in a dyson sphere' is so prevalant online, I'd not be at all surprised if it gets into the canon.

Do we know it is a Dyson Sphere? I mean it's a spherical artificial construct that's very big, but isn't it just as likely to be a Necron Death Star or man (necron) made planetoid? Besides, I thought it was said that each C'Tan went to sleep on a dead world. If the Outsider was trapped, I would have thought some mention would have been made, and how would anything solid trap a C'Tan anyway? Even in physical form they can pass through solid matter at will. Plus, the fluff says that the Outsider will be drawn into the conflicts of the current era, drawn to feast with the other C'Tan. That makes it sound like he's just going to wake up, look around, and say 'Oh, you guys are up already, cool, I'll join in too,' although perhaps in a slightly more insane way.

Naogeddon is the tomb world of the Deceiver. It is featured in the short story Deus Ex Mechanicus.

I wish then that the online wiki's and encylopedia for Warhammer would mention things like that, even if they marked it as SPOILERS. None of them say that, and it would have been handy to know. Thanks for that though^

The Outsider's location is unknown, and it is not yet active.

If it's not yet active, then what caused those incidents where people went mad an started killing each other? Just some random Necron wargear? The way it's described, it sounds exactly like the Outsiders MO - people go insane around him and would rather kill themselves than be around him. I guess he might have Necron followers able to emulate his powers/nature.

It is, however, almost certainly one of the locations on the Eldar map in 5th ed, labelled as 'monitored site' - the other three C'tan tombworlds (Mars, Naogeddon and Pavonis) are there.

Just out of curiosity, is that 'monitored site' below the galactic plane and/or in the north east fringe of the galaxy? That's where those insanity outbreaks occured, and if the planet on that map is in that region it would all but confirm that it is the location of the Outsider.

The other remaining candidates are 'Talismans of Vaul'

One of the earliest mentions of the C'Tan was that they lay beyond the Gates of Vaul, and one of the fluff pieces in the Necron Codex details someone being interrogated for trying to pass through the Gates of Vaul, and act apparently punishable by death. What are the Gates of Vaul?

'Shrine of Elronhir' 'Ath-Ethon' 'Lyriax' (Lyriax is the eldar name of the dyson sphere, the eldar codex shows the same anomalous hive fleet movements around it) and 'The Moon of Nightmares'.

My money would be on that last being the location of the Outsider, from its name. However, as I've said, Lyriax is likely to become the canonical home of the Outsider if they ever do anything with him.

What is the moon of nightmares? Is that from the Eldar Codex as well? It might be worth grabbing one if it has info on the C'Tan in it.

However, in all honesty, for some free advice - make it a necron lord. There's no way they'll let an unknown author write a story featuring one of the unexplored C'tan in any kind of detail. They're a limited resource for the studio to develop in the future.

Yeah, I figured as much, but since we get the chance to submit two stories, I figured I could take the risk with one of my entries and play it safe with the other.

Thanks for the info.

[Ford Prefect]

Do we know it is a Dyson Sphere?

The Imperium is pretty sure that it's something like that; it's marked as something like 'unknown object, Dyson Sphere?' on an Imperial map of the galaxy.

[NecronLord]

Bigger lasguns. Hundreds or thousands of shots depending on setting, as they tend to be powered by backpack power supplies.

The fluff I have read called them compact melta guns, and the storm trooper models do not have backpacks on (save for those Kaskrin (sp?) ones). Also, I've read that storm troopers initially used hot-shot laser guns (which used backpacks) but later replaced them with hellguns. If the hellguns are a compact melta type gun, thousands of shots seem unlikely. Since my story with them involves them emptying their guns into endless swarms of 'nids, finding out how much ammo a hellgun has is kinda important, though I might be able to write around it.

Hellguns aren't meltaguns, they're souped up high penetration laserguns. And... yeah. Backpacks often seems the norm. Otherwise... According to Dark Heresy, you get forty shots from a clip, and they take a surprising amount of time to reload.

Even though he calls it the 'One Who Dwells Beyond, the Lord of Insanity'? That sounds as close to a description of the Outsider as one can possibly come up with.

Not at all. Dwells beyond? That just means 'lives on the other side of that portal' and Lord of Insanity - well, sending people insane fits that bill nicely. The Outsider is, really, a big unknown.

Do we know it is a Dyson Sphere? I mean it's a spherical artificial construct that's very big,

It's 1.04 AU or something. The thing in the Corstewain story wraps around a star, if you remember.

but isn't it just as likely to be a Necron Death Star or man (necron) made planetoid? Besides, I thought it was said that each C'Tan went to sleep on a dead world. If the Outsider was trapped, I would have thought some mention would have been made, and how would anything solid trap a C'Tan anyway? Even in physical form they can pass through solid matter at will. Plus, the fluff says that the Outsider will be drawn into the conflicts of the current era, drawn to feast with the other C'Tan. That makes it sound like he's just going to wake up, look around, and say 'Oh, you guys are up already, cool, I'll join in too,' although perhaps in a slightly more insane way.

This is why it's a lame notion that the Outsider is stuck there.

The Dyson Sphere, if you read the page next to it in the codex, is generating an increasing area of null-warp all around itself. That ain't likely to be something the Laughing God would build.

As for the current era - yeah, but that's a prophecy of doom. Another talks about 'long millennia' to construct the Great Ward. We're outright told only two are yet active, and that's not changed.

If it's not yet active, then what caused those incidents where people went mad an started killing each other? Just some random Necron wargear? The way it's described, it sounds exactly like the Outsiders MO - people go insane around him and would rather kill themselves than be around him. I guess he might have Necron followers able to emulate his powers/nature.

All necrons have access to such technology. It's part of the suite in the Sepulchure on their warships, and the Nightmare Field seems a scaled down version.

Just out of curiosity, is that 'monitored site' below the galactic plane and/or in the north east fringe of the galaxy? That's where those insanity outbreaks occured, and if the planet on that map is in that region it would all but confirm that it is the location of the Outsider.

No way to tell on its plane. However, No, not North East of Segmentum Solar, AFAIK. I'm not a fan of 'north/east/south/west in SPAAACE' mind.

One of the earliest mentions of the C'Tan was that they lay beyond the Gates of Vaul,

Varl, not Vaul. The Gates of Varl are a region of space between Terra and Naogeddon, and there are hints that they may be far more than that.

What is the moon of nightmares? Is that from the Eldar Codex as well? It might be worth grabbing one if it has info on the C'Tan in it.

Unknown. It's just a name and a map location.

[Raxmei]

A Hellgun is an advanced form of lasgun that utilises a high energy laser beam.

What fluff did you read that describes them as melta weapons?

[Revy]

A Hellgun is an advanced form of lasgun that utilises a high energy laser beam.

What fluff did you read that describes them as melta weapons?

My bad, it wasn't fluff it was a Warhammer 40k fansite - I was just suffering a memory short circuit. Hellguns = fancy lasers, got it. Thanks

[Shroom Man 777]

Hellguns are just lasguns that shoot more powerful beams at faster rates of fire.


It would be cool to see a story dealing about Chaos seeping into Tau society, and a hardboiled Tau detective's attempt to weed out the cult conspiracy. While monologuing!

TAUSENHORN!

[Aaron]

Hellguns are just lasguns that shoot more powerful beams at faster rates of fire.


It would be cool to see a story dealing about Chaos seeping into Tau society, and a hardboiled Tau detective's attempt to weed out the cult conspiracy. While monologuing!

TAUSENHORN!

Clearly you should submit that.

Anyways, glad to see this. I've been hoping for stories from a xeno point of view for a while now. How long do these usually take to get to print?

[Shroom Man 777]

I know next to nothing about the Tau except that they're a bunch of slack-jawed grots, and that this stuff'll make them a bunch of sexual Krootoxes.

[Samuel]

I know next to nothing about the Tau except that they're a bunch of slack-jawed grots, and that this stuff'll make them a bunch of sexual Krootoxes.

I'd like to point out they live only about 50 years so they have to be busy to get up the next generation. Also, if you could work in the line "It is for the Greater Good"...

Just don't make them humans without noses. They are Stalinists In Space which makes them slightly more liberal than the Imperium as a whole. Unlike the Imperium they don't have thousands of years of past to call upon, a huge industrial base or a large amount of territory- they are at the mercy of much larger powers and they are beginning to learn that.