Jonathan Palfrey
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
It's occurred to me that, when Penric stays anywhere for a while, there may be a significant decrease in the local population of bugs and vermin. I'm no ecologist, but I've heard about the dramatic and unexpected consequences of reintroducing wolves into the Yellowstone National Park; perhaps wiping out pests could have other unexpected ecological consequences. Is this an interesting thought?
Lois McMaster Bujold
It is, but Penric is only one dude. And sorcerers generally are rather thin on the ground. I don't think the kinds of flies and fleas and mosquitoes and ticks that bite people are in any more danger of magical eradication than whatever dent humans have made in their populations after centuries of trying in non-magical ways. (I.e., none.) Cockroaches ditto.
Though if anything, magical eradication might be better for the ecology because it could be far more selective.
There are also lots of plant and animal diseases and pests of interest, glancingly touched on in the most recent tale.
Ta, L.
It is, but Penric is only one dude. And sorcerers generally are rather thin on the ground. I don't think the kinds of flies and fleas and mosquitoes and ticks that bite people are in any more danger of magical eradication than whatever dent humans have made in their populations after centuries of trying in non-magical ways. (I.e., none.) Cockroaches ditto.
Though if anything, magical eradication might be better for the ecology because it could be far more selective.
There are also lots of plant and animal diseases and pests of interest, glancingly touched on in the most recent tale.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Lauren
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I run a book club on reddit where we read a different book of yours every month. This month we are reading your short stories collected in the anthologies Proto Zoa and Dreamweaver's Dilemma (DD). It's just been pointed out to me that there isn't an eBook version of the DD anthology, which means eBook readers have no way to read the story "The Adventure of the Lady on the Embankment". Can you help in any way?
Richard Derus
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
First, what I hope you'll receive as a compliment: For more than 30 years, ETHAN OF ATHOS has been my go-to comfort read. I've worn out seven copies. I still read it when I need to escape my rage and fear about the world we live in. Second, a question about the story: Was your single-sex world, with its loving, nurturing men all the way through to wild horndawgs, inspired or informed in any way by the Kinsey scale?
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