Sharon Lee’s latest blog post contains news likely to be of interest, including the contents of A Liaden Constellation Volume Four, and two upcoming anthologies containing new Liaden Universe stories.
Sharon Lee’s latest blog post contains news likely to be of interest, including the contents of A Liaden Constellation Volume Four, and two upcoming anthologies containing new Liaden Universe stories.
It appears that it is now common for Liaden Universe short stories to debut in general anthologies: that includes two of the stories in Constellation 4 in addition to the two new anthology stories.
This presents something of a conundrum, because not all the anthologies are from publishers as obliging in the matter of ebook editions as Baen or Pinbeam. For the two stories that have been confirmed for Constellation 4, I’m inclined to wait until that comes out, and for the other two, I’m inclined to wait hopefully for Constellation 5 rather than embark on a quest for copies of the anthologies — but is that practicality, or just laziness?
Hi Paul,
are you refering to “Excerpts from Two Lives” and “Revolutionists”? “Excerpts from Two Lives” has already been published in “Star Destroyers”. My impression was that Excerpts only distantly ties in with the Liaden universe. But maybe other storries will brigde the gap.
Paul, I must confess that I tend toward practicality myself.
OTOH, I am awfully hungry for more Liaden Universe stories, so I might just cave and purchase them all as ebooks. Besides, I am not averse to supporting the authors through purchase of their material, as generous as they often are in making them available at no cost.
Othin, I just read “Excerpts.” Although there are no direct ties to Korval mentioned, who knows what might be revealed in the future? The story is clearly part of the new universe, and there may be unintentional consequences from the choices made…we’ll see.
@ Paul
I’m not quite sure where to put this – since it regards the topic of several books and themes – maybe the all over development of the Liaden story. If you fell it better suited somewhere else, please feel free to move it. Thanks.
Hunting hints, insides or what the heck did my back brain come up with? (spoiler: this is quite long)
It’s been quite a while since the last Liaden story, since my last reread and since anything happened here on Pauls site or on the Wiki. Which means I lately read some other books (I especially loved Carl Fredrik Backman’s “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry”) and fantasied about Liad. But then, being on my 1 ½ hour ride home from work – my back brain suddenly came up with this and didn’t let up. So I just had to write it down. I hope you find something interesting in it.
@ The generation of scholars
There are quite a lot of scholars within Korval – and this seems to be novelty within Korval. All of them belong to the older generation and not all of them are also pilots. (If I count Jen Sar Kiladi – a scholar with 3 degrees in cultural genetics, comparative linguistics and dynamics of diaspora – that makes Er Tom and Luken the only non-scholars of that Korval generation). Strangely all of them are women, except Kiladi. Lady Kareen, the failed heir, is the only one born within Korval, all the other ones are acquired by marriage. If you go by timeline there is a progression in the acceptance of the scholarly profession as a legitimate main profession within Korval.
Main profession? Let me explain. The most “legitimate profession” within Korval is pilot. Deriving from the pilot profession are the related professions of scout, ship captain, master trader. Other “accepted main professions” are healer and dramliza. If a pilot or dramliza also gets a degree, teaches, or plays music that is fine. But a first/main/only profession as musician (Val Con had the talent and ability) was as shameful and unthinkable – just good enough for “failed Korvals”.
Within Daavs generation that changes and scholar becomes an accepted main profession. While Kareen is the first, her relatives choose lifemates and long term relationships also among scholars. So the first scholar still slogs under her failure to be a pilot, but Anne already is accepted for her potential (I don’t remember her ever getting a license) and her relatives (mother & brother) being pilots. Aelliana is herself a pilot so her non-pilot relatives don’t count. But Kamele is no pilot and has no pilot relatives except her daughter with Daav.
Luken, also belonging to the generation of scholars, seems not to count. He is either a character strong enough to play his own game, or not important enough to count – him belonging to a side line. And depending on what his daughter is up to – one gets the impression that the decision whether the bel’Tarda line is staying within Korval or goes to another clan hasn’t been made jet.
The younger Korval generation keeps adding lifemates to the clan – seeming to go for some diversity with fighting abilities so far. (That is Miri is a Merc, Inas Bhar an assassin and Juntavas official with proven fighting ability, Ren Zel and Precilla are Dramliz with the ability to fight.) That leaves Nova and Theo without human mates yet. But Theo still carries a big affinity for the scholarly them.
@ Korval as multiple invading species
Val Con counts Korval as 2 invading species, namely humans and Tree. But this is incorrect. From the beginning it has been 3 species, starting with Cantra’s cat Lucky and ending with Merlin, Silk and Grakow. From the founding forward Korval has attracted, claimed or bred cats, some of them – like the above mentioned – very special. Of course some of Korvals cats are just that, normal cats. But the ones I mentioned are lucky, survivors and fighters. They also have their affect – if not on the people and place around Korval – they affect Korval directly.
Also while humans believe they domesticated cats, the subject seems quite different form a cat’s point of view. Cats are choosy and independent enough to choose and domesticate their humans. A bossy or controlling person will never be a cat person. In order to have a cat a person must – yes I say must – be able to tolerate and accept others independence.
And since Val Con and Er Tom chose to accept a butler AI and thusly a partnership with an AI you could also count Korval as 4 species. And since including Jeeves Korval – or those who Val Con counts as brothers and family – have kept coming. Korval includes Clutch brothers, Hevelin might be preceding a new level of relationship between humans and norbears. From the beginning Korval has included everything, everyone and every species that enhanced their chance for survival. They will continue to do so. Therefor the species that consist within Korval will also grow.
@ The “an heir and a spare” dilemma
There are several “an heir and a spare” themes in Korval history (that we readers know of).
First it’s Daav and Tom Er. And regarding the big decisions it’s strangely the spare Tom Er that leads and the Delm that follows. He also starts (or, more truthfully rediscovers) a trend within Korval.
In the melant’i of master trader it’s Tom Er who discovers (quite unintentionally) value for the clan in scholar Anne Davis, in increasing the Clan through lifemating, in lifemating itself as well as long-term spouses, in adding another scholar to the family, in “alien” Terrans as clan members, in family relations like the Terran far cousins (aka the Davis family on New Dublin – and never say that Anne’s brother Richard Davis hadn’t important influences on Korval and Liad), as well as broadening the Clan. (At least that’s what Val Con tells little Lizzy). And in all those themes Daav follows and mostly tops Er Tom.
Daav’s lifemating, while defective on Aelliana’s side, still manages to be stronger than Er Toms. Aelliana’s scholarly achievements (leading in her field / field of Sub-rational Mathematics, which is the most important scientific field for pilots, scouts, Korval) surpass Anne’s (one among the top / field of Comparative Linguistics).
Oh, if I also count Kamele Waitley, than Daav also tops Er Tom in quantity. He brings to Korval not 1 but 2 scholars. Ok, Kamele is only a wife, not a lifemate, and she isn’t technically part of Korval, but Val Con counts her as family and she ends up living with Lady Kareen. And Kamele manages to carry the scholarly theme within Korval forward, creating her own think tank with Kareen.
Er Tom only brings some Terran ways (stories, music, and some behavior) to the Clan by having a Terran lifemate. Daav tops that of by becoming a Delgado orangata, immersing himself for decades in Delgado (Terran) culture and begetting a “Korval” who grows up totally ignorant of Korval and Liad (see the hidden heir dilemma). In effect he brings Terran children into the Clan.
Regarding the number of people Er Tom and Daav increase the clan with – that evens out.
Er Tom: 1 lifemate and 3 children versus Daav: 1 lifemate, 1 wife and 2 children.
And lastly, the spare dies, but the heir survives – at least in this generation.
So let’s see, how this plays out in the following generation. This could be viewed in two ways.
A) Here we have Val Con and Theo. Val Con is definitely the heir and Theo the spare. Val Con is the right delm to lead Korval into its own – finding an identity outside Liad. And Theo is the random element. How will they compete? Or will they compete? Right now Theo still knows very little about Korval, and while caring about her relatives she is also bewildered. The only strong emotional bond is to her father and mother.
In regard to what those two may bring or have already brought to the clan, let’s see.
New Members:
Val Con – 1 lifemate, 1 heir, 2 AI partners, 1 old tree, 3 Yxtrang, lots of cats as well as Merlin (Val Con saved his life as a child)
Theo – 0 lifemate, 0 heir, 2 AI partners, 1 young tree, 2 old-universe Yxtrang, 1 cat
Regarding AI Partnership – that is something Theo has taken to a new level.
Allies:
Val Con – Surebleak, Clan Obrelt, Clutch Turtles, Juntavas, the Bedel
Theo – the Carresens, Norbears (that would mainly be Hevelin, but Theo seems to have a special relationship to Norbears even before meeting Hevelin)
New Businesses:
Val Con – Road Boss and for Korval Surebleak bosses in general (Nova, Pat Rin)
Theo – Station keeping (that is she brings about the offer for a Cresthaller station and also initiates the chain of event that lead to Korval owning Tinsory Light – and two space stations in Korval hands – that is business that will grow)
B) Val Con versus Pat Rin
This is already suggested by the Korval ring. But it is also solved. Val Con is the heir and Pat Rin the spare. And there are similarities between Pat Rin and Theo. Like Theo Pat Rin was a hidden spare, because he came to piloting and thusly qualifying as potential heir quite late. While still being Liaden he still forgot quite a lot form the diaries and was never educated or prepared as heir. His pleasure yacht didn’t even carry a tree seed. Which is kind of strange, since all Korval ships are required to carry one. Or if there was a seed on Fortune’s Reward, Pat Rin didn’t know about it or forgot that protecting the tree is the most important duty of Korval. Which I find hard to believe. Or did he have a reason not to plant a seed before he took his pilots to Liad to confront the DOI? Also, Pat Rin has his hands full for the foreseeable future as Boss’ Boss – I just can’t see him taking on Delm’s Duty in an emergency. He has brought the clan as much forward as he can and I don’t see him giving the Clan any more new directions. I think he played his cards. What cards Quin may hold – that is a different matter.
@Lizzy’s treasure
Yes that hasn’t happened yet. Lizzy is still to find her treasure, to charm and claim her. Or to put it in Theo’s words: “An aunt is a treasure”. Since Theo doesn’t hit it off with Kareen this can only mean one thing. Theo has to be Lizzy’s treasure. She protected Lizzy even before she was born. And detected her Pilot ability. This will be very special relationship and they will both have a strong emotional impact on each other. So if anything ever will happen to Val Con and or Miri ….
Let’s face it. Val Con saw their daughter grown up, as a scout on Surebleak. But that doesn’t mean they need to be there too.
@ the failed heir theme
The first Korval who comes to mind is Kareen. Lady Kareen is at least in part a tragic figure. Her handicap is her pride. Her pride? Yes, it definitely is her pride. Although there is no name calling of other Korval members failing to be pilots, there have been yos’ Pheliums before her, also unable of being pilots. And it is her pride that hinders her in claiming help. She would have profited by the healers in dealing with her jealousy, claiming her mother’s attention, time and love as well as being set aside as heir. (She was so sensitive to that topic that her being set aside as heir also let to her feeling as if and then being set aside in all other ways to.) Her other handicap is her believe and adherence in the code. As with pride it is a weakness as well as a strength.
So Kareen set out as a failed heir, then was the jealous and spiteful sister before becoming the odd aunt. She played for a long time the black family sheep, the one who no-one knows what to do with. Ok, she is still Korval – which means she is no criminal or addict. And she is a far better person than Del Ben (or Del Ban) yos’ Phelium was. Than Theo’s claim “An Aunt is a treasure” is ushering her role change to a useful and valued Clan member. (I think Ghost ship was written before Daughter of Dragons)
We haven’t seen the Treasure in Kareen yet, but her changes as well as Chi’s demand that Korval keep her alive hint at this. And Kareen is – to put it in Shan’s words – not finished yet (Ok, Shan said that to Gordie when talking about Pat Rin, but imho it also applies to Kareen). And since Kareen is “The aunt Kareen” there is still quite a lot that she has to do. Or we may well have to redefine “treasure”.
@the hidden heir dilemma
That is definitely Theo. She was not only hidden form Korval and Liad, but her Korval identity was hidden form herself. Which is not unlike to hiding a Korval for a longer while in a healing unit. So this explains neatly why Anthora – who should be used to seeing Korval’s Luck – was so dazzled by Theo. Theo is currently the most “lucky” person, the Korval which attracts the most Luck. And yes, Theo is a Korval, no matter that she and several others don’t count her as one.
Tree as well as Luck count Theo as Korval, maybe simply because of genetics. If so, there has to be a difference between her and children of Korval members that went to other clans. Maybe it is just that no other Clan can claim Theo. But if one compares the Trees view of that matter to that of a “mere delm” … we just know who will win.
Val Con and Miri don’t count Theo as clan, because of considering her safety first. An argument that doesn’t hold up, when they find out, that DOI already identified and tagged her as Korval. Also, Theo has the DOI already for so many reasons (including their hunger for Bechimo) after her, that the additional risk form being Korval doesn’t increase her problems or enemies and their efforts of getting her. Therefore Val Con and Miri will change their mind in the long run.
Daav properly also thinks of Theo’s feelings and personality when counseling her not to become a Korval member. But if you put it in Theo’s words “An aunt is a treasure” his reasoning and emotional impact on Theo won’t hold up, if Theo is needed as aunt. And that brings us back to Lizzy and to something that hasn’t happened yet. Yes, Theo might well only become a Korval member to protect her loved ones. Even if that means she has to become delm. And if that happens, Korval will play its wildest card. But until that, Theo has to come quite a way and her way may well take her in a different direction first.
Some interesting stuff there. I particularly like the insight about Korval being multiple invasive species.
I’m going to have to chew on it some before I can give a thoughtful response to most of it, but I do have one quick take: I don’t think it’s strange that Er Thom the spare led the way in the big decisions with Daav the delm following behind; as spare, Er Thom has more latitude, more freedom to try unusual things, than the delm does, and so is more likely to discover new ways of doing things.
In a list of “multiple invasive species” don’t we also have to acknowledge the dramliz themselves?
Rool Tiazen, who was given a body by his lady, became the forefather of an entire clan. And then we have Lute and Moonhawk, who apparently are reincarnated periodically/?
And what about the aelantaza?
If we start counting human subspecies or sup-sets we might as well consider Liaden as well as Terran and Yxtrang on the boarder of becoming those and also count them. But as long as a pairings result in healthy and fertile offspring that so called “species” boundary is open enough to not speak of different species. And all in all, the differences between such “groups” are superficial. While a group’s real history during a time of genetic isolation might be important for that group, it has very little consequence in the bigger picture once that genetic isolation is given up. So the lookout should not be: “Did Terrans developed in the new universe separately and just turned up by chance similar enough to breed with Liadens or do Liadens and Terrans chair a common ancestry?” It should be this: “No matter whether there is a common ancestry or not, Terran and Liadens (and Yxtrang) are similar enough that a proof for on or the other can’t be made with certainty.” Certainly not on the genetic level. Therefor that question (which is a quite big one for DOI and Terran party) is mot.
Or if you prefer to take this into our daily life, there is no real difference between black, white, red or yellow people, no matter that some have more or less Neandertaler or Denisova genetic material. The deciding factor that makes us different is upbringing, culture, believe, learning, language, environment and social standing. Even in the gender question it aren’t biological questions, which count, it is our cultural systems, behavior patterns and believes that we build around that sexual difference.
Okay, got it. And agreed.
Paul, you are remiss.
You haven’t added a post to remark on Sharon’s post from December, in which we’re informed that Steve has already begun the NEXT Liaden novel (after Accepting the Lance) which is to be a Jethri novel, sequel to Trade Secret!
Whoo-hoo! I always felt the story had quit abruptly, as if it had “dumped” me. I am hoping to hear more about, well…everything!
Ed8r,
You are quite right, there is a lot that’s still open in Jethri’s story.
We haven’t heard how Jethri officially became a master trader – although I’m sure there are quite a few people aware of his potential. And there are still more questions, which are becoming more and more important.
Since the statement that Steve is writing on Trade Secrets sequel I reread both Jethri’s books and the story feels even more unfished. Maybe because I started thinking on all the possibilities. One of those is the unfished business with Bar Jan chel’Gaibin (unfinished at least form Bar Jan’s point of view) as well as some other of Jethri’s enemies or how the DoI got started.
Sadly it seems a long wait.
I want to hear more about Jethri’s affinity for Old Tech and about what the twins are up to.
Ask Me Anything
On 13th March Sharon is going to answer questions on her blog http://sharonleewriter.com/category/ask-me-a-question/
“You — yes, you! — may Ask Me A Question in comments. All questions will be kept Sekrit, and on Wednesday, March 13 — Anything Can Happen Day Times Two! — I’ll start answering questions here in the blog, one at a time, questions chosen at my discretion.”
I’m already drawing up my list.
I’ll just trust you to be asking anything I would have thought of . . . and much more!
@Othin:
Sharon wrote: One response contained a record 22 questions.
Was that you?
Paul:
Just a note to say that publication dates have changed since the blog you referred to last September.
1) “Command Decision” has already been published in Release the Virgins.
2) “Dark Secrets” will not be available until November 2019 in Infinite Stars: Dark Frontiers.
3) Fortunes Favors: Adventures in the Liaden Universe Number 28 (not mentioned above) available as of Monday April 15!
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd . . . I’ve got it!