David Wooddell asked Lois McMaster Bujold:

Another theme I notice in your books is age differences between lovers or in relationships. Sharing knife featured a young woman, Dawn, and Dag, the old Patroller. In the Vorkosigan series, you have some major age differences between Gentleman Jolie and Ceclia. Have you personally experienced such wide differences in age in your own relationships, or those of your friends or family?

Lois McMaster Bujold For some reason, you seem to be noticing the few wider-age-differences couples preferentially. Miles and Ekaterin, Simon and Alys, Ingrey and Ijada, Ista and Illvin, Kou and Drou, Fiametta and Thur, Tony and Claire, Whit and Berry, Iselle and Bergon, and on and on, are all very close in age. Anyone's guess on Aral and Cordelia, given the different expected lifespans. And a sprinkling of others in that decade-ish range -- Gregor and Laisa, Ivan and Tej, Alys and Padma for that matter.

It's a figure-ground effect. I suppose. The figure always seems to stand out from the ground, even or especially when the ground is larger.

My family is small, and so does not offer a wide range of samples; friends, a few, but they are relatively rare, as they are in my books.

Ta, L. (It's Fawn, Jole, and Cordelia, btw; I suspect you are being betrayed by an overaggressive spellchecker.)

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