Lois McMaster Bujold's Blog
August 16, 2025
Demonic Ox on Audible now
Although Blackstone's Downpour.com site is listing "The Adventure of the Demonic Ox" for release October 11, Audible.com apparently has it up already, since August 12. So if you want an early listen, there ya go.
https://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Demo...
Ta, L.
https://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Demo...
Ta, L.
July 30, 2025
Bujold impersonator is still scamming
It is reported...
A person with the email loismcmasterb@gmail.com is out there pretending to be me. This not my email, and This Is Not Me.
This appears to be the same scammer who was impersonating me on X/Twitter and Mastodon a while back. Apparently their protocol is to engage the person in some conversation, and then try to sell them some kind of writing/editing scam.
Pass the warning along...
Ta, L.
Later, 8/13 : my ego-sweep this morning picked up this:
\https://x.com/MarcusCVance/status/195...
If anyone out there is on X (I am not and don't ever plan to be) please warn this poor man he's being scammed.
The Only Real Bujold is, for the moment, only on Goodreads.
Ta, L.
A person with the email loismcmasterb@gmail.com is out there pretending to be me. This not my email, and This Is Not Me.
This appears to be the same scammer who was impersonating me on X/Twitter and Mastodon a while back. Apparently their protocol is to engage the person in some conversation, and then try to sell them some kind of writing/editing scam.
Pass the warning along...
Ta, L.
Later, 8/13 : my ego-sweep this morning picked up this:
\https://x.com/MarcusCVance/status/195...
If anyone out there is on X (I am not and don't ever plan to be) please warn this poor man he's being scammed.
The Only Real Bujold is, for the moment, only on Goodreads.
Ta, L.
July 23, 2025
nice notice, and other links
I recently ran across this unusually thoughtful (i.e., flattering) summation of my work:
https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/buj...
Good link for anyone trying to Explain Bujold to their reader friends.
Tangentially, I was also reminded of this little essay, written back before I'd been forced by other people's categorization requirements to bite the bullet and give the Miles series the formal name of "The Vorkosigan Saga":
http://www.dendarii.com/space_opera.html
This essay is also to be found in my e-collection of nonfiction writings, Sidelines: Talks and Essays.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Ta, L.
https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/buj...
Good link for anyone trying to Explain Bujold to their reader friends.
Tangentially, I was also reminded of this little essay, written back before I'd been forced by other people's categorization requirements to bite the bullet and give the Miles series the formal name of "The Vorkosigan Saga":
http://www.dendarii.com/space_opera.html
This essay is also to be found in my e-collection of nonfiction writings, Sidelines: Talks and Essays.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Ta, L.
July 18, 2025
Downpour-Blackstone listing audio OX for mid-October
This just popped up this morning --
https://www.downpour.com/catalog/prod...
Quick work on Blackstone's part!
Ta, L.
https://www.downpour.com/catalog/prod...
Quick work on Blackstone's part!
Ta, L.
July 13, 2025
Demonic Ox spoiler discussion space
As per my usual custom, I provide here a place for folks who have already read the story and want to chat about it to talk to each other, without risking spoiling those who don't want to be exposed to such. Who are presumed to realize they should skip this till they're ready.
Click back to the immediately prior post for all the publication details.
As of today Amazon, B&N, and Apple Books US are known to have the book up. Kobo and Google Play Books seem to be lagging, and there's something odd going on with Apple worldwide versus our Spectrum editions that we haven't sussed out yet. I will update when there's something new to say.
Have fun!
Ta, L.
(As always, word of mouth is the lifeblood of my career, so mentions of the story out and about elsewhere are very much appreciated.)
Click back to the immediately prior post for all the publication details.
As of today Amazon, B&N, and Apple Books US are known to have the book up. Kobo and Google Play Books seem to be lagging, and there's something odd going on with Apple worldwide versus our Spectrum editions that we haven't sussed out yet. I will update when there's something new to say.
Have fun!
Ta, L.
(As always, word of mouth is the lifeblood of my career, so mentions of the story out and about elsewhere are very much appreciated.)
July 11, 2025
Demonic Ox arrives today!
The newest Penric & Desdemona e-novella, "The Adventure of the Demonic Ox", is being uploaded today. The time for an upload to penetrate the system varies wildly, from an hour to a day week, but I'll post direct links here as each of our 5 vendors goes live.
Amazon Kindle is first out the gate:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHBMR3DN
Not yet up, but pending:
Kobo, Google Play Books, and Apple Books are interesting if you search by my name, because they each carry so many foreign language titles, if you scroll down. (Amazon ditto, I suppose.) These pages should populate in due course, though it may take a while for a new entry to sift to the top:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?que...
7/15 - Kobo is up! https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-...
https://play.google.com/store/info/na...
7/18 - Google Play direct link at last --
https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
https://books.apple.com/us/author/loi...
Direct Apple US link: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-a...
(Some readers are reporting problems finding my Spectrum titles on Apple outside the US, as per Bo, below. If you are one, chime in in the comments with details. Though I suppose we should give it a bit more time to propagate...)
B&N Nook, same deal:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/lois...
Direct link is up! : https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...
To recap:
The Adventure of the Demonic Ox
When sorcerer Learned Penric hears of the suspected demonic possession of an ox at his brother-in-law’s bridgebuilding worksite, he thinks it an excellent opportunity to tutor his adopted daughter and student sorceress Otta in one of their Temple duties: identifying and restraining such wild chaos elementals before harm comes to their hosts or surroundings.
What begins as an instructive family outing turns anything but routine when a mountain search becomes a much more frightening adventure for Penric and his charges. What is undergone there by both mentor and students will yield lessons both unexpected and far-reaching.
***
I'll make my usual spoiler discussion space post tomorrow, for the speed readers.
As always, reader mentions of the new title out and about on the internet and elsewhere are always greatly appreciated, as this blog and word of mouth are the only advertising my indie books get. Amazon always gets plenty of reviews; the other vendors are usually more in need. But no one will see any vendor pages unless they've already heard of the story someplace else, and go to look, so outside reviews and mentions are especially important.
Ta, L.
Amazon Kindle is first out the gate:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHBMR3DN
Not yet up, but pending:
Kobo, Google Play Books, and Apple Books are interesting if you search by my name, because they each carry so many foreign language titles, if you scroll down. (Amazon ditto, I suppose.) These pages should populate in due course, though it may take a while for a new entry to sift to the top:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?que...
7/15 - Kobo is up! https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-...
https://play.google.com/store/info/na...
7/18 - Google Play direct link at last --
https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
https://books.apple.com/us/author/loi...
Direct Apple US link: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-a...
(Some readers are reporting problems finding my Spectrum titles on Apple outside the US, as per Bo, below. If you are one, chime in in the comments with details. Though I suppose we should give it a bit more time to propagate...)
B&N Nook, same deal:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/lois...
Direct link is up! : https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...
To recap:
The Adventure of the Demonic Ox
When sorcerer Learned Penric hears of the suspected demonic possession of an ox at his brother-in-law’s bridgebuilding worksite, he thinks it an excellent opportunity to tutor his adopted daughter and student sorceress Otta in one of their Temple duties: identifying and restraining such wild chaos elementals before harm comes to their hosts or surroundings.
What begins as an instructive family outing turns anything but routine when a mountain search becomes a much more frightening adventure for Penric and his charges. What is undergone there by both mentor and students will yield lessons both unexpected and far-reaching.
***
I'll make my usual spoiler discussion space post tomorrow, for the speed readers.
As always, reader mentions of the new title out and about on the internet and elsewhere are always greatly appreciated, as this blog and word of mouth are the only advertising my indie books get. Amazon always gets plenty of reviews; the other vendors are usually more in need. But no one will see any vendor pages unless they've already heard of the story someplace else, and go to look, so outside reviews and mentions are especially important.
Ta, L.
July 10, 2025
Sneak cover peek, Two Tales reprint coming later this summer
So...
The Vorkosigan novella "The Flowers of Vashnoi" has not been available in a paper version since the Subterranean Press edition sold out. The novella "Winterfair Gifts" has had only scattered paper publication, not easy to find. (Both, of course, are continuously available under their own titles as my indie ebooks, or audio downloads from Blackstone.)
Neither would be economically viable for any pro publisher to handle, but it occurred to me they'd be just the thing to add to my little list of print-on-demand paper editions, including The Spirit Ring and "Knife Children". So I've put them together in a single PoD volume, to be titled Two Tales.
Experience with the long-time reader confusion over the novella "The Borders of Infinity" and the 3-novella collection it's in, Borders of Infinity, made me try to label this paper mini-collection as clearly as possible. We'll have to see how it works out. I'm not yet sure how to make it searchable under either of the novella titles, which is what I suspect most people would first be looking for.
Anyway, I asked artist Ron Miller to do us a cover in the style of my other indie VK ebooks, and here's a sneak peek:
When this paper-only edition becomes available to buy, later this summer, I'll post the ISBN number, which should helps folks trying to order it through bookstores. (Uncle Hugo's will certainly have it; they also carry the other two of my PoDs.)
Ta, L.
The Vorkosigan novella "The Flowers of Vashnoi" has not been available in a paper version since the Subterranean Press edition sold out. The novella "Winterfair Gifts" has had only scattered paper publication, not easy to find. (Both, of course, are continuously available under their own titles as my indie ebooks, or audio downloads from Blackstone.)
Neither would be economically viable for any pro publisher to handle, but it occurred to me they'd be just the thing to add to my little list of print-on-demand paper editions, including The Spirit Ring and "Knife Children". So I've put them together in a single PoD volume, to be titled Two Tales.
Experience with the long-time reader confusion over the novella "The Borders of Infinity" and the 3-novella collection it's in, Borders of Infinity, made me try to label this paper mini-collection as clearly as possible. We'll have to see how it works out. I'm not yet sure how to make it searchable under either of the novella titles, which is what I suspect most people would first be looking for.
Anyway, I asked artist Ron Miller to do us a cover in the style of my other indie VK ebooks, and here's a sneak peek:
When this paper-only edition becomes available to buy, later this summer, I'll post the ISBN number, which should helps folks trying to order it through bookstores. (Uncle Hugo's will certainly have it; they also carry the other two of my PoDs.)
Ta, L.
July 2, 2025
Murderbot TV adaptation good!
So...
I signed up for Apple TV the other day expressly so I and my weekly media-watching buddies could take a break from our usual Asian fare to see their production of Martha Well's Murderbot. (Heaven knows I don't need yet another streaming service, but...) We binge-watched the first 8 half-hour episodes last night.
I am astonished and delighted (and envious) with how well the show has managed so far to stick to the original story -- they are still in the first volume, All Systems Red. So great to see something that isn't part of the endless stream of media retreads and remakes we are plagued with. Casting is pretty great as well -- one could identify nearly all of the characters in their first appearance, before they even opened their mouths.
And they totally get the humor of the story. Granted the tales are action-heavy, but though the Tor book covers are wonderful pieces of art, nothing about them even hints that any humor will be found beyond them.
Given the dry commentary on corporate shenanigans in the stories, I was meta-amused by the fact that Apple streaming won't play on my Chromecast; happily my son the IT support found the way around (going directly from my laptop.)
It looks like the first season of these half-hour episodes will cover All Systems Red; let's hope it is successful enough to go on to another volume and season.
Recommended.
Ta, L.
I signed up for Apple TV the other day expressly so I and my weekly media-watching buddies could take a break from our usual Asian fare to see their production of Martha Well's Murderbot. (Heaven knows I don't need yet another streaming service, but...) We binge-watched the first 8 half-hour episodes last night.
I am astonished and delighted (and envious) with how well the show has managed so far to stick to the original story -- they are still in the first volume, All Systems Red. So great to see something that isn't part of the endless stream of media retreads and remakes we are plagued with. Casting is pretty great as well -- one could identify nearly all of the characters in their first appearance, before they even opened their mouths.
And they totally get the humor of the story. Granted the tales are action-heavy, but though the Tor book covers are wonderful pieces of art, nothing about them even hints that any humor will be found beyond them.
Given the dry commentary on corporate shenanigans in the stories, I was meta-amused by the fact that Apple streaming won't play on my Chromecast; happily my son the IT support found the way around (going directly from my laptop.)
It looks like the first season of these half-hour episodes will cover All Systems Red; let's hope it is successful enough to go on to another volume and season.
Recommended.
Ta, L.
June 29, 2025
Demonic Ox e-cover sneak peek
Artist Ron Miller just finished it this morning...
Vendor page copy:
The Adventure of the Demonic Ox
"When sorcerer Learned Penric hears of the suspected demonic possession of an ox at his brother-in-law’s bridgebuilding worksite, he thinks it an excellent opportunity to tutor his adopted daughter and student sorceress Otta in one of their Temple duties: identifying and restraining such wild chaos elementals before harm comes to their hosts or surroundings.
What begins as an instructive family outing turns anything but routine when a mountain search becomes a much more frightening adventure for Penric and his charges. What is undergone there by both mentor and students will yield lessons both unexpected and far-reaching."
***
All parts are now in the hands of my ebook wrangler at Spectrum, and will be uploaded to the usual vendors, Kindle, Nook, Apple Books, Google Play Books, and Kobo, when her work queue permits, but with luck this coming week.
This cover was tricky. We started with more figures, and spent a long time in frustrated fiddling with them before figuring out that they actually didn't belong on the cover in the first place. Less is more.
Ta, L.
Update July 3: it looks like it'll be a couple more weeks from now before the ebook goes up on the vendors, so, mid-July-ish. L.
Vendor page copy:
The Adventure of the Demonic Ox
"When sorcerer Learned Penric hears of the suspected demonic possession of an ox at his brother-in-law’s bridgebuilding worksite, he thinks it an excellent opportunity to tutor his adopted daughter and student sorceress Otta in one of their Temple duties: identifying and restraining such wild chaos elementals before harm comes to their hosts or surroundings.
What begins as an instructive family outing turns anything but routine when a mountain search becomes a much more frightening adventure for Penric and his charges. What is undergone there by both mentor and students will yield lessons both unexpected and far-reaching."
***
All parts are now in the hands of my ebook wrangler at Spectrum, and will be uploaded to the usual vendors, Kindle, Nook, Apple Books, Google Play Books, and Kobo, when her work queue permits, but with luck this coming week.
This cover was tricky. We started with more figures, and spent a long time in frustrated fiddling with them before figuring out that they actually didn't belong on the cover in the first place. Less is more.
Ta, L.
Update July 3: it looks like it'll be a couple more weeks from now before the ebook goes up on the vendors, so, mid-July-ish. L.
June 13, 2025
Komarr audio on sale today
At Downpour.com -- Blackstone's web sale site --
https://www.downpour.com/komarr?sp=12495
I believe the sale is today only...
Ta, L.
https://www.downpour.com/komarr?sp=12495
I believe the sale is today only...
Ta, L.
