Still Waiting for Harry Potter 7?

Posted by TK Kenyon Dec 6, 2006

The yet-unfinished Harry Potter epic has attracted considerable following, but the seventh book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) isn’t out yet, and what is a dedicated reader to do? While websites like Mugglenet and Leaky offer some respite, a hard-core reader has to look elsewhere for amusement until that seventh book finally, finally appears.

One great series to read is the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. There’s a longer article about it here at Recommended Reading, including a "chronological" (from the characters' point-of-view) list of the books.

There are ten books so far about Miles Vorkosigan, a compelling main character that will rival Harry for your attention. Lord Miles Vorkosigan is third in line (by some reckonings) to the throne of Barrayar, a backwater, feudal planet in a far-future galaxy connected by wormholes, but Miles doesn’t want to be the Emperor, not at all. His childhood friend Gregor is the Emporer, and a political assassination attempt aimed at Miles’s father nearly killed Miles before he was born and left him with serious physical handicaps. His mind, however, is as sharp as a fine knife, and he wields it deftly.

In addition, there are two prequel novels to the Miles Vorkosigan books, which are about Miles’s mother, Cordelia, a starship captain from a liberal, technology-based planet before she met Miles’s father. Plus, there are a couple more novels that take place in the same universe. That’s some great reading!

In a late update, Lois McMaster Bujold has announced that after a foray into romantic fantasy, she's returning to the Vorkosigan universe and is going to write another book about Miles. It is due to be published in 2009, so that's something to look forward to after the final installment of Harry Potter breaks our hearts next year.

TK Kenyon