The disadvantage of authors adding to a series

[owl]

I was trying to read Mirror Dance the other day and failing—I can only read it from after Miles' death and even then it's hard going except for my favourite scenes (Gregor and Mark, Ivan crying in the garden, Miles going manic when he gets his memory back). Similarly I can't read the first few chapters of Memory, I have to start just after the scene in Illyan's office. Anyway, I was slogging away towards Aral's heart attack, and I started to wonder if the announced next Vorkosigan book is going to be the one in which LMB finally kills him off. Because on the scale of 'worst possible things' the only thing above Aral's death I can think of is Ekaterin or the twins being killed (or Miles, again, I suppose). Um. There's always Gregor being assassinated, I suppose, which would be almost as bad as Miles but would have worse consequences for Barrayar as a whole.

After that I couldn't read any of the books, not even the happier ones. The downside of an open canon. I mean, I like the thought of a Vorkosiverse story, but is it worth all the anxiety beforehand? Best case for me I suppose would be for the focus not to be on the Vorkosigans. Shame she finds Ivan so slippery to write, he's getting rather interesting of late. And I'd like to know what the rest of the Dendarii are getting up to.

Comments

[frankie-ecap.livejournal.com]

I agree with all of this. Will comment tomorrow to chat when conscious again, but just quickly: very pi of me but can't help thinking you should maybe cut this for those who haven't read the series?

Fx

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Gregor having one of his children kidnapped is the worst thing that could happen to him. And Ivan marrying someone exactly like his mother is the surely worst that could happen to him. I'm kind of sorry there's going to be a new book, actually, I really feel as if the story has ended, with them all alive and happy.

[coughingbear]

I'm much the same as you with Memory, definitely can't read the first chapters when he makes the mistake and makes the decision to lie about it and I hurry through the next bit. After Illyan's office I'm OK (and I do think it's a wonderful book).

I do dread Aral's death. But I would like to see more of Sergyar and him and Cordelia there, and I am hoping that (as has happened before) Bujold thinks of something else entirely to do to people. If there is more Mark and Ivan I will also be pretty happy. But I was surprised when she said there'd be another one as I thought she'd fairly much finished with Miles.

[significantowl.livejournal.com]

I feel like I read somewhere that she said she'd been putting off another Miles book because it would take Aral's death to drive another narrative for him. (No idea where I read that and it's definitely paraphrased.) :(