Hello Jack -- no, you're not the first, I'm afraid. Pipped at the post by Trevor (by about 13 minutes, and only a couple of hours after the site went live!). Thanks for your comments, and as for Eldar Prophecy ... well, there is already a partial sequel in the form of the short story in the Dark Millennium anthology. As for another novel ... you'll have to wait and see!

CSG

Name: Cry Wolf, Email: <> Date: 3rd July 2007

There is only one thing I'd like to demand of you, Mr Goto, and that's a Mantis Warrior book! They rock!! So, when can I expect it?

Believe me, Cry Wolf, you are not the only person to have made this demand. I think that the Mantis Warriors have excited the imagination of a lot of readers, and quite right too because they're a really fascinating and unusual Chapter, with lots of mysterious stories lurking in their past. I am pondering the contours of their Chapter's story, and I promise to get back to you about it ...

Caio, CSG

Name: Luis, Email: lguillenre@yahoo.es, Date: 9th July 2007

Hi Mr.Goto, first i want to congratulate you for all your books, particulary the Dawn of War saga.I think it´s one of the best stories of the Black Library. The interaction between eldars and space marines is my favourite theme of the WH40K. However, i think you will be agree with me that the story is unfinished: the fate of the demon Maledictum, that "mysterious" bond between Gabriel and Macha, the
true origins of the Blood Ravens, how Gabriel is designated Chapter Master,etc. I just know that it´s only my opinion, but i´d want to introduce my question: Will you continue the Dawn of War Saga? I really encourage you to continue, i´m too submerged in the story and with its characters (particulary with Gabriel and Macha). Whichever it is your decision, thank you very much for your books, and for the time you spent to write them.

Yours faithfully

LUIS

Hi Luis, thanks for this. I'm delighted that you're enjoying the DoW saga so much that you would be interested in seeing some further installments. There will be some extra material in the omnibus, including an all new short story. As for another cycle of novels, well ... I too think that there is a lot still to be explored, so you may see something in the not-too-distant future.

Take it easy, CSG

Name: Brad stephenson AKA Insaniac, Email: darktemplar88@hotmail.com, Date: 9th July 2007

hi

i love reading the deathwatch novels and i like some of the marines charecteristics, it was great that two of the orignal character returned in the second novel and liked how the Ulthwe eldar were portrayed (my fave craftworld).

i'm writing a some fiction my self revolving around a world and a chapter of my own and i like some tips on how to write as i tend not to give enough details or go too fast in the plot ... [edited details out] ... what do you think?

Name: Agathon, Email: pauli.korgan@suomi24.fi, Date: 10th July 2007

First I must comment on the new website, I really like it! The Q&A's were more or less just pure gold and I really enjoyed reading them.

I would like to extend my gratitude for Mr. Goto that finally someone managed to write an exciting and interesting novel about the Eldar. Eldar Prophecy was indeed something very *different* and thus made it my number one favourite book. It was really pleasing to "get in touch" with the aliens themselves and to get a glimpse of this Craftworld Kaelor. Can't wait for the Dawn of War omnibus either.

I hope that during the next year or so, we will have a sequel to Eldar Prophecy and before that a new installment in the Deathwatch series. I really enjoy reading Mr. Goto's work, since it isn't typical "Marines/IG kicking arse". Thank you for bringing different points of view in the Warhammer 40k universe!

Hi Agathon.

Eldar Prophecy was a tricky book to write, precisely because of the need to strike a balance between demonstrating the 'alienness' of the eldar and keeping them comprehensible to us mere humans. I'm really pleased that you found it interesting and accessible, since I know that some people have found it more challenging than they usually expect from a BL book. On that topic, I'm happy to hear that you like my approach to the 40K-verse, and that you find it different from some of the other approaches. Having people like you appreciate what I do makes it all worthwhile, so thanks for that!

CSG

Name: James, Email: jameslarssun@yahoo.com, Date 18th July 2007

I love your series Dawn of War and also think that alien and human relations are the best theme. By the way is there going to be another book for the Dawn of War series?
THANK YOU AND KEEP WRITING THE AWSOME BOOKS!

Cheers James. Thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to write them to me. As for DoW -- yes, there will be the omnibus in early 2008, with some new material and some other stuff. I am pondering some ways in which the Blood Ravens might be developed, so another novel is not out of the question. Anyway, thanks again.

CSG

Name: Bryan, Email: bryanvogel@comcast.com, Date: 21st July 2007

I really enjoyed your novel Warrior Brood. It was fresh and exciting and really introduced me to the Deathwatch, whom I really hadn't heard much about, despite being a strong fan of WH40k fluff and fiction. I went into reading Warrior Coven and the DOW novels with high hopes and expectations, since the Eldar are very close to my heart. However, I was slightly disturbed and shocked by your portrayal of the Eldar. The Eldar are a proud race, yes, and I enjoyed reading their high handedness towards the space marines, but they are not ones to make deals with Slaanesh, their arch-enemy. Also, I was irritated that the Eldar in Warrior Coven were willing to sacrifice their own to save themselves. This is not something an Eldar would ever even consider. Eldar have always been a cautious, calculating race, always looking to the future, and their foresight rarely fails them. Yet in DOW, Macha again and again makes vague prophecies that lead the Eldar blindly into battle with severe casualties. Un-eldarlike. If you want inspiration for a novel portraying the pride and "bad side" of the Eldar without making deals with daemons or leading them down paths of self-destruction, read Farseer or Shadowpoint. Both show certain dark sides of the Eldar nature, without the hopeless, dark, and ultimately, bad light you have put on them. Please give Eldar (and their fans) some hope, or move onto a different alien subject (like you did in Warrior Brood) for your next project .

Hey Bryan,

Thanks very much for your insightful email and its constructive criticism. I'm pleased that you found Warrior Brood enjoyable, and I'm sorry that my portrayal of the eldar disturbed you in Warrior Coven. I know that you are not the only one who feels this way, and I realise that the eldar excite some strong emotions; they should because they are very interesting, and they're certainly my own favourite species from the WH40K universe!

It seems that we can agree that the eldar are an arrogant and high-handed race, so I'm pleased that you think I pitched their attitude towards the Space Marines appropriately. As for making deals with Slaanesh ... I'm reasonably sure that it was the Dark Eldar who did this in Warrior Coven, not the eldar themselves. However, I do posit the eldar doing this in another book, and in that case it was done deliberately to show how atrophid and decadent a specific group of eldar had become ... echoing the eldar from before The Fall, from the time when they summoned Slaanesh into being in the first place. OF COURSE this is not behaviour that eldar would condone these days, and this is precisely why it's so horrible when it happens. This is the eldar equivalent of heresy; it is a profound betrayal. Hence, I don't think we disagree about what the eldar should be doing, but I would disagree if you were to suggest that I (or anyone else) must always portray eldar behaving in (their own unique version of ) morally perfect ways. Not all men in the Imperial behave as men 'should,' so why should all eldar fit into a cookie-cutter? The eldar psyche is deeply flawed: the tension between their extreme emotions and their need to restrain them or face doom defines their species. Some will fall. This is inevitable. The fact that I show some eldar in this light doesn't mean that I dislike them, rather I think it's necessary to explore all sides of the eldar psyche. Showing the negative helps to highlight the (very many) fantastic features of the eldar.

As for sacrificing some of their own kind in order to save a greater number of their own kind: this seems perfectly eldar-y to me! It is a merciless calculation based on visions of the future and burning self-interest. Ulthran was renowned for precisely such actions and calculations, based on visions of a future too distant and far too complicated for the human mind to comprehend. In the case of WC, we're talking about exchanging a few eldar souls for the survival of an entire craftworld!

And finally, when it comes to the eldar in the first DoW book, I'd like to note that I share some of your frustrations about the behaviour of Macha in the PC game, which I novelized but did not script. The PC game and the WH40K fluff are not quite on the same page there. We can only hope that she's acting out of some grand plan that will gradually be revealed later ... That is certainly how I tried to interpret things in the sequels. Do you think that Macha is better (ie. more like an eldar) in the next two books, I wonder?

Anyway, thanks for tasking the time to write, Bryan. Let me know what you think of Eldar Prophecy when you get chance to read it. Meanwhile, you can rest assured that my next Deathwatch book is not going to feature the eldar!

CSG

Name: chris morrison, Email: Tethys@supanet.com, Date: 22nd July 2007

hi goto, got a couple of questions.

i must ask why did you <spoiler in black> kill off octavius in warrior coven <end> he was the best character in the book (btw: very good ending, probably the best ending in a black libary book, and i did not see it coming!)

do you know if there will be a a sequel to the dawn of war game, and if so will you be writing the book for it?

also do you know the orgins of the blood ravens or are you a clueless as the rest of us?

one more thing i almost for got. i want to thank you for writing warrior brood. it was the first "proper book" i read. i have suffered from a strong form of dyslexia that effected my reading really badly. your book helped me get over it and has encouraged me to improve my reading to the point where i can pick a book and read it.

Hi Chris,

Great to hear from you, and especially to hear that you've been enjoying this stuff. Your email is very touching, and I hardly know what to say. Thanks so much for sharing this and for letting me post it here.

As for your questions: You're not the only one to find that death surprising, and I've had a lot of feedback about how the surprise of it really added to the impact of the book. One of the key things to remember about WH40K is that it is set in a time of perpetual war. Space Marines, even Space Marines in the Deathwatch, are soldiers and we must expect them to die in the line of duty all the time. Even great heroes die and, in some respects, nobody should really notice or care when they do -- this is the great tragedy of the setting, and it's something that needs pointing out from time to time: all Space Marines are heroes ... but they're all going to die.

As forthe DoW game: I have no idea about the sequel, although I assume that there will be one since the first one (and its varioous expansion sets) was such a huge success. We'll see about the novel as and when it becomes an issue.

Ah yes, the million doilar question: what are the origins of the Blood Ravens? I have an idea, of course. The novels set up a few different possibilities and hypotheses, and I certainly know where I'd like to take things ...

Thanks again, Chris, and take care,

CSG

Name: kosmo kramer, Email: godofwarforever@hotmail.com, Date: 3rd August 2007

hey! i love all your books but what happened to the short story from inferno?

Hi Kosmo,

Thanks for this. And just for you, the short story you're looking for is here.

Cheers, CSG

Name: Paul, Email: p.m.abbott@btinternet.com, Date: 8th August 2007

The dog's nuts!
All I can say is keep 'em coming! and thank you for many hours of happy page turning. Looking forward to another DOW!

Cheers Paul! I hope you'll enjoy the Omnibus. Lots of pages to turn in that ...

CSG

Name: Kirk Coughlin, Email: vertroueenmauser@hotmail.com, Date: 19th August 2007

Thank you so much for bringing to life the Deathwatch and keeping the WH40K universe as it should be: a bloody place where millions die and no one bats an eyelash. I'll admit I was a bit upset with you when a certain character died, but hey, thats 40K.
Its the way its *supposed to be. :)

Excellent writing, both novels kept me reading through most of the night (who needs sleep?), then suffering through work the next day (evidently I do). :D

Since no one has asked, I will. Will there be a third Deathwatch book?

Thanks much, and keep up the very fine work.

-Kirk

Hi Kirk -- yep, I think that it's an important aspect of 40K that no matter how much of a hero someone is, they're still going die, and probably die unpleasantly in battle. In a time of constant war, there's always a better warrior out there, after all. At the end of the day, even Space Marines are soldiers, so they must accept that death is their business, and we must accept that when they finally die another will simple step into their place to carry on the fight ... sometimes without any sense that anything out of the ordinary has happened. I'm really pleased that you liked the understated death of one of my Deathwatch marines (I can guess which one!) -- that seems to be a favourite scene with many people.

Anyway, as for another Deathwatch book ... yes, it's on its way! I can tell you this much ...

... the aliens will be fighting for the Greater Good ...

Cheers, CSG

Name: Jeff, Email: <>, Date: 27th August 2007

hi goto

since you will skillfully avoid the key questions, i will not ask them, instead i will ask you random questions that i want to know.

what is your fav race in 40k and why? i like chaos we all know they will win in the end. though for some strange reason i perfer the imperium to win in the black library books.

do you think the the imperium can last or is it doom to fail like the eldar empire and be replaced by the tau? for me they just have too many enemies.

what kind of freedom are you allowed to write in the 40k universe? eg. you would not be allowed to wright about the emperor come back to life.

when can we expect the next book to come out can not wait!
well thats all i can think of thanks -- jeff

Thanks for writing your random questions, Jeff.

Let me see whether I can avoid answering them:

1. definitely the eldar. They are mysterious, stylish, wise, elegant and somehow outside of our normal sense of good and evil. There is something deliciously and distastefully cunning about them, despite their apparent good will. I love the 'ancient and lost' aspect of them, and the spiritual splendour of the Aspect Warriors. There's real depth to the eldar, and their Fall was a genuine tragedy, even if it did open the doors for mankind to dominate the galaxy (for better or (usually) worse).

2. i think that the Imperium is such a MASSIVE edifice full of such variety and range that there will always be elements of it that will survive, no matter what. Even if those elements are Chaotic ... Of course, the Imperium also has its own secret weapon in the form of the Emperor himself, and I cannot imagine that he will ever vanish from the scene.

3. good question, and I guess that I have answered more fully in the 'positions' section of this website. check it out. Basically, however, I don't think that any of the BL writers are really allowed to touch the Emperor, except in the Horus Heresy series, of course.

CSG

Name: Harry Cross, Email: harrycross@hotmail.com, Date: 6th September 2007

I just finished eldar prophecy, and i loved it! Especially the part when all the exarchs attacked the eldar in front of fluir-haern, it showed all of the different aspect warrior weapons; Which conbined with the awsome description of the eldar made me realy want to start an eldar army.

One quick question: do you plan on makeing a sequel to eldar prophecy? you left the ending sooooo open! I mean have naois rebuild the temple, and wage a war to stop ahearn from sacrificing all the souls to slaaneash. or a nother one same plot but have naois flee to saim-hann and raise an army.

Please note if you use an idea of mine please please put a thank you in the book.
Harry Cross

Hi Harry -- thanks for your kind comments about Eldar Prophecy. It was certainly fun to get the opportunity to have all those different warrior types in action at once. The eldar have such range and variety of warriors, so this is really exciting, I think.

As for a sequel -- you're right that the ending is left open. This is partly because I have some ideas for a sequel (although I'm not sure that it NEEDS one ... I can see that one would be fun), but also partly because the events of the book occur before those of the Dark Millennium campaign, so you'll get more on Ela Ashbel etc in that.

Many thanks too for those ideas about Naois's future. You can rest assured that I have some plans for him already!

Cheers, CSG

Name: David Greener aka judgewolf, Email: davidagreener@yahoo.co.uk, Date: 12th September 2007

I am a keen reader of the booksof 40k and have read almost all of you're books so far. I have just read that you enjoyed writing Elder Prophecy which I agree is a great book. However one question are we going to get the rest of the story about that craft world or are you going to leave us up in the air about the fall out (do they fal in to the clutches of Slaanesh or do they save them selves?" Sorry to be a pain but i would love to read the rest of the story. granted Bl has to have an intrest in said story. Also are you getting in on the act with the Horus Heresy series of books if so good luck.

Hey David,

Glad that you liked Eldar Prophecy too. It is one of my favorites, and I was privileged to be given the chance to write BL's first ever all eldar book, so I'm always pleased when people enjoy it (and especially when they want to see more). As you can see from Harry's post (above), I get rather a lot of requests for a sequel ... so I am increasingly tempted to move it up my list of projects and get on with it sooner rather than later. You guys will be the first to know, I promise ...

As for the Horus Heresy -- I have been talking through some ideas with the editors at BL, but my real issue is one of time. There are lots of things on my desk at the moment and, exciting though the HH is, I am struggling to find the time to do it at the moment. This is not a 'no,' but it is probably a 'not at the moment.' I might prefer to do the EP sequel first -- what do you think?

Anyway, take care, CSG

Name: Joe Burns, Email: joeburns@bigpond.net.au, Date: 13th September 2007

I had given up on novels years ago! Either too 'try hardish' or predictable, many a novel i was told was good found its way into the bin before i finished. I am a fan of the DoW game and part of the modding community and someone said there was a book with more info about the story line.

I bought Ascension not realizing that it was a sequel. I simply couldn't put the book down - it was just fantastic! Being in Australia, i have since found out it is quite hard to get 40k novels here. So i ordered all your books, bar two. The original DoW novel which seams impossible to get anywhere (waiting eagerly for march 2008) and the Eldar Prophecy, which I am expecting any day now by mail. I have even bought Tales from the Dark Millennium, just because your name was in it. All of which i couldn't put down.

After finishing WC, which i found myself nervously pacing as I read and the tips of my fingers hurting as I squeezed the novel in my hands with shock and anticipation . I personally think you write SMs and the Elder brilliantly! After I finished WC (and my hand healed), the last book I had to read was Salvation. Which not being a necromunda fan was skeptical of, but after starting I was hooked.

Which finally brings me to my question/s - Are you crazy!!! How can you leave us hang like that :(? How does Zefer get out? whats the glowing all about? What was orginaly in the bunker? whats the kuhnon Prophecy all about? What happens to Zefer? Arrrhhh - cold dude, just cold!

Heres hoping BL give you more money, so you can finish Salvation and release even more brilliant novels.

Dear Joe,

What can I say other than 'thank you'? I'm delighted that you're enjoying all these books so much, and especially that you've enjoyed Salvation. That book has a special place for me, since I was given a really free-hand to sketch out the contours of the Necromunda world, since that was the first book published in that series, I think. I also have a real soft-spot for Zefer, who is a great character, and an unusual one in BL-land. It was fun to be able to write something intricate and humourous at the same time. So,as I said, I'm happy to hear that you found that compelling. As for the future of Zefer ... he does have one ...

Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the DoW Omnibus when it appears in March.

Cheers, CSG

Name: Ross Leacy, Email: Riyak8@hotmail.com, Date: 6th October 2007

Hey Goto, Just want to say Dawn of war Was savage!

i only got Ascension about a week ago, but i couldnt put it down -- i devoured it!! i just ordered Tempest and cant wait to start it. Also got warrior coven, but havnt read it yet -- waiting 4 Tempest 1st: 'Knowledge is power'!

Only noticed there that ur Irish aswell!!! Eire:)

Name: Jay Aird, Email : jayaird@hotmail.co.uk, Date: 24th October 2007

Hi Cassern, I must say I found your dawn of war books surprisingly good, I had intended on steering well clear as game tie ins tend to be a bit on the naff side.

However after some glowing reviews from people I did eventually give them a go and after being so pleasantly surprised I am whizzing through your Deathwatch series.

I salute your storytelling and look forward to some of your work and i'm keeping my fingers crossed you'll be doing a HH book!

Many thanks indeed, Jay. It's nice to be appreciated, and even nicer to know that being appreciated has meant changing someone's mind about something ... even about something as mundane as media tie-ins! Actually, there are some rather good books of this kind, I think, if you're willing to wade through some of the less interesting stuff to find it. There certainly seems to be a trend towards this kind of media 'convergence' in the creative industries. Done well, this can/should be a rather enriching thing.

Anyway, g lad you're enjoying, and thanks for sharing,

CSG