Andrew
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
What does the Chef Recommend with regards to Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen fitting into a story arc? Would someone who has already read (or re-read) the Vorkosigan Saga refresh on Cordelia books, Miles books, both, or neither?
Lois McMaster Bujold
I am the person least qualified to answer this, I suspect. A recent reviewer suggested the two Cordelia books followed by Gentleman Jole would make a good trilogy, and I concur, whether as refreshment or first-read. Prior references to Jole are scattered in The Vor Game, Cryoburn (brief -- four words -- but extremely significant, if one thinks about it), and Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, but I'm not sure they're necessary.
But -- I say again, probably fruitlessly -- Gentleman Jole is also readable as a stand-alone, complete in this kit, batteries included. A reader doesn't have to have read any other Vorkosigan book, or, indeed, any other Bujold book, to read this one.
(The two reasons to turn aside are if said new reader is planning to read the others, and doesn't want spoilers (although there would still be plenty of surprises), or if the reader is one of those strongly averse to finding romance in their SF.)
So, short version: stand-alone, or the Cordelia Trilogy.
Ta, L.
I am the person least qualified to answer this, I suspect. A recent reviewer suggested the two Cordelia books followed by Gentleman Jole would make a good trilogy, and I concur, whether as refreshment or first-read. Prior references to Jole are scattered in The Vor Game, Cryoburn (brief -- four words -- but extremely significant, if one thinks about it), and Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, but I'm not sure they're necessary.
But -- I say again, probably fruitlessly -- Gentleman Jole is also readable as a stand-alone, complete in this kit, batteries included. A reader doesn't have to have read any other Vorkosigan book, or, indeed, any other Bujold book, to read this one.
(The two reasons to turn aside are if said new reader is planning to read the others, and doesn't want spoilers (although there would still be plenty of surprises), or if the reader is one of those strongly averse to finding romance in their SF.)
So, short version: stand-alone, or the Cordelia Trilogy.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Emma Bilz
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hello! New reader here, really enjoy your books. Since you have written books of both the fantasy and sci-fi genres I was wondering if it was possible to combine the two? Would you have to minimise the magical element to it or just make magic follow a certain set of rules such as other forces do?
xsway
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
This question contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[
Dear Lois, thank you very much for all your books! You're one of my favorite writers. Might be a silly question (and answered somewhere way below my scrolling abilities?): both in the Curse of Chalion and in the Miles series, there is a "love" triangle between the powerful man (Ias, Aral) and his wife/male friend. I wonder whether this type of relation is inspired by some famous historical examples?
(hide spoiler)]
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