Komarr - Lois McMaster Bujold

Back aboard the Vorkosigan train! I've done a lot of posts on the Vorkosigan and Temeraire series lately, and it may be getting a little repetitive/boring. After all, what new things can I say about the same authors, over and over again? I do try to pick out something new to talk about with each book, even if it ends up being a relatively short post. With the Temeraire series I like to look at how Novik's writing evolves over time, but Bujold has been writing since 1986, whereas Novik's only broken into the mainstream in 2006. A woman with almost thirty years of writing experience is probably at the top of her game, so it's hard to look for the 'improvement' with each book (besides, Vorkosigan was written completely out of chronological order so it's more difficult to see any kind of improvement arc). Maybe I use Bujold's books to analyze what's done right as far as plotting goes. And maybe it's just a nice escape into a world with characters that I really care for.

Komarr sees Miles Vorkosigan on his first assignment as an official Imperial Auditor (technically the ImpSec incident was the first-first assignment, but this is the first after really being assigned the office on a permanent basis). He travels to the planet Komarr with another auditor, to investigate an accident where a ship crashed into a solar array over the planet, and determine if it was deliberate sabotage or not. Naturally, in the vein of Vorkosigan's life, things quickly get complicated. It's also the first time we meet Ekaterin Vorsoisson, who--because I don't believe in spoilers and read some wikis to find out if Miles ever, ever is lucky in love--will eventually become Miles' wife. It's a bit of a thrill to see such an interesting character and know that one day he'll get to have a successful relationship. It's not the point of the book, but when you get attached to a character that is so perennially unlucky--even when he gets lucky!--with the ladies, it's comforting to see him find some happiness.

This is going to end up being one of those short posts.There's just not a lot left for me to say about Bujold short of raving about her characterization and clever dialogue, which I do every time. It's another solid entry in the Vorkosigan series that reliably leaves me asking "What next?"

Realistically I should probably leave the Vorkosigan series for a bit so my posts don't all become this predictable, but it's haaaaaard.

She rested her chin in her hand, and regarded him; her brows quirked in quizzical delight. "Lord Vorkosigan. Can I take a number and get in line?"
Whatever it was he'd been expecting her to say, it wasn't that; he was so taken aback he nearly fell off his chair. Wait, she hadn't meant it to come out sounding quite like--His smile stuck in the on position, but decidedly sideways.
"The next number up," he breathed, "is 'one.'"

Overall: 4 stars

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More reviews: Komarr on Librarything (Average 4.26 stars)

Komarr on Goodreads (Average 4.27 stars)

I wonder who that's supposed to be?

Memory - Lois McMaster Bujold

So I've heard this idea here and there that some books enter your life just when you need them: I totally buy it. At least, I do now. First I talked about Serena, where I really envy the main character's ability to give-no-fucks and get what she wants (although, admittedly, I draw the line at murder). Now I identify heavily with Miles in this, the umpteenth book of Bujold's Vorkosigan series (seriously, I have no idea what number we're at). To explain this, I really have to get right into the meat of the plot.

In books previous to this incarnation, Miles was killed, cryogenically frozen, and reanimated, and still he suffers from some residual side effects of the resurrection process. He finds himself having seizures more and more often, and we open on a rescue mission going catastrophically wrong when Miles seizes while holding a plasma arc and accidentally amputates the legs of the very man he's supposed to be saving. He hadn't told the Dendarii, hoping to keep it secret, and though that cat's out of the bag he still hopes to keep it secret from Illyan and avoid a medical discharge from the Barrayaran military. So he lies on his report. Illyan, naturally, finds out, and does the only thing he can do: he fires Miles for falsifying reports.

Miles' life is completely falling apart, and we spend this book with him figuring out how, exactly, to deal with that, and the guilt of knowing he completely deserved for it to happen.

"Worse. I did that myself. I did it all to myself." - Miles

Why do I find this so personal? Well, I'm about doing the same thing to myself. I currently have a terrible boss at work, and the constant stress is really encouraging me to self-sabotage. For several months now I've felt like I'm watching my career circle the drain--and there's this sense of hopelessness, that I see reflected in Miles. How to go forward?

But, it naturally being a Bujold-written world, nothing can ever be uncomplicated. Illyan starts showing signs of rapid mental decline, and it's attributed to the memory chip in his brain failing. Miles believes that the failure is deliberate sabotage, but the acting head of ImpSec, Haroche, seems to be deliberately stepping in his way. Through a series of pushes where Miles explores his identity as Admiral Naismith vs Miles Vorkosigan, he ends up appointed as an Imperial Auditor, and swiftly unravels the sabotage, restoring balance to the Imperium. He earns his redemption, both internally and externally, as he figures out what it means to be Miles Vorkosigan again, and steps into the permanent role of Auditor, finding a new path forward in his life.

Again, I feel life imitating art: I received a great job offer recently that's also allowing me to continue my life forward on a different path. It's not the way I planned to go forward, but like Miles, I'm finding the opportunity in it.

I don't really have much more to add to this. Bujold is ever wonderful, Miles is ever engaging, Grover Gardner is ever a delight to listen to. I've mentioned previously how I intersperse my more difficult reads (whether because they actually require a higher reading skill or are just more boring) with fun reads, and Vorkosigan is like the equivalent of curling up with a blanket, hot tea and a warm fireplace. It's comforting, no matter how many times I go back to it.

"You have no mass and cannot move me. I'm tired, and I want my supper." - Miles

Overall: 4.5 stars

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More reviews: Memory on Librarything (Average 4.49 stars)

Memory on Goodreads (Average 4.42 stars)

Mirror Dance - Lois McMaster Bujold

So here we are again with Bujold and Miles Vorkosigan. I, like many people, have my comfort series, and until I finish devouring the whole thing, I'm going to keep picking at it piecemeal. I do love picking up new books by new authors but there's always an element of chance involved. Will I connect with their prose style in any way? Are they able to tell a good, cohesive story? Are their characters at all interesting? With Bujold I know the answer to all three of those questions is an emphatic yes, so I pretty much have to keep sampling her wares. It's guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.

Again, it's hard to place this exactly in the Vorkosigan timeline, but this begins after Miles's first encounter with both Mark and Taura, who both feature prominently. Mark who is still hesitant to call himself by that name (because, after all, Miles chose it for him), impersonates Admiral Naismith to gain control of a Dendarii unit and use it for his own personal rescue mission on Jackson's Whole. They raid House Bharaputra, known clone creator and distributor, to free a group of young clone siblings before they can be killed. Naturally, it all falls apart, and even as Miles rushes in to try to save both his brother and his troops, he's hit with a needlegun and killed.

This book explores the resurrection process that's been hinted at in previous works, from Miles' perspective. Mark explores who he is without Galen and within the identity of Mark Vorkosigan, as he travels to Barrayar, gets to know his parents, and learns about Barrayaran society. Miles exploers re-finding himself as well after cryo-amnesia. They parallel each other in this story, and both come out drastically changed. I won't spoil that far, but the psychology behind this story is really fascinating. You really find yourself rooting for what previously seemed an unredeemable character.

All in all, still classic Bujold gold. This is the kind of book I pick up when I'm bored with my other picks and want some delicious word candy to lose myself in.

"I don't understand."
"Just exactly so." She was a child, despite her grownup body, he was increasingly certain of it. "When you are older... you will find your own boundaries. And you can invite people across them as you choose. Right now you scarcely know where you leave off and the world begins. Desire should flow from within, not be imposed from without."

"And what were you planning to do tonight, Mark?"
"Dance with Kareen."
"I don't see the problem with that. You're allowed to dance. Whatever you are. This is not the play, Mark, and old Prospero has many daughters. One may even have a low taste for fishy fellows."
"How low?"
"Oh..." The Countess held out her hand at a level about equal to Mark's standing height. "At least that low. Go dance with the girl, Mark. She thinks you're interesting. Mother Nature gives a sense of romance to young people, in place of prudence, to advance the species. It's a trick--that makes us grow."

 Overall: 5 stars

Amazon: Mirror Dance

 

More reviews: Mirror Dance on Librarything (Average 4.28 stars)

Mirror Dance on Goodreads (Average 4.31 stars)

 

 

Borders of Infinity - Lois McMaster Bujold

There's something really comforting about series from good authors. I like knowing that I can keep going back for more Vorkosigan from my hero Loid McMaster Bujold. And given how great the narrator is, I just keep picking them up in audiobook form every time I get a credit from Audible. Good for housework, knitting, driving, walking, boring times at work, any time I want to shut out anyone obnoxious; I'm hard pressed to find a time when an audiobook ISN'T the right choice. So I return to Miles Vorkosigan with my metaphorical blanket and hot tea, curled up in front of a window on a rainy day.

Borders of Infinity is actually a three novella collection, including the novella of the same name and two others, The Mountains of Mourning and Labyrinth. Each have entirely separate storylines, tied together by a rather thin thread of Miles being questioned about each of these incidents during recovery from one of his many surgeries. Really, we could have done without the 'present' storyline at all. Each novella stands well enough on its own, but I think it was probably written up just for the release of these three together. There are other collections the novellas can be found in, so I suppose they had to tie these together in some way to make them stand together.

The Mountains of Mourning is actually my favorite of the three, because we're seeing a side of Barrayar that is normally quite hidden. A woman appears at Miles' home, asking to appeal to Count Vorkosigan for justice for her murdered infant, a baby girl who had "the cat's mouth", or a cleft lip/palate. Many Barrayarans have been fighting the mutant stigma for years, but in this backcountry it remains strong. Miles is dispatched by his father to investigate who smothered the child and decide for himself what to do about it. Especially nice was how Miles found a way to use the tragedy to better the whole area, by sending the child's mother to a school to learn how to become a teacher, so that she can come back and improve the lives of all the local children. Through education do people stop murdering their babies, one hopes.

I find it really interesting to explore characters that Miles wouldn't normally interact much with: his own people. He's spent so much time in space with the mercenaries or in the Barrayaran military tht we forget he has familial duties regarding the people who are technically under the care of his family. It was also nice to see 'country' people portrayed varyingly, rather than a monolith of stupid and intolerant. Sure, there were a few stupid and intolerant characters in the mountains, but there's a few on the ships, and in the Vor, and the goverment, too. I just like that those traits define those characters, and not their people as a whole.

Labyrinth was also interesting, for here we see the introduction of Taura. I remember Jackson's Whole from Ethan of Athos, mostly as a seedy planet with a penchant for immortality via transplanting brains into homegrown clones. The Houses that populate Jackson's Whole all seem to be very interested in genetics, and trade both in interesting genomes and creatures (or people) created using them. Miles and the Dendarii are sent to retrieve a particular scientist from House Bharaputra, only their plans go awry when Dr. Canaba places the genomes he was going to take within a living creature that is subsequently sold to Baron Ryoval. They have to stage a mission to infiltrate Ryoval's labs and retrieve the sample and kill the creature. Only.. it turns out the 'creature' is really an altered sixteen-year-old girl, cold, starved, hurt and scared.The retrieval mission turns into a rescue mission with some laboratory vandalism thrown in for good measure.

Taura is a fascinating character, and so far one of my favorites. She was part of a batch of embryos genetically altered to be super soldiers, possibly by using animal genes. By consequence Taura is very large, very strong, and very fast: her metabolism runs at a much faster rate than regular humans, and she is the only one of her cohort to have survived this long. Her face is almost leonine to Miles, and she has functional fangs and claws. She's been treated as an animal or experiment for so long that it's baffling to her when Miles treats her like a human. And treat her he does. She asks him to prove her humanity by sleeping with her. For such a self-proclaimed ugly, Miles sure gets a lot of action from a lot of hot ladies. (I had an ick moment here, but then realized this story was taking place when Miles was only 23--so the age difference isn't quite as stark as I initially thought.)

Lastly is Borders of Infinity itself. In this novella Miles as Captain Naismith infiltrates a Cetagandan prisoner-of-war camp to rescue a captured Colonel who was supposed to stage a Marilacan resistance against the Cetagandans. Only the Colonel is beyond Miles' help, and he still must figure out a way to rally the prisoners and escape from the dome the Cetagandans have encased him in. A good story that showcases Miles' ability to read and influence people, which is really his greatest asset--how else could a teenager bluff his way into commanding an entire mercenary crew? Overall I just didn't find it quite as interesting as the other two, but it's certainly a fine story on its own. Miles spends a lot of time naked. He practically creates a religion. He gets beat up by some women for a while and falls a little bit for a tragic redhead.

So I'll leave you with classic Bujold Vorkosigan quips.

“Bleeding ulcers run in my family, we give them to each other.” 

“If you can't be seven feet tall, be seven feet smart.”

Overall: 5 stars

 Amazon: Borders of Infinity

 

More reviews: Borders of Infinity (Collection) on Librarything (Average 4.14 stars)

Mountains of Mourning on Goodreads (Average 4.26 stars)

Labyrinth on Goodreads (Average 4.16 stars)

Borders of Infinity (novella) on Goodreads  (Average 4.30 stars)

 

 

 

Brothers in Arms - Lois McMaster Bujold

Lois McMaster Bujold is something of a science fiction legend. She's won five Hugo awards, three Nebula awards, and three Locus awards--but I'm no award snob. She's just an all-around clever and snappy writer, and I marvel at the worlds she creates. Her Vorkosigan Saga is space opera at its finest, and I certainly don't mean that in the derogatory way: it's character-driven science fiction, which is, I think, the bridge between genre and literary fiction.

Hello ma'am I think you are great.

I wait, I think I hear a thousand noses lifting into the air at that phrase. Literary fiction? Surely not!

As I slowly start to dig into the literary world I come across this interesting genre bias. TRUE literature is only realistic! Science fiction and fantasy are always pulp. Obviously I find this to be ludicrous, or I wouldn't make a point of being mildly sarcastic about such a statement. I grew up reading genre, because it was what was interesting. And some of it, sure, was pretty pulpy. But is it too dramatic if I compare it to an addiction, in that it feels really, really good, but not being able to step back from genre to study it objectively can leave the aspiring writer with some severe problems?

Maybe that's a rant for another time (short version: hey stop writing the same stories new writers, please) so I'll get right down to my main point: Genre is fun. Genre is awesome. Genre has so many possibilities and places you can go, limited only by the writer's skill and imagination. But there's a big caveat: the best genre is CHARACTER-driven, not PLOT-driven.

So yes, this kind of focus is what bridges us between poor genre and snobby literary fiction, to create a hybrid that's taking some of the best qualities of both: the fun escapism, the exciting adventure, the strange worlds; and the complex characters and literary chops to pull it off.

So laugh, literature snobs, but Bujold is an amazing writer. Every time I read (or in this case, listen to) one of her stories, I'm astounded at the end at how she's crafted a story that is complex, and yet easy to follow; surprising, and yet logical. At the end, everything just makes sense. I suspect this is the result of deep, intimate knowledge of your characters, your setting and your plot, something that every writer should aspire to. Bujold excels at the aphorism, and her characters and their dialogue are, although distinct from each other, just so damn funny sometimes.

Tangentially related: Meet Grover Gardner, the best damn audiobook narrator ever. He does the whole Vorkosigan series (and I spotted him under a pseudonym doing Ringworld, too.)

Brothers in Arms is the... well, I'm not sure exactly what number in the series it is, to be honest. The chronological and publication orders are substantially different, and while I prefer to read in chronological order, even that is a little complicated. There's a lot of short stories and novellas worked into the saga here and there, and opinions seem to differ about what order to read them in. For myself this is seventh Vorkosigan book I've read. Miles Vorkosigan is a young man leading a double life: He is a member of the Vor of Barrayar, a class of nobility on his home planet, and a low-ranking military officer; but he is also Admiral Naismith, leader of the Dendarii mercenaries, and only his closest associates know that the fleet is secretly under the pay of the Barrayarans. How did Miles acquire this fleet? Though fast talking, a keen mind and sheer luck. In a previous book he essentially talked an entire mercenary fleet into his own power.

In this installment, Miles and the Dendarii are stopped at Earth after the mercenaries' last engagement, and when Miles checks in with the Barrayaran embassy (because hey, they need to get paid!) he gets caught up in a Komarran revenge plot against his famous father. Miles tries to pass off the appearance of both Vorkosigan and Naismith in the same place with a story about a clone, but as it turns out, the Komarrans really do have a clone, and Miles discovers his new 'brother', who he christens Mark. Deep down this is a story about loyalties: Miles to his planet, his fleet, his family; Mark's to the Komarrans; Galeni's to Komarr, his father, and Barrayar. Which of these loyalties are worthy? Which are not?

I feel like this summary is only scratching the surface of what Bujold is setting down. Her stories are just so deliciously complicated, and I don't want to ruin the flavor by boiling it down to its separate parts here. Suffice to say it's a great story; though, perhaps, not the best one to start the series with. It feels so rich to me because I know the history that has led up to this point, and someone entering the series here might not catch quite as much. In a sense I appreciate that Bujold hasn't spoon-fed us recaps with every book, or worked in extraneous information in artificial ways, in the way that some authors do when trying to make a series book stand alone. I don't think the story here suffers without that context, but is certainly enriched by having it.

A few years ago there was a really interesting post on whether or not Bujold can be considered hard science fiction (hard being based on actual science, soft being less true to actual physical possibilities, but both terms have some leeway). I liked what Martin Wisse had to say about the matter:

Much hard science fiction suffers from technofetishism, where the characters go around lovingly describing each type of ship taking part in a space battle or go into the finer details of the ammunition they’re using in the midst of a firefight. Even when the focus is less militaristic, it can sometimes seem the future is entirely populated by geeks. This is not the case with Bujold: her characters are people comfortable with using futuretech, without particularly noticing it or how it influences their society, but this influence is still there. As a reader it means you yourself have to work harder to notice things too, as they’re not pointed out to you.

There's an implication in the argument over hard vs soft science fiction that soft science fiction is somehow inferior to hard. Geek culture likes to rank things like this, in terms of something being better, geekier, more pure or more hardcore than something else; but really I think it comes down to personal preference. While I certainly like stories that are science-plausible, I don't like stories where the science is prioritized over the characters. So in a way, soft science fiction fulfills this need more, but again, there's a certain amount of leeway that makes for successful stories in both categories.

In closing, quotes.

"The costs had been so small, compared to the spectacular results. Except for all the individuals who had paid for the triumph with their lives, for whom the price was something infinite, divided by zero."

"They tilted bed-ward, hungry mouthed."

"Some attitudes couldn't be changed, they just had to be outlived."

 Overall: 5 stars

Amazon: Brothers in Arms

More reviews: Brothers in Arms on Librarything (Average 4.16 stars)

Brothers in Arms on Goodreads (Average 4.18 stars)