Pamela Woodard
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I just finished my second reading of Penric's Demon. I loved it! There was just enough enough foreshadowing to make some accurate predictions but not so much that I could guess the ending. Do you have any plans to expand it into a full length novel? It's been so long since the last World of Five Gods book, and I so need another story to read from that particular world.
Lois McMaster Bujold
I'm glad you enjoyed Pen and Des -- I certainly enjoyed writing them. (And do pass the word -- this work is getting no promotion beyond word of mouth.)
I have no plans to expand this novella as such. It is not impossible that the characters could have further short (although 35k words is not actually "short") adventures someday, a series in miniature, but nothing is in the works at this time. (I am back to being semi-retired for the rest of the summer.)
I really enjoyed getting to write something short, after the prior novel that took three years (though to be fair, a lot of that was life-interruptions.) But for a novella one needs to have just the right idea to fit the length. Short stories and novelettes seem too short to me to get in much character development -- they tend to be more idea-centered snapshots. But novellas are just long enough, elbow room without bloat. Whee!
Ta, L.
I have no plans to expand this novella as such. It is not impossible that the characters could have further short (although 35k words is not actually "short") adventures someday, a series in miniature, but nothing is in the works at this time. (I am back to being semi-retired for the rest of the summer.)
I really enjoyed getting to write something short, after the prior novel that took three years (though to be fair, a lot of that was life-interruptions.) But for a novella one needs to have just the right idea to fit the length. Short stories and novelettes seem too short to me to get in much character development -- they tend to be more idea-centered snapshots. But novellas are just long enough, elbow room without bloat. Whee!
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
A Goodreads user
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I've tried to picture what a nerve-disruptor would look like, and find a conflict between descriptions of it's parabolic bell-shaped muzzle and the ease with which wielders of the weapon are able to holster and aim them. I appreciate that it would loom larger-than-life for anyone looking down the business-end of one and that most descriptions are from that perspective. How big are they really?
Rachel
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hello Lois, I'm just starting my umpteenth re-read of the Vorkosigan series, and I wanted to ask you whether the end of Shards of Honour was written later than the rest? Perhaps when you wrote Barrayar, as I thought I understood that there was a gap. Apologies if you've already discussed this at length somewhere. The end of Shards is quite strikingly beautiful to me in its depth of human psychology.
Kate Davenport
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Just finished rereading "Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen." Thank you for such an interesting and fitting coda/prolog. Your characters are so real I actually looked up when it was published and thought, "2015. Aurelia must be 7 or 8. I wonder if all the others are here yet? No wait---fictional characters." Either way, I hope they and you are doing well.
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