Ian Watson's "Space Marine"

[Roomsky]

So I just finished Space Marine by Ian Watson after putting it off for ages due to warnings of its being totally insane. While those warnings rang true, it was insane in the best of ways, and absolutely one of my favorite reads this year. 

 

So, we have plenty of discussion for new releases, how about one of the oldest possible releases? I think this is a book where a positive or negative opinion are entirely justified given your unique proclivities. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Post away.

 

For me the book really nails the other-ness of 40k. It goes out of its way to establish an alien atmosphere from page 1, miring everything in tradition and blind faith to the nth degree. These aren't characters you might meet walking down the street, and their contemporary insanity is the sort of thing I personally look for in 40k. Also, this book is gross, and while occasionally unpleasent to read also happily dispels the oddly sterile art used these days. That said, I'm not sure if I love or hate the Pachino-marine on the cover.

[mc warhammer]

loved it as a kid, for all the reasons you listed. that “other-ness”, it made me feel ill but in a way that was engrossing (no pun intended)

[Kierdale]

Love it :tu:

I still read it, and Inquisitor from time to time.

The two sequels to Inquisitor I read only once as they really don’t compare :(

[Slave to Darkness]

Amazing book, still one of my all time fave 40k novels. I miss the dark humour of the earlier works, like Biff (I think it was him) making a comment about them entering the Tyranid ship up its arse if I recall correctly. I loved the little bits set on Necromunda at the start, that's what got me interested in Confrontation back in the day, and a few years later totally hooked on Necromunda. I owe a lot to that book, and Ian Watsons Inquisition trilogy.

++EDIT++

Oh yea, you might like this.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Slave to Darkness

[Slave to Darkness]

Actually, if you think some of the stuff in Space Marine was a bit weird, read his first Inquisitor book, Jaq Draco and co end up on a Slaaneshi Daemonworld where the buildings are getting it onnnnnnnnnn!!!!

Edited November 6, 2017 by Slave to Darkness

[Kierdale]

I don’t think I could get away with that for my next Armies on Parade board :D

[b1soul]

Where are those comic panels from?

[Reldn]

Edit: As to the topic of book itself, I absolutely love it and re-read it quite regularly. The book is utterly insane, odd, and nigh obscene...and it's incredible. This book cemented my love for the Imperial Fists (until later fluff turned me off of them possibly for good, sadly). The very end of the book where

Lex melts the flesh from his hand and scrimshaws Biff and Yeri's names all over his exposed bones, then feels the light of Dorn shine on him once more as he hold his hand up and it curls into a skeletal fist

was insanely awesome.

 

Where are those comic panels from?

 

If I remember correctly Tim Ide did those panels for a Graphic Novel version of Space Marine that never came to pass.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Reldn

[Slave to Darkness]

I don’t think I could get away with that for my next Armies on Parade board

I still think you should try though. :lol:

 

Where are those comic panels from?

 

They were going to do a graphic novel based on the book, but it never went ahead for some reason. AFAIK these are the only pages that were done. :(

[b1soul]

I really like that style of early 90s art...it's what I gre up with :' )

[mc warhammer]

I really like that style of early 90s art...it's what I gre up with :' )

and very british

[Knockagh]

Great book that lots of us have fond memories of. I reread it recently and enjoyed it ..... but I think it works well as a quirky piece of 40k history not as a current novel.

 

I think Dante was a superb effort to bring the story of Space Marine and update it to modern lore. It worked brilliantly imo.

[Aqui]

I have the book and it's gone with me on at least fifteen holidays over three continents. I read it at least twice a year now, but I have to be careful with it as it's literally starting to fall to pieces. It's what got me into Marine armies. Were it not for me being awful at painting yellow way back when, I'd have been a Fist player and not a Space Wolf.

 

"IT'S BIFFIN' TIME!" :lol:

Edited November 6, 2017 by Aqui
cursed typos...

[Stormborn]

Space Marine & Inquisitor along with Eye of Terror are still some of the best 40K novels I've read .  I find most current 40K novels to be bolter porn aimed at selling models, which is a shame might be nice to see what some of the current crop of authors could if given a bit more freedom.

[Daddywarcrimes]

Such a great read.  It's really a shame that Black Library went back and pulled a George Lucas on it, removing the squats and zoats and Dorn's amber-encased skeleton to open up the idea that he might still be alive somewhere.

[Xin Ceithan]

What I mostly remember about "Space Marine" as a novel was how utterly awful it was translated...

 

Since I got into contact with 40k via our gaming group and local gaming store, my Lore was odds and ends anyway. I remember reading and re-reading the now and then issue of White Dwarf when our store got hold of them and buying the WD companion to Rogue Trader for the sheer heck of it and because I loved the art and crazy stuff in it. I probably was the only kid in my school who knew who Judge Dredd was.

So I was pretty hyped when a German publisher put out Space Marine back then and looked forward to having a bit more of a fleshed out universe. Even my pretty skinny insight into 40k made me cringe when they made the Emperor a "Kaiser" and went downhill from there. I believe it took me half an hour of flipping White Dwarf issues to ascertain that they had just met an Ambull because the translation was nowhere near the original term. I do remember how really bad ass I thought was eating the Titan crew brains for accessing their memories and skills though. Or how insane the scrimshaving your own hand thing felt.

 

I got hold on Watson's Inquisitor during a holiday trip to London with my parents some time later. I still feel that "Emperor's Grace" and Emperor's Mercy" are what you should name a bolt or plasma pistol. And that book still has a special place in my collection after all those years. :)

[bluntblade]

Did I hear it was being brought back into print?

[R_F_D]

It was one of the books BL put on the 25 year anniversary re-release shortlist.  It didn't win, Brothers of the Snake won.

[Phoebus]

It was one of the books BL put on the 25 year anniversary re-release shortlist.  It didn't win, Brothers of the Snake won.

I love Brothers of the Snake, but it’s a shame that only one classic could be re-released.

[Knockagh]

I have the book and it's gone with me on at least fifteen holidays over three continents. I read it at least twice a year now, but I have to be careful with it as it's literally starting to fall to pieces. It's what got me into Marine armies. Were it not for me being awful at painting yellow way back when, I'd have been a Fist player and not a Space Wolf.

 

"IT'S BIFFIN' TIME!" :lol:

I could never reread a book twice a year! Kudos for that. It would drive me mental. I can barely bring myself to do one reread of anything

[Kierdale]

A lot of stuff from Space Marine inspired the background I wrote for my Psychopomps Slaaneshi renegades (formerly the Stygian Guard, scions of Dorn). They were founded upon the ideals of commander Pugh...

Lord Pugh despises sensual gratification so much, I hear, he had his taste buds excised. His every feast is also a fast for his senses.’ Valence nodded, as if in conspiracy with Tundrish. ‘That was a private penance –because a hundred and seventy Marines were lost in one terrible action, and because the Emperor cannot taste or smell or touch.’

 

The Stygian Guard took things a step further by -via neural flagellation in the pain glove (another excellent idea from the book)- voiding themselves of all sensations and emotions but for duty.

 

...until they found themselves bested on a Chaos world and Slaanesh taught them the error of their ways ;)

[D3L]

There are other novels?

[Slave to Darkness]

I love how Lex also shows up in the Inquisition trilogy, wasnt so happy with how things ended between him and Jaq though. Not every day the main character +++SCRAPCODE ERROR FHT466GH56D+++

[b1soul]

@ mc warhammer

 

Indeed...looks like the art in the Terry Pratchet graphic novels and the grahic novelisation of The City (James Herbert's The Rats series)

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Never read it but it is definitely on the bucket list for sure .