David Annandale’s Black Library stories have always held a hint of horror – so fans of the macabre are eagerly anticipating his new Warhammer Horror novel The Deacon of Wounds. We caught up with David to ask him about the story, the characters, and his love of all things terrifying.
Warhammer Community: The Deacon of Wounds is the second title in the second horror season for Black Library. Can you tell us a bit about the story?
David: The story takes place on the world of Theotokos, which is not only suffering from famine and drought, but also is under the thumb of the utterly corrupt Cardinal Lorenz. Arch-Deacon Ambrose has been doing his best for the people, but is frustrated by how little that is. When Lorenz dies, what should have been Ambrose’s chance perhaps to turn things around for Theotokos instead becomes a nightmare, as a terrible plague, called the Grey Tears, sweeps over the land.
WarCom: Without giving the game away, who are the characters and what would be good for us to know about them?
David: Ambrose is the main character, and he is a pillar of rectitude. Though he would not admit to this, he is very proud of said rectitude and of his reputation. Too proud. He also feels a greater admiration than is proper for Bethia Antoniax. She is a promethium refinery shift supervisor and has been labouring tirelessly to provide for the sick and the destitute of the city of Magerit. On the other hand, there is Relic-Keeper Rosarius, one of Lorenz’s creatures and someone who has no interest in seeing the riches of the Ecclesiarchy used for anything other than Ecclesiarchs.
WarCom: What attracted you to write for Warhammer Horror
David: As much as I love science fiction and fantasy (and I do, deeply), horror is my greatest love. It has defined my academic career, and it is what I have wanted to write almost all my life. None of this will likely surprise anyone familiar with my work, since a lot of the work I have done for Black Library is infused with horror.
WarCom: Can you describe the genre of horror that The Deacon of Wounds most closely falls into?
David: It’s essentially a Gothic, and one with a lot of body horror. So I’m drawing on the more grisly tradition of the Gothic (represented by the likes of Matthew Lewis and Sade).
WarCom: How does The Deacon of Wounds connect to your other Warhammer 40,000 work?
David: It’s a standalone novel, though I would say that some of its themes of belief and the malleability of truth connect it with a lot of what I have written.
WarCom: What new opportunities does the Warhammer Horror imprint offer for your writing?
David: Put simply, the Warhammer Horror line gives me the chance to unleash my darkest creative impulses. It also gives me a chance to explore what happens to traditional horror narratives when they are transplanted to the universes of Warhammer 40,000 or the Age of Sigmar.
WarCom: How has other horror literature inspired you?
David: At the most direct level, The Deacon of Wounds is heavily indebted to Matthew Lewis’ The Monk, and is in some ways a retelling of that novel in a Warhammer 40,000 setting. More generally, the work of such writers as Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, Kathe Koja, and too many others to mention here have shaped me as a writer at the most fundamental level.
WarCom: In one sentence, why should people read The Deacon of Wounds?
David: If they want to see some very good intentions lead to a very nasty hell, here’s their chance.
Thanks, David. You can pre-order The Deacon of Wounds from this Saturday, the 30th of January. If you want to check out more Warhammer Horror, the entire range so far – encompassing novels, short stories, anthologies, and audio dramas – is available to download from the Black Library website.