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VK Saga Reading Guide
Or, what the devil have Liv and Rho gotten me into, most likely. That would be the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold.
Do you like character-driven hard sci fi concerned more with societal issues than technological details? How about old-fashioned liege-lord relationships? What if I said there's a ridiculously long series out there that attempts to do both of those while addressing topics such as physical disability, feminism, rape of both women and men, torture, war, interrogation, identity crises, clones, genetic engineering, prejudice of all kinds, redefining yourself as an adult, hermaphrodites, and recently polyamory?
I'm probably forgetting something. Suffice to say, this is a great series and you should read it because all the social commentary is very quiet background to AWESOME SPACE ADVENTURES. Hot damn!
But wait-- Liv, aren't there multiple Vorkosigans, not just Miles? Isn't this chronology super confusing? I heard we start from before Miles's birth and go until he's 40, so far. There's not just books, there's short stories, novellas, adjunct novels... And Bujold didn't even write them in order!
Yes. Yes, there are, we do, and it is. Let's break this down.
Cordelia's Books -- "Shards of Honor" and "Barrayar".
>Start here if you want strict chronology.
You'll want the second on hand if you start the first. These are about Miles's parents, and can act as detailed prequels or as a duology in its own right. They're the most romance-focused of the books. Depicts Cordelia and Aral on opposite sides of an armed conflict, from drastically different planetary backgrounds, finding a way to be together anyway. Includes a lot of messy politics and even messier corruption. Huge trigger warnings for these two.
Early Dendarii -- "Warrior's Apprentice", "Mountains of Mourning" (short story), "the Vor Game", "Cetaganda".
>Start here if you just want to jump straight into the thick of things with Miles.
Space adventures galore! Social commentary on infanticide! Intergalactic politics! Miles getting in way, way, way over his head! Ivan the idiot!
Borders of Infinity -- "Borders of Infinity", "Mountains of Mourning" (as above), "Labyrinth", all short stories. Listing this separately in order to avoid confusion: these were originally published in one volume under this title, but have all since been republished in various other formats.
>Start here if you just want some quick reads to see what it's like. The author encourages reading out of order and jumping in the middle-- Bujold herself wrote most of them out of order.
First appearance of Taura happens in "Labyrinth", which homfg yay. "Borders of Infinity" itself is Miles at his manic, charismatic craziest.
Clones -- "Brothers in Arms" and "Mirror Dance".
>Probably do not start here unless you really just care about clones.
Absolutely need to be read together and in order. If you can finish the first and not flail desperately for the second, you are not human. Big trigger warnings for these two, too. These are the darkest books in the series and it really shows. You literally might need some tissues, or at least a cat to hug afterward.
Memory -- The heading is the title of just one book, "Memory".
>Under no circumstances should you start here. Actually, I don't recommend reading this or anything past it until you've read all that happens before it. You could, but you'll miss a lot of impact.
One of the most memorable, heart-rending books in the series. I promise that it has a happy ending. You might need this promise while reading, you'll be so on the edge of your seat. This is a major, drastic turning point in the series-- everything that's come before it is thematically distinct from everything that comes after it.
Auditor Adventures -- "Komarr", "A Civil Campaign", "Winterfair Gifts" (short story), and "Diplomatic Immunity".
The second and third ones listed are highly romance-focused books and much more light-hearted. The other two read more like crime procedurals. The books have shifted from space fights to investigation.
Current -- "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance", "Cryoburn", and "Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen".
Ivan's book! An... important book I can't talk about without spoilers! And the last one is another Cordelia book, which just came out.
Odds and Ends -- "Falling Free" and "Ethan of Athos".
You're safe to skip these entirely if you like. There's no Vorkosigans in either of them and no one I know considers them Bujold's best work by far. Really only read them if you're completionist.
OMNIBUS GUIDE -- didn't know you'd need one of these, did you? You're welcome.
Cordelia's Honor: Shards of Honor, Barrayar
Young Miles: Warrior's Apprentice, Mountains of Mourning, Vor Game
Miles, Mystery & Mayhem: Cetaganda, Ethan of Athos, Labyrinth
Miles Errant: Borders of Infinity (short story), Brothers in Arms, Mirror Dance
Miles in Love: Komarr, A Civil Campaign, Winterfair Gifts
Miles, Mutants & Microbes: Falling Free, Labyrinth, Diplomatic Immunity
You'll notice some weirdness in there at the later ones, so pay attention to the chronology guide when buying.
There are also newly released KINDLE EDITIONS that look awesome. They also may or may not be super easy to find in ebook format on torrents, but really, try to support Bujold if you can. She deserves it.
SPOILERS IN GAME
Gregor and Miles's in game canon point is "the Vor Game", and there will be spoilers for all books preceding and including it, along with probably some mention of things that aren't explained until later.
If you're in the middle of reading and want to avoid spoilers, you should either avoid us for the duration or let us know!
WARNING: YOU WILL LOSE TIME TO THESE BOOKS
Finally, I need to give you an absolutely necessary warning. I'm serious, this is very important-- more important than anything else on this post. This series will consume a month of your life. I am in no way joking. We are not responsible for any lateness to class/work or lost sleep. It is just part of the hazing process to join the cult. You are embarking on a commitment by starting these books, you just don't know it yet.
Your one saving grace is that the majority of the stories are very episodic and, with two marked exceptions, do not end on any kind of cliffhanger, so you're safe not to have the next one.
If at any time you need moral support or hand-holding, let me know. I would be delighted.
Do you like character-driven hard sci fi concerned more with societal issues than technological details? How about old-fashioned liege-lord relationships? What if I said there's a ridiculously long series out there that attempts to do both of those while addressing topics such as physical disability, feminism, rape of both women and men, torture, war, interrogation, identity crises, clones, genetic engineering, prejudice of all kinds, redefining yourself as an adult, hermaphrodites, and recently polyamory?
I'm probably forgetting something. Suffice to say, this is a great series and you should read it because all the social commentary is very quiet background to AWESOME SPACE ADVENTURES. Hot damn!
But wait-- Liv, aren't there multiple Vorkosigans, not just Miles? Isn't this chronology super confusing? I heard we start from before Miles's birth and go until he's 40, so far. There's not just books, there's short stories, novellas, adjunct novels... And Bujold didn't even write them in order!
Yes. Yes, there are, we do, and it is. Let's break this down.
Cordelia's Books -- "Shards of Honor" and "Barrayar".
>Start here if you want strict chronology.
You'll want the second on hand if you start the first. These are about Miles's parents, and can act as detailed prequels or as a duology in its own right. They're the most romance-focused of the books. Depicts Cordelia and Aral on opposite sides of an armed conflict, from drastically different planetary backgrounds, finding a way to be together anyway. Includes a lot of messy politics and even messier corruption. Huge trigger warnings for these two.
Early Dendarii -- "Warrior's Apprentice", "Mountains of Mourning" (short story), "the Vor Game", "Cetaganda".
>Start here if you just want to jump straight into the thick of things with Miles.
Space adventures galore! Social commentary on infanticide! Intergalactic politics! Miles getting in way, way, way over his head! Ivan the idiot!
Borders of Infinity -- "Borders of Infinity", "Mountains of Mourning" (as above), "Labyrinth", all short stories. Listing this separately in order to avoid confusion: these were originally published in one volume under this title, but have all since been republished in various other formats.
>Start here if you just want some quick reads to see what it's like. The author encourages reading out of order and jumping in the middle-- Bujold herself wrote most of them out of order.
First appearance of Taura happens in "Labyrinth", which homfg yay. "Borders of Infinity" itself is Miles at his manic, charismatic craziest.
Clones -- "Brothers in Arms" and "Mirror Dance".
>Probably do not start here unless you really just care about clones.
Absolutely need to be read together and in order. If you can finish the first and not flail desperately for the second, you are not human. Big trigger warnings for these two, too. These are the darkest books in the series and it really shows. You literally might need some tissues, or at least a cat to hug afterward.
Memory -- The heading is the title of just one book, "Memory".
>Under no circumstances should you start here. Actually, I don't recommend reading this or anything past it until you've read all that happens before it. You could, but you'll miss a lot of impact.
One of the most memorable, heart-rending books in the series. I promise that it has a happy ending. You might need this promise while reading, you'll be so on the edge of your seat. This is a major, drastic turning point in the series-- everything that's come before it is thematically distinct from everything that comes after it.
Auditor Adventures -- "Komarr", "A Civil Campaign", "Winterfair Gifts" (short story), and "Diplomatic Immunity".
The second and third ones listed are highly romance-focused books and much more light-hearted. The other two read more like crime procedurals. The books have shifted from space fights to investigation.
Current -- "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance", "Cryoburn", and "Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen".
Ivan's book! An... important book I can't talk about without spoilers! And the last one is another Cordelia book, which just came out.
Odds and Ends -- "Falling Free" and "Ethan of Athos".
You're safe to skip these entirely if you like. There's no Vorkosigans in either of them and no one I know considers them Bujold's best work by far. Really only read them if you're completionist.
OMNIBUS GUIDE -- didn't know you'd need one of these, did you? You're welcome.
Cordelia's Honor: Shards of Honor, Barrayar
Young Miles: Warrior's Apprentice, Mountains of Mourning, Vor Game
Miles, Mystery & Mayhem: Cetaganda, Ethan of Athos, Labyrinth
Miles Errant: Borders of Infinity (short story), Brothers in Arms, Mirror Dance
Miles in Love: Komarr, A Civil Campaign, Winterfair Gifts
Miles, Mutants & Microbes: Falling Free, Labyrinth, Diplomatic Immunity
You'll notice some weirdness in there at the later ones, so pay attention to the chronology guide when buying.
There are also newly released KINDLE EDITIONS that look awesome. They also may or may not be super easy to find in ebook format on torrents, but really, try to support Bujold if you can. She deserves it.
SPOILERS IN GAME
Gregor and Miles's in game canon point is "the Vor Game", and there will be spoilers for all books preceding and including it, along with probably some mention of things that aren't explained until later.
If you're in the middle of reading and want to avoid spoilers, you should either avoid us for the duration or let us know!
WARNING: YOU WILL LOSE TIME TO THESE BOOKS
Finally, I need to give you an absolutely necessary warning. I'm serious, this is very important-- more important than anything else on this post. This series will consume a month of your life. I am in no way joking. We are not responsible for any lateness to class/work or lost sleep. It is just part of the hazing process to join the cult. You are embarking on a commitment by starting these books, you just don't know it yet.
Your one saving grace is that the majority of the stories are very episodic and, with two marked exceptions, do not end on any kind of cliffhanger, so you're safe not to have the next one.
If at any time you need moral support or hand-holding, let me know. I would be delighted.
no subject
That's how good these books are.
no subject
... There may be indirect spoilers though. Or things that will only make sense after you've read later books, because reasons. (I am personally in the middle of Diplomatic Immunity, which is also a testament to how complete these books feel - don't let the number scare you off.)
no subject
2. OH YEAH THAT IS A GOOD POINT. Let me add a spoilers note. We'll be canon updating eventually, too.
lol I can't wait for you to read Ivan's book, it's absolutely everything you could ever want from an Ivan book.