Lois’s answer to “What are the demographics of your biggest fans? Obviously it must vary by novel, but there's probab…” > Likes and Comments
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Have you read Lindsay Davis' Marcus Didius Falco mysteries? I ask because she wanted a twist on the conventionally solitary private eye and gave him plenty of family, all talkative. It's hard to spy quietly.
I read the first one too long ago to properly remember. It might be time for a revisit...
Ta, L.
I know I first started reading the Vorkosigan books before I had children. I have reread them since, several times, most memorably, rereading Barrayar during my first pregnancy. It was stunning to me how much the books seemed to alter as my perspective did. That baby is nine now, and since that time I have run into a delightful range of people reading them. My favorite was the conversation I struck up with a 64 year old woman in a bagel shop who was grinning her way through a well loved copy of A Civil Campaign. Incidentaly, I've also been a hospice nurse, and Lois's comment about her supposed target reader always makes me smile.
Both our family and 2 close friends' have seen parents and teen/preteen children equally enamored of all Barryar books.
I agree there's something in the books for each age range to enjoy, but the story elements involving parenting issues seem to be unique to the SF genre. Like Allison, my wife and I re-read Barrayar after having our baby (now 10 months) and had a very different experience, which prompted this question. Incidentally, dealing with a series of baby colds is why I didn't see the response until now. Thanks Lois for responding! Also, insightful comment you made about searching for fresh story ideas. This is congruent with analysis I've done professionally on market saturation by genres, in a different form of media. Freshness for an audience makes a big difference. Wonder what other ideas are floating in Lois's head!
Bless you for that, Lois. Probably one of the reasons I latched onto your writing like a barnacle. Too many orphans.
Well, my sons started reading Lois's books when they were in their teens. And my mother started when she was in her 60s or 70s. One of the very few series that my sons, my husband and I all read. And probably the only one that my parents read too.
Looking back at this answer, I think it is among the most important ones you have given, to give me an appreciation of one of the great differences in your writing.
When my son was 13 /14 and I gave him Warrior's Apprentice to read, he said, "Why do I want to read about a crippled up little guy?" {He also was doing D&D at that time and his character was a dwarf :-) } Then I have him the first books on a CD that came with one of the first edition print Vor novels I got when he was in his late 20's and he loved them. Different developmental ages and needs.
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Jane
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Mar 15, 2016 07:53PM
Have you read Lindsay Davis' Marcus Didius Falco mysteries? I ask because she wanted a twist on the conventionally solitary private eye and gave him plenty of family, all talkative. It's hard to spy quietly.
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I read the first one too long ago to properly remember. It might be time for a revisit...Ta, L.
I know I first started reading the Vorkosigan books before I had children. I have reread them since, several times, most memorably, rereading Barrayar during my first pregnancy. It was stunning to me how much the books seemed to alter as my perspective did. That baby is nine now, and since that time I have run into a delightful range of people reading them. My favorite was the conversation I struck up with a 64 year old woman in a bagel shop who was grinning her way through a well loved copy of A Civil Campaign. Incidentaly, I've also been a hospice nurse, and Lois's comment about her supposed target reader always makes me smile.
Both our family and 2 close friends' have seen parents and teen/preteen children equally enamored of all Barryar books.
I agree there's something in the books for each age range to enjoy, but the story elements involving parenting issues seem to be unique to the SF genre. Like Allison, my wife and I re-read Barrayar after having our baby (now 10 months) and had a very different experience, which prompted this question. Incidentally, dealing with a series of baby colds is why I didn't see the response until now. Thanks Lois for responding! Also, insightful comment you made about searching for fresh story ideas. This is congruent with analysis I've done professionally on market saturation by genres, in a different form of media. Freshness for an audience makes a big difference. Wonder what other ideas are floating in Lois's head!
Bless you for that, Lois. Probably one of the reasons I latched onto your writing like a barnacle. Too many orphans.
Well, my sons started reading Lois's books when they were in their teens. And my mother started when she was in her 60s or 70s. One of the very few series that my sons, my husband and I all read. And probably the only one that my parents read too.
Looking back at this answer, I think it is among the most important ones you have given, to give me an appreciation of one of the great differences in your writing.
When my son was 13 /14 and I gave him Warrior's Apprentice to read, he said, "Why do I want to read about a crippled up little guy?" {He also was doing D&D at that time and his character was a dwarf :-) } Then I have him the first books on a CD that came with one of the first edition print Vor novels I got when he was in his late 20's and he loved them. Different developmental ages and needs.
