So I’ve heard some descriptions of the 40,000 lore from a podcast I watch, and it sounds incredible, but there’s an awful lot of options to start from, with people recommending many different book series and youtube summaries. Is there a simpler approach, like just going into one standalone book to ground yourself before a bigger series? Or from a game to a tie-in book of some kind? Many thanks.
I would recommend starting with the introduction section of one of the rulebooks. The big ass rulebooks lay it all out for beginners, from the history of the imperium to an overview of the various alien factions. From there you can dive into novels and stuff.
The 3rd and 4th edition rulebooks are my personal favorites, although those are pretty dated if you’re looking for modern lore on Primaris marines, Votann, new Eldar factions, or the return of the Emperor’s holy sons [REDACTED] and [REDACTED].
If you’re interested in a specific faction, that faction’s codex will have reams of lore.
https://mega.nz/folder/MnpwFSKa#VP87K5isWgIYPyQtcTjkVw