The whole series of science fictional novels concerning Miles Vorkosigan are very well worth reading. Fun, exciting, etc. This particular volume is the first one I read, and, in my opinion, among the best. This is where the adventure starts.
Thankfully, these volumes don’t waste too much time trying to explain their physics. I feel that this can be one of the worst mistakes for science fiction to make, since (practically speaking) most authors a) don’t have enough experience with astrophysics, propulsion, etc., for their logic to be altogether convincing and b) since no means of “faster than light” travel actually exists, they always need to make something up. Making something up, while brilliant in the abstract, sometimes falls apart a bit when explained in too much detail.
Anyhow, the key elements of the story: Miles Vorkosigan is from a planet with a ruling society made up of a military caste, in which he is a cadet member. The planet, isolated from interplanetary trade and travel for many centuries, has a historical problem with mutation. Miles, while not a mutant, is significant…ah…stunted in growth due to an assassination attempt prior to his birth.
This particular story revolves around his failure to be accepted into the military, and his subsequent adventures while trying to prove his worth to his society.
A sadly deficient description, but it doesn’t give anything significant away, either.
Filed under Reviews by Joe