I know you don’t have the time but do you think an enterprising fan might put the short stories in a timeline
. I ask as my experience was I had no idea of Natesa’s back story til I read it in one of the Liaden Universe books. In my own reading it has been interesting trying to fit some of the short stories into the time line or tie them to existing characters. I didn’t start the series till the publication of Fledgling and then worked my way through the whole series. Thanks for hours of reading pleasure.
Now, see? Most of the short stories were written by whim, though some few were commissioned. And — they’re extra. For instance, we wrote “Veil of the Dancer” after we wrote I Dare, so we didn’t know Natesa’s backstory either.
So very many people Just Don’t read short stories, because, err, they’re not long enough, as several people have told me, that they must be extra information, or a bit of fun for those who do read short stories. If we’re doing our job right, you oughtn’t to need the short story about Character A to understand that character when you meet them in the novel. And, most of those that are character backstory are written after we meet the character in a novel and get to wondering about them, as one does.
All this to say — you’re right; I don’t have the time for that project, nor do I see the need. And I’m against “timelines” on a visceral level, because timelines too often are used to beat writers with when they’ve come up with a Better Idea.
The short stories are ice cream — please, just enjoy them.
I do enjoy them and thanks again for writing them. I just wanted a crutch as I sometimes wonder if a character is from a clan I should know about. I especially appreciate your responding to questions. I reread your books a lot in 2020 as an escape and they really helped.
I know you don’t have the time but do you think an enterprising fan might put the short stories in a timeline
. I ask as my experience was I had no idea of Natesa’s back story til I read it in one of the Liaden Universe books. In my own reading it has been interesting trying to fit some of the short stories into the time line or tie them to existing characters. I didn’t start the series till the publication of Fledgling and then worked my way through the whole series. Thanks for hours of reading pleasure.
Now, see? Most of the short stories were written by whim, though some few were commissioned. And — they’re extra. For instance, we wrote “Veil of the Dancer” after we wrote I Dare, so we didn’t know Natesa’s backstory either.
So very many people Just Don’t read short stories, because, err, they’re not long enough, as several people have told me, that they must be extra information, or a bit of fun for those who do read short stories. If we’re doing our job right, you oughtn’t to need the short story about Character A to understand that character when you meet them in the novel. And, most of those that are character backstory are written after we meet the character in a novel and get to wondering about them, as one does.
All this to say — you’re right; I don’t have the time for that project, nor do I see the need. And I’m against “timelines” on a visceral level, because timelines too often are used to beat writers with when they’ve come up with a Better Idea.
The short stories are ice cream — please, just enjoy them.
I do enjoy them and thanks again for writing them. I just wanted a crutch as I sometimes wonder if a character is from a clan I should know about. I especially appreciate your responding to questions. I reread your books a lot in 2020 as an escape and they really helped.