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5.0 out of 5 stars
An earlier look at Bujold's universe, and highly enjoyable, July 7 2003
There are those who consider this below Bujold's usual standard, but I found it quite a fun novel with several highly sensitive sequences, and therefore give it five stars. It is a story to relax and enjoy, not overly analyze. It takes place 200 years before the Vorkosigan stories, and follows Leo Graf, an engineer sent to the planet Rodeo to be a welding instructor to the genetically altered Quaddies. He immediately discovers an attitude on the part of the administrators on the planet toward these mutated beings, but takes them as they are, a human species most of whom are still developing youngsters. This is primarily an adventure story with well developed human and mutated human characters. There are tender scenes such as that between Silver who's deeply attuned to music and Madame Minchenko, the project physician's wife who also is deeply musically inclined. But there's also plenty of action, and the underlying plea for respect for all forms of life. Read for enjoyment and I think you'll quite appreciate it.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Visionary Space Adventure, Jan 12 2003
Richly deserves the Nebula award it received. A true space adventure with superior imagination, original thinking, characterization, psychology, and insight into motivations. Without ever directly mentioning philosophic issues of ethics, natural rights, political rights, justice, individual responsibility, or what makes a human a human, Bujold shows you all of these issues in the actions of the characters. Seemingly without effort. That is great writing. She makes you think simply as part of reading a great, visionary adventure. Here are some of the insights, not necessarily original, that Bujold illustrates even though she does not state them explicitly. Intelligent beings, however genetically engineered, cannot be molded. They will be individuals, not subordinate parts of a collective. They will necessarily develop through the process of everyday living their own psychologies, goals, and choices suited to their natures as humans. Everyone might be considered a degree of mutant in the sense that we all have different genetics, though the term is intended for more than usually significant differences. Even so, the degree of difference required is somewhat subjective and has no inherent moral significance. Love and sexual attraction are responses to values and virtues seen, or imagined, in others, not simply biological chemistry. The concept of justice includes natural rights and freedom for intelligent beings regardless of their political affiliation or designation. Neither justice nor natural right of freedom necessarily ensures any political protection against violation of your freedom or life by others. Thus, responsibility for providing for oneself (food, self-defense, etc.) is both a natural right and an obligation. People have the power to make, and are responsible for, their own choices and actions. My favorite insight points out that life is a process of effort and achievement -- tasks suitable to humans. No problems only occurs with death. "...don't be afraid of troubles, Silver. They're a sign of life."
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun sci-fi adventure with some deeper philosophical issues, July 19 2001
I absolutely love Lois McMaster Bujold; she is one of my all-time favorite authors. But one of the problems I have with recommending her books is that I don't know where to start! It's hard to find the beginning of her Vorkosigan series. Falling Free, although not really part of the series, is the chronological beginning and a good introduction to LMB. In this book (as with all her books), she combines intelligence, humor, drama, and a touch of philosophy and blends them into a rollicking, quick-moving adventure story. This particular novel also has some good, hard science-fictional ideas, ideas which I found fascinating.
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