Part of Series

Liaden Universe

Series · 33 books

By Steve Miller, Sharon Lee

Meisha Merlin is pleased to present two never-before published Liaden Universe(TM) novels, Local Custom and Scout's Progress, in one omnibus edition entitled Pilots Choice. Pilots Choice deals with the shifting necessities of honor and morality in the clash of cultures caused by an expanding galactic trade system. In the first novel, Local Custom, we view the difficulties caused by the obvious problems of language and custom as Terrans and Liadens intermingle. In the second, Scout's Progress, we see how the forces of interstellar trade cause conflicts even within the apparently monolithic and superior culture of Liad as a greater culture, galactic in nature, is hinted at by the Scouts, pilots, and traders who inhabit the fringes of Liad's polite society. In both novels it is the importance of individuals and their insistence on behaving with honor, rather than bowing to overwhelming social force, that drives the story. Local Custom Master Trader Er Thom yos'Galan, of Liad's de facto ruling house, Clan Korval, is facing an arranged marriage. The Liaden Code of Proper Conduct requires him—and every Liaden—to provide a ‘child of the body' to the Clan, something the otherwise obedient pilot has been avoiding despite Korval's precariously dwindling population. As his ‘contract marriage' approaches, the serious-minded trader finds himself longing for a lover he hasn't seen (or heard from!) for years. His former lover is no ordinary pleasure She's Terran professor of linguistics Anne Davis, who teaches on the planet University and whose radical theories have brought her to the attention of the Liaden Council of Clans, where Korval's enemies openly plot against her—and against Korval itself. Challenged and supported by his foster brother, Er Thom must not only surmount Liad's rigid social strictures, but overcome the plots of Korval's enemies—and his lover's stubborn heart. Scout's Progress Daav yos'Phelium, Delm Korval, the planet's most powerful individual, must marry to provide his Clan with a child. Although he is arguably the most eligible bachelor in Liaden-speaking space he is hardly the most willing, having long been the target of marriage-minded females as well as their power-seeking mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles. A political and economic power among the High Houses, Daav, a former Scout Captain, is also a force among pilots, and is much more likely to be found in a spaceport piloting ‘dive' than mingling with society at the parties of the rich. One such ‘dive' is Binjali Spaceship Repair Shop in Solcintra Mid-Port; it's a base away from home to a shifting population of Scouts, pilots, and various ‘wounded kittens'. There, Daav is known only by his first name, and relies on his reputation as pilot extraordinaire rather than Korval's power. Retreating to Binjali's to come to terms with his decision to contract-wed, Daav comes face to face with the knottiest problem of his career, and if he doesn't find the correct solution, he may lose his fortune entire, and his future.

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Authors

Steve Miller

Author · 15 books

Steve was the founding curator of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County's Albin O. Kuhn Library's Science Fiction Research Collection and a former Nebula juror. Steve enjoys music, plays tournament chess, and collects cat whiskers. Steve Miller and his wife, Sharon Lee, live in the rolling hills of Central Maine with two insistent muses in the form of cats and a large cast of characters. The husband-and-wife team's collaborative work in science fiction and fantasy include seventeen novels and numerous short stories in their award-winning Liaden Universe®. In addition to their collaborative work, Steve has seen short stories, nonfiction, and reviews published under his name, while Sharon has seen published short stories, newspaper pieces, and two mystery novels.

Sharon Lee

Author · 97 books

Sharon Lee has been married to her first husband for more than half her lifetime; she is a friend to cats, a member of the National Carousel Association, and oversees the dubious investment schemes of an improbable number of stuffed animals. Despite having been born in a year of the dragon, Sharon is an introvert. She lives in Maine because she likes it there. In fact, she likes it so much that she has written five novels set in Maine; contemporary fantasy trilogy Carousel Tides, Carousel Sun, Carousel Seas, and mysteries Barnburner and Gunshy. With the aforementioned first husband, Steve Miller, Sharon has written twenty novels of science fiction and fantasy—many of them set in the Liaden Universe® — and numerous short stories. She has occasionally been an advertising copywriter, a reporter, photographer, book reviewer, and secretary. She was for three years Executive Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., and was subsequently elected vice president and then president of that organization.