Ian Watson's Inquisition War to be reprinted

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**Kid_Kyoto**

http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2008/10/30/19025#respond

Black Library announce Inquisition War omnibus

The Black Library have announced an upcoming omnibus edition of the three book Inquisition War series by Ian Watson. Set for a February 2009 release the book is set to be available for £10.00.

From their website:

The Inquisition War is the classic story of Inquisitor Jaq Draco and his desperate mission to uncover a plot that will bring mankind to its knees before the Dark Powers.

Written by award winning author, Ian Watson, The Inquisition War explores areas of the Warhammer 40,000 mythology that few other authors have dared to tackle.

Collected together with a brand new cover, the seminal trilogy of Draco, Harlequin, Chaos Child and two linking short stories make the legend of the Inquisition War complete.

Of course GW is fibbing a bit. The legendary homoerotic novel Space Marine is not included despite its pivitol role in the series. That's the book with the famous scene of 'boarding torpedos' being shot up the spinchers of tyranid ships.

Nothing GW has published since then came close until Abnet had the 'Iron Snakes' grapple manfully with the 'Dark Tusks'.

**H.B.M.C.**

Kid_Kyoto wrote:That's the book with the famous scene of 'boarding torpedos' being shot up the spinchers of tyranid ships.

And the scene where Lexando, Sergeant Juron, Biff and the other guy who's name I forget climb up a pipe and, due to the exertion, all start farting on one another - that wasn't uncomfortable enough? They do steal a Warlord Titan after that, so it's not all bad I suppose.

Personally I liked the casual conversation they had with the Zoat before it ripped Biff's head off.

And how will they explain Grimm the Squat? Will he become a Tech-Priest again?

BYE

**Prometheum5**

I've read a moderate selection of the BL stuff, and I always found the Inquisition War to be far too long and dull... it has some interesting characters and ideas, but I just felt lost though alot of it... I'm not sure I ever managed to fully finish it, as the last hundred pages or so just seemed like a chore.

**lasgunpacker**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
And how will they explain Grimm the Squat? Will he become a Tech-Priest again?

BYE

I seem to recall that the last printing had another inquisitor reviewing the memiors of Jaq, and there is some discussion of what a "squat" is, but the text is left as is. No tech priest.

I enjoyed the last omnibus a fair amount, in most parts the ideas are very interesting for an Inqusitor, Dark Heresy, or =I=munda campagin. I mean honestly, violating religious relics to get a few bolter shells? Awesome.

**Aduro**

I... I'm not really sure if you two are being serious and telling the truth or not... And I'm not sure which possibility scares me more.

**stormtitan**

I could not finish the series, it was awful. Absolutely atrocious work. I have no clue why they're re-publishing it, except to torture more unsullied minds.

**Alpharius**

So, is it canon again?

And, it does end on a rather large, unresolved cliffhanger...

**The Phazer**

I love this trilogy, but it is very odd to reprint it again given it ends smack in the middle and it seems very unlikey that it'll ever be finished...

Phazer

**Logic**

Kid_Kyoto wrote:http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2008/10/30/19025#respond
Of course GW is fibbing a bit. The legendary homoerotic novel Space Marine is not included despite its pivitol role in the series. That's the book with the famous scene of 'boarding torpedos' being shot up the spinchers of tyranid ships.

Are you talking about the Ultramarine omnibus? Book two "Warriors of Ultramar" featured Ultramarines being launched into Tyranid bioship's sphincters. The word "sphincter" was used repeatedly and was one of the few things I remember about that book...

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sphincter
sphinc⋅ter /ˈsfɪŋktər/
–noun Anatomy. a circular band of voluntary or involuntary muscle that encircles an orifice of the body or one of its hollow organs.

~Logic

**H.B.M.C.**

Really I don't have a problem with Tyranid ships having sphincters. They're living beings so it's not like they have airlocks growing out of them.

BYE

**Railguns**

There are sphincters on both ends of your stomach too...they just aren't as famous.

**insaniak**

Logic wrote:Are you talking about the Ultramarine omnibus? Book two "Warriors of Ultramar" featured Ultramarines being launched into Tyranid bioship's sphincters. The word "sphincter" was used repeatedly and was one of the few things I remember about that book..

No, he was referring to Ian Watson's novel 'Space Marine' which has been out of print since the early 90's, and which GW have said won't be printed again due to being just too far removed from current background.

Which is probably just their polite way of saying that it's just too darn wierd.

**BrookM**

Remember, those books are from a time when little to no actual background info was cast into stone. The Inquisition Wars trilogy and two accompanying stories are well-written, if somewhat of the "ye olde sci-fi space opera" and a little farfetched here and there, like the Ordo Hydra. However, the plot had some nice ups like "someone" from the future warning Jaq for things yet to come.

Also.. RAAARK-POP! Bolters will never be the same again.

But I think GW has good reason to bury Lex for now and forever:

**Phangry**

H.B.M.C. wrote:

And the scene where Lexando, Sergeant Juron, Biff and the other guy who's name I forget climb up a pipe and, due to the exertion, all start farting on one another

I'm going to have to read this now, some of the other Black Library authors should take a page from this man and learn to write quality literature.

**Howard A Treesong**

insaniak wrote:
Logic wrote:Are you talking about the Ultramarine omnibus? Book two "Warriors of Ultramar" featured Ultramarines being launched into Tyranid bioship's sphincters. The word "sphincter" was used repeatedly and was one of the few things I remember about that book..

No, he was referring to Ian Watson's novel 'Space Marine' which has been out of print since the early 90's, and which GW have said won't be printed again due to being just too far removed from current background.

Which is probably just their polite way of saying that it's just too darn wierd.

What's wrong with Space Marine?

**Platuan4th**

Howard A Treesong wrote:
insaniak wrote:
Logic wrote:Are you talking about the Ultramarine omnibus? Book two "Warriors of Ultramar" featured Ultramarines being launched into Tyranid bioship's sphincters. The word "sphincter" was used repeatedly and was one of the few things I remember about that book..

No, he was referring to Ian Watson's novel 'Space Marine' which has been out of print since the early 90's, and which GW have said won't be printed again due to being just too far removed from current background.

Which is probably just their polite way of saying that it's just too darn wierd.

What's wrong with Space Marine?

Nothing, as long as you don't mind your marines ejaculating white hot death everywhere.

**Agamemnon2**

BrookM wrote:But I think GW has good reason to bury Lex for now and forever:

That squat looks an uncomfortable bit like an antisemitic caricature from a tract I once saw. Also, I didn't know you could snipe with a multi-melta.

**Gabe**

Why would they reprint such a terrible series of books ...

Inquisition War is easily some of the worst fiction I have ever read...

ever.

srsly.

**Platuan4th**

I JUST noticed that the first Squat was riding an Ambull.

**Scottywan82**

I've ridden and ambull.

If ya know what I mean.

These books are atrocious though. I wanted to burn out my eyes fater reading them.

**Ozymandias**

I read the first two. Couldn't get myself to read the 3rd one and I'm thankful for that.

Ozymandias, King of Kings

**Platuan4th**

Ozymandias wrote:I read the first two. Couldn't get myself to read the 3rd one and I'm thankful for that.

Ozymandias, King of Kings

You should be. It doesn't really end, it just stops.

**Vaktathi**

Wait, wasn't the trilogy just re-released a few years ago?

That's the copy I've got.

**Platuan4th**

Vaktathi wrote:Wait, wasn't the trilogy just re-released a few years ago?

That's the copy I've got.

If by a few you mean 7, yes.

**BrookM**

Wait, just because someone died, another died and two others are lost in the webway does NOT mean that it ends abruptly. It's just a downer ending, something a lot of people don't seem to like while being in a hobby notorious for such endings.

**Pariah Press**

BrookM wrote:Wait, just because someone died, another died and two others are lost in the webway does NOT mean that it ends abruptly. It's just a downer ending, something a lot of people don't seem to like while being in a hobby notorious for such endings.

No, it really does end apruptly. Watson has said that he'd like to write another volume to resolve the story. There are all sorts of loose plot-threads and foreshadowing that doesn't go anywhere in the series.

I love it, personally. Best Warhammer novels I've ever read. I'd love to get another sequel, and I'd love to get ahold of Space Marine, too. I can certainly understand why it wouldn't appeal to all readers, though. It's frickin' weird stuff!

**BrookM**

Remember, it's weird because it was written in the days before a lot was cast into stone, plus Ian Watson wasn't familiar with the hobby. It does however mention how the Squat worlds were eaten and makes a good reference to the BONE'ead Ogryn in a short story about Grimm.

The whole Ordo Hydra thing however, a little too far-fetched, even for a 40k novel.

**beef**

If you thought that was far fetched I beg to differ, if gw were really through with the whole weird conspirasy thoery stuff they should not have done legion, now that was crap

**H.B.M.C.**

Don't they go to a daemon world where there are Slaaneshi buildings having sex with one another?

It's been a long time since I read it...

BYE

**Pariah Press**

H.B.M.C. wrote:Don't they go to a daemon world where there are Slaaneshi buildings having sex with one another?

More or less, yeah.

It's not the background material that's weird to me (I'm well-familiar with RT and early 2nd edition fluff), It's just the story elements. Sex as a sacrament. A single moment of purity or profanity stretched out over a century by a stasis field. The Emperor as a schizoid lunatic. The alien beast within. The conspiracy within a conspiracy within a conspiracy. Carving a map into a Navigator's eye using scrimshaw tools, and then later plucking out said eye and using it as a weapon. Weird stuff, man. Weird stuff.