Shards of Honor— the audio book

One of the first books I read when I decided to abandon the best seller lists, the books perched on those little display stands at the library, and recommendations from well meaning friends and family was Lois McMaster Bujold's Shards of Honor. I have devoted an earlier entry to it, and have mentioned it in other posts as well. Still, it is difficult for me to explain how good this novel is, both as a stand alone, and as the basis for a long-running series. Although I am not a fan of audio books, I plan to give this one a try.

The Best of Pam’s Pages— Book Reviews

Last week’s post, an impromptu plug for a book I enjoyed quite a lot, prompted a comment from “Elizabeth” who is, I believe, the managing editor of Zumaya, which published the title Tigra, which was the subject of last week’s post. If you look back at last week’s post, in the comments, she thanked me for my review, which is too kind.

In fact, I hesitate to call my efforts here reviews, although some entries come closer than others. I have written reviews for three different internet sites, and I really enjoyed it, but I am not seeking reviewer status right now. On a SF message board which I read and sometimes post messages, one writer commented that the review is usually more of a reflection of the tastes of the reviewer than of the book, and while I like to think of myself as objective, the comment rings true. So, any comments I have made regarding books do reflect my tastes. That said, here are some links to past posts for books which I find worthy of keeper status:

•Linnea Sinclair’s Finders Keepers, a space opera with a romantic side, and the first title I read by this eBook author. My favorite is An Accidental Goddess.

•Quick takes, Catherine Asaro’s Skyfall and Neal Boortz’s Fair Tax Book are books which have no relation to each other apart from when I read them.

•Paranormal adventure awaits, Warprize and Tiger Eye.

•The superb Lois McMaster Bujold's debut novel, Shards of Honor.

•More short takes in romantic SF, which is one of my favorite genres.

All of these posts still point out some good reading, so do have a look at books I've enjoyed, and revisit some of my favorite posts on Pam's Pages.

Science Fiction online for Cyber Monday

Maybe you want to give a gift to a science fiction fan; maybe you want to entice a fellow reader to try speculative fiction, or maybe you will have a few days off and want something new for your own entertainment. Whatever the reason, there are so many wonderful stories for fans of science fiction these days. Last year, I devoted one of my blog entries to new releases in science fiction, but this year I have thrown the “new” part out and simply listed some of my favorites which happen to be available via Fictionwise. Hopefully interested readers can find most of these in print as well. The Niven story was in an anthology quite a few years ago, and Asaro’s story was first published in Analog magazine. I began reading Asaro’s novels after I read “A Roll of the Dice”— a piece which is long enough to qualify as a novella and lets the reader know just how wonderful a writer she can be.

David Weber is one of the modern masters of the space opera, but I prefer his early works, so both of those named represent that period. Lois McMaster Bujold just seems to get better and better, but her Vorkosigan saga begins with Shards of Honor, my favorite of her stories, perhaps due to the underlying theme of motherhood. Another talented writer of two space opera series, plus fantasy is Elizabeth Moon; however, I deliberately chose one of her stand alone titles. Best known for a multiple book series with dragons that are more fantasy than sci fi, Anne McCaffrey sometimes writes sci fi, and Nimesha’s Ship is such a work. My own Trinity on Tylos owes quite a lot to my love of various space opera and sci fi themes, and it does include some romantic elements which make it appeal to readers of that genre as well.

Real romance lets science and logic take a back seat, but they are still present in these tales. Angela Verdenius is always a delight, and Love’s Sweet Assassin is my favorite of her novels. Beloved Enemy, by Janet Miller, is a mostly a romance, with some military and paranormal elements, and she has other works set in this same universe. Kaitlyn O’Connor is my favorite New Concepts writer, and I have read all of her titles to date. I chose Exiled to represent her work. This title is very sensual so be forewarned (or delighted)— it’s up to you, I suppose.

Here’s my list of suggestions, so get started on that shopping!

Short fiction:
• Asaro, A Roll of the Dice
• Niven, Jigsaw Man

Space Opera:
• Weber, Apocalypse Troll
• Weber, Honor of the Queen
• Moon, Remnant Population

Space Opera with romantic elements:
• Bujold, Shards of Honor
• Bujold, Barrayar
• McCaffrey, Nimesha’s Ship
• Dodd, Trinity on Tylos

Romantic sci fi, also known known as futuristic romance:
• Verdenius, Love’s Sweet Assassin
• Miller, Beloved Enemy
• O’Connor, Exiled

In Memory of Jim Baen

Since I have no idea if any science fiction fans ever read this, I don’t know if you’ll recognize the name Jim Baen. As a publisher, he was one of the more influential people in modern science fiction and fantasy. He died June 28, after having suffered a massive stroke on the 16th.

I didn't know him, although I once met his executive editor, Toni Weisskopf, at a writer’s conference. I am a great fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, whose debut manuscript was picked out of the slush pile by Baen. Through the sort of nurturing along that is rare today, but a trademark of Baen Books, she became a literary star. The Baen imprint is also home to David Weber, John Ringo and many other writers whose work I have enjoyed. Unlike most other publishers, he regularly took on new, unagented authors.

Baen's friend, David Drake, wrote an obituary, which is available online here:
http://david-drake.com/baen.html

Certainly, I hope that his friends and family will be comforted by the knowledge that he made a real difference in the lives of many people who never met him.

A Mother’s Day book review

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

This novel is a science fiction story; the main character is Commander Cordelia Naismith of Beta Colony’s Astronomical Survey. As the story opens, she commands the Survey Ship Rene Magritte. Along with a shuttle load of various experts, Cordelia has made camp on an unnamed planet. While she and her team’s botanist, Ensign Dubauer, are away, the camp is attacked by a Barrayaran military force. When Cordelia and Dubauer see the shuttle make an emergency takeoff, she contacts her ship, orders them to get away from the planet, and realizes that she will probably be captured by the Barrayarans.