Dreamweaver's Dilemma

Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #9.1

by Lois McMaster Bujold

Contains “Dreamweaver’s Dilemma”, a previously unpublished novelette set early the author’s Vorkosigan universe; the Hugo Award-winning “The Mountains of Mourning”; a never-before published Sherlock Holmes pastiche; an interview with Lois McMaster Bujold; and Suford Lewis’s Vorkosigan genealogy. With cover art by Bob Eggleton.

Contents:
Through darkest adolescence with Lois McMaster Bujold : or Thank you, but I already have a life / Lillian Stewart Carl —
The adventure of the lady on the embankment —
Barter —
Garage sale —
The hole truth —
Dreamweaver’s dilemma —
The mountains of mourning —
My first novel —
Beyond genre barriers —
The unsung collaborator —
Allegories of change —
Biolog —
Answers —
Miles Naismith Vorkosigan : his universe and times / Suford Lewis —
Towards a genealogy of Lord Miles Vorkosigan and other persons of interest / Suford Lewis —
A pronunciation guide to names and places / Suford Lewis

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Space Opera, Science Fiction Fantasy, Anthologies

252 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1996

About the author

Lois 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/

Reviews

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remembered why I never reread this story when I reread the Vorkosigan's Saga. It's too short and too boring. Just blah.

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of Lois McMaster Bujold short fiction and essays, with some supporting works by the editor. Of most interest are the title story and The Mountains of Mourning, which are both set in the Vorkosiverse. Pretty good stuff, but I am just having problems focusing these days, and it actual reading was a long, slow process.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful surprise. After re-re-re-reading the entire Vorkosigan Saga (my reaction to Cryoburn) I decided to try and get my hands on this, mostly out of curiosity and a touch of O/C. I suppose in my ignorance I was expecting a collection of juvenilia. These are delightful stories from a masterful story-teller.

The Sherlock Holmes piece has a cute little surprise buried in the middle of it. One that, despite numerous hints, I was completely blind-sided by. I loved: "He had the air of a man who had been promised a treat for breakfast and then presented with a plate of snails; he vaguely saw that he was expected to be grateful, but could not understand why." Or this: "It seemed to me that she lacked that sweet spirituality which is the ultimate hallmark of a woman of refinement." Why is it that when Conan Doyle's Watson says something similar it is completely infuriating, yet when Bujold's Watson says it, it is delightfully funny? It did seem to have a rather abrupt ending for Bujold, not quite her style. I was quite pleased with my insight when later on in the interview piece she explains why.

"Barter" is the ultimate wish-fulfillment for every mother of small children that has ever been. I loved these lines: "Mary Alice loathed coupons. They made her feel like a rat in a paper maze, jerked through a lot of meaningless motions, cut and save, fold and paste, push the lever and ring the bell, for a reward of a few pennies. But they were like money, and you couldn't throw money away."

"Dreamweaver's Dilemma" was lots of fun as the pre-prequel to the Vorkosigan universe. I saw shades of both Aral and Miles in Chalmys and his approach to problem-solving.

A thoroughly fun read!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. It is mostly early works as far as the stories, and comments on series up to about '95 or so. The essays are good, and I'm just going to include a quote because I want to remember it, and I don't own this book.

"So in the end, I have not a conclusion, but a plea to all readers.
"Be open. All genres have something to offer you on some level. Do not let a marketing convenience constrain what you can choose to learn and know. True genius does not distain simplicity, nor does it mistake mere obscurity for profundity. If you read at all, you are already playing a wonderfully strange game with your brain, and you may be assured you are nowhere near the limits of your possibilities.
"And do try some science fiction. You won't like all of it--heavens, I don't like all of it--but in the cornucopia of books pouring yearly from the publishers it is impossible that you will find nothing to give you joy. Which is, in the end, why we read fiction."

And the chapter entitled "Unsung Collaborator" is about what the reader brings to a book, and how their prior experiences and willing imaginations are what truly bring a story to life. Go forth: READ!

[Marijan Šiško · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zbirka eseja i priča, koje nemaju sve veze s Vorkosigan univerzumom, ali su zanimljive u Bujoldočinom tipičnom stilu.

[Hillary]

I had no idea Shards of Honor started as a Star Trek novel.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been meaning to read some Bujold for a while now, specifically the "Vorkosigan Saga", after having seen it mentioned fondly multiple times on https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph... as being early examples of the more interesting tropes. How had I not heard of this? There's a lot of books in it, which is daunting... and slightly cheesy covers on sci-fi make me a little wary.

Then there's different opinions on the optimal order in which to read the series, some list "Dreamweaver's Dilemma" as first, other lists don't include it at all. This book is actually a collection of stories, containing the titular story, which is all I've read so far, but will come back to the others at the appropriate points in the series.

I can see why some lists don't include it, as this one has the thinnest of connections: it's set many years prior, and contains only a paragraph or two mentioning two solar systems connected by a wormhole which form the start of the network in the larger series, and a character who possibly is later on remembered as a cultural oddity in the past.

Anyway, for my first exposure, I really enjoyed her writing and the story. Starts off with some clever commentary on writing as a career, then progresses to a typical noir plot with light sci-fi touches. Nothing super original, just done well and entertaining. The protagonist is a little reminiscent of Phryne Fisher or similar '20s socialite. The only detractor I can think of, albeit minor, is that she seems to have a lack of funds, and needs the assistance of a somewhat wealthy male character.

Excited to continue into the rest of the series for reals now.

[Сибин Майналовски · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every book from Vor universe is a masterpiece

[Elchamaco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un relatillo corto 600 años antes de los libros de vorkosigan. Justo acabo de leer el de The Flowers of Vashnoi y en comparación le daría 5 estrellas a este. Tiene bastante más chicha la verdad. Por completismo pero solo aparece mencionada beta de pasada y poco más en relación a la saga. Por lo demás el relato entretenido y se lee en un asalto.

[Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book contains three of your standard "what if this weird thing were to happen in the real world?" stories, a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, two science fiction stories (both set in the Vorkosigan Saga universe), and a collection of essays.

The Adventure of the Lady on the Embankment: Advertised as a "never-before-published Sherlock Holmes pastiche," this story was quite a shock for me. I had picked up this book after multiple people recommended the Vorkosigan Saga, and I had read that Dreamweaver's Dilemma comes first chronologically. I had no idea that this was going to be short stories, and I was even more surprised when I started the first story to find Sherlock Holmes!

As I read, I kept expecting aliens to land, or the titular lady to be revealed as a time traveller. Something. But no, this plays it straight as a Sherlock story. And despite my confusion, I really enjoyed it. I grew up with Sherlock Holmes, and it was nice to revisit that world.

Barter: This is about when I realised what I was really in for with the book. Finally, here was some science fiction - albeit of more the "weird tales" variety. The story itself isn't too memorable, except for the very amusing unrestrained self-indulgence. As a mother with writerly aspirations, it's hard not to sympathise with the main character - nor with the author who dreamed her up.

Garage Sale: Another cutely self-indulgent piece. I don't think this story would have worked without context (in this case provided by it following Barter). It lacks Barter's obvious genre markers, so the story twists very suddenly into absurdism. As it is, I found it entertaining (albeit a little horrific at times).

The Hole Truth: Many of these stories share an amusing sense of humour. In this case, we get this lovely pun to kick off a fairly run-of-the-mill "reap what you sow" story.

Dreamweaver's Dilemma: This is where the book really picks up. It was clear from the Sherlock story that Bujold has an interest in mysteries, and this reads like a hard boiled noir. While the three "weird tales" stories were mostly about situations, Dreamweaver is about people. The characters are vivid, the plot is compelling, and the future-tech is a well-integrated part of the story.

The Mountains of Mourning: This story really hit me. It was thick with details, and all the details interconnected meaningfully. The characters are vivid and complicated, and the moral problem at the centre of the story is a truly difficult one. And maybe it's just the PMS talking, but I found the ending absolutely heartbreaking, albeit satisfying.

Though I've read that Dreamweaver and Mountains take place in the same universe, I'm not sure how that will play out. There are similarities - largely in contrast with the other stories in the book - but they are few and rather superficial. I suppose this is a "backwoods vs developed centre" issue, and all will make sense as I explore the saga a little more.

The essays at the end of the book are all interesting and worth reading, and I appreciated the Vorkosigan trivia appendices.

I had some trouble ordering this book within Canada (though listed on Amazon, I was getting emails every few months to inform me that they couldn't find the copy they thought they had until, eventually, they simply told me to go look elsewhere), so I took a gamble on the strength of recommendations I've received for this author and special ordered it from the US. I spent a fair bit more than I usually do for books, but I don't feel cheated in the least. Mountains, alone, would have made the whole book worthwhile, but I enjoyed my time with each and every one of the stories.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable, eccentric litle book, a peek inside the brain of one of my favorite authors. It starts with an essay from one of Bujold's best friends that talks about their start together as teenagers with Classic Trek fandom and fanfic, then moves to a section of short fiction: Bujold's first story, a Sherlock Holmes pastiche (sadly, the last few pages were lost); her first short story sale, which looks to be a classic example of "write what you know;" the title story, set in the Vorkosigan universe and I think one that predates any of her novels; and "Mountains of Mourning," an award-winning story about Miles. Then there's a collection of some of her articles about writing, an interview by the book's editor, and some Vorkosigan universe fun stuff.

I don't know if non-Bujold fans would like this book, but I adored getting to see her style develop over the years, and hearing her own take on her writing. Definitely a keeper for me.

[PAR · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars! Only read the short story Dreamweaver’s Dilemma. I may read the others eventually. It was the last thing I had to read from the Vorkosigan Saga. Although it’s not really part of it at all. Takes place 500 years before and completely unrelated. But it was a great little story. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Read: 8/7/24-8/8/24

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories and essays, some of which I'd read before. The stories include a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, Barter, Garage Sale, The Hole Truth, Dreamweaver's Dilemma, and The Mountains of Mourning. The rest is a memoir by Bujold's high-school friend, a Bujold interview with the editor, a timeline for Miles, which is like the timeline included in the back of most of the books, a bibliography, a list of awards, a genealogy, and a pronunciation guide. Things like the timeline and bibliography are incomplete, since the book I read was published in 1995 - the timeline only goes up to Memory. Some of the contents are also included in The Vorkosigan Companion, which I am reading, e.g. the timeline and pronunciation guide, presumably updated. I had read The Mountains of Mourning before, as it was included with one of the early books that I have. The other short stories were a delight to discover. Her short bio and the interview are fascinating - she describes how she began to write (her sense of humor comes through here!), and the methods that she uses and how they changed over time. She also describes some of her 'philosophy', for lack of a better word, of what she wants to put across in her books. She is SUCH an excellent writer! This has made me want to go to my shelves and reread some of the earlier books that I haven't reread in some time - my collection covers from the late 1980s to the present. Highly recommended for Vorkosigan/Bujold lovers.

[Diana Sandberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a treat. This book encompasses a fascinating biographical essay from Bujold's childhood friend and writing companion, Lillian Stewart Carl, several of Bujold's early short stories, and some essays from Bujold herself, entertaining and enlightening.

I very much enjoyed her Holmes pastiche. There was no sensation of reading an "early" work, it flowed nicely. I also very much enjoyed her Bradbury-style stories - atmospheric and highly amusing. And of course the novella, Mountains of Mourning, is a fine contribution to the Vorkosigan oeuvre.

I always like to read or hear authors discussing their roots, interests and approaches to writing. I love the diversity - some must do intricate plotting in advance, some "just write"; some write X words/pages daily, others can't deal with that. Bujold's discussions of her own process are charming and insightful; the fact that this book was published in 1995 lends a sweet awareness that *we* know her career has continued and flourished all these years along.

Very satisfying.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of Bujold's early work, for the most part. The Dreamweaver's Dilemma was pretty interesting, though it lacked the punch of her later writing. As someone from Ohio, I liked imagining Cleveland as a desolate radioactive swamp. I thought the Holmes story was fun and told in a style that stayed true to Doyle. The essays ranged from fabulous to dull.

And then there was Mountains of Mourning. Read this. Seriously. It has more impact if you've read Barrayar (and probably Shards of Honor for good measure), I think, but this novella is fantastic. It is a punch in the gut, and it is beautiful. It is also incredibly heartbreaking. It is about what happens when a culture is forced to undergo uncomfortable changes quickly, and even though it was written over 2 decades ago it still feels incredibly relevant. I haven't read a lot of Bujold, yet, but I expect this is her writing at its best. You don't need to find this collection to get it; it's been released a few other ways.

[John Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s getting four stars but a mixed review from me. There seemed to be too much repetitiveness in the non-fiction second half of the book; but I guess that’s really inescapable in a collection of essays and interviews that weren’t written to be read at one time. The article “Towards a genealogy of Lord Miles [etc.]” was completely confusing, all the more so as the words and the diagram seemed so rarely to be in sync. “The adventure of the lady on the embankment” was an excellent pastiche (with a wonderful Easter egg when ‘Miss Smith’s’ true name is finally discovered) but the ending seemed confused and abrupt. But in general the fiction is excellent; the essay “The unsung collaborator” should be made required reading for any author who wishes to publish fiction; and I could read “The mountains of mourning” a dozen more times without growing tired of it.

[Kevin Postlewaite · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up to read the short story "Dreamweaver's Dilemma" for completeness. The story is fine but was not worth picking up for that purpose: it may as well as not have been part of the Vorkosigan Saga, the only aspect that makes it part of the series is a couple references of no import to Beta colony.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just read a short story with Cordelia Naismith and Sherlock Holmes. I have read *everything* else by Lois McMaster Bujold, been looking forward to this for *years.* Having finished it, I'd say it's only for readers who have read *all* of LMB's fiction.

[Joel Sassone]

Some short stories of various quality levels from early in the author's career. Actually, the rather short essays about writing are probably the most interesting part of this collection. Recommended for Bujold or Miles fans. 3/5 stars.

[Bona Caballero · Rating 3 out of 5]

El relato que da nombre a este libro, «Dreamweaver’s dilema», es, por cronología interna, la primera de la Saga Vorkosigan, ya que tiene lugar unos cuantos siglos antes del nacimiento de Miles Vorkosigan. Pero no es aconsejable empezar por aquí. Es más un libro con cuentos y ensayos para disfrute de fans que ya conozcan la obra de Bujold.

«El dilema de la tejedora de sueños». Anias Rury es una «tejedora de sueños», artista que recrea historias en realidad virtual, y se venden como si fueran libros o series de televisión, para que vivas esas historias en primera persona. Le hacen un encargo de crear algo que más que un sueño es una pesadilla. Y eso la preocupa, le da que pensar, y acaba pasando por más de un peligro. Le echará una mano su amigo Chalmys, piloto galáctico algo misántropo.

De los otros relatos, destacaría uno de fan ficción de Sherlock Holmes: «The Adventure of the Lady on the Embankment», muy entretenido y misterioso. Bujold dice que, después de la ciencia ficción, su género favorito es la novela de misterio tipo inglés, no el hard-boiled. Y se nota en lo bien que lo hace; al menos a mí, las novelas que más me gustan de la saga Vorkosigan son las que mete suspense.

Otro de los cuentos es «The mountains of mourning», que comentaré otro día.

Luego hay toda una serie de artículos, en los que Bujold habla de su historia como escritora, de cómo enfoca sus libros, de cómo ve la relación escritor-libro-lector, y temas parecidos. Yo creo que es de interés no sólo para el seguidor específico de la saga, sino para cualquier escritor, porque señala aspectos digamos más técnicos de los que cualquier puede aprender.

Es un libro recomendable para fans de la saga y para escritores de ficción comercial que quieran aprender un poco más del oficio.

En mi blog hablo con más detalle de este libro.

Nota: alguna novela de la saga es romántica con final feliz, pero no es lo normal. Si hablo de esta saga aquí, como hice en mi blog, es porque la descubrí gracias a los blogs de Romancelandia.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

¿Que dices que este relato pertenece a la serie de Miles? …Vale, aceptamos pulpo como animal de compañía.

La novela “En caída libre” (donde aparecen los cuadrúmanos) que tb se encuadra en esta saga, en este universo argumental, tiene lugar muchos años antes de que aparezcan las historias del siguiente de la saga, siempre cronológicamente hablando. Pues este relato tiene lugar aún antes, mucho antes, de ese “En caída libre”.

De hecho tiene lugar en la Tierra, que si mal no recuerdo no se llega a mencionar en la saga de Miles. ¿Y por qué lo mete como parte de dicha saga? Pues supongo que porque se menciona de pasada la Colonia Beta y los agujeros de gusano, que estos sí son parte activa de la serie.

Y una vez aclarado esto para que nadie entre a leerlo y se encuentre con lo que no espera, paso al relato en sí.

Son 50 pags en la que una fabricante de sueños vívidos sufre peripecias y es bien asesorada por un fulano que tuvo alargamiento relativista de su vida por viajar a velocidades relativistas entre la Tierra y la Colonia Beta antes de la aparición de los agujeros de gusano.

Lo mejor los personajes, bastante bien perfilados en tan poca extensión. La trama bueno, bien, sin tirar cohetes (es que yo no soy de relatos, conste). Y si esperas ver a los viejos amigos de Miles & company, pues decepción xq no salen.

En resumen, que se lee agradablemente pero no vais a gozar. Las 4 estrellas, al igual que para “Las flores de Vashnoi”, son generosas, lo sé. ¿Qué si lo hubiese leído en castellano lo hubiese disfrutado más? Pues seguro, pero ha tocado en inglés xq no está traducido.

Y ahora me guardo el último de Bujold que me queda, “Gentleman Jole and the red queen” para más adelante que además la nota de Raquel me ha bajado las expectativas hasta el subsuelo.

[C.C. Yager · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised when I picked this book up at the library. I was expecting more of the Vorkosigan saga than was included, but my disappointment was mild. It is a collection of short early fiction, short essays on writing, and a wonderful long interview with Bujold.

I especially enjoyed "Dreamweaver's Dilemma" and the interview. The first followed a young woman who created dreams to order for people, and how one person had ordered a dream with very specific elements. As the Dreamweaver worked on it, she realized that the dream could be used to either drive someone insane or kill them. She embarks on a quest to find the person who had requested the dream to get her dream cartridge back and stop him. I loved the premise. Loved that the main character was female and so smart.

The long interview though was the most fun. I discovered that Bujold approaches her fiction writing much as I do, that we have similar interests, but she discovered science fiction as an obsession long before I did. I was an eclectic reader as a child. I read everything I could get my hands on, including sci fi. I was obsessed with horses (such magnificent animals and beautiful), too. And then I remembered that I wrote science fiction short stories when I was in sixth grade and my teacher read them aloud to the class. I think, if I remember, the first was the best. It's always interesting to learn about how a writer approaches her creative process, and what fuels stories -- we both start with characters and tend to focus on character-driven stories.

An enjoyable collection over all. The Vorkosigan saga novella, "The Mountains of Mourning," I'd read before, but enjoyed reading it again. Always happy to spend some time with Miles Vorkosigan. I'd recommend this book to Bujold fans, especially of her sci fi or the Vorkosigan saga.

[Igenlode Wordsmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting collection of oddments (including a Miles Vorkosigan mini-adventure and a fan analysis essay about his genealogy according to the details drooped in the novels to date) and Bujold's juvenilia (including an early Sherlock Holmes fanfic). Unsurprisingly the Miles story is probably the highlight, and definitely the selling-point - although unlike Shadows Over Baker Street the compiler has not chosen to put the award-winning material at the front to suck in the reader, but has stuck to strict chronological order - but the various nonfiction articles on Bujold's history as a writer are worth reading for those already followers of her work. Unfortunately, having been published in 1995, it only covers Miles's earlier adventures!

The paperback's A5 format is a giveaway for self-publication rather than being the product of an official press, but my copy is the 'Third Printing', so it must have sold reasonably well amongst the fans. Not unmissable, but an offbeat oddity that was given to me, like Ethan of Athos, as a rare import from America that wasn't available through the local libraries.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave it a high two stars, probably only because I expect more of her—if it had been anyone else, I'd have happily said "it's fine," given three, and moved on. Sorry Ms. Bujold, I know that's not fair. But then I realised I'd skipping re-reading The Mountains of Mourning (I'd read it separately recently) which I'd liked, so back up to three stars.

I'm not a huge fan of short stories that read like novels but only consist of a few pages ... I think short stories need everything to be shorter—the best short stories to me are the fairy tales: they're very economical, they rely on some shorthand and tropes, and they get the job done. But if you sink into novelistic description, you don't have time for very much to happen, and not very much did.

In the main story, a shady character requested a shady thing to be done, and it turned out it was shady just as it appeared, and then not very much happened, and it ended. That wasn't worth the excitement I had pre-reading it.

I enjoyed some of the essays, but not the cobbled-together interview portion, and I won't read appendices, I'm not at school.

(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)

[Stuart Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories covering Lois McMaster Bujold's early career. Includes some stories that would have fit in easily in any 1950's scifi magazine, plus a Sherlock Holmes story that is well written. Some harder scifi in the title story, "Dreamweaver's Dilemma", and a Miles Vorkosigan story following his first mission after receiving his commission.

There are some essays by Bujold concerning writing scifi plus a bit of autobiography. There is an interview where she discusses where she gets her ideas and her writing method. It's a good addition to the library of any Bujold fan.

[Mary23nm]

Order of reading per author:
Dreamweaver’s Dilemma, 1996 (short stories)
Falling Free (Vorkosigan Saga #1), 1987
Shards of Honor (Vorkosigan Saga #2), 1986
Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga #3), 1991
The Warrior’s Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga #4), 1986
The Mountains of Mourning, 1989 (short story included in Borders of Infinity)
Weatherman, 1990 (short story included in The Vor Game)
The Vor Game (Vorkosigan Saga #5), 1990
Cetaganda (Vorkosigan Saga #6), 1995
Ethan of Athos (Vorkosigan Saga #7), 1986

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely collection of early and little-known work from a favorite author. There was also a (slightly too) long biographical and background section. I enjoyed learning more about LMB as a person. But I came here for more Miles Vorkosigan and it turned out that all the stuff about him was available elsewhere. So, I enjoyed the short stories and other things, but it wasn't a Vorkosigan-heavy book.

[rixx · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Dreamweaver's Dilemma** is a short story by *Lois McMaster Bujold*, set vaguely in the same universe as her Vorkosigan series. It's nice enough, and shows again her mastery at painting realistic scenarios in unfamiliar worlds, complete with a story arc, but also everyday details. At the same time, it didn't particularly grip me, the pacing was a bit off, so it was just a nice afternoon read.

[Seth Kaplan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of several short stories written by LMB, some of which are set in the Vorkosiverse, and a series of essays about LMB’s background as a writer and thoughts on science fiction and her writing influences. Provides some really nice background into her thought process and Brussels the readers understanding of this series.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leído, en inglés, únicamente el relato corto Dreamweaver's Dilemma que da nombre al libro. No está mal y es una historia rápida con un ingeniero y una "plasmadora" de sueños, de vivencias.
Podría estar ambientada realmente en cualquier mundo tecnológico, aunque en este caso tenga referencias a los mundos de la saga Vorkosigan, a la que pertenece por ello.