Cryoburn

Cryoburn
Author(s)	Lois McMaster Bujold
Cover artist	David Seeley
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Vorkosigan Saga
Genre(s)	Science fiction
Publisher	Baen Books
Publication date	October 19, 2010
Pages	345
ISBN	978-1439133941
Preceded by	Diplomatic Immunity

Cryoburn is a science fiction novel by Lois McMaster Bujold, first published in October 2010.^[1] Part of the Vorkosigan Saga, it was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2011,^[2] as Bujold's ninth Best Novel nomination.^[3] Also in 2011, it was one of the top five finishers in the poll for the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.^[4]

Plot summary

Cryoburn takes place six or seven years after Diplomatic Immunity. Miles is 39 years old. He is sent by Emperor Gregor to the planet Kibou-daini ("New Hope") to investigate White Chrysanthemum Cryonics Corporation. WhiteChrys, a major "cryocorp", to which sick or dying people go to be frozen in hopes of one day being revived and cured, is opening a subsidiary on Komarr, arousing suspicions. The narrative follows three points of view: those of Miles, his Armsman Roic, and Jin Sato, a local Kibou-daini boy.

At a conference, an attempt is made to kidnap Miles and the other attendees. Miles avoids capture because an allergic reaction to the drug used on him causes him to go extremely hyperactive, and escapes into the below-ground Cryocombs, where the frozen are stored. Roic is caught along with Raven, a cryo-revival specialist from the Durona Group who assisted in reviving Miles after his death on Jackson's Whole (detailed in Mirror Dance).

When Miles finds his way back to the surface, he encounters Jin, an eleven-year-old boy living with his chickens and other pets in a disused building. Jin introduces him to a society of outcasts living in abandoned facilities. This helps Miles piece together what is really going on.

Publication history

Lois Bujold announced the name of the book on her blog: "My editor, playing the part of the Supreme Court, has kindly cast the deciding vote in this close election: the new Miles book shall henceforth be known as CryoBurn."^[5] The other two choices under consideration were Cold Breath and Cryopolis.

Bujold read the first two chapters at Denvention 3 in August 2008. The first five chapters of an Advance Reader Copy (unproofed) are available on the publisher's website for free. The full-length electronic Advance Reader Copy was made available through Webscriptions on August 3, 2010.^[6] The hardcover version of Cryoburn also comes with a CD-ROM containing E-Book versions of the omnibus editions of the Vorkosigan Saga.

References

1. ^ "Amazon.com: Cryoburn". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Cryoburn-Miles-Vorkosigan-McMaster-Bujold/dp/1439133948/. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
2. ^ Renovation Hugo nominee announcement
3. ^ Lois McMaster Bujold. "CryoBurn is a Hugo nominee this year!". Myspace. http://www.myspace.com//loismcmasterbujold/blog/542740838. Retrieved 2011-04-25. 
4. ^ Locus Online News – 2011 Locus Award Finalists
5. ^ Lois McMaster Bujold. "name that book". Myspace. http://www.myspace.com/loismcmasterbujold/blog/501286463. Retrieved 2011-04-26. 
6. ^ Lois McMaster Bujold. "CryoBurn e-ARC up for sale at Baen, too". Myspace. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=164952151&blogId=537844017. Retrieved 2010-08-23.