Lois McMaster Bujold
I use real places much the way working artists use reference photos when arranging their compositions; not because I am trying to draw a portrait, but as a quick way to get proportions and perspectives right for a coming overlay pursuing quite another purpose.
Readers who try to read the result as portraiture -- either as historical fiction with the serial numbers filed off, or as historical critique -- are using inappropriate viewing protocols for this style of composition. The ones who attempt to draw mistakenly exact one-to-one correspondences between such fiction and history, and then try to tell the writer they got it wrong, are... unstoppable, apparently.
Not accusing you of this, btw. But it does come up, if one makes the mistake of revealing how sausages are made.
Ta, L.
I use real places much the way working artists use reference photos when arranging their compositions; not because I am trying to draw a portrait, but as a quick way to get proportions and perspectives right for a coming overlay pursuing quite another purpose.
Readers who try to read the result as portraiture -- either as historical fiction with the serial numbers filed off, or as historical critique -- are using inappropriate viewing protocols for this style of composition. The ones who attempt to draw mistakenly exact one-to-one correspondences between such fiction and history, and then try to tell the writer they got it wrong, are... unstoppable, apparently.
Not accusing you of this, btw. But it does come up, if one makes the mistake of revealing how sausages are made.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Nikoleta L.
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hi! I've been told my whole life there is no such thing as a stupid question, so here I go. I was wondering if you have maybe seen the covers of the Croatian edition of the Vorkosigan saga by the amazig Esad Ribic? Your local fans are very proud of this edition (the translation is also amazing!) so I was wondering what do you think of the artwork? https://www.tumblr.com/fuckyeahesadribic/107642144987/vorkosigan-saga-c
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