Science Fiction Trivia

[Thargoid]

And at the moment he's working on three or four books, only one of which is Discworld.

[Selezen]

I've been gone a week and no-one's even asked about it!!

Next clue - the author is Scottish and was first published in 1969. He has written a total of four books in this "universe" that include the book in question. His books were "left behind" in the universe as it evolved and have only recently been reissued. His first novel in this universe was the last to be reissued as it contained concepts that had long been left behind in the evolution of this universe.

[Selezen]

No-body cares any more!

Have I finally successfully killed the trivia page???

OK, another clue - the universe in question is a rather popular tabletop wargame one.

[Gimi]

Hmm.

I definitely don't know this one, and my Googlefoo is not working. (I normally consider google cheating, but would have considered it since nobody has answered so far).

[Disembodied]

I assume from the description that it's set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, but my only contact with that has been many years ago via the board game Space Hulk ...

[Selezen]

Yes, it's 40K. Early 40k to be exact.

The author is famous for writing perhaps the first mainstream novel about the universe, before Games Workshop brought its publishing in-house.

[Disembodied]

OK – thanks to teh interwebz I think I've got it ... is it Inquisitor, by Ian Watson?

[Selezen]

Yay! Well done.

Over to you.

[Disembodied]

OK ... an Iain M Banks question now. What did the drone Skaffen-Amtiskaw get for Cheradenine Zakalwe as a "get-well" present after Zakalwe had been beheaded?

[Selezen]

YAAAY!!! Something I've read.

I'm not going to answer the question though, since I've ran out of questions to ask in return...

[Disembodied]

Fair enough ... for those who haven't read it, Zakalwe survives the beheading: he's rescued just as his severed head is being swung up by the hair, and Culture medicine is very advanced. Ultimately the only inconvenience suffered – apart from any psychological damage – is that he has to sit about hooked up to life support while a new body is grown for him. This isn't a spoiler, by the way: it's a very minor episode in the book, a bit of background detail to show the sort of career Zakalwe has, working for Special Circumstances.

[Gimi]

If I remember correctly, all this happens on a tropical island beach. Now I need to plough through my Culture books to find the right one. Has to wait until I get home tonight.

[Cody]

Now I need to plough through my Culture books to find the right one. Has to wait until I get home tonight.

<pictures Gimi rushing home, skim-reading the book in question, then realising that the question has already been answered by someone>

I haven't quite got the heart to do it... heh.

[Gimi]

Now I need to plough through my Culture books to find the right one. Has to wait until I get home tonight.

<pictures Gimi rushing home, skim-reading the book in question, then realising that the question has already been answered by someone>
I haven't quite got the heart to do it... heh.

Go for it EV. I'm not in any way expecting this one to remain unanswered until I get home.

[Disembodied]

If it helps any, Zakalwe and Skaffen-Amtiskaw don't get on very well with each other ...