Tag Archives: faq

FAQ (Forecast of Anticipated Questions)

1. What is this?

This is a blog, on which I will be recording my progress in re-reading all the novels and stories of the Liaden Universe, in chronological order, one chapter per day, beginning in July.

You’re welcome to join me, for all or part of the way.

2. Why?

I wanted to re-read Balance of Trade before the sequel came out in November. Then it occurred to me that I’d never re-read any of the other early Liaden novels. Things snowballed from there.

I’ve already read them all in publication order (more or less); I thought chronological order might be interesting. And although I know people have read the novels in chronological order, I don’t know of anyone who’s tackled the whole thing.

(On a more pragmatic note, it will give me practice at conceiving, planning and carrying out a long-term project with a definite schedule.)

3. What is the Liaden Universe?

The Liaden Universe is the setting of many novels and short stories by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. The setting is broadly speaking space opera, though individual stories might be usefully described as adventure, romance, coming-of-age, etc., depending. Rather than a single ongoing series, the novels include several shorter series of varying lengths, set years or centuries apart, although there are ongoing issues and themes, and recurring settings and characters, in particular the members of Clan Korval, which makes its home on the planet of Liad. The short stories fit in around (and sometimes during) the novels, throwing light on incidental details and background characters.

(Liaden Universe® is a registered trademark of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.)

All the novels are in print, and are available as e-books, from Baen Books. The short stories are more scattered, but Baen is working on collecting them. The first collection is scheduled for publication in early July, although that’s not why the re-read is planned to begin then.

3. Why is the re-read planned to begin in July?

There are, of course, many other dates I could have chosen: for instance, the 25th anniversary of the publication of the first Liaden novel was in February of this year.

The answer is that, as the release of Trade Secret in November was the spark for this project, it’s the keystone of the schedule: the aim is to finish reading Balance of Trade just as Trade Secret comes out, so that the sequence may continue smoothly.

5. What will this re-read include?

There are currently 16 novels and 37 short stories set in the Liaden Universe, with another novel due to come out while the re-read is in progress.

The 17 novels are: Agent of Change, Balance of Trade, Carpe Diem, Conflict of Honors, Crystal Dragon, Crystal Soldier, Dragon Ship, Fledgling, Ghost Ship, I Dare, Local Custom, Mouse and Dragon, Necessity’s Child, Plan B, Saltation, Scout’s Progress, and Trade Secret.

The 37 short stories are: The Beggar King, Breath’s Duty, Certain Symmetry, Changeling, A Choice of Weapons, Daughter of Dragons, A Day At The Races, Dragon Tide, Eleutherios, Fighting Chance, Guaranteed Delivery, Heirloom, Hidden Resources, Intelligent Design, Kin Ties, Landed Alien, A Matter of Dreams, Misfits, Moon on the Hills, Moonphase, Naratha’s Shadow, Necessary Evils, Persistence, Phoenix, Pilot of Korval, Prodigal Son, Quiet Knives, Shadow Partner, Skyblaze, The Space at Tinsori Light, A Spell for the Lost, Sweet Waters, This House, To Cut an Edge, Veil of the Dancer, Where the Goddess Sends, and The Wine of Memory.

6. What will this re-read not include?

I won’t be reading the short stories “Balance of Trade” (superseded by the novel Balance of Trade), “Lord of the Dance” (superseded by the novel Ghost Ship), or “King of the Cats” (officially apocryphal).

I’ll also be skipping the epilogue to Scout’s Progress, which is repeated in full at the appropriate point in the following novel, Mouse and Dragon; and the prologue to Carpe Diem, which is a repeat of a late chapter in the preceding novel, Agent of Change.

7. When you say you’ll be reading the stories in chronological order, what exactly do you mean?

This is such a good question, hypothetical reader, that I’m going to devote an entire post to discovering the answer to it.

8. Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?

Is there anything else you’d like me to tell you? Comments are free.