Maria
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I recently finished reading a biography of T.E. Lawrence and am now reading his book, Seven Pillars of Wisdom. I was struck by some parallels between his life and Miles Vorkosigan's. Was Lawrence an inspiration for you, or am I imagining things?
Lois McMaster Bujold
Yes, he was. One of them, at any rate -- very seldom does inspiration have only one source. (The young Winston Churchill also has a foot in there, somewhere.)
The movie came out when I was a teen; I followed up with a lot of reading about the man himself including that memoir, which was a deal more complex and a bit beyond what my shallow teen brain could process, but I suppose the stretch was good for it. My understanding grew better as I grew older and learned more, both about the period of history and people generally. It has been some decades since I revisited Seven Pillars; it would be interesting to reread it again now and see how much it has changed, including in light of a half-century more of history unfolding. :-)
Also interesting, if you can find a copy, is Lawrence's The Mint. A tinge of that went into Camp Permafrost, in an oblique sort of way.
Ta, L.
Yes, he was. One of them, at any rate -- very seldom does inspiration have only one source. (The young Winston Churchill also has a foot in there, somewhere.)
The movie came out when I was a teen; I followed up with a lot of reading about the man himself including that memoir, which was a deal more complex and a bit beyond what my shallow teen brain could process, but I suppose the stretch was good for it. My understanding grew better as I grew older and learned more, both about the period of history and people generally. It has been some decades since I revisited Seven Pillars; it would be interesting to reread it again now and see how much it has changed, including in light of a half-century more of history unfolding. :-)
Also interesting, if you can find a copy, is Lawrence's The Mint. A tinge of that went into Camp Permafrost, in an oblique sort of way.
Ta, L.
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I'm probably a little late in reading the Chalion series. Your writing style in those books is exactly what I've been looking for. Character development for Cazaril and Ista is wonderful. I want to read all my other fave characters out in the world written with your touch, from your perspective. I like how you see the universe. Any possibility of a new Chalion in the future? P.S. The Bastard is my secret favorite.
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Lois McMaster Bujold:
Just finished rereading “Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance” and was wondering about your thoughts on Byerly’s future? It seems like he has the chance to reinvent himself, and from the little that came out about his past and Rish’s assessments if him, it seems like he could benefit from as much therapy as Mark ended up getting.
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