Question meme

[exsequar]

Snagged from kayim:

If you want to take part, reply to this entry. I will poke around in your list of interests on your profile and ask you one question about one of them. You wax rhapsodic on the subject of your interest for the edification of all and we'll learn something keen about you. Then you post these instructions in your own journal.

Comments

[deirdre-c.livejournal.com]

Dude. Miles is the hero of the one of the best science fiction series ever written (and believe me, I've read them all *g*).

The Vorkosigan saga is a series of some 20+ novels and short stories written by Lois McMaster Bujold (all hail). It's set in the future of a multi-plantary, space-faring galaxy and starts with two AMAZING novels where Miles' parents (who are soldiers on opposing sides of a war) meet, fall in love, are separated, come back together, and conceive a child. While his mother (who is a kick-ass heroine) was pregnant with Miles, she was struck by poison gas in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate his father, which causes him to be born with serious birth defects, including being short, hunchbacked and with brittle bones. Now despite these handicaps, Bujold goes on to lead Miles into an incredible series of adventures in which he turns out to be one of the most brilliant, witty, sexy, courageous, dashing, sarcastic, foolish, demented, romantic, sympathetic heroes ever written.

At 18 he creates a fictional army under an assumed name and then twists and turns and somehow finds himself head of a real mercenary force. He surrounds himself with a fabulous cast of misfit, genius, loyal, outcast friends and followers. He has wild, scary, hysterical (mis)adventures in warfare, covert spy operations, and smuggling. Although he is somewhat of an outcast (because of his disabilities) on his home planet, he eventually (over the years/novels) works his way to the highest levels of government and aristocracy.

These aren't the best quotes, but they're the only ones I can find short-notice:
"Am I reading too much into all that innuendo, or did you in fact just connive to assassinate [the Emperor] Gregor in one breath, offer to cuckold him in the next, accuse your father of homosexuality, suggest a patricidal plot against him, and league yourself with ([the bad guy] Cavilo -- what are you going to do for an encore?"
"Depends on the straight lines." -- Elena (his second-in-command) and Miles

"Miles cursed himself silently, then out loud. He really had to try to cultivate a more normal attitude toward senior officers.... When a normal ensign looked at his commander, he ought to see a god-like being, not a, a... future subordinate."

He is an absolute gem of a character.

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Oh that's so funny! My aunt Anne is a huge afficianado of fantasy and science fiction, and I have been taking advantage of her library (it's HUGE) while I'm here for the summer, and Bujold is one of her favorite authors! She was going to give me one to read, but she couldn't find it (she has her library very organized, but often things don't find their way back into the system - there are piles EVERYWHERE in her house, hee). Now I'm definitely going to have to check her out! Those quotes made me giggle :D And it sounds like such a fascinating, original premise. cool!

[deirdre-c.livejournal.com]

The first in the series (Miles parents meet) is called Shards of Honor. Definitely start there if you can!