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Adventures in the Liaden Universe #19
Legacy Systems
Two stories of ancient computer systems and the changes they bring to the Liaden Universe.
Intelligent Design
When a spaceship's inquisitive cabin boy finds a surplus crate of spare parts at a warehouse, all he knows is that he wants it very much. His older cousin's willing to see him buy it, but not quite so understanding when it comes time to connect the dots.
The Space at Tinsori Light
Sometimes in chaotic moments the panic button is all that's left. Sometimes it saves you, and sometimes it takes you to the Space at Tinsori Light.
Liaden Universe is a registered trademark owned by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Intelligent Design
When a spaceship's inquisitive cabin boy finds a surplus crate of spare parts at a warehouse, all he knows is that he wants it very much. His older cousin's willing to see him buy it, but not quite so understanding when it comes time to connect the dots.
The Space at Tinsori Light
Sometimes in chaotic moments the panic button is all that's left. Sometimes it saves you, and sometimes it takes you to the Space at Tinsori Light.
Liaden Universe is a registered trademark owned by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
61 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2012
31 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Lee
166 books788 followersSharon Lee has been married to her first husband for more than half her lifetime; she is a friend to cats, a member of the National Carousel Association, and oversees the dubious investment schemes of an improbable number of stuffed animals.
Despite having been born in a year of the dragon, Sharon is an introvert. She lives in Maine because she likes it there. In fact, she likes it so much that she has written five novels set in Maine; contemporary fantasy trilogy Carousel Tides, Carousel Sun, Carousel Seas, and mysteries Barnburner and Gunshy.
With the aforementioned first husband, Steve Miller, Sharon has written twenty novels of science fiction and fantasy — many of them set in the Liaden Universe® — and numerous short stories. She has occasionally been an advertising copywriter, a reporter, photographer, book reviewer, and secretary. She was for three years Executive Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., and was subsequently elected vice president and then president of that organization.
Despite having been born in a year of the dragon, Sharon is an introvert. She lives in Maine because she likes it there. In fact, she likes it so much that she has written five novels set in Maine; contemporary fantasy trilogy Carousel Tides, Carousel Sun, Carousel Seas, and mysteries Barnburner and Gunshy.
With the aforementioned first husband, Steve Miller, Sharon has written twenty novels of science fiction and fantasy — many of them set in the Liaden Universe® — and numerous short stories. She has occasionally been an advertising copywriter, a reporter, photographer, book reviewer, and secretary. She was for three years Executive Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., and was subsequently elected vice president and then president of that organization.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 14, 2012
4/5; 4 stars; A-
The first story, Intelligent Design, is about a young Val Con out trading/shopping with Shan while they are both working on Dutiful Passage. Val Con finds a decommissioned, fully sentient, former defense command computer. It was boxed up and ready to be disposed of because the guy who was supposed to 'kill it' died first! The end result is that the new butler for Trealla Fantrol is born. Jeeves takes care of the house, the cats, the people and the defense of Korval valley.
The second story, Tinsori Light, might make more sense if a person had read the Crystal Soldier/Crystal Dragon books. It is set in the past and is the story of some old tech from the ancient enemy and the commitment of one yos'Phelium scout to help control it.
The first story, Intelligent Design, is about a young Val Con out trading/shopping with Shan while they are both working on Dutiful Passage. Val Con finds a decommissioned, fully sentient, former defense command computer. It was boxed up and ready to be disposed of because the guy who was supposed to 'kill it' died first! The end result is that the new butler for Trealla Fantrol is born. Jeeves takes care of the house, the cats, the people and the defense of Korval valley.
The second story, Tinsori Light, might make more sense if a person had read the Crystal Soldier/Crystal Dragon books. It is set in the past and is the story of some old tech from the ancient enemy and the commitment of one yos'Phelium scout to help control it.
June 21, 2013
3.5 for Intelligent Design, the somewhat poignant, somewhat obscure, and fairly suspenseful story of how Jeeves came to become butler at Trealla Fantrol, and eventually at Jelaza Kazone. We see Shan, Val Con, and Er Thom, and glimpses of the family, at Trealla Fantrol.
Read it online, FREE at the Baen books website: http://www.baenebooks.com/10.1125/Bae...
or here: http://www.baen.com/IntelligentDesign...
Intelligent Design is very short -- too short -- but I enjoyed it. The story itself was decent, and I liked seeing Shan's brotherly love for young Val Con. I also appreciated getting a peek into home life, especially seeing how the whole clan stood behind Anne when society shunned her, a Terran.
The setting moves from Liad (at Trealla Fantrol) to Pomerloo, a distant planet. The story takes place when Shan and Val Con are apprentice trader and cabin boy, respectively, serving on Dutiful Passage under Captain Er Thom yos'Galan (Shan's father, Val Con's uncle). I'd guess the boys are about 12 and 17, maybe. The POV switches from Jeeves to Val Con, frequently.
We learn why Jeeves is devoted to Val Con, and to Clan Korval. We learn what he is — an Independent Artificial Military Module (IAMM). Originally, he was designed, built, and commissioned to protect and defend life. Specifically, Jeeves is This partially explains Jeeves's role in I Dare..
We learn how Jeeves got his name (I had wondered) and learn more about old Terra / Earth.
Supporting characters: Er Thom and his lifemate Anne, their "retiring" butler, a kind man (Ban Del pak'Ora), and his dastardly Delm Ranvit, and a nefarious female trader. As short as this story is, Merlin the cat is mentioned several times. Also mentioned are cousin Nova and a deceased character named Spode.
Quibbles: For Liaden Universe aficionados it's worth reading, because it fills in some blanks. I enjoyed it well enough, and have always loved Jeeves, so it's good to learn more about him. However, there is too much techno-babble, leaving limited words to round off the story. It felt very rushed at the end. I wanted to see the IAMM's transformation to butler. I wanted that rat-faced Ratvin to get her comeuppance. And as for the Pomerloo villain, I suppose Balance is forthcoming, or has it already occurred?
Still, quite happy to read about the origins of Jeeves, and get a view of Shan and Val Con, in their youth.
I didn't read the other story. Probably won't, unless it includes Korval characters.
Read it online, FREE at the Baen books website: http://www.baenebooks.com/10.1125/Bae...
or here: http://www.baen.com/IntelligentDesign...
Intelligent Design is very short -- too short -- but I enjoyed it. The story itself was decent, and I liked seeing Shan's brotherly love for young Val Con. I also appreciated getting a peek into home life, especially seeing how the whole clan stood behind Anne when society shunned her, a Terran.
The setting moves from Liad (at Trealla Fantrol) to Pomerloo, a distant planet. The story takes place when Shan and Val Con are apprentice trader and cabin boy, respectively, serving on Dutiful Passage under Captain Er Thom yos'Galan (Shan's father, Val Con's uncle). I'd guess the boys are about 12 and 17, maybe. The POV switches from Jeeves to Val Con, frequently.
We learn why Jeeves is devoted to Val Con, and to Clan Korval. We learn what he is — an Independent Artificial Military Module (IAMM). Originally, he was designed, built, and commissioned to protect and defend life. Specifically, Jeeves is This partially explains Jeeves's role in I Dare..
We learn how Jeeves got his name (I had wondered) and learn more about old Terra / Earth.
Supporting characters: Er Thom and his lifemate Anne, their "retiring" butler, a kind man (Ban Del pak'Ora), and his dastardly Delm Ranvit, and a nefarious female trader. As short as this story is, Merlin the cat is mentioned several times. Also mentioned are cousin Nova and a deceased character named Spode.
Quibbles: For Liaden Universe aficionados it's worth reading, because it fills in some blanks. I enjoyed it well enough, and have always loved Jeeves, so it's good to learn more about him. However, there is too much techno-babble, leaving limited words to round off the story. It felt very rushed at the end. I wanted to see the IAMM's transformation to butler. I wanted that rat-faced Ratvin to get her comeuppance. And as for the Pomerloo villain, I suppose Balance is forthcoming, or has it already occurred?
Still, quite happy to read about the origins of Jeeves, and get a view of Shan and Val Con, in their youth.
I didn't read the other story. Probably won't, unless it includes Korval characters.
June 19, 2018
How Jeeves came to be.
June 20, 2018
Interesting. :)
I didn't realize that Er Thom was mildly not a fan of dramliza though. His youngest will present a shock -- I'd actually like to read his reaction to that.
I didn't realize that Er Thom was mildly not a fan of dramliza though. His youngest will present a shock -- I'd actually like to read his reaction to that.
September 24, 2024
4 stars.
The first story is about how a young Val Con, on his first off-world trip as Cabin-boy to his Uncle Er Thom, found a crate with a supposedly "environmental" unit in a warehouse. This unit became Jeeves, who's not only Korval's butler but a most significant character within Clan Korval. Also good to see both Er Thom and Anne still alive and well in this story.
The second story is about Tinsori Light, again, another sentient being being kept more or less in line by the Sandaret Light Keeper. When a Korval pilot was attacked and did an auto-jump, he ended near Tinsori Light and was taken in to be repaired. This story occurs in the past but Tinsori Light and its occupants are mentioned again in The Gathering Edge, a very interesting development.
The first story is about how a young Val Con, on his first off-world trip as Cabin-boy to his Uncle Er Thom, found a crate with a supposedly "environmental" unit in a warehouse. This unit became Jeeves, who's not only Korval's butler but a most significant character within Clan Korval. Also good to see both Er Thom and Anne still alive and well in this story.
The second story is about Tinsori Light, again, another sentient being being kept more or less in line by the Sandaret Light Keeper. When a Korval pilot was attacked and did an auto-jump, he ended near Tinsori Light and was taken in to be repaired. This story occurs in the past but Tinsori Light and its occupants are mentioned again in The Gathering Edge, a very interesting development.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2022
Two more Liaden stories, looking into the past, prior to the "current" stories where Val Con and Miri are together Delm Korval.
"Intelligent Design" features Val Con as a boy, with Shan just a few years older. They're heading off on what will be Val Con's first trip as cabin boy on Dutiful Passage, with Er Thom as captain, and Shan as apprentice trader/cargo hand. They're setting off just after Jelaza Kazone has lost its butler due to the butler's clan Delm having no good opinion of Er Thom having married a Terran, Anne Davis. The possibility of more service clans withdrawing from Korval is a background worry as Dutiful Passage sets off.
On one of their port stops, Val Con is allowed to join Shan as he is given a few hours to look around for possible private items of trade, to start developing and demonstrating his own judgment and building his own account. In the course of their rambles, Val Con gets one of his hunches, which Shan already knows are better trusted than ignored. In the warehouse Val Con leads them to, they find a crate that's part of an estate sale. Its contents are labeled as an environmental control unit. When they get it on board the ship, it becomes clear that it isn't, and strange things start to happen.
"The Space at Tinsori Light" is further back in the history of Clan Korval, and Jen Sin yos'Phelium Clan Korval is running a risky mission for his Delm, delivering an important packet for her to an ally. It goes very wrong, indeed, has already gone wrong when he reaches what should be his contact, and in his escape from the scene of the disaster with that packet, both he and his ship are damaged.
When he makes a desperate jump, with the ship selecting from any of a number of preprogrammed destinations presumed to be safe and able to render assistance. He winds up at Tinsori Light, where he meets the Keeper, who is friendly and helpful and gets him into a well-equipped autodoc, and the Light itself, which repairs his ship but may have its own agenda in doing so.
These are both enjoyable short stories, giving us more of the background of Korval, and characters we know or, going on comments the authors have made, may be about to get to know.
Recommended.
I bought this book.
"Intelligent Design" features Val Con as a boy, with Shan just a few years older. They're heading off on what will be Val Con's first trip as cabin boy on Dutiful Passage, with Er Thom as captain, and Shan as apprentice trader/cargo hand. They're setting off just after Jelaza Kazone has lost its butler due to the butler's clan Delm having no good opinion of Er Thom having married a Terran, Anne Davis. The possibility of more service clans withdrawing from Korval is a background worry as Dutiful Passage sets off.
On one of their port stops, Val Con is allowed to join Shan as he is given a few hours to look around for possible private items of trade, to start developing and demonstrating his own judgment and building his own account. In the course of their rambles, Val Con gets one of his hunches, which Shan already knows are better trusted than ignored. In the warehouse Val Con leads them to, they find a crate that's part of an estate sale. Its contents are labeled as an environmental control unit. When they get it on board the ship, it becomes clear that it isn't, and strange things start to happen.
"The Space at Tinsori Light" is further back in the history of Clan Korval, and Jen Sin yos'Phelium Clan Korval is running a risky mission for his Delm, delivering an important packet for her to an ally. It goes very wrong, indeed, has already gone wrong when he reaches what should be his contact, and in his escape from the scene of the disaster with that packet, both he and his ship are damaged.
When he makes a desperate jump, with the ship selecting from any of a number of preprogrammed destinations presumed to be safe and able to render assistance. He winds up at Tinsori Light, where he meets the Keeper, who is friendly and helpful and gets him into a well-equipped autodoc, and the Light itself, which repairs his ship but may have its own agenda in doing so.
These are both enjoyable short stories, giving us more of the background of Korval, and characters we know or, going on comments the authors have made, may be about to get to know.
Recommended.
I bought this book.
March 22, 2021
FWIW, the two stories in this book - duology? - chapbook? have both been published elsewhere, previously.
*Intelligent Design* is how Val Con and Er Thom discover that super-AI which became Jeeves.
*The Space at Tinsori Light* is (IIRC) the story of how a Korval ancestor of Val Con's became a part of the staff at Tinsori Light.
That is not to say that, if you haven't already bought these two excellent stories in other formats (maybe in the Constellation anthologies, e.g., A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume I), then you should buy this.
*Intelligent Design* is how Val Con and Er Thom discover that super-AI which became Jeeves.
*The Space at Tinsori Light* is (IIRC) the story of how a Korval ancestor of Val Con's became a part of the staff at Tinsori Light.
That is not to say that, if you haven't already bought these two excellent stories in other formats (maybe in the Constellation anthologies, e.g., A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume I), then you should buy this.
March 1, 2022
Half wonderfully welcome, half a repeat.
I loved the first story, the tale of how Jeeves came to be the yos'Galan Butler. But I had already read The Space at Tinsori Light since it was appended to the end of one of the full length Liaden universe novels, so the book wasn't as long as I had hoped for. But I don't have the publication dates so I imagine that The Space at Tinsori Light was published here 1st and only later appended to the novel.
I loved the first story, the tale of how Jeeves came to be the yos'Galan Butler. But I had already read The Space at Tinsori Light since it was appended to the end of one of the full length Liaden universe novels, so the book wasn't as long as I had hoped for. But I don't have the publication dates so I imagine that The Space at Tinsori Light was published here 1st and only later appended to the novel.
September 5, 2017
A decent addition.
A decent addition to the Liaden Universe series. This universe just keeps getting richer and richer with the addition of these shorter works!
A decent addition to the Liaden Universe series. This universe just keeps getting richer and richer with the addition of these shorter works!
December 20, 2017
Two in one chapbook with: "Intelligent Design" and "The Space at Tinsori Light"
Both books are sideways from the main story and can be read as stand alones.
"Intelligent Design" shows how Korval picked up their robot butler Jeeves, making it a must read for anyone who wants further background on the universe.
"The Space at Tinsori Light" is a trifle creepy and a reminder of the Legacy Systems left over from the previous war(s). Worth a read. Can give a hint of the past Lee & Miller haven't fully explored yet.
Both are pretty good stories but not shiny gems, solid work-a-day jewelry instead. Good reads, but not must-reads.
Both books are sideways from the main story and can be read as stand alones.
"Intelligent Design" shows how Korval picked up their robot butler Jeeves, making it a must read for anyone who wants further background on the universe.
"The Space at Tinsori Light" is a trifle creepy and a reminder of the Legacy Systems left over from the previous war(s). Worth a read. Can give a hint of the past Lee & Miller haven't fully explored yet.
Both are pretty good stories but not shiny gems, solid work-a-day jewelry instead. Good reads, but not must-reads.
December 17, 2020
The first story is about how Val Con found and repaired/rescued the machine intelligence that became Jeeves. I loved that one! The second story is how Jen Sin became stuck at Tinsori Light, so I didn’t like that much at all.
January 30, 2015
As with most Liaden chapbooks, this contains two stories. The first story, Intelligent Design is important in the Liaden timeline in that it describes the origins of Jeeves. It is also quite engaging. The Space at Tinsori Light is of no real importance to the sequence, providing hints of old tech.
October 4, 2013
Both stories were good, dying for sequels >.<
June 26, 2016
Stories to fill gaps, stories to thrill the mind
Characters we know, new characters we are glad to meet. Linden is painted in bold colors and these are more of the pigments.
Characters we know, new characters we are glad to meet. Linden is painted in bold colors and these are more of the pigments.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews