Anyone interested in discussing Bujold's book series?

If you are, be sure to REGULARLY download the latest galleys or "ebook" versions from the Baen site as mentioned in the eBook Reader thread managed by Robin.

You can see plots or details appear and disappear in the ebook version sometimes. These items don't appear in the polished final book.

For example, there was a plot to ....ummm, it would be a spoiler to mention it here. But evidently, Ms Bujold yanked that whole plotline out of the galley of the most-recent Miles book (the one with the ice cream bugs). I assume that it would be moved to the next upcoming book. I'd sure like to see the head of the Star Creche make another appearance.

So, does anyone have these plotlines that have disappeared from the Baen site?

I'd love to see what "might have been"!

And, please spoil - given that it was yanked, you might be one of the few sources of the info!

I didn't download it but read that chapter on their site. In retrospect, I wished that I had, but it wouldn't have mattered because out of courtesy, I don't use a site-grabber on Baen.

I will list some of the items below as well as I can remember from the first three galley chapters of the recently released paperback "A Civil Campaign" where Miles had his adventure with the ice cream bugs and a certain Ms. Horticulturist on Komarr. I wonder what Ms Horticulturist would have thought of the Cetagandan kittykat tree... From the way gene-engineering could have gone, those kittykats might have pooped ice cream if they had been crossed with some Jackson Hole bug technology.

I know there were more essential facts from the now-deleted galley for "A Civil Campaign", but I just can't remember!!!

Oh, the galley was not written as "taut" as one of her final books was. There were a lot of extraneous details present in the galley that were no longer in the book. For example, in the book "A Civil Campaign" the skellytum description in the garden is highly abbreviated, but in the galley, it is detailed along with siting details. I can see why they were edited out in the final. The same with the tour through the house that Miles gave to Ekaterin on her first visit. There was a LOT more sensual detail in the galley than the final book. And of course, the fate of René Vorbretten was turned from drama into an ironic twist and humourous foil to distract a little bit from the main plot as well as fulfill the title "A Civil Campaign: A Comedy of Biology and Manners".

The style of galleys in the future could be changed. One never knows if in the future Baen will make future galley versions more polished before releasing putting them on the website for us to see the typos, logic errors, and extraneous plot details that might be moved to the next book instead of being left in the current one. In essence, we would lose the ability to see how some of the author's writing evolves as editors and other sounding boards give their feedback to the author.

FOLLOWUP:
You can get access to the Baen galley collection at the website mentioned in the dvdTalk thread by Robin for "Electronic Books/Readers" located HERE.<small>

[Edited by Startide on 05-23-01 at 12:15 AM]

Interesting inside info....

does anyone else know "stuff" about Miles/Bujold that isn't in the books (ever, or yet)?

You can actually see the "long version" galley at the Baen website. Of course, the Cetaganda details have been expunged.

By doing so, but not also editing out the extraneous Civil Campaign details, I suspect that either the Cetaganda info will be in a future book or has been trashed.

My bets are that the Cetaganda info will be around because it would be great to have one more rousing adventure with the Dendarii Mercenaries in an intersystem romp. It would also give Miles the last closure encounter with Sgt Taura as her time is getting close. Isn't her time about one year or less now? This will also create more interesting interpersonal conflicts between Mile's new Vor lady and encounters with the new Dendarii admiral (whom he's agreed to have liasons with...). Now, the Vor lady can't possibly be agreeable to Mile's future liasons can she?

Since Bujold is waaaay better at the personal relationships than she is with space battles, technical details, politics, or space compaigns, she will probably stick to things like that.

One of the reasons I like this series is that Miles CHANGES as he gets older. Wow. Reality.

He starts out as a brittle midget with delusions of grandeur.

He moves on to become a megalomaniac admiral of an entire fleet with delusions of grandeur.

He gets killed rescuing his clone brother, because he has delusions of grandeur.

Once resurrected, he contemplates how misled he has been, and how he will move on, within his framework of having delusions of grandeur.

He gets appointed a "Lord Auditor", replenishing his delusions of grandeur.

See how things change?

So what, I spoiled things! Even the books do that by recapping Miles life! But the books aren't spoiled!

Well, we'll see if the details expunged from "A Civil Campaign" have been moved into Bujold's upcoming book "Diplomatic Immunity".

FOLLOWUP:
Cover art and description

There are two galley chapters from the book already posted at the Baen website. Click here to read these chapters from the book galley. The final book may be different from the galley version due to editing or changes by the author.

Thanks for resurrecting this post --- even if it seems only you and I participate.

When is Diplomatic Immunity coming out?

I got excited when I saw a new title from the series until I realized it was another reprint/compilation.... finally some news about something NEW!

>> When is Diplomatic Immunity coming out?

Baen Books releases it starting in January 2002 for those who subscribe to their online book release service WebScription. If you buy the paper version at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or BAMM, you will have to wait until May2002.

It does look strange that DI immediately starts out with the Miles and Kat after the wedding had taken place. I suppose Bujold had probably saved the wedding for either a flashback later on in the book.

FOLLOWUP:
The wedding will be included as Bujold's contribution to Catherine Asaro's anthology book Irresistible Forces due in 2003. That book currently has lined up Asaro, Jo Beverley, Bujold, Mary Jo Putney, Jennifer Roberson, and Deb Stover. If it is in Bujold's thematic style, it will probably be a wry exposition on all the way a wedding can go wrong but still end up with a happy ending.

So, i can imagine Miles having sent out invitations to all of his past girlfriends to attend (including those named in his girlfriend list at the of the Komarr book). All those who object, say now or forever hold your piece. Taura might growl "those human fetility patches didnt work on me" so i expect Miles to do the right thing. Haut Rian Degtiar might chirp up "remember when i told you that there'd be no chance of you forgetting me? you left some of your dna behind on your prior visit..." And so forth... Now, i wonder if Bel has anything to say???

Do you have to subscribe to Webscriptions?

I seem to be able to see the first two chapters.... but that's just glancing.

For Webscriptions info, go to Baen's homepage and they have a link for it there.

Webscriptions is Baen's experiment in selling eBook versions of their publications for a price that is much less than the paper version (plus tax) at the local bookstore. Also, you get to see the book well ahead (up to three months) of the official release date for the deadtree version.

Thanks for the info..

I'm just disappointed that it seems like you and I are the only folks interested in Miles Vorkosigan here...

I've read some of them, and enjoyed them. I don't own any of the books (or do I? hmm, have to check :D) so I usually just get which ever paperback the local library has on the rack. Because of this, I have only read random books in the series, instead of reading the whole series in chronological order.

which ones have you liked the best, and why?

I'm curious!

Hmm, its really been too long, and I have read too many other books since then, so I can't really recall more than some broad details about the series... I think I need to read 'em again. :D The local library's (HUGE) annual booksale is coming up, I will keep an eye out for these books.

Do so, and they are fun to read in order, because you see how Miles develops and changes over the years.... although he ALWAYS stays a loveable megalomaniac...

Ahh, I have at least three (not sure about any hardbacks.)

Borders of Infinity (Paperback)
Barrayar (Paperback)
and Cordelia's Honor (Trade, omnibus)

I always like to read books in chronological order, and if the authors would prefer that they are read in published order (like Anne McCaffrey's Pern,) well... screw 'em. ;)

Does Ms. Bujold write them in chronological order, or does she go back and explore past events in new books? If she does go back and forth, what would be the chronological reading order?

She has tended to write chronologically, but she HAS gone back and revisited earlier periods (like Ceteganda)

Hmm... chronological order:

Shards of Honor
Barrayar
Warriors Apprentice
Vor Game
Borders of Infinity
Ceteganda

I'll get the rest later...

Well, a local library had a small book sale tonight, I didn't manage to find any Vorkosigan. :( I spent about 50$, which is just a practice run for the big book sale. :D

We have a multi-library system spread across the city, with probably about 15-20 branches. They have an annual book sale that has thousands of people in attendance over 3 days, so hopefully I will be able to find some Vorkosigan.

Hooray, the third galley chapter of "Diplomatic Immunity" has been posted for free public viewing at the Baen website. Ahh, if only Glen Cook would sign up with Baen books...

Thanks for the heads up - the first two chapters were cool.

Ok, here's the "Vorkosigan Universe" in chronological order, NOT publication order:

Falling Free (in the universe, not about Miles)
Shards of Honor (about Miles parents)
Barrayar (Miles is born)
The Warrior's Apprentice (first real Miles book - he's 17)
Borders of Infinity (specifically the story "Mountains of Mourning")
The Vor Game
Ceteganda
Ethan of Athos (not really about Miles)
Borders of Infinity (specifically the stories "Labyrinth", and title story)
Mirror Dance
Memory
Komarr
A Civil Campaign
Diplomatic Immunity (May 2002)

other titles are compilations of these books.

Hi folks,

I just thought I'd mention there's at least one more person who reads these books. In all honesty, until now, I never noticed that DVDTalk had a forum to discuss books - not something I really thought of. ;)

I'm happy to see there's a new book coming out - now, it's just the usual tourture of waiting until the paperback is released. :(

You can read the first three chapters now.... but I'm not sure if that makes it more or less agonizing.

I'm not sure either, but I went ahead & read them anyway. ;) Oh well - maybe it's time to dig the rest of the series out & re-read them in the meantime.

Yeah --- I'm glad I read them, but now I want more!!!!

Woah! Baen Books has loaded two more chapters for free reading at their website. That makes FIVE of the Eighteen total book chapters available for free so far.

The record for partial chapters was 24 chapters of 50 (?) for one of the Honor Harrington books. The record is still held by one of the other Dave Weber books (i forgot the title) that had ALL of its chapters on the website for free reading, even though it was available for sale at the B&M bookstores.

Baen Books is by far the most generous of the book publishers in giving you advance chapters to read for free.

Cool - gotta go grab them!

Well, I'm five chapters into it.... if any more get released, let us know!

Anyone know if "Miles Errant" (out in September 2002) is a new or reprint book?

I suspect reprint, since the titles using the word Miles in a pun seem to be reprints.

Well, I picked up Vorkosigan's Game and A Civil Campaign at the last book sale. Now I will just need to order the rest from my library.

One question about the chronological order, is The Vor Game the same as Vorkosigan's Game?

Never really heard of "Vorkosigan's Game".... might be "The Vor Game", but not sure...

Ahh... Vorkosigan's Game is an omnibus, with The Vor Game and Borders of Infinity. I had to get off my mule to go check. :D

Well, there are many more, but if you want to "get started", then pick up "The Warrior's Apprentice", read that, then read "The Vor Game"...

that'll get you going.

Does anyone know if "Diplomatic Immunity" is out already?

I have it on order at Amazon, and they and Baen say "May 2002"... but I see at Barnes & Noble.com, it says "SHIPS IN 24 HOURS"!!!!

Anyone know?

It seems to be in a box in the back room at my local B&N. They've made space for it already on the shelf, but haven't put it out yet. You can always hope that the publisher had forgotten to put a date on the box or if the restocking people missed looking at the date. I picked up Angry Lead Skies by Glen Cook almost two week early because of that at Borders. B&N put it out on the shelf at the right time though.

So have you managed to snag a copy?

If I order it from B&N.com - you think they'd ship it "within 24 hours"?