This year's Hugo and Nebula Award winner

[katestine]

The more I think about Cryoburn, the new Miles Vorkosigan novel, the more I appreciate it. The novel does what great science fiction ought, consider the implications of technologies just out of reach. In this case, it's cryogenics. The neo-Japanese planet of Kibou-daini is dealing with all the socio-economic and ethical issues brought up by access

Comments

[seawasp]

I've heard the bit about ageless people living only to a certain point, but the number I saw was 600 years, not 800. Same basic idea, though.

Of course, it depends on how they're ageless, AND what kind of technology's available to save the injured. I've already lived through accidents that probably would have ended in my death 200 years ago.

[katestine]

I don't suppose what you saw had a citation, hm?

[sinboy]

I don't think it'll be the last book. I hope not. I'd like to see more large scale adventures, space battles, and the like. Diplomatic Immunity was awesome. OTOH, Mile's life is not as interesting as it once was since he met his wife.

Perhaps a Marc centric book? I'd like that.

[katestine]

I agree with you that Miles' life was much more interesting when it involved space battles, but LMB is really really good at writing that other stuff too.

I don't get the impression she's all that interested in writing about Mark anymore: his life is pretty set at this point. Now Ivan on the other hand... (I also disagree with those who say she should start writing Alex: I don't think her heart is in another half dozen books about a militarily precocious youngster trying to live up to his famous ancestors in a traditional world undergoing dramatic changes due to galactic tech.) I do wonder if Cordelia is staying on Sergyar or going back to Beta though - I thought I'd read that LMB said she'd do the latter. (major spoiler)

[sinboy]

Remember, though, that Mark's life goal is to take down Jackson's Whole. I'd say that while his path might be set, his goals are not quite nailed down, and may involve a lot more extralegal efforts. Could be fun, and involve adventure. Could even involve Miles at some point.

"Patchily"

[katestine]

oh, yeah, I'd forgotten about that...

that exchange Mark and Miles have about his last attempt to take Jackson's Whole was awesome.

[thewronghands]

You might like "The Incorporated Man", which I just finished... it's going to jessekornblum next, and ilcylic after that , but if you want to get on the list you can. It touches on many of the same themes -- the hero is a guy coming out of cryo-suspension after ~250 years into an unfamiliar world. (Everyone at birth is incorporated, and spends their early life trying to buy back a majority of their own shares. Suspended guy is the only person on the planet who is not his own corporation... but he was a leading capitalist in his day, so.... Interesting exploration of social themes in a way that I don't often see in sci-fi. For the first 250 pages, I wasn't sure if the author was going to lean liberal-corporations-are-evil or libertarian-slavery-and-governments-are-evil or both or something else, and I count it a credit to the book that I couldn't immediately tell what his agenda was.

[katestine]

It sounds very contrived - is there a reason why organized like that, other than authorial fiat?

It seems to me this higher education bubble will burst before we get to that stage...

[hwrnmnbsol]

I thought this was interesting so I decided to see what I could calculate on my own