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Miles and his Dendarii mercenaries are on a mission in Jackson's Hole to retrieve a geneticist, who unexpectedly says he won't leave until a certain "monster" is neutralized and a tissue sample is taken from it. What Miles finds is something vastly different from what he was led to expect…
120 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 1989
102 people are currently reading
1296 people want to read
About the author
Lois McMaster Bujold
190 books39.3k followersLois McMaster Bujold was born in 1949, the daughter of an engineering professor at Ohio State University, from whom she picked up her early interest in science fiction. She now lives in Minneapolis, and has two grown children.
Her fantasy from HarperCollins includes the award-winning Chalion series and the Sharing Knife tetralogy; her science fiction from Baen Books features the perennially bestselling Vorkosigan Saga. Her work has been translated into over twenty languages.
Questions regarding foreign rights, film/tv subrights, and other business matters should be directed to Spectrum Literary Agency, spectrumliteraryagency.com
A listing of her awards and nominations may be seen here:
http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...
A listing of her interviews is here:
http://vorkosigan.wikia.com/wiki/Auth...
An older fan-run site devoted to her work, The Bujold Nexus, is here:
http://www.dendarii.com/
Her fantasy from HarperCollins includes the award-winning Chalion series and the Sharing Knife tetralogy; her science fiction from Baen Books features the perennially bestselling Vorkosigan Saga. Her work has been translated into over twenty languages.
Questions regarding foreign rights, film/tv subrights, and other business matters should be directed to Spectrum Literary Agency, spectrumliteraryagency.com
A listing of her awards and nominations may be seen here:
http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...
A listing of her interviews is here:
http://vorkosigan.wikia.com/wiki/Auth...
An older fan-run site devoted to her work, The Bujold Nexus, is here:
http://www.dendarii.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
March 14, 2017
*** 5 ***
A buddy read with Evgeny and Maria! Because we love our Miles!
Does this story truly deserve 5 stars? Most probably not, if you are being objective. However, something in this very short, very Miles Vorkosigan story tugged on my heartstrings and my emotions say it deserves all the stars in the sky!!!
Once again the author brings our attention to the possible abuse of genetics and having financial intetests controlling scientific research, who have no moral compass and are interested only in the bottom line. It also questions when does an employee stop being covered by the "company made me do it" line and starts carrying personal responsibility for their actions.
But despite the very serious as always ethical dilemmas, the author also gave us a very Miles story, which included the genetically engineered hermaphrodite mercenary Captain, a beautiful violinist quaddy, and a wolf-girl experiment, who brought the best in our Admiral Naismith:-) Also, this is the first and very unexpected awkward night we get to read about in this series up to date, and it was nothing I could have anticipated!!!! It was not pretty, but darn it, it was sweet and weird and I was absolutely in awe of the way the author dealt with it! I think up to this story I liked the series and truly enjoyed them, but I feel like this short is what made my heart and soul commit fully and I know that objectivity would be a thing of the past from now on... I think I just crossed from an enthusiastic reader field to fan-girl zone!!! Another one bites the dust ... and loves every second of it☺☺☺
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!!!
A buddy read with Evgeny and Maria! Because we love our Miles!
Does this story truly deserve 5 stars? Most probably not, if you are being objective. However, something in this very short, very Miles Vorkosigan story tugged on my heartstrings and my emotions say it deserves all the stars in the sky!!!
Once again the author brings our attention to the possible abuse of genetics and having financial intetests controlling scientific research, who have no moral compass and are interested only in the bottom line. It also questions when does an employee stop being covered by the "company made me do it" line and starts carrying personal responsibility for their actions.
But despite the very serious as always ethical dilemmas, the author also gave us a very Miles story, which included the genetically engineered hermaphrodite mercenary Captain, a beautiful violinist quaddy, and a wolf-girl experiment, who brought the best in our Admiral Naismith:-) Also, this is the first and very unexpected awkward night we get to read about in this series up to date, and it was nothing I could have anticipated!!!! It was not pretty, but darn it, it was sweet and weird and I was absolutely in awe of the way the author dealt with it! I think up to this story I liked the series and truly enjoyed them, but I feel like this short is what made my heart and soul commit fully and I know that objectivity would be a thing of the past from now on... I think I just crossed from an enthusiastic reader field to fan-girl zone!!! Another one bites the dust ... and loves every second of it☺☺☺
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!!!
August 29, 2020
3.5 stars, rounded up
this novella is a typically charming and fast-paced entry in the saga of Miles Vorkosigan. basically a smash & grab caper. ah Miles, I see so much of myself in you. the ego and pride, the sarcasm and humor, the irritation at not being a taller person, the ability to fuck anything that moves. really, he's the best. wait if I say that am I also saying that I'm the best? surely I don't mean to imply such an outrageous thing.
SPOILERS
so the story opens with Miles getting hit on by the ardent hermaphrodite captain of his ship (and who disconcertingly prefers "it" to he or she... kinda wish that wasn't the case, but this was written in the pre-"they" days, so can't really hold that against Bujold. she's trying.) which he handles sensitively and professionally and with no weirdness, and it closes with Miles happily getting it on with the physically dominating but quite insecure mutant werewolf-woman that he's just "rescued" (really, she's the one that rescues him). in between there is another exploited person rescued whose physical appearance is also quite different from the so-called norm. and all throughout are some strong emotions and some strong declarations all about how people experience difference, how people get othered, how it makes them feel. just like what Miles has dealt with his entire life. and yet despite the clear moral lesson on display, nothing felt forced. the story is brisk, fun, sweet, and casual.
and so a 3 star book gets a boost because I love the ideals. Bujold's beautifully progressive, humanistic nature really shines bright in this story. it made me happy.
this novella is a typically charming and fast-paced entry in the saga of Miles Vorkosigan. basically a smash & grab caper. ah Miles, I see so much of myself in you. the ego and pride, the sarcasm and humor, the irritation at not being a taller person, the ability to fuck anything that moves. really, he's the best. wait if I say that am I also saying that I'm the best? surely I don't mean to imply such an outrageous thing.
SPOILERS
so the story opens with Miles getting hit on by the ardent hermaphrodite captain of his ship (and who disconcertingly prefers "it" to he or she... kinda wish that wasn't the case, but this was written in the pre-"they" days, so can't really hold that against Bujold. she's trying.) which he handles sensitively and professionally and with no weirdness, and it closes with Miles happily getting it on with the physically dominating but quite insecure mutant werewolf-woman that he's just "rescued" (really, she's the one that rescues him). in between there is another exploited person rescued whose physical appearance is also quite different from the so-called norm. and all throughout are some strong emotions and some strong declarations all about how people experience difference, how people get othered, how it makes them feel. just like what Miles has dealt with his entire life. and yet despite the clear moral lesson on display, nothing felt forced. the story is brisk, fun, sweet, and casual.
and so a 3 star book gets a boost because I love the ideals. Bujold's beautifully progressive, humanistic nature really shines bright in this story. it made me happy.
September 20, 2020
Podéis encontrar esta historia corta en la recopilación Fronteras del infinito y os aseguro que merece totalmente la pena.
Bujold muestra en 90 páginas la profundidad que puede llegar a tener las historias de Vorkosigan tras la máscara de aventura entretenida.
Aquí defiende que ser "normal" no tiene que ser necesariamente bueno. Defiende a los que tienen cicatrices, malformaciones y la importancia de aceptarse a uno mismo.
Un placer leer siempre a Bujold.
Bujold muestra en 90 páginas la profundidad que puede llegar a tener las historias de Vorkosigan tras la máscara de aventura entretenida.
Aquí defiende que ser "normal" no tiene que ser necesariamente bueno. Defiende a los que tienen cicatrices, malformaciones y la importancia de aceptarse a uno mismo.
Un placer leer siempre a Bujold.
May 31, 2018
What a great adventure, all the better for it getting to the point and still having depth of characters. I'm finding that Bujold is one author who can actually pull off a satisfying novella.
September 26, 2018
I quite loved this novella. Miles Vorkosigan is starting to remind me of a kind of Indiana Jones in space - an adventurer of ideals if you will.
[D]on't wish to be normal...You'll only waste your precious time in futile frustration. Wish to be great! That at least you have a fighting chance for. Great at whatever you are.
[D]on't wish to be normal...You'll only waste your precious time in futile frustration. Wish to be great! That at least you have a fighting chance for. Great at whatever you are.
November 7, 2019
Miles Vorkosigan, you charmer! I think this short fiction piece reveals a great deal about Lois McMaster Bujold’s view of humanity--that society should be based on treating everyone decently, establishing common goals and desires, being loyal, and truly caring about other people.
Who but Miles could be thrown into prison with a being that others have labelled as a monster and come out with a loyal friend? This is Miles at his compassionate best. Having felt like a freak and an outsider for all of his life, he is perfectly placed to provide friendship and advice to this young female prisoner.
A very feel-good story from one of my favourite authors.
Book number 332 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
Who but Miles could be thrown into prison with a being that others have labelled as a monster and come out with a loyal friend? This is Miles at his compassionate best. Having felt like a freak and an outsider for all of his life, he is perfectly placed to provide friendship and advice to this young female prisoner.
A very feel-good story from one of my favourite authors.
Book number 332 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
June 7, 2016
A little fun novella. We get to see the typical Miles getting himself in trouble and having weakness for women, even those with sharp teeth.
May 7, 2013
3.75 stars for this shorter segment of The Vorkosigan Saga. It is also published in a collection called Borders of Infinity.
Labyrinth is oddly like a pnr romance with a werewolf, set on another world. It's unlike the other books in the series. The smexy parts are ...a little unsettling.
Here we have Lord Miles Vorkosigan under his alias as Admiral Naismith of the Dendrarii Mercenary Fleet. He's on a covert mission for the Barrayar Imperial Security (Imp Sec).
Miles. I'm becoming fixated on Miles Vorkosigan, a brilliant mind in a brittle body. He's nothing to look at, standing not five-feet tall in his boots, with a slightly skewed spine and bones that easily break. Only about 21 years old, his face already bears the stigmata of pain. I love to see him outsmart and out-bluff the big baddies. I chuckle at his fascination with tall, strong-willed redheads. He's a softy with a temper, an impulsive tyrant with boundless energy and ideas. His values are sound, his friendships true, and his escapades alternatively fascinating, worrisome, and hilarious.
As a Barrayaran "Vor" (the military / warrior caste), Admiral of the Dendarii Mercenaries, and a secret agent working for Simon at ImpSec (Barrayaran Imperial Security), Miles is constantly in danger. In nearly every book, he gets busted up, due to his brittle bones.
In this book, Miles goes to a planet called Jackson's Whole. Like Jackson Hole in Wyoming, this Whole has a valley ringed with snow-capped mountains. However, this Whole is a Pit -- depraved, corrupt -- a place where anything is for sale, from guns to gonads. At House Ryoval, the motto is "Dreams Made Flesh" and the purveyor is the vile Baron Ryoval.
The story opens when Admiral Naismith (Miles) approaches the planet with his pilot, Captain Bel Thorne of the Dendrarii Mercenary Fleet (see The Warrior's Apprentice for Thorne's story).
Pretending to be buying guns from the aged Baron Fell, his mission is to meet up with Dr. Canaba (alias Weddell Vaughn) and zoom him safely to planet Barrayar, where the brilliant geneticist will conduct research. (As Weddell Vaughn, he plays a role later, in Memory.) But Dr. Canaba/Vaughn won't go with Miles unless Miles kills "the monster" he engineered. A failed super-soldier experiment. With human and wolf genes, the monster is dubbed Number Nine or just Nine.
So off he goes to kill this monstrous wolf-man #9. Not knowing that Nine is...a she. Wanna know more? Read on:
But the story gets weird when
A bit creepy, and yet I was drawn into it, understood it.
Meanwhile, Bel Thorne (a hermaphrodite that Bujold irritatingly calls "it") is first making sexual advances to Miles (good scene). When that doesn't go anywhere, he's making eyes at beautiful Nicol, a talented musician from the genetically engineered species "quaddie" who floats in an anti-gravity bubble, with four arms, no legs. (Bel Thorne and Nicol appear again, in Diplomatic Immunity (one of the last books in the series).
Enjoyed the high-octane fight scene at the compound, and the rapid escape from the planet. Zoom Zoom. Good to see a female pilot show her stuff.
As always, I really got a kick out of Miles, bluffing all the way to the bunk, playing one house against the other. He's short but sharp as a blade, and also brave and kind. Bujold does a nice job showing him to advantage.
=====================
About the series: The Vorkosigan Saga is space opera with some romantic bits here and there. As science fiction it's not outstanding, but interesting enough. In terms of innovations, the series mainly hinges on advanced biomedical technology, including cloning and other types of genetic engineering (no longer fiction).
Bujold does a nice job with characterization and plot development. Her pacing is good, too. I grew to love Miles Vorkosigan (Cordelia and Aral's son), who first appears as a young man in The Warrior's Apprentice, and as a young boy at the end of Barrayar.
The series contrasts the militaristic, intolerant, feudal planet of Barrayar against the enlightened and generally progressive planet of Beta Colony. This cultural dichotomy is fairly suspect, but interesting. It serves a purpose.
=======
My reviews of this series (*favorites):
Shards of Honor review
*Barrayar review
*The Warrior's Apprentice review
The Vor Game review
Cetaganda review
The Mountains of Mourning review
Labyrinth review
*Borders of Infinity review
Brothers in Arms review
Mirror Dance review
*Memory review
*Miles in Love: Komarr, A Civil Campaign, Winterfair Gifts review
*Komarr review
Diplomatic Immunity review
Captain Vorpatril's Alliance review
Cryoburn review
Labyrinth is oddly like a pnr romance with a werewolf, set on another world. It's unlike the other books in the series. The smexy parts are ...a little unsettling.
Here we have Lord Miles Vorkosigan under his alias as Admiral Naismith of the Dendrarii Mercenary Fleet. He's on a covert mission for the Barrayar Imperial Security (Imp Sec).
Miles. I'm becoming fixated on Miles Vorkosigan, a brilliant mind in a brittle body. He's nothing to look at, standing not five-feet tall in his boots, with a slightly skewed spine and bones that easily break. Only about 21 years old, his face already bears the stigmata of pain. I love to see him outsmart and out-bluff the big baddies. I chuckle at his fascination with tall, strong-willed redheads. He's a softy with a temper, an impulsive tyrant with boundless energy and ideas. His values are sound, his friendships true, and his escapades alternatively fascinating, worrisome, and hilarious.
As a Barrayaran "Vor" (the military / warrior caste), Admiral of the Dendarii Mercenaries, and a secret agent working for Simon at ImpSec (Barrayaran Imperial Security), Miles is constantly in danger. In nearly every book, he gets busted up, due to his brittle bones.
In this book, Miles goes to a planet called Jackson's Whole. Like Jackson Hole in Wyoming, this Whole has a valley ringed with snow-capped mountains. However, this Whole is a Pit -- depraved, corrupt -- a place where anything is for sale, from guns to gonads. At House Ryoval, the motto is "Dreams Made Flesh" and the purveyor is the vile Baron Ryoval.
The story opens when Admiral Naismith (Miles) approaches the planet with his pilot, Captain Bel Thorne of the Dendrarii Mercenary Fleet (see The Warrior's Apprentice for Thorne's story).
Pretending to be buying guns from the aged Baron Fell, his mission is to meet up with Dr. Canaba (alias Weddell Vaughn) and zoom him safely to planet Barrayar, where the brilliant geneticist will conduct research. (As Weddell Vaughn, he plays a role later, in Memory.) But Dr. Canaba/Vaughn won't go with Miles unless Miles kills "the monster" he engineered. A failed super-soldier experiment. With human and wolf genes, the monster is dubbed Number Nine or just Nine.
So off he goes to kill this monstrous wolf-man #9. Not knowing that Nine is...a she. Wanna know more? Read on:
But the story gets weird when
A bit creepy, and yet I was drawn into it, understood it.
Meanwhile, Bel Thorne (a hermaphrodite that Bujold irritatingly calls "it") is first making sexual advances to Miles (good scene). When that doesn't go anywhere, he's making eyes at beautiful Nicol, a talented musician from the genetically engineered species "quaddie" who floats in an anti-gravity bubble, with four arms, no legs. (Bel Thorne and Nicol appear again, in Diplomatic Immunity (one of the last books in the series).
Enjoyed the high-octane fight scene at the compound, and the rapid escape from the planet. Zoom Zoom. Good to see a female pilot show her stuff.
As always, I really got a kick out of Miles, bluffing all the way to the bunk, playing one house against the other. He's short but sharp as a blade, and also brave and kind. Bujold does a nice job showing him to advantage.
=====================
About the series: The Vorkosigan Saga is space opera with some romantic bits here and there. As science fiction it's not outstanding, but interesting enough. In terms of innovations, the series mainly hinges on advanced biomedical technology, including cloning and other types of genetic engineering (no longer fiction).
Bujold does a nice job with characterization and plot development. Her pacing is good, too. I grew to love Miles Vorkosigan (Cordelia and Aral's son), who first appears as a young man in The Warrior's Apprentice, and as a young boy at the end of Barrayar.
The series contrasts the militaristic, intolerant, feudal planet of Barrayar against the enlightened and generally progressive planet of Beta Colony. This cultural dichotomy is fairly suspect, but interesting. It serves a purpose.
=======
My reviews of this series (*favorites):
Shards of Honor review
*Barrayar review
*The Warrior's Apprentice review
The Vor Game review
Cetaganda review
The Mountains of Mourning review
Labyrinth review
*Borders of Infinity review
Brothers in Arms review
Mirror Dance review
*Memory review
*Miles in Love: Komarr, A Civil Campaign, Winterfair Gifts review
*Komarr review
Diplomatic Immunity review
Captain Vorpatril's Alliance review
Cryoburn review
March 14, 2017
Buddy read with Choko and Evgeny.
We're continuing our tour of the Nexus with Miles and his mercenaries. This time around we're visiting one of the most disturbing and unpleasant planets out there - Jackson's Whole. It's yet another extreme, a place where there are no rules and wealth is god. Everything and anything goes as long as you can pay. Imagine being ruled by the mob. Not by behind the scenes maneuvering. They are the government and they're not even pretending to be something other than a crime syndicate. It's a terrifying place, especially if you're not one of the powerful but have some valuable quality that those powerful people covet. Because if you are you're most likely to find yourself enslaved and violated in all imaginable ways, including having your DNA harvested so they can make more of you to sell.
Miles is on an yet another mission for the Barrayaran's ImpSec cleverly disguised as something else. And just as always things go horribly wrong when his morals clash with the reality of his mission objective. Miles' charm and quick wits get him out of that mess once again but this time another of his essential qualities is what truly makes a difference and wins the day - his humanity. Because of his deformities Miles have had people look at him as if he isn't human all his life. He can understand the pain it causes and the lasting psychological trauma it inflicts. It's that understanding that helps him see beyond the shell and into what makes a being a person. And because he sees a person instead of a monster, an experiment, a slave or whatever the other characters see in Taura that he manages to pull of yet another miracle. And along the way teaches us and all those around him a very important lesson.
We're continuing our tour of the Nexus with Miles and his mercenaries. This time around we're visiting one of the most disturbing and unpleasant planets out there - Jackson's Whole. It's yet another extreme, a place where there are no rules and wealth is god. Everything and anything goes as long as you can pay. Imagine being ruled by the mob. Not by behind the scenes maneuvering. They are the government and they're not even pretending to be something other than a crime syndicate. It's a terrifying place, especially if you're not one of the powerful but have some valuable quality that those powerful people covet. Because if you are you're most likely to find yourself enslaved and violated in all imaginable ways, including having your DNA harvested so they can make more of you to sell.
Miles is on an yet another mission for the Barrayaran's ImpSec cleverly disguised as something else. And just as always things go horribly wrong when his morals clash with the reality of his mission objective. Miles' charm and quick wits get him out of that mess once again but this time another of his essential qualities is what truly makes a difference and wins the day - his humanity. Because of his deformities Miles have had people look at him as if he isn't human all his life. He can understand the pain it causes and the lasting psychological trauma it inflicts. It's that understanding that helps him see beyond the shell and into what makes a being a person. And because he sees a person instead of a monster, an experiment, a slave or whatever the other characters see in Taura that he manages to pull of yet another miracle. And along the way teaches us and all those around him a very important lesson.
May 2, 2020
Labyrinth was my most recent read in the Vorkosigan Saga series. I flipped it open, with Goodreads stating it was a novella of only 91 pages, expecting a short piece of space fluff. I should, by now, know better when it comes to LMB.
I’ll start with its length. It was that short? Really? (So difficult to tell when reading on ebook format.) It felt a lot longer and I mean this in a good sense. As in, it was a truly satisfying novella which had an excellent plot, showed more depth to the already established characters, introduced us to some new epic characters, and threw the reader several themes to ponder over after ‘the end’.
One theme I always find interesting (which LMB brings up all the time given that Miles, the main protagonist of these books, has a lot of physical impairments) is the insanity of people’s insatiable quest for physical perfection and sustaining a youthful appearance. This novella was written in 1989 and unfortunately I think society in general has only gotten worse in this respect (look at botox! it’s no longer a treatment only used by the rich and famous). Another theme LMB includes is the wrongness of the rich exploiting those with less wealth to such an extent that you’ll want to jump up and down and join some sort of march for equality. Hee.
As always LMB adds diversity with such ease. All four of the main characters of Labyrinth are classed as minorities (even in their scifi universe) and she was way ahead of her time when it comes to showing society how they should and shouldn’t treat people who are a little ‘different’.
For those not wanting to delve to such introspective depths, Labyrinth is also an action adventure story featuring some evil warring families (I swear Martin was influenced by LMB) and some great ‘how are they going to get out of this’ scenes. Other people have said there’s romance but I’m not sure if I’d call it that. It’s more ‘friends with benefits’ that started out a little disturbing but ended up with me cheering it all on. Such is the power of LMB.
As I said, I still can’t believe how much was squeezed into a book of this length. 4 ½ out of 5
I’ll start with its length. It was that short? Really? (So difficult to tell when reading on ebook format.) It felt a lot longer and I mean this in a good sense. As in, it was a truly satisfying novella which had an excellent plot, showed more depth to the already established characters, introduced us to some new epic characters, and threw the reader several themes to ponder over after ‘the end’.
One theme I always find interesting (which LMB brings up all the time given that Miles, the main protagonist of these books, has a lot of physical impairments) is the insanity of people’s insatiable quest for physical perfection and sustaining a youthful appearance. This novella was written in 1989 and unfortunately I think society in general has only gotten worse in this respect (look at botox! it’s no longer a treatment only used by the rich and famous). Another theme LMB includes is the wrongness of the rich exploiting those with less wealth to such an extent that you’ll want to jump up and down and join some sort of march for equality. Hee.
As always LMB adds diversity with such ease. All four of the main characters of Labyrinth are classed as minorities (even in their scifi universe) and she was way ahead of her time when it comes to showing society how they should and shouldn’t treat people who are a little ‘different’.
For those not wanting to delve to such introspective depths, Labyrinth is also an action adventure story featuring some evil warring families (I swear Martin was influenced by LMB) and some great ‘how are they going to get out of this’ scenes. Other people have said there’s romance but I’m not sure if I’d call it that. It’s more ‘friends with benefits’ that started out a little disturbing but ended up with me cheering it all on. Such is the power of LMB.
As I said, I still can’t believe how much was squeezed into a book of this length. 4 ½ out of 5
June 23, 2019
Again, I want to quibble certain plots, but how can I when MONSTER GIRLS.
December 11, 2021
Another Novella in the Vorkosigan series that features Miles on mission as Admiral Naismith. As usual, it seems pretty simple, but as always with Miles, things go south.
I'm not sure where the title of this story comes from as there is really no labyrinth in the tale. Good story, but it's another one with some disturbing aspects of genetic engineering. It's not a subject I am particularly thrilled about, hence 3 stars and not 4.
I'm not sure where the title of this story comes from as there is really no labyrinth in the tale. Good story, but it's another one with some disturbing aspects of genetic engineering. It's not a subject I am particularly thrilled about, hence 3 stars and not 4.
July 12, 2020
This is a novella from the Vorkosigan Saga. I read is as a part of the ongoing Vorkosigan Challenge in July 2020 at Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels group.
The story starts with young (23 year old) Miles in his guise as Admiral Naismith working on a secret Barrayaran mission to snatch a scientist and his works from Jackson’s Whole. The station of Jackson’s Whole is the main black market in the universe with specialization in biology, including creating monsters or growing one’s clones to transfer memories/conscience to achieve immortality. However, (as always) nothing goes smoothly and instead of fast grab and run, Miles ends up in capture (therefore the title) and has no save not only himself
A nice installment in the great series.
The story starts with young (23 year old) Miles in his guise as Admiral Naismith working on a secret Barrayaran mission to snatch a scientist and his works from Jackson’s Whole. The station of Jackson’s Whole is the main black market in the universe with specialization in biology, including creating monsters or growing one’s clones to transfer memories/conscience to achieve immortality. However, (as always) nothing goes smoothly and instead of fast grab and run, Miles ends up in capture (therefore the title) and has no save not only himself
A nice installment in the great series.
March 26, 2017
2.5 stars. I did enjoy the familiar tropes, but otherwise this was negligible and only slightly amusing, and the fact that it is Miles who names Nine instead of her finding a name for herself was hardly worth it just for the sake of the literary allusion.
At least Bel got to do some stuff, I guess.
At least Bel got to do some stuff, I guess.
November 1, 2022
You just have to roll with this one.
August 27, 2019
Labyrinth is a short Miles Vorkosigan adventure that starts as a simple covert pick-up and ends with a new recruit for Miles’ Dendarii mercenaries, not to mention some romance for one of the side characters. There’s a lot to like about this novella: it’s paced quite well for its length, and although very science-fictional, it’s definitely more special-ops thriller than anything else.
Labyrinth shows why Miles is the hero of this series. He’s capable of seeing the potential in others, and of questioning his prejudices and pre-conceptions, in a way that some others aren’t—particularly those more traditional nobles on Barrayar. When Miles meets Taura, he’s taken aback by the revelation that there is more intelligence to her than meets the eye. He was set up to expect a ravening beast of a soldier and instead meets a sensitive young woman. It’s these kinds of twists that make Bujold a force to be reckoned with in this genre. She uses science fiction so effectively to help us explore the liminal spaces of humanity, whether it’s one’s genital configuration and gender identity; one’s limbs, bone structure, etc.; or one’s overall genetic profile and destiny as a short-lived soldier science experiment. There’s very little, beyond the obvious technology, to this story that would be out of place in a contemporary thriller.
The plot is simple and straightforward despite the twists and turns that Bujold loves to serve up. Pick-up and leave turns into smash-and-grab turns into ransom-and-escape, and it’s fun watching plans fall apart, backup plans fall apart, etc. Miles is one of those protagonists always poised on the brink of being a Mary Sue, given how everything seems to go his way, but there’s always those little setbacks—usually as a result of his own hubris—that keep the game interesting. That is, we know Miles will emerge victorious eventually, but he’s probably going to be in mortal peril quite a few times before it’s all over.
Another fun, brief journey back into the Vorkosigan universe.
Labyrinth shows why Miles is the hero of this series. He’s capable of seeing the potential in others, and of questioning his prejudices and pre-conceptions, in a way that some others aren’t—particularly those more traditional nobles on Barrayar. When Miles meets Taura, he’s taken aback by the revelation that there is more intelligence to her than meets the eye. He was set up to expect a ravening beast of a soldier and instead meets a sensitive young woman. It’s these kinds of twists that make Bujold a force to be reckoned with in this genre. She uses science fiction so effectively to help us explore the liminal spaces of humanity, whether it’s one’s genital configuration and gender identity; one’s limbs, bone structure, etc.; or one’s overall genetic profile and destiny as a short-lived soldier science experiment. There’s very little, beyond the obvious technology, to this story that would be out of place in a contemporary thriller.
The plot is simple and straightforward despite the twists and turns that Bujold loves to serve up. Pick-up and leave turns into smash-and-grab turns into ransom-and-escape, and it’s fun watching plans fall apart, backup plans fall apart, etc. Miles is one of those protagonists always poised on the brink of being a Mary Sue, given how everything seems to go his way, but there’s always those little setbacks—usually as a result of his own hubris—that keep the game interesting. That is, we know Miles will emerge victorious eventually, but he’s probably going to be in mortal peril quite a few times before it’s all over.
Another fun, brief journey back into the Vorkosigan universe.
May 6, 2012
This is a novella in the Vorkosigan Saga set between the events in Cetaganda and "The Borders of Infinity." Most of the Vorkosigan stories I've read thus far deal to a great extent on just what it means to be human, to be normal, and to be different. Miles himself is a test of those questions given he was born with physical deformities into a society that prized physical perfection. He's often touchy and bitter about those handicaps as a result. So it was interesting here to see him find a mirror and foil in Taura, an physically strong but emotionally vulnerable girl designed to be a warrior who wishes she was "normal." So when Miles tells her not to try to be normal, but the best she can be, I felt he was certainly speaking as much about and to himself as he was to her. Taura is definitely a character I hope we see again.
January 13, 2025
Miles as Admiral Naismith is hired to bring back a genetic scientist from Jackson's Whole. He of course, finds that the pick up is not that simple and he must break into a mob boss's heavily guarded compound to kill a monster. The monster is not what he expected, and the scientist... .
I'm not sure what to think of Mile's interactions with the 'monster'. I guess it didn't bother me, but I'm not sure why it didn't bother me...
I'm not sure what to think of Mile's interactions with the 'monster'. I guess it didn't bother me, but I'm not sure why it didn't bother me...
July 16, 2018
I really liked this story! It gave us finally some closer look on Jackson’s Whole, which from the first time it was mentioned in more detail than bare existing (The Vor Game, I think?) sounded like the scariest place in the universe. My opinion was confirmed.
Also, there was more of Bel Thorne, which I welcomed with joy, I have a tiny special corner of my heart for it – and this “it” makes me cringe slightly every time I read it. This is briefly discussed in the books and it’s a form of addressing Bel approved and wants, yet still using this pronoun sounds somehow objectifying. But maybe I shouldn’t concentrate on it – after all people choose what they want to be called, and I’m aware my feelings are not really important here – but I just felt it got somehow “outdated.”
Miles is himself here and for me it’s positive, as I like this little shit and am able to forgive him a lot, even if he irritates the hell out of me. I really love how Bujold leads this character and although it’s written in deep POV, she never leaves the reader with impression that she excuses all his actions, quite the contrary.
The very theme of the labyrinth was… slightly crude I would say, but still managed with a dose of humour so remained entertaining for me.
Also, there was more of Bel Thorne, which I welcomed with joy, I have a tiny special corner of my heart for it – and this “it” makes me cringe slightly every time I read it. This is briefly discussed in the books and it’s a form of addressing Bel approved and wants, yet still using this pronoun sounds somehow objectifying. But maybe I shouldn’t concentrate on it – after all people choose what they want to be called, and I’m aware my feelings are not really important here – but I just felt it got somehow “outdated.”
Miles is himself here and for me it’s positive, as I like this little shit and am able to forgive him a lot, even if he irritates the hell out of me. I really love how Bujold leads this character and although it’s written in deep POV, she never leaves the reader with impression that she excuses all his actions, quite the contrary.
The very theme of the labyrinth was… slightly crude I would say, but still managed with a dose of humour so remained entertaining for me.
October 24, 2020
This is an excellent novella and it's so tight. We see a slightly different side of Miles here and it's neat. As well as the usual action-packed, fun plot filled with wall-to-wall Miles being brilliant, there's an interesting examination of ethics and identity and sex and what it means to be human. As is usual in this series, the question of what it means to be different plays a big role, and I love how these books celebrate difference and diversity while at the same time giving us a cracking good sci-fi time. It was nice to visit with Bel Thorne again, my favourite badass Betan hermaphrodite (Bel self-identifies as a a hermaphrodite). On the surface this is an exciting and fun adventure story where the good guys win and everybody gets it on at the end (though that's kind of significant all on its own, given the characters in this story and when this was written), but Bujold always manages to seamlessly bring in those bigger, deeper issues of humanity in amongst the fun action, and I love it. There's so much going on in these books underneath and they're so well done.
April 26, 2017
Another lovely installment! I'm probably around a 3.5 but I'll round up! I liked this one in the end much more than I thought I would have when I started it or even halfway through. I can't get over how human and substantial these stories feel when they are often about such bizarrely outrageous things. I guess that's sci-fi for you (...well, GOOD sci-fi, I should say). I still don't get into all the strange and unusual genetic experiments gone wrong plots, but I guess in a way I do, because I come to adore some of the characters that come about through them. While at first I was unsure how I felt about Taura , by the end I actually quite liked her! A fun, quick read. I'm liking these little novellas in the series!
December 12, 2011
"Miles Learns to Roll With It." Seriously, my first reaction upon reading this story was "OMG I AM SO PROUD OF BUJOLD FOR GOING THERE." As these fundamental questions about what constitutes humanity crop up in, apparently, every Vorkosigan story, I am so pleased that Bujold used her protagonist to do some practical acceptance of these shifting external understandings of beauty, humanity, attractiveness, and companionship.
Also, Miles has had his head somewhat stuck up his ass about suitable sexual and companionable partners--not unusual, of course, but exasperating all the same--and the moment where he just decides to accept himself and the people he wants, and accepts Taura in turn, was just exhilarating. It's that moment that can be a fundamental part of adulthood, when you stop fighting against what you or other people think you should be and instead embrace the freedom of making your own choices about your own life.
This story rocked. Arguably my favorite thus far.
Also, Miles has had his head somewhat stuck up his ass about suitable sexual and companionable partners--not unusual, of course, but exasperating all the same--and the moment where he just decides to accept himself and the people he wants, and accepts Taura in turn, was just exhilarating. It's that moment that can be a fundamental part of adulthood, when you stop fighting against what you or other people think you should be and instead embrace the freedom of making your own choices about your own life.
This story rocked. Arguably my favorite thus far.
July 22, 2014
It was fun visiting Jackson's Hole, but it was even more fun to see Miles get a little monster side action. It was very cute.
It was also very good to see a quaddie after so much time, although her part was very small, more of a plot device than anything else.
Short novella, but a quick and tight adventure.
It was also very good to see a quaddie after so much time, although her part was very small, more of a plot device than anything else.
Short novella, but a quick and tight adventure.
February 10, 2015
"My mother always said anything worth doing is worth doing well."
THAT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE APPLIED TO SEX, MILES YOU DWEEB.
then again, knowing his mother, maybe it was. BUT STILL.
Five stars.
THAT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE APPLIED TO SEX, MILES YOU DWEEB.
then again, knowing his mother, maybe it was. BUT STILL.
Five stars.
June 9, 2015
Miles goes to Jackson's Whole, where he is UTTERLY unprepared for everything, and we are reminded that yes, sixteen is the worst age.
Good GOD sixteen is terrible.
I giggled a lot. Hehehehehehehehehe.
Good GOD sixteen is terrible.
I giggled a lot. Hehehehehehehehehe.
September 20, 2022
A short, fun adventure on Jackson's Whole in the Vorkosigan universe. Ties many of the books together with the concepts and cultures introduced
December 21, 2020
Three and a half stars rounded up to four. The sex in this makes me a little uncomfortable. It isn’t because Taura is an eight foot tall super soldier. It’s because she is so damned young and vulnerable. Although Miles isn’t a lot older than she is (23 I believe) she is only sixteen. And so terribly alone. And while Taura has always been one of my favourite characters I have always felt that while Miles does care for her, he never loves her enough. She always deserved better. All of that being said, there is still a lot to like in this rousing little adventure tale. What Miles does to Ryoval’s lab is wonderful, and made me chuckle a bit. As an aside, eventually Taura does get her Prince Charming in Winterfair Gifts, and that makes me happy. Sad also because she doesn’t get to keep him for very long.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2018
The novella Labyrinth completes the third collected volume of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series (Miles, Mystery and Mayhem). In it, Miles and some of the Dendarii Mercenaries are visiting Jackson's Whole, a kind of cyberpunk capitalist hellhole where the only government is the large corporations who run the planet and sell anything and everything to visitors who are able to pay the right price. The Dendarii are ostensibly there to buy weapons, but really there to rendezvous with a geneticist who wants to defect to Barrayar. Miles's life being what it is, things don't quite go according to plan and Miles ends up becoming a latter-day Theseus escaping from an underground basement with a prototype supersoldier who is also a sixteen-year-old girl.
Labyrinth might be short, but it was a fun read. The question of disability rights and is never far away from any story featuring Miles Vorkosigan, and here it's very much in the foreground; as well as Miles, the novella includes a character who is a "Quaddie" (humans who have been genetically engineered to have two sets of arms, rather than arms and legs, to be more efficient in zero-gravity) and Taura, the supersoldier prototype. (Bel Thorne, the hermaphrodite captain of one of the Dendarii ships, also features more prominently than in previous books. I have to admit that I find Bujold's use of the pronoun "it" to describe Thorne quite difficult to take, but I suppose the novella was published in 1989 and the general understanding of gender and pronouns has moved on a long way in nearly 30 years.) I really liked the novella's message of acceptance, both acceptance of other people's differences and self-acceptance; today, I needed to hear Miles telling Taura not to waste her life trying to be normal when she could be spending it striving for greatness.
Labyrinth might be short, but it was a fun read. The question of disability rights and is never far away from any story featuring Miles Vorkosigan, and here it's very much in the foreground; as well as Miles, the novella includes a character who is a "Quaddie" (humans who have been genetically engineered to have two sets of arms, rather than arms and legs, to be more efficient in zero-gravity) and Taura, the supersoldier prototype. (Bel Thorne, the hermaphrodite captain of one of the Dendarii ships, also features more prominently than in previous books. I have to admit that I find Bujold's use of the pronoun "it" to describe Thorne quite difficult to take, but I suppose the novella was published in 1989 and the general understanding of gender and pronouns has moved on a long way in nearly 30 years.) I really liked the novella's message of acceptance, both acceptance of other people's differences and self-acceptance; today, I needed to hear Miles telling Taura not to waste her life trying to be normal when she could be spending it striving for greatness.
August 1, 2016
+second read+
same :)
it is hard to create lovable characters, world building and good plot in a small novella, though in this case, this particular novella comes as an episode in the life of Miles, therefore one can't judge this novella as a separate entity, but as a part of a whole..
since I'm used to Bujold sprinkling some gems throughout her books which makes reading them a wonderful experience, I was waiting for the gem in this book and it came a bit late but when it did, it made reading this book worth the read and more, I can't believe how she manages to give pep talk and inspiration without sounding preachy or cheesy here is a quote "Don't wish to be normal. Wish to be yourself. To the hilt. Find out what you're best at, and develop it, and hopscotch your weaknesses. Wish to be great at whatever you are." I just love her style and love her avatar "Miles"
same :)
it is hard to create lovable characters, world building and good plot in a small novella, though in this case, this particular novella comes as an episode in the life of Miles, therefore one can't judge this novella as a separate entity, but as a part of a whole..
since I'm used to Bujold sprinkling some gems throughout her books which makes reading them a wonderful experience, I was waiting for the gem in this book and it came a bit late but when it did, it made reading this book worth the read and more, I can't believe how she manages to give pep talk and inspiration without sounding preachy or cheesy here is a quote "Don't wish to be normal. Wish to be yourself. To the hilt. Find out what you're best at, and develop it, and hopscotch your weaknesses. Wish to be great at whatever you are." I just love her style and love her avatar "Miles"
June 10, 2013
The Borders of Infinity has a different structure than the earlier VORKOSIGAN books. It’s actually three previously published novellas with a frame story. Simon Illyan, head of Imperial Security, is visiting Miles while he’s recuperating in the hospital after a surgery for bone replacements. Knowing that the government will start asking questions, Simon needs Miles to justify three large vague items in his expense reports. When Miles protests, Simon explains that because he’s the prime minister’s son, Miles must avoid even the appearance of shady accounting practices. And so Miles explains each item and thus we get the stories in the novellas “The Mountains of Morning,” originally published in Analog in May 1989, “Labyrinth,” (Analog, August 1989) and “The ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
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