Liaden fans, help me out

[CRussel]

They make sense if they have at least one "must have", and at least two others that are on the "will definitely read" list. They typically include 3-4 backlist books and 3-4 new releases. You used to be able to buy them at any time but after the agreement with Amazon, you can only buy them until the release date of the new books in the bundle.

[Victoria]

That’s good to know - thank you

[JSWolf]

Given that getting an actual reading list is very difficult, does anyone have a list in date published that also includes any short stories?

[CRussel]

You wouldn't want that, Jon. Seriously. As we've pointed out before, the stories are not even mildly chronological in their publication order. However, if you want a list of stories in published order, try Wikipedia. For the publication order of the books, collections and chapbooks (and a link to the chronological order), see the Liaden Wiki. Or, if you want a complete(ish) timeline, which I think you would find quite unuseful, try the Timeline on the Wiki.

Beyond that? Start where you like. You could, for example, start with Balance of Trade, which is also the start of the Jethri sequence (now three books, and a fourth coming next year.) It's not dependent on anything else in the Liaden Universe, yet introduces important concepts and they're just really good stories.

Or, if you like a bit of Heyer-esque romance with your Space Opera, try Local Custom, which is actually a really good place to start because it gives you a good background on melanti and some of the intricacies of the Clan system and the overall social dynamics.

For a rip-roaring bit of space opera, start with the first book written and published, Agent of Change. This has the virtue of introducing key characters that will still be very much a part of things by the time you get to book #23, Trader's Leap.

For a bit of YA that becomes mainline later, start with Fledgling, the first of the Theo books.

Intersperse the stories as and when you have a want/need for something a bit shorter. Pretty much all the stories have been in various chapbooks, but they're also collected in the series of Liaden Constellation books which collect the shorter works in manageable chunks.

Really, Jon, we've been down this road before. The key to reading books or stories in the Liaden Universe is to just pick one up and READ IT. (FWIW, the first book sold (Agent of Change) and the first Theo book (Fledgling) are both available free from the Baen Free Library.)

[CRussel]

A new snippet showed up today...

Originally Posted by Sharon Lee

"That's me. Walking violation of just about every word and punctuation mark in the Free Gene and Manumitted Human Act. Also got a strong interest in not going back to the Institute, the Directors being a bit peeved with me."

"I understand," Jen Sin said seriously, turning his hands palm up on the table. "Mentor, surely you know that we will not surrender you to enemies. There is no need to remove yourself from the station, or from the assistance of your allies."

Tolly stared at him, and for an unusual couple of seconds couldn't think of one thing to say.

Oooh, I like this one!

[CRussel]

Snippet Alert:

Originally Posted by Sharon Lee

"The station master reflects the station," Seignur Veeoni said, surprisingly. "Or so my brother tells me. Is this station a place of refinement and peace, or a free-for-all?"

It was the shock of hearing such a question from Seignur Veeoni of all unlikely persons. He laughed – breathless and broken, but honest for all of it.

"We are naturally a place of peace and refinement," he said. "Korval accepts no less."

[JSWolf]

I've found this for a chronological order including the shorts.

All Liaden Stories by Internal Chronology (More or Less)

“Dragon Tide” ², “Necessary Evils” ², Crystal Soldier, Crystal Dragon, “Eleutherios” ³, “Where the Goddess Sends” ¹, “The Wine of Memory” ¹, “A Spell for the Lost” ¹, “Preferred Seating” ⁵, “Ambient Conditions” ⁵, Balance of Trade, Trade Secret, “Out of True” ³, “Dead Men Dream” ⁵, “Excerpts from Two Lives” ⁴, “Naratha’s Shadow” ¹, “Sweet Waters” ¹, “The Space at Tinsori Light” ³, “Moon’s Honor” ³, “Phoenix” ¹, “Due Diligence” ⁴, “Dark Secrets” ⁵, “Pilot of Korval” ¹, “A Choice of Weapons” ¹, “The Beggar King” ², Local Custom, Scout’s Progress, Mouse and Dragon, “Guaranteed Delivery” ³, “From Every Storm a Rainbow” ⁶, “Veil of the Dancer” ², “Heirloom” ¹, “Intelligent Design” ³, “A Matter of Dreams” ¹, “Moonphase” ¹, “Cutting Corners” ⁴, “Command Decision” ⁵, “Fighting Chance” ², “To Cut an Edge” ¹, “A Day at the Races” ¹, “Shadow Partner” ², “Certain Symmetry” ¹, “This House” ², Conflict of Honors, “Changeling” ¹, “Degrees of Separation” ⁴, “Fortune’s Favors” ⁵, Fledgling, Agent of Change, Carpe Diem, “Quiet Knives” ², Plan B, “Breath’s Duty” ¹, “Daughter of Dragons” ², “Persistence” ², I Dare, “Misfits” ², Saltation, “Landed Alien” ³, “Moon on the Hills” ², “Code of Honor” ³, “Hidden Resources” ², “Kin Ties” ³, Ghost Ship, “Prodigal Son” ², Dragon Ship, “Wise Child” ⁶, “Skyblaze” ², Necessity’s Child, “Roving Gambler” ³, “The Rifle’s First Wife” ³, Dragon in Exile, “Chimera” ⁶, Alliance of Equals, The Gathering Edge, “Shout of Honor” ⁵, “A Visit to the Galaxy Ballroom” ⁵, Neogenesis, “Opportunity to Seize” ⁵, Accepting the Lance, Trader’s Leap, “The Gate That Locks the Tree” ⁵, “Block Party” ⁴, “Our Lady of Benevolence” ⁶, “Revolutionists” ⁴

¹ can be found in A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 1
² can be found in A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 2
³ can be found in A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 3
⁴ can be found in A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 4
⁵ can be found in A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 5
⁶ not yet collected in a Constellation: From Every Storm a Rainbow, Wise Child, Chimera, Our Lady of Benevolence, Standing Orders

[gbm]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've found this for a chronological order including the shorts.

All Liaden Stories by Internal Chronology (More or Less)

“Dragon Tide” ², “Necessary Evils” ², Crystal Soldier, Crystal Dragon, “Eleutherios” ³, “Where the Goddess Sends” ¹, “The Wine of Memory” ¹, “A Spell for the Lost” ¹, “Preferred Seating” ⁵, “Ambient Conditions” ⁵, Balance of Trade, Trade Secret, “Out of True” ³, “Dead Men Dream” ⁵, “Excerpts from Two Lives” ⁴, “Naratha’s Shadow” ¹, “Sweet Waters” ¹, “The Space at Tinsori Light” ³, “Moon’s Honor” ³, “Phoenix” ¹, “Due Diligence” ⁴, “Dark Secrets” ⁵, “Pilot of Korval” ¹, “A Choice of Weapons” ¹, “The Beggar King” ², Local Custom, Scout’s Progress, Mouse and Dragon, “Guaranteed Delivery” ³, “From Every Storm a Rainbow” ⁶, “Veil of the Dancer” ², “Heirloom” ¹, “Intelligent Design” ³, “A Matter of Dreams” ¹, “Moonphase” ¹, “Cutting Corners” ⁴, “Command Decision” ⁵, “Fighting Chance” ², “To Cut an Edge” ¹, “A Day at the Races” ¹, “Shadow Partner” ², “Certain Symmetry” ¹, “This House” ², Conflict of Honors, “Changeling” ¹, “Degrees of Separation” ⁴, “Fortune’s Favors” ⁵, Fledgling, Agent of Change, Carpe Diem, “Quiet Knives” ², Plan B, “Breath’s Duty” ¹, “Daughter of Dragons” ², “Persistence” ², I Dare, “Misfits” ², Saltation, “Landed Alien” ³, “Moon on the Hills” ², “Code of Honor” ³, “Hidden Resources” ², “Kin Ties” ³, Ghost Ship, “Prodigal Son” ², Dragon Ship, “Wise Child” ⁶, “Skyblaze” ², Necessity’s Child, “Roving Gambler” ³, “The Rifle’s First Wife” ³, Dragon in Exile, “Chimera” ⁶, Alliance of Equals, The Gathering Edge, “Shout of Honor” ⁵, “A Visit to the Galaxy Ballroom” ⁵, Neogenesis, “Opportunity to Seize” ⁵, Accepting the Lance, Trader’s Leap, “The Gate That Locks the Tree” ⁵, “Block Party” ⁴, “Our Lady of Benevolence” ⁶, “Revolutionists” ⁴

¹ can be found in A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 1
² can be found in A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 2
³ can be found in A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 3
⁴ can be found in A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 4
⁵ can be found in A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 5
⁶ not yet collected in a Constellation: From Every Storm a Rainbow, Wise Child, Chimera, Our Lady of Benevolence, Standing Orders

All you needed to do was go to the publishers website.

https://www.baen.com/images/series/l...eve-miller.png

bernie

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by gbm

All you needed to do was go to the publishers website.

https://www.baen.com/images/series/l...eve-miller.png

bernie

That chart is (IMHO) useless because it has no shorts listed.

[CRussel]

Posted today, elsewhere:

Originally Posted by Sharon Lee

This is what the Lee and Miller WRITING Schedule looks like:

SALVAGE RIGHT: due on Madame's desk June 2022
TRADE LANES: due on Madame's desk September 2022
Untitled Liaden/Redlands book: due on Madame's desk June 2023

This is what the Lee and Miller PUBLICATION Schedule looks like:

SCOUT'S PROGRESS anniversary reprint: March 2023
SALVAGE RIGHT: Summer 2023
TRADE LANES: Fall 2023

Note the progression: First, we turn the book in. Then, Madame and her team work their magic. THEN, the book is published.

[Dopedangel]

I am halfway through the latest book Fair Trade and so far it feels meh. Maybe I am just not interested in the characters so far removed from the dragon and tree family or the story pace is to slow I just don't know. Most of the other Liaden books I could not put down until I finished this for some reason has been a bit of a slog.

[Strether]

Sorry you're feeling a little blah about the novel. I've always been interested in Jethri as a character and it's been fun to see him change and grow. I was a little disappointed in not seeing any apparent tie-in with Bechimo, because the time covered in this latest novel has to have been about the time that ship was being built and we might learn what happened to the original family. Maybe next book!

Jim

[CRussel]

I wouldn't be surprised to see that show up next book as part of the solution to dust and routes, but I don't really think it's that critical. But I do want to see where they take Jethri. At one point we thought that there would only ever be one Jethri story (and it was a very good one), but I'm quite glad they were able to tell us more about him.

As for the mainline story? Summer, 2023, according to Ms. Lee. With a fourth Jethri book Fall of 2023 (same blog post.)

[CRussel]

Snippet Alert:

"My cousin Jen Sin was only just telling me that strange things happen here, still."

"They do, yes." She allowed him to step into the lift, before coming aboard herself, and releasing the lock. "Though we've been cutting back."

[CRussel]

Snippet Alert: (From what Sharon Lee is currently calling "The Redlands Novel")

"You knew she could do that, I'm assuming?"

"That?" Shan said, not quite ready to analyze his feelings on the matter. "Not that particular thing, no. However, one does wish for one's heir to be remarkable."