Found a copy of Space Marines

[dragon]

And man was it expensive almost 50 bucks, but its not like I have plenty of money. Now if it not as a good of a read as many on this board claims I might be a little miffed.

[white_rabbit]

Its not so much a "good read" for the quality of the story, although its not bad. Its the way the author interpreted the background and came up with his own take on a lot of things that have since been written very differently.

Personal favs, " ITS BIFFING TIME ", the Chaplain and his spiced shit divination, skating killer scouts on Ice, and for the humour value, the homo-eroticism and sado-masochistic tinge around the initiation rites of the Imperial Fists.

[andrewgpaul]

Actually, goodly chunks of that book became canon, later; Chaplain Ran Lo, Librarian Grensztein (sp?) and the Chapter Master at the time ended up namechecked in the White Dwarf Index Astartes article on the Fists.

Plus, I think Ian Watson invented the idea of the Imperial Fists' fortress-monastery ship. Someone else came up with the name 'Phalanx', though.

[Bedlam]

I remember buying that when it first came out, quite good stuff. If you like it you might be able to get the reprint of the Inqusitor Wars triligy for a lot less.