Chris Phoenix
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
A PG-rated version of Sharing Knife would be readable by any kid who could handle (for example) Wings of Fire. I'm reading large excerpts to my kid already (and Knife Children unedited). She especially likes the malice-kill scenes. Would you consider producing such a thing? I'd buy it, and I suspect I'm far from the only parent who would.
Lois McMaster Bujold
I can't imagine bowdlerizing my own work. I'm also not sure what it is you'd want left out -- sexual situations, I assume, but since the tale starts with an unplanned pregnancy and miscarriage, and since Fawn's (and Dag's) recovery and healing with each other very much includes sexual and emotional elements that take place in the few intimate scenes, that would sort of rip the center out of key themes.
You don't say how old your kid is. The books were never written for a grade-school audience -- high school and up, if anyone'd ever asked me. Mastering, or at least getting an initial grip on, adult sexuality is part of the work of adolescence, as is (initial) identity formation, so those parts of Fawn's journey are very pertinent to that age group. (I remember, doesn't anyone else...?)
Anyway, good for you as a parent reading to your kid, and taking your own responsibility for filtering.
Ta, L.
I can't imagine bowdlerizing my own work. I'm also not sure what it is you'd want left out -- sexual situations, I assume, but since the tale starts with an unplanned pregnancy and miscarriage, and since Fawn's (and Dag's) recovery and healing with each other very much includes sexual and emotional elements that take place in the few intimate scenes, that would sort of rip the center out of key themes.
You don't say how old your kid is. The books were never written for a grade-school audience -- high school and up, if anyone'd ever asked me. Mastering, or at least getting an initial grip on, adult sexuality is part of the work of adolescence, as is (initial) identity formation, so those parts of Fawn's journey are very pertinent to that age group. (I remember, doesn't anyone else...?)
Anyway, good for you as a parent reading to your kid, and taking your own responsibility for filtering.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Sarah
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
1st, my compliments. Your world building is ever & always the richest most delicious. You are on my personal short list of creative influences. 2nd, is there a connection between the World of the 5 Gods and the world of the Sharing Knife tales? I ❤ the idea that they are on the same planet & have the same pantheon but on different continents at different times: Not-Europe v Not-N.America & Not900s v Not1800
greenlady
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
I just learned about Sir Ewan Forbes, a trans nobleman born in 1912 who successfully sued to inherit his baronetcy in 1965 over the objections of his cousin. I immediately thought of Dono, of course. Did you know about his case when you wrote Civil Campaign, or is it an interesting coincidence?
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