Bee
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hello! You address so many cool things in society and talk about so many different cultures and how they work! Is there any chance of polyamory/polygamy being addressed on any planets in future books?
Lois McMaster Bujold
That goes all the way back to The Warrior's Apprentice in 1986, when (admittedly mentioned in passing by Tav Calhoun) Beta Colony's arrangements are indicated to be highly flexible. And there was that poly family in The Sharing Knife. Athos... is in a class by itself. Lots of variety in the Vorkosiverse, although mercenary fleets, naturally, are not much about family formation. Jackson's Whole, anything can happen and does. And then there are the Cetagandans, the ghem indicated to practice polygamy sometimes, the haut deeply mysterious, no idea what their ordinary citizens get up to, and so on and on.
A lot of the stories touch on an exploration of what might happen when sexuality and reproduction are truly technologically separated. Sexuality becomes optional and malleable, and much less fraught, but somebody still has to change the babies' diapers, or they will die. Not everyone needs to have children, but all characters need to have parents -- or some SFnal equivalent, and no cheating by having people raised to adulthood in vats and anyway, who would run the vats? So.
No new books are in process at the moment, so I can't predict what I may like to explore next.
Ta, L.
That goes all the way back to The Warrior's Apprentice in 1986, when (admittedly mentioned in passing by Tav Calhoun) Beta Colony's arrangements are indicated to be highly flexible. And there was that poly family in The Sharing Knife. Athos... is in a class by itself. Lots of variety in the Vorkosiverse, although mercenary fleets, naturally, are not much about family formation. Jackson's Whole, anything can happen and does. And then there are the Cetagandans, the ghem indicated to practice polygamy sometimes, the haut deeply mysterious, no idea what their ordinary citizens get up to, and so on and on.
A lot of the stories touch on an exploration of what might happen when sexuality and reproduction are truly technologically separated. Sexuality becomes optional and malleable, and much less fraught, but somebody still has to change the babies' diapers, or they will die. Not everyone needs to have children, but all characters need to have parents -- or some SFnal equivalent, and no cheating by having people raised to adulthood in vats and anyway, who would run the vats? So.
No new books are in process at the moment, so I can't predict what I may like to explore next.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Alli
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I love your work and my all time favorite series (not just of yours) is The Sharing Knife. I'm in a intercultural marriage so this series really hit home for me. One thing I admire about characters you write is that you show their intelligence. I always feel like I learn from your them. Could share any insight or tidbits on how you developed Dag and Fawn?
Cathy
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I've created a setting for use in an RPG game with my friends that uses ideas (especially the practical theology), places, and names from your Chalion books. I won't charge money for it or try to gain users beyond my gaming group, but would like to use https://worldanvil.com to organize the setting info. I think this makes it publicly available. Is acceptable to you?
Derek Peter Hawley
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
The CEO of a biotech group just announced that she conducted an anti-aging therapy on herself, and of course I immediately thought of Lily Durona... Have you seen this yet? http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-claim-they-ve-completed-the-first-successful-gene-therapy-against-human-ageing
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