Is there a definitive novel or series to begin with? My search online gives general guidelines on the best stories without really stating what a good starting point would be for the universe. I guess I should also admit that I've never played the tabletop game, so I know almost nothing about the lore. So I'm looking for something to ease me into the universe.


As a note of thanks, here's the full version of the Astartes series:

https://youtu.be/O7hgjuFfn3A

My son is into 40k big time.
I’m a pretty big sci-fi fan myself.
I started with the Ciaphas Cain books. It’s a lighter side of the Imperium of Man.
I enjoyed them.

Thanks. Guess I'll start there. Or maybe the Horus Heresy.

I 100% cannot recommend enough the Gaunt's Ghosts series. It follows a battalion of Imperial Guardsmen through a series of campaigns in order. I really love Dan Abnett's writing style.

The Horus Heresy series is written by something like 20 different authors and almost every book in the series is from a different perspective. Many/most of them are good, but it became a slog after a while for me and I just read all the Dan Abnett ones.

Several of the other popular 40k series are ALSO written by Abnett, but I haven't read them yet, but I will eventually.

I'm dumbfounded that 40k hasn't been turned into a live action movie franchise. I have no good place for you to start, but every time I see anything 40k related, it looks so cool. I know the universe is absolutely huge at this point and there seems like there is 10 movies worth of content.

I used to put models together as a kid and some of the guys had me make and paint their 40k figurines for their games. Such cool figures.

Thanks, Jester814. I look into that series and that author.