40k is a pastiche of Science Fiction (Dune, Star Wars... looking at you Inquisitor Obi Wan Sherlock Clouseau, Judge Dred, Alien and so on), history (Vostroyans - Imperial Russia, Valhalans - the winter war, Catachan - Vietnam War, Armageddon - Operation Barbarossa, older history for the space marines, either roman legionnaires or chivalric orders, along with aesthetic choices like the gothic architecture, space ships based on 17th century ships of the line, etc.), Fantasy (as many concepts were carried over from the other pastiche of WFB) along with some fictionalized political commentaries of the day (Clockwork Orange, Brave New World, 1984) and while it does wear it's inspirations on it's pauldron it plays it straight and rationalizes the choices, decisions and the state of the world. If there is parody and satire, it is behind the fourth wall. PS: if the contradictory, fractured, decrepit and ossified nature of the imperium, ruled by opposing groups of interest, with it's 10000 year old stacks of laws nobody even remembers, the overbearing bureaucracy and redundant and superfluous hereditary, semi-hereditary and anti-meritocratic positions of leadership, all of which in the name of an absentee and near powerless (politically) head of state is parodying something it is not the revolutionary systems of the mustachio-man in Germany or Russia. It is a parody of the BRI'ISH EMPIRE!

Technically the word satire would of been more appropriate but in any case 40K is neither of them. It's a serious setting. It's a right leaning setting.

If it's a parody who is Yarrick a parodying I am waiting for the 5th book I still need to read the 4th book yet is it good I count survivor as the first although it's a 40 page short story.

Its definitely not satire.