Books: LMB interviews MVK

[nebroadwe]

Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosiverse novels are among my favorites, so I was quite pleased to hear that, after a multi-year hiatus in the series, a new one was slated for publication in October. As part of the publicity for it, Bujold was persuaded to write an "interview" with series protagonist Miles Vorkosigan:

Miles: So, ah . . . what are you doing here?

LMB: I'm here to interview you.

Miles (growing wary): Why? I thought you didn't like breaking the literary frame. Remember how you bounced off that weird production of Goldini's The Venetian Twins at the Guthrie Theater?

LMB: Yeah, well. Things move along. Speaking of which, how have you been since that adventure with the mad ba?

Miles (getting even more cautious): Busy. Very busy. Much too busy for you. All boring stuff, y'know? Committee meetings at the Council of Counts, domestic scenes, developing the Vorkosigan's District -- well, I've mostly been dumping that on Ekaterin -- all that. Nothing to interest you, I'm sure. I'm not the droid you're looking for. Move along . . .

LMB: Nice try. How're the kids?

Miles (springing to his feet, white about the lips): You stay the hell away from my kids!

LMB: Easy, there! They are still too young to get into much trouble on their own. Except in fanfiction, I suppose. Nothing to support a commercial novel.

Heh, heh, heh. It helps to know that Bujold subscribes to the "What's the worst thing I can do to this character that s/he can survive?" school of plot development. (Also that she got her start writing Sherlock Holmes and Star Trek pastiche in the 'zine era.) More here. Share and enjoy!

Comments

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

hee, mind if i point a few of my Vorkosiverse friends here? One of these days i'll figure out where in the hell i'm supposed to start this series and go (I do see there are several bound versions with more than one novel included)

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

hee, mind if i point a few of my Vorkosiverse friends here?

Sure, go ahead.

One of these days i'll figure out where in the hell i'm supposed to start this series and go (I do see there are several bound versions with more than one novel included)

Depends how you want to leap in. If you don't mind being spoiled for early developments, I'd pick up Komarr and A Civil Campaign (now the Miles in Love omnibus). Komarr takes place just after a climactic series reboot, but more importantly, it's required reading to get you into A Civil Campaign, which is political thriller-meets-comedy of manners and an utter hoot. Bujold's well into her stride as a writer by this point, which helps, too (her early prose is a bit workmanlike). Internal chronological order isn't a bad choice, either: that starts you with Shards of Honor and Barrayar about Miles's parents (omnibussed as Cordelia's Honor); the former is Bujold's first published book but the latter came out several books afterward, so you get an upward stylistic bump, again (it won a Hugo). Then you drop back to The Warrior's Apprentice and The Vor Game (omnibussed as Young Miles) -- kind of the same deal: the former is Bujold's second published book; the latter came a few years later (and also won a Hugo -- sensing a pattern here?).

Whatever you do, don't be like me and read Mirror Dance first. High-octane nightmare fuel, that one (and it really requires some context to be properly appreciated, IMO. But I'm always starting series in the middle ...).

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

tthank you, this helps (and I think i've been told this before mind you but I am slow)

Oh i know the pain of starting in the middle all too well. I've been a mystery guild member for 20 years, more even if you count me buying off mom's membership in h.s. and they are great of hard selling a 'hot new thing' and then you find out it's book 5 in a series