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I'm taking this opportunity to write up a semi-detailed list/guide to Lois McMaster Bujold's novels, with the intent of waving it in people's faces when I'm trying to persuade them to read the series and they ask me, "where do I start? What is that in?" Some of this was cribbed from the chronology in the back of Diplomatic Immunity; a lot of it's from memory. I leaned heavily on the English language bibliography and American bibiliography found at the Bujold Nexus for the publishing order. Use those for the full list of every hardcover, paperback, foreign language, etc. edition published. This was written with the goal of giving people new to the Bujold canon a clue where to start (and to burn off some nerves this evening; it's been a long day), not to duplicate the Nexus' excellent bibliography. The focus is on the Vorkosigan novels; other works are briefly mentioned. For more information, check out the Bujold Nexus, which to my knowledge is the largest, most comprehensive Bujold website currently available.

At the moment, I'm planning on sticking this in my memories folder and occasionally editing it to keep it up to date.

Edited Feburary 10, 2004: "Winterfair Gifts" and "Forthcoming" information updated.
Edited October 21, 2003: "Winterfair Gifts" and Paladin of Souls information edited; The Hallowed Hunt added to "Other Stuff" and "Forthcoming."
Edited March 23, 2003: cleaned up some SNAFU code.
Edited March 17, 2003: added an online section; added the SFBC omnibuses to the omnibus section.

Internal Chronology
The first book in both publishing and internal chronological order is Shards of Honor. Its immediate sequel is Barrayar. The Warrior's Apprentice is set about 17 years after Barrayar, and focuses on the son of the protagonist in Shards and Barrayar. The myriad adventures of Miles Vorkosigan take up The Warrior's Apprentice, "The Mountains of Mourning", The Vor Game, Cetaganda, "Labyrinth," "The Borders of Infinity," Brothers in Arms, Mirror Dance, Memory, Komarr, A Civil Campaign, "Winterfair Gifts" and Diplomatic Immunity.

There are also two novels set in the same universe, in which none of the Vorkosigan clan appear: Falling Free, set about 200 years before the main series, and Ethan of Athos, set somewhere between Cetaganda and "Labyrinth."

Publishing Order
Shards of Honor
The Warrior's Apprentice
Ethan of Athos
"The Borders of Infinity"
Falling Free
"The Mountains of Mourning"
"Labyrinth"
Brothers in Arms
The Vor Game
Barrayar
Mirror Dance
Cetaganda
Memory
Komarr
A Civil Campaign
Diplomatic Immunity
"Winterfair Gifts" (Published February 2004 in the anthology Irrestistable Forces.)

Omnibuses
A lot of the earlier stories have gone out of print, and can be most easily found in omnibus editions. These are:
  • Cordelia's Honor

    • Shards of Honor
    • Barrayar

  • Young Miles

    • The Warrior's Apprentice
    • "The Mountains of Mourning"
    • The Vor Game

  • Miles, Mystery, and Mayhem

    • Cetaganda
    • Ethan of Athos
    • "Labyrinth"

  • Miles Errant

    • "The Borders of Infinity"
    • Brothers in Arms
    • Mirror Dance

"The Mountains of Mourning," "Labyrinth," and "The Borders of Infinity" have also been collected as Borders of Infinity, which is still in print, according to Amazon. Borders of Infinity includes a framing vignette (it's too short and transparent to really call a framing story) set some months after Brothers in Arms. The Sciene Fiction Book Club carried two Bujold omnis, Test of Honor (Shards of Honor and The Warrior's Apprentice) and Vorkosigan's Game (The Vor Game and Borders of Infinity) in the late 1980's and early to mid 1990's.

Online
The Dendarii site keeps a list of where you can find excerpts from Lois' books online, as well as teaser bits of forthcoming novels.
Fictionwise has a number of Lois' books available at roughly pb price. They also have the BoI shorts on sale seperately; however, "The Mountains of Mourning" can be picked up free at the Baen Free Library. It can be read on the web or downloaded in one of several e-reader formats.

Other Stuff
Lois has also written three fantasy novels. The Spirit Ring is a standalone; Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls are set in the same universe. (The Next Thing, The Hallowed Hunt, will also be in the Chalionverse.) Die hard fans may want to look for The Dreamweaver's Dilemma, put out by NESFA Press.


Forthcoming
No new Vorkosigan books are scheduled at this time. A third book in the Chalionverse, The Hallowed Hunt, is in progress. [livejournal.com profile] pewtergryphon has posted some notes about the first chapter, which Lois read at the Toronto Worldcon. Warning: the post has spoilers. Don't read her post if you don't want to be spoiled.

(no subject)

Date: 2003-02-21 06:42 am (UTC)
loup_noir: (Default)
From: [personal profile] loup_noir
That was incredibly helpful. Will save a copy of it so I have some clues as to what I'm looking for in what order.

Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2003-02-21 01:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ase.livejournal.com
You're welcome. I started typing up a brief intro, and it just kind of... grew...

thanks

Date: 2004-08-16 12:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] raveninthewind.livejournal.com
Saving this in my lj memories.

Re: thanks

Date: 2004-08-16 05:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ase.livejournal.com
You're welcome!

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