Dark Conspiracy-like novels

[Linden]

Not a novel, but a non-fiction book: Open Verdict by Tony Collins. Long out of print paperback about a series of 25 deaths of people connected with the UK defence industry in the 1980s. I believe they're known as the "Marconi suicides". Taken together they present sufficient anomalies to make those of a conspiratorial turn of mind suspect that something very sinister has been going on. Collins doesn't really reach any firm conclusions which is perhaps understandable given the lack of detail in the public arena, some of it plainly down to official obstruction. Less forgiveable is his writing style which is quite dull, lacking in coherence and often repetitive - especially when he gets onto the subject of electronic warfare and the then looming conflict between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Rather got the impression the book was cobbled together from a series of magazine articles (the author is former executive editor of Computer Weekly which I gather orginally broke the story in 1987).

Some of the deaths were of GCHQ staff who are a local employer in my part of the world. Aside from the spy-in-the-bag case there have been quite a few other staff members who've come to sticky ends, drowned in the bath or died in auto-erotic asphyxiation accidents. Makes you wonder if the management there is a tad heavy handed when it comes to disciplinary matters.

[Marcus Bone]

Colour me interested, Linden. You say that it doesn't draw any conclusions... but do you have any after reading it?

Sounds like an interesing, if a little grizzly, concept for a DC campaign.

Marcus

[Linden]

I suspect that something has gone on, and at least some of the people were murdered. By whom though I've no idea - Collins suggests the Soviets as a possiblity which seems credible (at the time) but also considers the UK's own spooks might be responsible, cleaning house and eliminating unreliable elements. Some of the deceased might have just cracked under the pressure of a high stress job. With regard to the GCHQ angle, I gather it's not a happy place to work. Again high stress, and possibly oppressive management. Type "Marconi suicides" or "GCHQ suicides" into google and see what comes up. You might want to use something like Tor though when you do it.

In gaming terms there was a rather good scenario in issue 2 of The Black Seal magazine titled "13 Places of Interest in Brichester" by Nick Brownlow which dealt with a series of deaths connected to a certain lake dwelling Great Old One and its cult. One of the victims was a computer scientist working for a Marconi company engaged in some sort of joint venture with Severn Aerospace. Investigators looking into his suicide thinking it's connected to the 1980s deaths could end up discovering it's part of something arguably far worse. And of course there's the added risk of annoying Severn Aerospace's "management". Murky waters indeed.