The Vorkosigan Companion (Hardcover)

by Lillian S Carl (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Lois McMaster Bujold’s best-selling Vorkosigan series is a publishing phenomenon, winning record-breaking sales, critical praise, four Hugo Awards and a Nebula award. And the thousands of devotees of the series now have a book that will be a goldmine of information, background details, and little-known facts about the Vorkosigan saga. Included are an all-new interview with Bujold as well as essays by her on crafting the Vorkosigan universe, articles on the biology, technology and sociology of the planet Barrayar, appreciations of the individual novels by experts, maps, a complete timeline of the series, and more. Readers can’t get enough of the Vorkosigan series and they’ll jump at the chance to read this story behind the stories. Baen has a new novel in the Vorkosigan series under contract.  

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Baen (December 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416556036
• ISBN-13: 978-1416556039
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #233,908 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not that great, December 27, 2008

By	N. L. Booth "Gnome" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was not the best companion book I've ever had. I didn't have the errors mentioned in a previous review so the print run must have been corrected (for those who still want the book). Other companion books have had maps and pictures to flesh out the stories. This book only has a 'map' of the planets and their relativity in space. What about Barrayar, or Sergyar, or other planets where the characters covered wide areas? Where are the different areas in relation to each other? Or floor plans of Vorkisigan House so that we can see the Great Butter Bug Battle? How about a picture of Taura? Or the bubble chair of the Cetagandans?

This book was mainly about LMB and the genesis of each story. Don't get me wrong - it was interesting. But not in a companion book to the stories. There was also a pronunciation guide AND a concordance. A lot of this was repetition and the size of the book would have been much less if the two had been combined. The summaries of each book would be good if you were new to the series - but what new reader is going to buy a companion book? That's for those who love the series and are die-hard fans.

This book just didn't measure up to expectations and if I'd seen it before I bought it then it would have stayed where it was. Unfortunately that didn't happen so it will sit on the shelf as a bad buy. Only get this book if you really are die-hard and must have everything written by LMB.

21 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything You Wanted to Know, November 18, 2008

By	Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The Vorkosigan Companion (2008) is a guide to the Vorkosiverse. It includes a preface, seventeen articles divided into five Parts and three appendices. This work provides almost more than a reader would want to know about Miles Vorkosigan, his relatives, his friends, his world, his fans and his author.

Preface by Lois McMaster Bujold.

Part One: Creator of the Vorkosiverse

- Putting It Together: Life, the Vorkosiverse, and Everything by Lois McMaster Bujold.

- A Conversation with Lois McMaster Bujold by Lillian Stewart Carl.

- Publishing, Writing, and Authoring: Three Different Things by Lois McMaster Bujold.

- A Conversation with Toni Weisskopf by John Helpers.

Part Two: Aspects of the Vorkosiverse

- Romance in the Vorkosiverse by Mary Jo Putney.

- Biology in the Vorkosiverse and Today by Tora K. Smulders-Srinivasan.

- "What's the Worst Thing I Can Do to This Character": Technology in the Vorkosiverse by Ed Burkhead.

Part Three: Appreciations

- Through Darkest Adolescence with Lois McMaster Bujold, or Thank You, But I Already Have a Life by Lillian Stewart Carl.

- Foreword to Falling Free by James A. McMaster.

- Foreword to Shards of Honor by James Bryant.

- More Than the Sum of His Parts: Foreword to The Warrior Apprentice by Douglas Muir.

- Foreword to Ethan of Athos by Marna Nightingale.

Part Four: The Fans

- Come for the Bujold, Stay For the Beer: Science Fiction Writers as Occasions of Fandom by Marna Nightingale.

Part Five: The Vorkosiverse Itself

- A Pronunciation Guide to the Vorkosigan Saga by Suford Lewis.

- An Old Earther's Guide to the Vorkosigan Universe by Denise Little.

- The Vorkosigan Saga Novel Summaries by John Helfers.

- The Vorkosigan Saga Concordance by Kerrie Hughes, John Helpers, and Ed Burkhead.

Appendices

- A Map of the Vorkosigan Universe.

- Timelines of the Vorkosigan Saga.

- A Brief Guide to Barrayaran Genealogy.

Naturally, this compendium is not the last word on Miles Vorkosigan. Not only will he have new readers, but we can reasonably hope that there will be more stories about him. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Vorkosigan fans and for anyone else who enjoys knowing more about a favorite author and character.

-Arthur W. Jordin

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended for any prior avid fan of Bujold's books, April 14, 2009

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

The Vorkosigan Companion: The Universe of Lois McMaster Bujold is a 'must' for any prior reader of her Vorkosigan books: it is packed with essays, articles, and even a new interview with Bujold and discusses the sociology, science and psychology of her themes and novels. The Vorkosigan universe is complex: chapters delve into underlying meanings, influences, and more and provide a satisfying companion reader highly recommended for any prior avid fan of Bujold's books.