SMB
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I have noticed a good number of similar names across your various books: multiple Dubauers/Dubro, Nikki/Nikys, Illvin/Ilyan, etc. Are any of these an hommage to a particular person, just personal preferences for certain syllable combinations, or merely coincidences across so many richly peopled books? Many thanks for so many hours of happy (re)reading over the years.
Lois McMaster Bujold
Partly coincidence, partly no doubt combinations that my brain, for whatever reasons, finds euphonious, and partly that readerly eyes naturally notice similarities but gloss over the more common differences that blend into the general background noise.
Also, one does run out of pronounceable names that are not-our-world after a while -- quite a short while, now we have Google putting all the real world's languages at everyone's fingertips.
(I get the same effect with age differences across romantic relationships; certain ones jump out at people who have sensitivities about them, making them feel more common to them than an actual statistical survey of my characters would support.)
Ta, L.
Also, one does run out of pronounceable names that are not-our-world after a while -- quite a short while, now we have Google putting all the real world's languages at everyone's fingertips.
(I get the same effect with age differences across romantic relationships; certain ones jump out at people who have sensitivities about them, making them feel more common to them than an actual statistical survey of my characters would support.)
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Robbi Holman
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Rereading the Vorkosigan saga again. Is Beta Colony your idea of how society should be? I mean all of the cultures have drawbacks - like therapy on Beta is rather scary. But Beta seems to be the most inclusive live and let live, scientifically driven of the worlds.
Ana Martins
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Dear Lois, Some of your books are not easy to find and others appear out of publication. Also, living in Portugal, even if I buy them on British Amazon or American Amazon, I might have to pay high shipping fees depending if they go through customs. Is there any plan for re-editions of all your books to mass-market paperbacks or hardcovers?
Hannah M.
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I was wondering if you had any characters, items, places, dialogues, etc. that you've taken out of any of your stories that I could use for a story idea that had? My idea is about an island where story pieces that are thrown out, given up on or abandoned end up. I've been asking authors if they have anything I could use because I want to put some truth in the idea. It's totally fine if you don't have anything. Thanks!
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