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Notes on Komarr:
Chapter 1: Enter Ekaterin
Chapter 2: Snoopy isn't he
Chapter 3: If that is not a CLUE brick right at the end of chapter 3, I am going to be unpleasantly surprised (LMB is an efficient author). Dec 4, 2000 note: And I wasn't unpleasantly surprised.
Chapter 4: I have a complaint here, about 1/3 into it, Professor Vorthys says: "What's the feasibility of dedicating some number of fusion reactors to pure heat production?"
I believe that should be "building" rather than "dedicating" - as worded, this suggests that Vorthys has forgotten the 1st and 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. Dec 4, 2000 Note: At first glance, I read this as dedicating existing plants. The subsequent comments refer to building new ones, but I was uncomfortable with it (and that matter, I still am).
Chapter 5: "Shopping?" ... "That's an offer seldom made to the son of my mother."
If Komarr was being serialized in Analog SF, these five chapters would be the first installment and a rather good installment at that (complete with cliff-hanger comment at the end). However, reading it does result in a different experience than reading the whole book at once.
If I was reading Komarr in one sitting, I would tend to accept various statements passively and run the risk of bolting upright towards the end of the book, saying "But that's not was said earlier." I would NOT fling the book against the wall; while the author is not allowed to lie, I know very well that her characters are not so restricted. However, reading a book in installments results in me rethinking everything while waiting for the next installment.
Was the mirror broken because of accident or sabotage? Since Komarr is (I presume) a "Miles Vorkosigan Adventure," I would assume sabotage until shown otherwise. However, upon reflection, accident has not been ruled out (the extra body does not change this). It is entirely possible that some anti-Imperium conspiracy might feel threatened by two Imperial Auditors poking around and take action (similar to Cetaganda where Miles is supposed to be attending a funeral but the action is really about an intrigue). One way to do this would have the pilot of the freighter to be an member of that conspiracy.
Another example, does Ettiene Vorsossion actually have Vorzohn's Dystrophy? The way it is presented to us (IMHO) allows the possibility that Ettiene lied to Ekaterin about that at the beginning (or had himself secretly tested at some point, but had not relayed the good news). I am not saying that he did, but the possibility can not be excluded. Think of the possibilities this would give a manipulater. He would essentially be blackmailing Ekaterin with the threat of her son exposed as a "mutant." Dec 6, 2000 Note: This turned out to be me jumping at shadows, but the basic point remains (in fact, it appears that ImpSec checked this just to be sure).
The possible blurb that LMB posted some time ago concerns me as well. I didn't save it, but I do remember that it stated that Miles would be without allies but one (almost certainly Ekaterin). But he is an Imperial Auditor; inside the Imperium, everybody wearing green uniforms is an ally whether they like it or not. And then there is Professor Vorthys, another Auditor. So I am thinking of ways that Miles would be cut off from all that power structure. My first idea was that Vorthys was murdered in a manner that implicated Miles; but I have abandoned it. Miles, as Imperial Auditor, should certainly be able to order his own interrogation under Fast Penta (with an appropriate list of questions, ones that invite simple Yes or No answers). My current suspicion is some sort of kidnap/hostage scenario where that either Miles (as kidnap victim) can not contact anybody or that he dare not use brute force but must use sneakiness. Dec 4, 2000 Note: YES!