Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Death's Head (series) (2nd nomination)


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep‎__EXPECTED_UNCONNECTED_PAGE__. Liz Read! Talk! 02:39, 8 August 2023 (UTC)

Death's Head (series)
AfDs for this article:


 * – ( View AfD View log | edits since nomination)

Tagged for notability since 2010. No sources other than the first book in the series. Fails WP:GNG. An WP:ATD would be a redirect to David Gunn (author). - UtherSRG (talk) 12:39, 20 July 2023 (UTC)
 * Additionally, the username of the article's original editor could be a match for the book's author. - UtherSRG (talk) 12:40, 20 July 2023 (UTC)


 * Note: This discussion has been included in the deletion sorting lists for the following topics: Science fiction and fantasy, Literature,  and United Kingdom. UtherSRG (talk) 12:39, 20 July 2023 (UTC)
 * Delete - fails WP:SIGCOV Jaguarnik (talk) 19:14, 20 July 2023 (UTC)
 * Normally I'd say merge to the author, but the author's article is in terrible shape, too. If it's to be a merge target, it really should be a better BLP than it is. Jclemens (talk) 23:49, 20 July 2023 (UTC)

Keep in some form per the significant coverage in multiple independent reliable sources. Notability (books) says: "A book is presumed notable if it verifiably meets, through reliable sources, at least one of the following criteria:The book has been the subject of two or more non-trivial published works appearing in sources that are independent of the book itself. This can include published works in all forms, such as newspaper articles, other books, television documentaries, bestseller lists, and reviews. This excludes media re-prints of press releases, flap copy, or other publications where the author, its publisher, agent, or other self-interested parties advertise or speak about the book." Sources   The entry notes: "Author, almost certainly pseudonymous, whose Military SF tale, Death's Head (2007), ... despite the author's announcement in 2009 that a fourth was in progress.  It has been argued from circumstantial evidence related to directorships and family/agency connections of this author's former UK company Gunnsmith Ltd [see under links below] that Gunn is an unacknowledged pseudonym of Jon Courtenay Grimwood."  Sources about Death's Head:  The review notes: "Now satisfied, Jaxx drafts him into the Death's Head and sends him to yet another planet, where the Death's Head, mercenaries and conscripts battle Emperor OctoV's enemies, the Enlightened, humans transformed by a virus into omniscient cyborgs. Sven acquires a squad of his own but, after desperate fighting, realizes he's been betrayed: The entire action is a feint, the soldiers mere sacrifices in an incomprehensible power struggle. ... Brutal, ugly, visceral and enthralling: the finest military science-fiction debut in years." </li> <li> The review notes: "Some may accuse Gunn of autobiographical wish-fulfillment that would make a fan-fic author blush, and Sven's adventures read almost like a novelization of a movie or video game. Those looking for hard-bitten military SF will be disappointed. Those who love schlock that stops just short of parody will be delighted." </li> <li> The review notes: "The militaristic sci-fi setting will appeal to readers on the surface but many of the supporting characters are one-dimensional caricatures. The fast-paced story sometimes feels like an adrenaline rush racing through one's body. We feel invincible for a few moments but afterwards are left questioning the reasons for our behavior. This first novel, a hodgepodge of sf movie scripts rolled into a proverbial mystery-meat burrito, is optional for larger sf collections." </li> <li> The review notes: "Barracks language abounds, since the story's told in Sven's voice. As the stakes get higher -- for the other characters; the stakes for Sven are always life and death -- Sven learns more, recalls more, grows somewhat, even to growing a conscience, complete with a self-imposed morality as fierce as his drive to survive, and often in conflict with it. The breakneck pace made looking for implausibilities irrelevant, even on a second reading." </li> <li> The review notes: "As with any sub-genre, military SF has its clichés. David Gunn's Death's Head ticks off pretty much all of them. Sven Tveskoeg is a rebellious hard man in a légion étrangère on a desert planet. About to be flogged to death, he's saved by the fortuitous attack of humanoid monsters who turn out to be handily telepathic. Since it just so happens he can help them recover a lost chieftain's skull, they don't kill him. This is merely the first fortuitous occurrence that ensures an essentially passive hero survives and prospers through a series of loosely-connected events. ... On the other hand, of course, clichés used with wit and self-awareness can provide a framework for insightful parody. Unfortunately I'm seeing no such satire here. ... There's no exploration of the human condition or broader political debate underpinning this haphazard odyssey in Death's Head. </li> <li> The very brief capsule review notes: "** Death's Head (345 pages; Del Rey; $24.95) by David Gunn. This debut is an all-over-the-map, space faring, military sci-fi that doesn't take itself too seriously. Enjoy the shoot- 'em-up." </li> </ol></li> <li>Sources about Death's Head: Maximum Offense:<ol> <li> The review notes: "In the sardonically amusing first half, Sven's snarky smart gun, the SIG-37, provides plenty of verbal firepower; the second half, much darker and more ethically challenging, presents ugly truths that no Death's Head fan will want to miss." </li> <li> The review notes: "The turbulent worlds of Blue War are party planets next to the settings for Death's Head Maximum Offense, which might have been named because some people will find this book maximally offensive. It is the sequel to Death's Head, to which we first met Sergeant Sven Tveskoeg. He is brutal, vulgar, and prefers prostitutes to other forms of relationships because he only understands social rules when money changes hands. His only redeeming characteristics are his intelligence and his loyalty to the soldiers he leads, but both of those are in the service of a corrupt officer corps led by a capricious general who follows the whims of a psychotic emperor. In practice, this means that Sven is often extracting himself and his troops from bad situations caused by stupid orders. ... This isn't to say that this book is just a gorefest-there is a plot in here, a good one involving political intrigue, mutated humans with strange powers and inexplicable agendas, a talkative, sardonic gun, and an intelligent and lovingly protective space habitat. There are a few characters we might like to know more about; Sven's motley crew includes several people who are more interesting than he is. David Gunn can certainly write, and there are many possible lessons in the story of an animalistic but smart warrior who serves a complex society but is more at home among savages and primitives." </li> <li> The book notes: "Summary: Sven Tveskoeg is a difficult man to control but he is too good a soldier to be cast aside. After being convicted of insubordination, he is enrolled in an elite group to serve in the war between humans and a barbaric but powerful enemy. Sven's unusual mental powers help him to survive and to discover the truth about the nature of the war and the people he serves. First novel." </li> </ol> <li>Sources about Death's Head: Day of the Damned:<ol> <li> The review notes: "Death's Head: Day of the Damned continues the story of Sven Tveskoeg, a lieutenant in the Death's Head, the elite fighting force of the Octovian Empire sometime in the distant future. Sven is a genetically engineered supersoldier who lives to kill - and he's very good at it. Humans, alien monsters, game animals, the odd lizard or two: Sven kills them all with a dizzying assortment of weapons, all lovingly described. ... By now you may have recognized what Death's Head: Day of the Damned is all about: it is essentially the printed and bound equivalent of those video games in which one wanders around the neighborhood shooting at everything that moves, splashing blood all over the screen and racking up points. And for what it is, the book does a good job." </li> <li> The book notes: "Summary: Death's Head: Day of the Damned is the third book in the Death's Head series by David Gunn. In this installment, Lt. Sven Tveskoeg and his auxiliaries travel to Farlight, capital of the Octavian Empire, for some relaxation. While there, he visits with his old friends, Debro and Anton, and their daughter, Aptitude, who has fallen in love with Sven. Sven is responsible for the death of Aptitude's husband. During his visit, civil war breaks out and Sven quickly realizes that there is no time for a vacation and jumps into action to protect the throne of Emperor OctoV." </li> </ol> </ol>There is sufficient coverage in reliable sources to allow Death's Head, Death's Head: Maximum Offense, and Death's Head: Day of the Damned to pass Notability, which requires "significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject". Cunard (talk) 08:03, 23 July 2023 (UTC) </li></ul> Relisting comment: Relisting, please review recently found sources. Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, Liz <sup style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: #006400;">Read! Talk! 14:46, 27 July 2023 (UTC)
 * <p class="xfd_relist" style="margin:0 0 0 -1em;border-top: 1px solid #AAA; border-bottom: 1px solid #AAA; padding: 0px 2em;"> Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.

Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, Liz <sup style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: #006400;">Read! Talk! 23:17, 3 August 2023 (UTC)
 * Keep - The sources found by Cunard above show that the first book, for sure, passes WP:NBOOK with a number of reviews in reliable sources. The other two become a bit more iffy, with the third particularly not having great sources, so covering them all in a single article would likely be the best solution. Rorshacma (talk) 17:50, 27 July 2023 (UTC)
 * <p class="xfd_relist" style="margin:0 0 0 -1em;border-top: 1px solid #AAA; border-bottom: 1px solid #AAA; padding: 0px 2em;"> Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.


 * Keep. GNG is met by Cunard's sources. Rorshacma's analysis thereof is a good one, a single article is probably the sweet spot here. Whether under Death's Head (book) or the current title. &mdash;siro&chi;o 05:36, 4 August 2023 (UTC)


 * Keep ... Only if Cunard or another editor makes the appropriate additions to the article. We have too many keepers where there is no follow up. --Bejnar (talk) 14:52, 5 August 2023 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. <b style="color:red">Please do not modify it.</b> Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.