Edward James
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780252039324
- eISBN:
- 9780252097379
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5406/illinois/9780252039324.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, 20th-century and Contemporary Literature
This chapter discusses the science fiction of Lois McMaster Bujold. Bujold has written about fourteen science fiction books and a number of short stories: approximately six thousand pages of text. ...
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This chapter discusses the science fiction of Lois McMaster Bujold. Bujold has written about fourteen science fiction books and a number of short stories: approximately six thousand pages of text. Almost all of her science fiction stories have been set in the universe sometimes known by her fans as the Vorkosiverse after its central character, Miles Vorkosigan. Although her writing as a whole has expanded beyond that universe, her science-fictional universe has remained unusually restricted. One explanation for her decision to restrict herself in this way is that Bujold is interested above all in character. While some science fiction writers are interested in developing different “what-if” scenarios and focusing on how that “what-if” changes a society, Bujold has shown herself to be concerned primarily in how her characters and the society they live in develop over time. She has built up a large and devoted fan base not because they want to see her develop numerous new universes and explore all the boundaries of her genre, but because they share the author's own fascination with her characters and want to see how they change and grow.Less
This chapter discusses the science fiction of Lois McMaster Bujold. Bujold has written about fourteen science fiction books and a number of short stories: approximately six thousand pages of text. Almost all of her science fiction stories have been set in the universe sometimes known by her fans as the Vorkosiverse after its central character, Miles Vorkosigan. Although her writing as a whole has expanded beyond that universe, her science-fictional universe has remained unusually restricted. One explanation for her decision to restrict herself in this way is that Bujold is interested above all in character. While some science fiction writers are interested in developing different “what-if” scenarios and focusing on how that “what-if” changes a society, Bujold has shown herself to be concerned primarily in how her characters and the society they live in develop over time. She has built up a large and devoted fan base not because they want to see her develop numerous new universes and explore all the boundaries of her genre, but because they share the author's own fascination with her characters and want to see how they change and grow.
Edward James
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780252039324
- eISBN:
- 9780252097379
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5406/illinois/9780252039324.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 20th-century and Contemporary Literature
Readers have awarded Lois McMaster Bujold four Hugo Awards for Best Novel, a number matched only by Robert Heinlein. Her Vorkosigan series redefined space opera with its emotional depth and ...
More
Readers have awarded Lois McMaster Bujold four Hugo Awards for Best Novel, a number matched only by Robert Heinlein. Her Vorkosigan series redefined space opera with its emotional depth and explorations of themes such as bias against the disabled, economic exploitation, and the role of women in society. This book traces Bujold's career, showing how Bujold emerged from fanzine culture to win devoted male and female readers despite working in genres—military science fiction, space opera—perceived as solely by and for males. Devoted to old-school ideas such as faith in humanity and the desire to probe and do good in the universe, Bujold simultaneously subverted genre conventions and experimented with forms that led her in bold creative directions. As the book shows, her iconic hero Miles Vorkosigan—unimposing, physically impaired, self-conscious to a fault—embodied Bujold's thematic concerns. The sheer humanity of her characters, meanwhile, gained her a legion of fans eager to provide her with feedback, expand her vision through fan fiction, and follow her into fantasy. The first full-length study of one of the most popular contemporary writers of science fiction and fantasy, will both enlighten fans and set the foundations for further study of her works.Less
Readers have awarded Lois McMaster Bujold four Hugo Awards for Best Novel, a number matched only by Robert Heinlein. Her Vorkosigan series redefined space opera with its emotional depth and explorations of themes such as bias against the disabled, economic exploitation, and the role of women in society. This book traces Bujold's career, showing how Bujold emerged from fanzine culture to win devoted male and female readers despite working in genres—military science fiction, space opera—perceived as solely by and for males. Devoted to old-school ideas such as faith in humanity and the desire to probe and do good in the universe, Bujold simultaneously subverted genre conventions and experimented with forms that led her in bold creative directions. As the book shows, her iconic hero Miles Vorkosigan—unimposing, physically impaired, self-conscious to a fault—embodied Bujold's thematic concerns. The sheer humanity of her characters, meanwhile, gained her a legion of fans eager to provide her with feedback, expand her vision through fan fiction, and follow her into fantasy. The first full-length study of one of the most popular contemporary writers of science fiction and fantasy, will both enlighten fans and set the foundations for further study of her works.
