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VORKOSIGAN SAGA

by severa

The Vorkosigan Saga is a series of science fiction novels, novellas, and short stories by the author Lois McMaster Bujold. The series is set first and foremost on the planet of Barrayar, which became cut off from the other settled worlds and fell into feudalism, before eventually regaining contact with the rest of humanity. Now that they've readopted advanced technology, Barrayar has become an aggressive imperial power still struggling to reintegrate itself.

Most of the novels focus on the career of Miles Vorkosigan, the disabled son of a Barrayar nobleman. Facing difficulties in the backwards culture of his home planet, Miles eventually becomes head of a mercenary company adventuring all over the galaxy. The works are uniformly both exciting and thoughtful, always exploring interesting ideas while never letting them get in the way of telling a good story. Great science fiction, I read the whole series in under a month and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Many of the novels and stories have been collected into omnibuses, which are also listed below. If you want to get everything in as few volumes as possible, get the omnibuses plus the novels Memory, Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, Cryoburn, and Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen, plus the stories "Dreamweaver's Dilemma" and "The Flowers of Vashnoi".

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  1. "Dreamweaver's Dilemma" by Lois McMaster Bujold

    2. This short story is contained in Proto Zoa, a collection of several of Bujold's early stories. It takes place several centuries before the main Vorkosigan books.

  2. Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold

    3. This novel is set two centuries before the main Vorkosigan stories and is only loosely connected with them. It explains the origins of the "quaddies", humans genetically engineered to have four arms and no legs, in order to live in zero gravity. Although this novel comes first, you don't necessarily have to start with it; Shards of Honor might be better.

    Note that even though Falling Free is a prequel, it's collected in an omnibus of later stories, Miles, Mutants and Microbes, listed below.

    Cordelia's Honor

    Contains Shards of Honor, and Barrayar

  3. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

  4. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold

    5. Young Miles

    Contains The Warrior's Apprentice, "The Mountains of Mourning", and The Vor Game

  5. The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold

  6. "The Mountains of Mourning" by Lois McMaster Bujold

  7. "Weatherman" by Lois McMaster Bujold

    8. This novella is basically a slightly different version of the first several chapters of the novel The Vor Game.

  8. The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold

    9. Miles, Mystery, and Mayhem

    Contains Cetaganda, Ethan of Athos, and "Labyrinth". Note that "Labyrinth" is also collected in the omnibus Miles, Mutants and Microbes.

  9. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold

  10. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold

  11. "Labyrinth" by Lois McMaster Bujold

    12. Miles Errant

    Contains "The Borders of Infinity", Brothers in Arms, and Mirror Dance

  12. "The Borders of Infinity"

  13. Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold

  14. Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold

    15. Note that Borders of Infinity is different from the novella "The Borders of Infinity". This is a collection of three different novellas listed above - "The Mountains of Mourning", "Labyrinth", and "The Borders of Infinity" - and is only being included here because it also includes a brief framing story that links the collection together. That frame story takes place at this point in the timeline.

  15. Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold

  16. Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold

    17. Note that Memory is not included in any of the omnibus editions.

    Miles in Love

    Contains Komarr, A Civil Campaign, and "Winterfair Gifts"

  17. Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold

  18. A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold

  19. "Winterfair Gifts" by Lois McMaster Bujold

    20. Miles, Mutants and Microbes

    Contains Falling Free, "Labyrinth", and Diplomatic Immunity. Unlike the other collections, these stories aren't chronologically linked. Also note that "Labyrinth" is also collected in Miles, Mystery and Mayhem.

  20. Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold

  21. Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold

    22. None of the stories from here on are included in any of the omnibuses.

  22. "The Flowers of Vashnoi" by Lois McMaster Bujold

  23. CryoBurn by Lois McMaster Bujold

  24. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold

Timeline updated: July 27, 2023

ChronoDrome is copyrighted, probably