The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Book)

The Darren language has a word for the attraction one feels to danger: esui. It is esui that makes warriors charge into hopeless battles and die laughing. Esui is also what draws women to lovers who are bad for them—men who would make poor fathers, women of the enemy….It is glory, it is folly. It is everything not sensible, not rational, not safe at all—but without esui, there is no point in living.

I continue my reading of the 2011 Hugo Award nominees with N.K. Jesmisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, a dark fantasy that was also nominated for the 2010 Nebula Award. The book is the first in the Inheritance Trilogy. The story centers on a fascinating cosmology, based loosely on the Hindu idea of Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer. It is somewhat reminiscent of Gaiman’s American Gods, the 2002 Hugo Award winning novel.

The story is told by Yeine, a young woman from Darr, a minor kingdom. After the death of her mother, Yeine is summoned to Sky, the capital of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by Dakarta, who is her maternal grandfather and the king. While plans are being made for her to be declared Dakarta’s heir, she realizes that she is a really only a pawn, a convenient sacrifice. As the plot unfolds she learns more about the gods and godlets, who are the servants and weapons of the ruling class. She finds also uncovers the truth about her mother and the deal her mother made with the gods.

Because I am not a great fan of dark, twisty tales, I did not actually enjoy the book. I was, however, fascinated by it. I liked the tone of the narration, including all the digressions. I was curious to see how the story would unfold, to the point of being riveted in the last 50 pages. I admire Jesmisin’s ability to create an original and convincing world. I am not sure what this says about the book’s chances of winning the Hugo Award. We will see.

Cryoburn (Book)

Cryonics. Cute kids. Kidnapping. Corruption. Commoditized contracts. Critters.

I have begun my reading of the 2011 Hugo Award novel nominees with Lois McMaster Bujold’s Cryoburn, which is also nominated for the 2011 Locus Science Fiction Award. It is the 14th book in the Miles Vorkosigan Saga and was written eight years after the last book, Diplomatic Immunity. At this point Miles is 39.

The book centers on the concept of cryonics, freezing dead and terminally ill people with the hope of reviving them at a later time. Emperor Gregor sends Miles to investigate a corporation on Kiboudaini that wants to expand into Komarr, which is part of the empire. In the beginning of the book Miles evades a kidnapping attempt but is still drugged. While disoriented, Miles is befriended by a runaway boy, Jin. The boy’s mother, a protester against  cryonics  in favor of universal access to cryonics, was arrested and frozen, supposedly until the authorities can find a cure for the mental illness that caused her to protest. Miles now has two missions, to protect Komarr’s interests and to find out the truth about Jin’s mother.

I very much enjoyed reading Cryoburn. I believe that most fans of Miles will be very happy with it. I especially enjoyed the narrative. While Bujold wrote the novel in the third-person, she helps us look at events through the eyes of Jin and of Miles’ armsman Roic, adding a dimension to the story. I haven’t read the other Hugo nominees yet, so I don’t have an opinion about whether this is the best book. One inherent drawback is that it is a later book in a series. The very end of the book is not going to make any sense to people who have not read the earlier books.

Note: If you are new to the Miles Vorkosigan Saga and want to read the books, I recommend looking in the back pages of Cryoburn for a list of the novels and novellas. World Without End also has an excellent list. Be aware that the books were not written in order; ignore the dates and pay attention to the book number!!!! While Falling Free is an enjoyable book, you can skip it without missing much from the Miles plot. Shards of Honor and Barrayar are about Miles’ parents and events leading up to his birth. I read them in an Omnibus called Cordelia’s Honor. In order to understand many of the later books, you need to be familiar with the earlier ones.

Diplomatic Immunity (Book)

Her [Ekaterin’s] voice sharpened. “If you die on me here, I will not be grieved, I will be pissed…Are you listening to me, Miles Vorkosigan? Don’t you dare die! I won’t have it!”

Diplomatic Immunity, Book 13 of Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga, continues some threads related to genetic engineering that were begun in earlier books: Quaddies, Betan Hermaphrodites, Cetagandan Haute humans, Jackson Whole hybrid species.

Briefly, Miles and Ekaterin are on their year-late honeymoon, before the impending decanting of their first children from their uterine replicators, when Emperor Gregor sends Miles to Graf station to act as a negotiator in a diplomatic situation. Barrayan officers from a military escort had gotten out of hand after a security officer was reported missing. To make sure they are financially compensated for damages, the Quaddies have detained the crew, detained their passengers and impounded their ships. Soon Miles discovers that Bel, his old friend from the Dendarii Mercenaries, is working on the station. When Miles, Bel, and a mysterious passenger are shot at, it becomes clear that there is something more sinister going on than a diplomatic misunderstanding.

Diplomatic Immunity is a science fiction, mystery. I was disappointed in the book, but I think that was partially due to reading it so soon after A Civil Campaign, a romantic comedy. The two books have a very different tone/feel. Also, I really needed to remember another earlier book—which I more or less did—for the plot to make sense. On the other hand, the book does contain some of Bujold’s wisdom on life, a few touching scenes, and action.

Civil Campaign (Book)

Love. Slander & Dirty Politics. Love. Butter Bug Vomit. Love. Patriarchy & Changing Times. Love.

Civil Campaign, the title of Book 12 in Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga, refers to Miles Vorkosigan’s strategy to marry the widow Ekaterin Vorsoisson. It is a science fiction, romantic comedy with some politics thrown in. It was nominated for various awards, and the chapter where Miles throws a dinner party wins my vote for funniest Bujold chapter ever. (Do not read this chapter while eating because you will be laughing too hard.) It is as though all Miles' mischievous karma comes back to bite him at the same time.

Briefly, while everyone is busy preparing for Emperor Gregor’s wedding, Miles is trying to tactfully woo Ekaterin. His cloned brother Mark, who is head over heels in love with Kareen, brings home a houseguest with an unusual business. In the meantime, interesting political maneuvers are going on in the council, the unexpected results of Barrayar’s patriarchal government. Chaos ensues. Some unusual romantic pairings are also made.

When I first began to read the books in the Vorkosigan Saga, I didn’t understand why it had so many fans. Now, I have a hard time putting the books down. I am realizing that reading a series is a different experience from reading an isolated book or reading books loosely related because their stories are set in a common world. On another note, lately I have been paying attention to the cadence of Bujold’s plot development. It seems to me that she creates a lot more hills and valleys, giving the reader more chance to breathe. This adds to my enjoyment of her books.

The Demolished Man (Book)

Murder. Nightmares. The Man with No Face. Peepers & Espers. Tension, apprehension, and dissension have begun. Id & Super-ego. Motive. Demolition.

Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man won the 1953 Hugo Award, the first Hugo Award ever given out. The novel is a classic and has a tone that reminds me of the old Twilight Zone TV Series.  The book is relatively timeless; although, it does contain some of the 50’s attitudes toward women. Also, 1950’s readers probably would have been more familiar with the psychological concepts and references to extra sensory perception than current readers. Otherwise, if I had never heard of the book and someone had torn out the copyright page, I might have mistaken the book for a much more current novel.

Briefly, in a society where there have been no murders in 79 years, Ben Reich murders Craye D'Courtney. Lincoln Powell, the head of police, is a telepath—called a “peeper” or “Esper”—and knows that Reich committed the murder, but that is not enough for a conviction. Lincoln must find conventional proof. Much of the story consists of a cat and mouse game between the two. Bester also has the reader wondering. “Who is the man with no face?” “What is demolition?” “What is Reich’s motive for the murder?” “Who is trying to harm Reich?”

The Demolished Man is one of the books that helped create the foundation for current Science Fiction. I almost feel that reading it was a rite of passage for me.

Double Star (Book)

Brother, until you’ve been in politics you haven’t been alive….It’s rough and sometimes it’s dirty and it’s always hard work and tedious details. But it’s the only sport for grownups. All other games are for kids. All of ‘em.

Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein is both timeless and a wonderful relic. Something about it just makes me smile, conjuring up in my mind some of the current retro trends in fashion. This winner of the 1956 Hugo Award--the third Hugo Award for a novel ever given out--is a short, simple book, full of slang from the 1950’s. Yet, the basic theme can easily be applied to our current time.

Briefly, a somewhat down on his luck actor sees an astronaut in a bar on Earth. The actor decides to make friends, thinking the astronaut might be a source of a little money. The astronaut offers the actor an unspecified acting gig. In time the reader finds out the acting gig is to impersonate a major political figure, who has been kidnapped, for a one-time political appearance on Mars. The plot goes in some interesting directions from there.

This is not a particularly deep book, but it has a meaningful message. It speaks to some of the social issues of the 1950’s as well as the basic disillusionment many of us feel toward politics. The description of humankind’s expansion into the solar system and the aliens from Mars is interesting because of the way it reflects on the 1950’s. While this isn’t a “must read,” it is definitely worth reading.

Komarr (Book)

Tien had protected her proudly, she reflected, in the little Vor-lady fortress of her household. Tien had spent a decade protecting her so hard, especially from anything that resembled growth, she’d felt scarcely larger at thirty than she’d been at twenty.

On one level, Komarr, Book 11 in Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga, is a science fiction mystery. On another level, it is a story about the transformation of Ekaterin Vorsoisson, wife to head of terraforming Tien Vorsoisson, mother to nine year old Nikki, niece to Imperial auditor Professor Vorthys.

Barrayaran Imperial auditors Miles Vorkosigan and Professor Vorthys are sent to Komarr to investigate the destruction of a soletta array (mirrors used in terraforming to focus the sun’s rays) and an ore spaceship. Is it an accident, sabotage, or something even worse? The auditors stay with Vorthys’ niece Ekaterin and her husband Tien. Miles is promptly smitten with the niece. He does not realize that she is dealing with an abusive husband who has a debilitating genetic disorder and a son who also carries the disease. What begins as a boring investigation takes some unexpected twists and turns.

I know I keep repeating myself, but Lois McMaster Bujold is a good storyteller, and this is another good story. Bujold helps the reader to understand Ekaterin, who will continue to be an important character in the later Vorkosigan Saga books. The love smitten Miles is absolutely darling. Bujold takes on the issues of disability, genetic disorders, prejudice, and women’s rights & roles. Compared to other books in the Vorkosigan Saga, Komarr does not have as much adventure and defying of authority. The variation in plot styles from book to book helps keep the Saga interesting.