Laure Reminick
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
There's a story I don't think I've ever found. In the list of Miles' stories, it's when he's 25. And the blurb says it involves Simon, changing bones for Miles and in a hospital, and foiling a plot against his father. Supposedly, the title is Borders of Infinity, but that story is about a Cetagandan prison camp, according to the collection Miles Errant. Am I missing something?
Lois McMaster Bujold
Ah, this is a frequent confusion, engendered by that old Baen timeline, I think.
Back when I was putting together the three Miles novellas for the fix-up collection Borders of Infinity (note the absence of the "The" -- and of quote marks, which signify a short story), Jim Baen asked me to write a frame in which to embed the three tales to make the volume look more like a novel, as collections didn't sell well. Which I dutifully did, making it a sort of little story, because that's what I do. It does not in any way stand alone. I have Miles remembering or telling the three episodes to Illyan while in hospital after a mission, plausible reasons for asking or remembering supplied by the frame.
The three novellas plus the original frame may be found in the collection (or novel) Borders of Infinity, currently available as a direct-placement e-book and in other formats. The frame was dropped when we broke up the novellas to fit in the chronology of the omnibus volumes, as it would have made no sense in that context.
If I had realized back in the 80s how much confusion it would make in the future, I would have titled the collection something very different from the title story! Too late now, so I just have to keep explaining to people.
Ta, L.
Back when I was putting together the three Miles novellas for the fix-up collection Borders of Infinity (note the absence of the "The" -- and of quote marks, which signify a short story), Jim Baen asked me to write a frame in which to embed the three tales to make the volume look more like a novel, as collections didn't sell well. Which I dutifully did, making it a sort of little story, because that's what I do. It does not in any way stand alone. I have Miles remembering or telling the three episodes to Illyan while in hospital after a mission, plausible reasons for asking or remembering supplied by the frame.
The three novellas plus the original frame may be found in the collection (or novel) Borders of Infinity, currently available as a direct-placement e-book and in other formats. The frame was dropped when we broke up the novellas to fit in the chronology of the omnibus volumes, as it would have made no sense in that context.
If I had realized back in the 80s how much confusion it would make in the future, I would have titled the collection something very different from the title story! Too late now, so I just have to keep explaining to people.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Andrea
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Thank you so much for your wonderful books-- they have provided so much solace and entertainment to me in hard times. After much patient eBay stalking, I've finally managed to obtain a copy of every Vorkosigan book published by Easton Press. Will Easton Press ever continue with their leather bound editions of the series?
Seantheaussie
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Since the debut of the ebook have you "punched up" the "kindle sample" beginnings of your books, because they are now effectively part of the marketing? I think books used to be like movies, which could start slowly because people had already paid (sunk cost fallacy). They are now like TV shows, that have to grab and hold flighty viewers.
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