Lois’s answer to “I just read on tvtropes "Lois McMaster Bujold mentioned once that she absolutely detests most of th…” > Likes and Comments
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Pity about the UK market. There are those of us here who've read everything you've written. I did a MIlford with Patricia Wrede some years ago and she was raving about your Vorkosigans. At that point I thought Miles didn't sound like my cup of tea (how wrong I was) but I tried Curse of Chalion and OMG - wonderful. (Still my favourite fantasy of all time, I think.) THEN I tried the Vorkosiverse and burned through the whole lot in a couple of months. Your books are on my 'buy on publication' list. So some of us here have good taste. (Mind you, my own books are published in America (DAW) and not in the UK, so...
I am SHOCKED that there is something untrue on the internet.
Lois (you) certainly had fun a couple of years ago putting (your,her) imprint on (international?) Vorkosigan covers. It was a pity (she,you) rejected the butterbug under a wineglass https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog... it certainly appealed to me.
There is probably a correct way to write for 2 different audiences without mangling pronouns and littering brackets across the screen, I just don't know it.
The new ebook Vorkosigan covers are not bad, I think. Very minimalist but at least the cover for Ethan has a baby on it.
If the Paladin of Souls cover in the UK is the one with the celtic border and a white robed and hooded figure in the middle, I really liked it. Could see if you were new to the series you wouldn't know who it was and might think ghost.
Regarding covers I particularly like the Desdemona ones - both the romantic castle ones and the still life with the mask.
Also particularly fond of the Captain's Vorpatril's Alliance one with Ivan and the two girls - it just looked so very Ivan.
I always had to explain that the books were good when people saw the omnibus covers. They were....not the best. But I really do love the one for Miles Errant, actually because Taura is there. Your Chalion covers are all nice I think.
What did The Paladin of Souls in Britain look like?
@ Carro --
I thought of that one as "the Pillsbury Nazgul".
Ta, L.
OK, had to search for that...... yes, I see your point about the figure, not something I'd picked up on.
I particularly like the cover for the celtic-ish border and for the arrangement of the blocks of colour - the white border, the blue sky, the white figure, the slight feeling of threat for having a faceless figure with a staff.
The US edition one, with Ista, with all the faces tucked in the cloak is clever (having been to look for that too).
Don't give up on the UK, please! I'm now feeling guilty for having bought pretty much all your books in US editions because I couldn't wait for a UK version to (maybe) appear years later!
Ha, I ignored her books on the library shelves for years, cos of their horrible covers. But then when I did read one, I powered through them all and made all my family and friends read them, too... so they proably don't make too much difference...
Rachel, I had the same issue. People online wouldn't stop talking about Bujold though, so I eventually bought Warrior's Apprentice as an ebook (back when the cover was just the title and a star field). I wasn't prepared to be impressed...or to realize I liked military science fiction....but I think I read it in a day and a half (fast), and then immediately bought the next one (Vor Game)...and almost missed a college final because I was in the middle of the last couple tense chapters.
I still haven't convinced my friends to read them (though I keep trying), and my family isn't into SciFi books like I am...so the Vorkosigan books are kinda like a little secret I have that I really wish I had a friend to share with. I still talk them up online though every time I see them brought into the conversation! I've learned a lot about characterization from them as well, on the writing side of the fence.
I almost never go by covers. Once I find an author I like, I look for books by that author, regardless of how good or bad the cover is. I'm more interested in reading the blurb that gives the gist of the story, to tell whether I might like it or not.
Bad covers have long been traditional in the field of sf. Now that I read e-books, I think they're easier to ignore; I don't see the cover every time I pick up the book.
I'm firmly in the "covers don't usually hook me" camp, but I have to say I did really like the original US paperback covers for Shards of Honor and Barayar. My very favorite was the US hardback cover for A Civil Campaign.
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Jacey
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Apr 05, 2017 04:14PM
Pity about the UK market. There are those of us here who've read everything you've written. I did a MIlford with Patricia Wrede some years ago and she was raving about your Vorkosigans. At that point I thought Miles didn't sound like my cup of tea (how wrong I was) but I tried Curse of Chalion and OMG - wonderful. (Still my favourite fantasy of all time, I think.) THEN I tried the Vorkosiverse and burned through the whole lot in a couple of months. Your books are on my 'buy on publication' list. So some of us here have good taste. (Mind you, my own books are published in America (DAW) and not in the UK, so...
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I am SHOCKED that there is something untrue on the internet.Lois (you) certainly had fun a couple of years ago putting (your,her) imprint on (international?) Vorkosigan covers. It was a pity (she,you) rejected the butterbug under a wineglass https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog... it certainly appealed to me.
There is probably a correct way to write for 2 different audiences without mangling pronouns and littering brackets across the screen, I just don't know it.
The new ebook Vorkosigan covers are not bad, I think. Very minimalist but at least the cover for Ethan has a baby on it.
If the Paladin of Souls cover in the UK is the one with the celtic border and a white robed and hooded figure in the middle, I really liked it. Could see if you were new to the series you wouldn't know who it was and might think ghost.
Regarding covers I particularly like the Desdemona ones - both the romantic castle ones and the still life with the mask. Also particularly fond of the Captain's Vorpatril's Alliance one with Ivan and the two girls - it just looked so very Ivan.
I always had to explain that the books were good when people saw the omnibus covers. They were....not the best. But I really do love the one for Miles Errant, actually because Taura is there. Your Chalion covers are all nice I think.
What did The Paladin of Souls in Britain look like?
@ Carro --I thought of that one as "the Pillsbury Nazgul".
Ta, L.
OK, had to search for that...... yes, I see your point about the figure, not something I'd picked up on.I particularly like the cover for the celtic-ish border and for the arrangement of the blocks of colour - the white border, the blue sky, the white figure, the slight feeling of threat for having a faceless figure with a staff.
The US edition one, with Ista, with all the faces tucked in the cloak is clever (having been to look for that too).
Don't give up on the UK, please! I'm now feeling guilty for having bought pretty much all your books in US editions because I couldn't wait for a UK version to (maybe) appear years later!
Ha, I ignored her books on the library shelves for years, cos of their horrible covers. But then when I did read one, I powered through them all and made all my family and friends read them, too... so they proably don't make too much difference...
Rachel, I had the same issue. People online wouldn't stop talking about Bujold though, so I eventually bought Warrior's Apprentice as an ebook (back when the cover was just the title and a star field). I wasn't prepared to be impressed...or to realize I liked military science fiction....but I think I read it in a day and a half (fast), and then immediately bought the next one (Vor Game)...and almost missed a college final because I was in the middle of the last couple tense chapters.I still haven't convinced my friends to read them (though I keep trying), and my family isn't into SciFi books like I am...so the Vorkosigan books are kinda like a little secret I have that I really wish I had a friend to share with. I still talk them up online though every time I see them brought into the conversation! I've learned a lot about characterization from them as well, on the writing side of the fence.
I almost never go by covers. Once I find an author I like, I look for books by that author, regardless of how good or bad the cover is. I'm more interested in reading the blurb that gives the gist of the story, to tell whether I might like it or not.
Bad covers have long been traditional in the field of sf. Now that I read e-books, I think they're easier to ignore; I don't see the cover every time I pick up the book.
I'm firmly in the "covers don't usually hook me" camp, but I have to say I did really like the original US paperback covers for Shards of Honor and Barayar. My very favorite was the US hardback cover for A Civil Campaign.
