Warhammer 40k Fluff Discussion XVII: Call Necrosius, The Old Thread Is Dead!

[Cheesegear]

40K for normies is a horrific butchering of the setting though.

It is. Which is why it will never be mainstream.
Game of Thrones is too violent. The Witcher is too confusing. The Mandalorian is just right.

That's what you're looking for.

Dan Abnett stuff is all perfectly in setting, just a more of a gentle slide into it. It was the first 40K book I read, and I remember it still.

First 40K book I ever read was Draco (The Inquisition War) - and I went 'backwards' and read Space Marine very soon after - and I remember it still (perhaps more accurately, I'm scarred for life... ). What's your point?

Though I would absolutely love to see a Carmen Sandiago style story featuring Inquisitors trying to hunt down Trazan the Infinite.

I think you could adapt Czevak's story (Atlas Infernal) pretty easily:

Indiana Jones-in-Powered Armour with a memetic-virus (read; Hollywood!Autism), and uncovers a Book on some planet with his ensemble crew (which includes a Space Marine Techmarine, who can espouse technobabble, who is akin to Beast, of X-Men, who is both strong and smart, depending on what's required. The exact same impetus that encourages nerds to take up ju-jitsu [like I did].).
Skeletor-in-Power Armour Ahriman wants the book.
Space Clowns attempt to both help and hinder Czevak, whilst only hindering Ahriman.
Since Czevak's meme-brain (read; Hollywood!Autism) has allowed him to both read and/or memorise the Atlas Infernal. Acquiring the Book, is Plan A. But since Ahriman can't read it, and it keeps changing so he can't memorise either, capturing Czevak is Plan B.