The IBIC Guide to Books By Lois McMaster Bujold

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Remarks from the IBIC Editor's Journal

June 1, 1996

Just devoured an advance copy of Bujold's latest, MEMORY. It was excellent enough to inspire me to begin rereading her ouevre. In a nutshell, MEMORY is top-of-the-line Bujold, which has been Hugo material on four previous occasions. The plot of this meaty novel (471 pp.) sees Miles Vorkosigan mostly on Barrayar, struggling with and to some degree resolving some of the deep-seated contradictions in his hypercreative psyche.

Perhaps it is quite a compliment to Bujold's craft that when I finished this book, my main concern was with the future of her charismatic creation, Miles. If he is not to become Emperor of Barrayar-- and I think it is wise that Bujold avoided that plot-impeding possibility-- how can Barrayar be big enough for him? It seems clear that Miles has a destiny that's broader than just being a loyal Barrayaran subject. Perhaps the answer is that Barrayar itself must become bigger--an empire not of three, but perhaps of many worlds--or, more likely, the catalyst in a far-reaching transformation of Bujold's interstellar political economy.

January 7, 1996

Over the holidays I read CETAGANDA by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen), the latest in the popular science fiction adventure series chronicling the adventures of Miles Vorkosigan. The key word to describe this volume is "prequel"--it takes place fairly early in the chronology of the series, so there's not much suspense as to the ultimate outcome. The good news is that it's about as good as a prequel can be; Bujold is sure-handed, as always. Her many fans will enjoy. For those, like my brother Carl, who haven't come across the series before, it's not a bad introduction to her highly readable style. I gave Carl a copy for Christmas and I'm sure he'll wind up going out to read the whole Bujold ouevre.


July 10, 1994

Perhaps the highest compliment I can pay to Lois McMaster Bujold's MIRROR DANCE (Baen) is that it sent me back to the library to reread all her other Vorkosigan books (starting with SHARDS OF HONOR). It appears on her track record to date that Bujold is incapable of writing a bad book.

MIRROR DANCE is interesting because it focuses more on Miles Vorkosigan's clone twin, Mark, than preceding novels have done. At novel's end, both Miles and Mark are older and considerably wiser, and Miles in particular has become such old man of 28 that I find myself wondering with interest how Bujold will carry Miles' manic personality into his stodgy middle aged thirties. I worry a bit that the Vorkosigan books will lose a little of their festive exuberance; but what they lose in that dimension, they will probably make up in other areas (as many of us middle aged podges tend to do).

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Editor's Recommendations, Summer 1996

In this inaugural edition of IBIC's Featured Books, I'd like to draw your attention to several titles which have helped to shape my life and thinking.

  • When I was around fifteen, I came across Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's science fiction novel, INFERNO. This '70s remake of Dante's classic describes science fiction writer Allen Carpentier's descent into Hell. It's still a very fresh, accessible take on the classic. What a great movie it would make!
  • The Niven/Pournelle INFERNO immediately inspired me to read the original Divine Comedy. I've read a number of translations over the years, but my favorite is the one by Dorothy Sayers (INFERNO; PURGATORY; PARADISE). The notes are excellent, and Sayers had such a knowledgeable and witty mind that reading her prose is a pleasure in itself. (For those interested in a more contemporary translation, I should mention that Robert Pinsky received excellent notices for his 1995 THE INFERNO OF DANTE : A NEW VERSE TRANSLATION; it's a very handsome book.)
  • I also want to tell you about the late Henry Fairlie's THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS TODAY, which probably did more than any other single book to galvanize me into a lifetime interest in Christianity that led me, eventually, to faith. Ironic, because Fairlie was a self-proclaimed agnostic socialist! But reading between the lines of this insightful and deeply feeling book, one realizes that the love of God cannot have been far from Fairlie's heart.
  • Finally, I should draw to your attention a more recent acquisition, the very handsome NIV STUDY BIBLE (10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) from Zondervan, indexed and bonded in leather in IBIC's theme color, burgundy (black and brown are also available). The notes to this Bible are amazing. They appear to provide you with a very substantial portion of what you need to know to have an intelligent layman's appreciation of the linguistic and historical issues involved in understanding Scripture.

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