Komarr – Lois McMaster Bujold (Vorkosigan Saga)
Title: Komar
Series: Vorkosigan Saga,
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Science Fiction
Having never read a book by Bujold, I snagged this novel at a used bookstore because the premise sounded interesting. And now I think I’ve found another series to pursue. Unfortunately I started with this book, which actually take place pretty late in the Vorkosigan timeline. That said, the book actually seemed to stand pretty well on its own. I’m sure there were a few subtle character developments or backgrounds which would have been better understood had I read previous novels in the series, but I felt like the story stood very well on its own.
Bujold does an excellent job setting up the dilemma and maneuvering the intrigue with the character revelation and development. Miles Vorkosigan is quite an intriguing character, with his “mutant” physical traits adding an interesting twist on his interaction in Bujold’s future society. Ekaterin – Kat to those who know her – actually emerges as a quite complex character and Bujold does an excellent job deftly exploring and displaying her emotional and mental challenges and dilemmas.
The story itself moves relatively quickly, barely pausing here and there before rushing off in a new or different directions. Nothing felt forced, and her writing did an excellent job of moving the story along. This is not a book to put one to sleep.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to all fans of science fiction, and don’t think it would be too much of a stretch for those less familiar with the genre. The subject matter is relatively chaste throughout a majority of the book, and though a few sections get slightly more sexual in focus, nothing explicit never emerges.
Worldview: secular
Age: due to some of the subject matter and the violence, I wouldn’t suggest this for any children not in High School.
links:
Wikipedia Vorkosagan Saga page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorkosigan_Saga
Wikipedia Bujold page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_mcmaster_bujold
I consider this to be the best of the Vorkosiganseries so far but partly for reasons almost never mentioned in reviews.
What about the SCIENCE? bujold doesn’t mention theterm Newtonian Physics but it is used in the analysis of the collision. Then there is aspect similar to “The Cold Equations”. The inventor is killed by his own device because he made a mistake. Dr. Riva figures out the mistake.
But reviewers concentrating on the literary aspects ignore the SCIENCE in Science Fiction. So much stuff that is called science fiction these days has no science, just sci-fi TROPES. They are not the same thing.