Author | Lois McMaster Bujold |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Science fiction, space opera, romance |
Publisher | Baen Books |
Published | 1986 – ongoing |
Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book |
No. of books | 16 & 6 short works (List of books) |
The Vorkosigan Saga is a series of science fiction novels and short stories set in a common fictional universe by American author Lois McMaster Bujold.[1] The first of these was published in 1986 and the most recent in May 2018. Works in the series have received numerous awards and nominations, including five Hugo award wins including one for Best Series.
The point of view characters include women (Cordelia in Shards of Honor, Barrayar, and Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen; Ekaterin in Komarr, A Civil Campaign, and The Flowers of Vashnoi), a gay man (Ethan of Athos), a pair of brothers, one of whom is physically disabled and the other a clone (Miles and Mark Vorkosigan), and their cousin (Ivan Vorpatril), together with some minor characters (e.g., Miles' bodyguard Roic, family friend Kareen Koudelka, and the runaway lad Jin).
The various forms of society and government Bujold presents often reflect contemporary politics. In many novels, there is a contrast between the technology-rich egalitarian Beta Colony (or more generally, galactic society) and the heroic, militaristic, hierarchical society of Barrayar, where personal relationships must ensure societal continuity. Miles Vorkosigan, the protagonist of most of the series, is the son of a Betan former ship captain mother and a Barrayaran aristocrat father.