Curious writer is curious

[rolanni]

One of the interesting things about writing in a large-ish universe for, oh, a quarter-century, is that you're pretty often meeting people who have read your work (or, even more interestingly, haven't read your work), and who have formed opinions about the plot-line, the characters, the theme, the authors' childhoods, and adult proclivities. .
.

That being so, and because  people will say things either to me or within my hearing, I find myself with a question, which I will now throw out to you, the readers of the Liaden Universe®:

What is, in your opinion, the Big Story (also known as the Real Story) of the Liaden Universe® novels?

There are no right answers, or wrong answers.  Curious author is, as advertised above, curious.

Comments

chiming in really, really late...

[robszewczyk.livejournal.com]

When folks object to diversions from "The Story", I think they are referring to "What Happens *Next*???". Thus any trip backward in time to reveal the stories behind events We Already Know How They Came Out are a disappointment, because it doesn't resolve that wonderful, awful tension singing in the bones waiting to see how Today's Problems Will Resolve. This tension gets even greater for us readers who (laughably, I know) think we might have a good idea of what's coming. Or have more than one idea as to what might be coming and really, really want to find out Which One!

Thus, I was deeply disappointed to realize that Necessity's Child would not give me the scene I am eager to experience, when Theo brings ...er... the ship in her hold... to Korval. Nor the scene that I know is coming with Daav. Whichever scene that will be...I love Daav. Serious crush.

And then I got over it and loved every line of Necessity's Child. Because I'm not usually a "Follow The Story" reader, I'm usually a "let me experience All the Levels of Detail" reader. I think that "Local Custom" and "Scout's Progress" are the best two books in the whole shebang, and treasure every short story for the added detail, insight and *reality* they give to the Universe Experience. Even when they don't involve anybody I already know.

I'm still in agony waiting for the sequels to Dragon Ship, though :).

--Beth (who shares a livejournal account with her husband Rob, and did not steal it, honest)