Liaden fans, help me out

[tilia]

Originally Posted by bfisher

Look at the spoiler in the quote at the top of the page (bizzybody's order), which indicates where the short stories fit in

There is a chapbook listing here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liaden_universe

Thanks. I want to read more or less in publication order though. Librarything have lists of both. Publication order Chronological order

The thing is, there has to be a reason why I planned to read Crystal Soldier & Crystal Dragon before Balance of Trade. Since I can't remember why I made this decision, I thought I'd check if anyone else had a good reason

As for the chap books, I don't feel like reading short stories right now. I was just wondering if I would miss anything important by not reading the chap books in Unibus II before starting Balance of Trade/The Crystal Variation. If so, I'll hold of starting the novels until I've read the short stories.

Publication order of these are

Spoiler:

Chap 7 - Loose Cannon

Scout's Progress read
I Dare read

Chap 8 - Shadows and Shades
Chap 9 - Quiet Knives

Balance of Trade

Chap 10 With Stars Underfoot

Crystal Soldier

Chap 11 - Necessary Evils

Crystal Dragon

[CRussel]

The two Crystal books can be read at any point, they are completely stand alone. Balance of Trade was stand alone, but now has a direct sequel, Trade Secrets. Since all four of the books are chronologically well before the main storyline, you can treat them completely independently. But I do think that once you circle back to pick up the early books, reading the two Crystal books before the two Trade books makes sense. OTOH, I don't recommend reading the Crystal books as your first Liaden books, even though they are chronologically first. The two Trade books, however, could be a good entry point.

[Xanthe]

The Crystal books provide better background on "Uncle" who later appears in Balance of Trade, so I would recommend the Crystal books before the Trade sequence.

I think that I enjoyed the Crystal books more after having read the whole Agent of Change story arc, because they fleshed out backstories and events name-dropped in the later arc, but which weren't needed at the time to understand those novels.

[CRussel]

Good point on Uncle. Though I would still argue that the Trade books could well be completely read standalone. Especially since Balance of Trade was really written as a completely stand alone book. Trade Secrets came much later, in answer to many reader requests.

[Xanthe]

I actually read Balance of Trade before the Crystal books, so when I read them I was saying to myself, "....hey, wait a minute, isn't that the guy who was in Balance of Trade?...". And then I had to go and re-read Balance of Trade to tie all the pieces together.

[tilia]

Thanks for the help. I decided to read the Crystal Variation before Balance of Trade. I've been away for a few days, and didn't get a lot of reading done, but I started Crystal Soldier and so far I'm enjoying myself

It's two years since I finished the Department of Interior arc, and I know I've forgotten a lot of what was written about Jela, Cantra and the Tree. Hopefully most of it comes back to me as I get back into the liaden universe.

[CRussel]

I'm working my way through a re-read, and realizing how very difficult it is to simply read in chronological order. Especially with the Theo Watley arc being right in the midst of the mainline, chronologically. So I temporized - I read through to Plan B, but then dropped back to Fledgling and probably Saltation before returning to I Dare.

[bfisher]

Interesting. I'm reading Carpe Diem now. I would probably have read Plan B and I Dare after that. I'm rethinking that now.

[bizzybody]

If you really want to read in chronological order, dissect the overlapping books by chapter and jump back and forth.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bizzybody

If you really want to read in chronological order, dissect the overlapping books by chapter and jump back and forth.

Is there a list of the books and shorts in chronological order including the chapters order to read in the overlapping books and/or shorts?

Thanks.

[CRussel]

There have been such lists posted, JSWolf, but I really don't think that's a good way to read the stories. I wouldn't even suggest doing what I'm doing, switching story arcs in the middle, for a first time read.

[bizzybody]

There are some timelines plotted out, but AFAIK nobody has combed through them to hash out exactly what overlaps what and when.

"The Space at Tinsori Light" is hard to pin down. http://pdprojects.info/liadread/tag/tinsori-light/ Obviously well after the founding of Clan Korval but when?

It's hard when reading through books the first time to put them down and make notes about what you read in a previously read book about what's happening concurrently or interleaved.

It would be interesting to see the results of someone taking the time to plot out the Liaden overlaps by chapter and short story.

http://liaden-readers.livejournal.com/23844.html

http://www.librarything.com/series/L...ogical%20Order

[Xanthe]

How could it be done without getting lost in the storyline again?

I know I wouldn't be able to do it.

[CRussel]

Off Topic: The eARC for the final book in Sharon Lee's Maine Urban Fantasy trilogy, Carousel Seas, is up on the Baen eBook site. (The full, released version is due in the January Baen Bundle, but for those who can't wait, or want to pump a bit extra into the author's pocket...)

[ApK]

I just started listening to "Fledgling," the first book in this series I've tried, because it was free on Audible a while back.

I'm up to the flashback of when Theo's parents meet, and I can't say it's grabbing me so far. It's reading like "chick lit" that just happens to be set on another planet.

Should I keep at for a while longer? Did I pick a bad book to start with? Or is it likely just not my cup of tea?

How would you describe the series over all in brief? Give me the 60 second elevator pitch.

ApK