Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

Space Opera is one of my favorite genres. It is derived from 19^th century high adventure tales of the high seas and old westerns. It doesn’t just have the feeling of those, but it actually takes elements from the two genres, including gun battles and (space) ships. The most well-known space opera tale is that of the Star Wars movies, which are still in production.

            This week I read Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold. This book shaped the “golden age of science fiction” between 1950-60. This space opera is all about the adventure of Cordelia Naismith as she treks across an unexplored planet with her captor, Aral Vorkosigan. They are eventually able to work together to help Vorkosigan obtain his old military title and get her home safely while unexpectedly falling in love. But when Naismith finally gets home, people think she’s been brainwashed so she runs back to Vorkosigan and marries him.

            This book poses a big psychological question: what is honor?

“Shards of honor” undoubtedly refers to what little honor that Vorkosigan has left. Also, at the beginning Naismith has a sure definition for honor; but as the story progresses and the characters face various trials, she starts to question her first idea.

            Shards of Honor also gives a perspective to politics and culture. Naismith and Vorkosigan come from completely different lifestyles. Naismith comes from Beta Colony, where you can love freely and choose who you marry. Beta Colony seems to be primarily a non-aggressive culture, preferring science to military conflict. Vorkosigan, on the other hand, comes from Barrayar, where there are arranged marriages and everything from rank to behavior is militarian.

            My favorite part was the beginning when they are trekking across the planet. Bujold does a great job of describing the landscape and dangers of the planet. I also really enjoyed when Naismith gets back to her home and people believe she’s been brainwashed; telling her she has been tortured and tricked into being a Barrayaran spy. I thought this was particularly interesting because I found myself wondering if maybe she had been brainwashed and everything I had read was just her brainwashed memories. But I’m probably overthinking it.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

This week we delve into contemporary urban fantasy, which is the combination of fantasy and the mundane. With this genre, it is common that the unreal experiences help us to understand reality. Doppleganger is also a very common archetype in urban fantasy.

            Coraline by Neil Gaiman is a perfect and popular example of this genre. Coraline is a normal young girl who is moving into a new house with her family. Pretty ordinary so far. Then something strange happens: she finds a doll that looks exactly like her. The doll is like a preliminary to the Other World. Everything is still normal; Coraline accepts the doll’s odd appearance and takes it around with her while she meets her odd and interesting neighbors. The doll also acts as Coraline’s doppleganger, which we see as she realize the Beldam’s motives later in the story. We come to understand that, even though the doll looks like her, it is leading her to her doom and right into evil hands.

            Coraline can be compared to a dream; or nightmare. Everything starts out normal and boring, then turns fantastical and fun. Coraline even believes the Other World is a dream at first. Tension builds in Coraline when the Other Mother presents the buttons to be sewn into Colaline’s eyes, which is pretty horrific. Coraline thinks she escapes but is thrown back into the sprawl and that’s when it really gets scary. Like a bad dream, the anxiety builds until it is terrifying. Luckily, she is finally able to beat the Beldam by trapping her behind the door and her disembodied evil hand down a deep well.  All is well in her world and all is back to normal. She is finally bonding with her parents and she is happier and is a better person all around. She is more patient and polite, loving and understanding towards her busy parents. The Other World and its adventures helped her realize how important her parents are to her and that she could put others before herself, even if it put her in danger.