In the grimdark world of Warhammer 40,000, Space Marines are the very pinnacle of human military might. However, they are also deeply tragic figures as they are taken from their homes never to return. Building on Ryder’s (2026) claim that Space Marines are both more than and less than human, this presentation draws on Kurt Vonnegut’s masterwork Slaughterhouse-Five alongside Grossman’s famous military study On Killing to explore the psychological cost of war, and the societal cost of creating superhuman warriors who must give up everything in order to become the ultimate weapons of war.
About the speaker
Dr Mike Ryder is an interdisciplinary researcher based at Lancaster University (UK). He is co-founder of Warhammer Conference. His website is www.mjryder.net
