Welcome to the Liaden Universe^®

The Liaden Universe^® is a lot of things to a lot of people, and you can find that out for yourself if you do an internet search with your favorite search engine on the short phrase "the liaden universe is" and have the time to glance through lots of screens worth of results. A quick sample tells us that:

"...the Liaden Universe is fascinating..."

"The Liaden Universe is a multi-faceted playground..."

"The Liaden universe is a totally original construct with a well thought out set of social systems and codes of honor that fascinate the reader even as they complicate matters for the characters..."

"...the Liaden Universe is a wide and sometimes not very neat universe. There is romance. There is adventure. There are family relationships,..."

"...the Liaden Universe is a very reader-friendly place..."

Stories set in the Liaden Universe^® don't require an intimate knowledge of hard science to understand, nor do they attempt to predict the near future. The stories, if sometimes serious, are designed for leisure reading rather than study, for enjoyment and relaxation rather than mental gymnastics; and the authors are quite fond of the "sense of wonder" and adventure that brought science fiction to the attention of many readers in the first place.

Lee and Miller's unique brand of adventurous romantic space opera has won attention from both science fiction and romance readers. Liaden Universe^® novels Scout's Progress and Local Custom took first and second place in the coveted Prism Awards for best futuristic romance of 2002, while Pilots Choice, I Dare, The Tomorrow Log, and Balance of Trade have all placed on the Locus Magazine Bestseller lists, with Balance of Trade also winning the Hal Clement Award for Best Young Adult Science Fiction novel of 2004. Scout's Progress was also named Best Science Fiction Novel of 2002 by the reviewers of Romantic Times Bookclub magazine.

Where did The Liaden Universe^® come from?

In a way, the Liaden Universe was born from the happy coincidences that brought Sharon Lee and Steve Miller together and permitted them to collaborate.

The authors of the Liaden Universe^® have a unique perspective on the science fiction field. Sharon Lee is the only person to have been Vice President, President, and Executive Director of SFWA ( also known as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) the world's foremost international association of Science Fiction professionals. Steve Miller was the Founding Curator of the University of Maryland's Science Fiction Research Collection, a graduate of the Clarion West Science Fiction Writing Workshop, and was Vice Chair of the Baltimore in '80 World Science Fiction Convention bid committee.

The has a world-wide following, and the authors have traveled North America from coast-to-coast to meet with their fans at conventions, to sign books at bookstores, and to speak at libraries and schools.

Where can I find out about recent Liaden Universe^® news and upcoming events?

One of the best places to get recent news is a Liaden Universe^® Infodump, which you can get in email or which can usually be found posted in Sharon Lee's blog.

Want to help the authors travel? Click on the Trip Jar Below!

The Liaden Universe^® Trip Jar is Here!

Now: Liaden chapbooks direct from SRM, Publisher

"I have always loved the Liaden series and think it deserves
to take its rightful place among the worldbuilding triumphs of SF literature.
If SF were a meritocracy, Steve and Sharon would be living
in a solid gold castle twelve miles high."
-- Rosemary Edghill, co-author of The Warslayer

"The plot threads are intricately interwoven ...
the great excellence lies in the relationships."
-- Analog

Where We've Been

Penguicon 4.0, April 21-23, 2006, Novi, MI. Guests of Honor!

Boskone 43, February 17-19, 2006, Boston, MA

COSine, January 20-22, 2006, Colorado Springs, CO. Guests of Honor!

Dragon*Con, September 1-4, 2005, Atlanta, GA. This was a huge event ,and we got to have lunch with Anne McCaffrey

ShevaCon 13, February 25-27, 2005, Roanoke, VA. Special Guests!
Noreascon Four, the 62nd World Science Fiction Convention
 -- September 2-6, 2004, Boston, MA Check out our schedule
Trinoc*coN 5 -- July 23-25, 2004, Durham, NC. Literary Guests of Honor!
PortConMaine -- June 18-20, 2004, South Portland, ME. Literary Guests
CONduit 14 -- May 28-30, 2004, Salt Lake City, UT. Guests of Honor!
Main SLC Library (Conference Center) Salt Lake City, UT, May 27 2004, 7 PM. Reading/talk
Boskone 41 -- February 13-15, 2004, Boston, MA
TorCon3, The 61st World Science Fiction Convention
-- August 28-September 1, 2003, Toronto, Canada.
Take a look at our schedule
BaltiCon 37 -- May 23-26, 2003, Baltimore, MD.
Guests of Honor: Sharon Lee and Steve Miller!
Nebula Awards Weekend -- April 18-20, 2003, Philadelphia, PA.
MarsCon 2003 -- February 28-March 2, 2003, Bloomington, MN.
Literary Guests of Honor: Sharon Lee and Steve Miller!
Here's our schedule!

Boskone 40 -- February 14-16, 2003, Boston, MA.
Take a look at our schedule. We were Special Guests at AlbaCon 2002 -- October 4-6, 2002, Schenectady, NY.

ConJose, 60th World Science Fiction Convention--
August 29-September 2, 2002, San Jose, CA.

 

to the Liaden Universe^® News
an infrequent, announcement-only list
about doings in the Liaden Universe^® and beyond.

 

Copyright © 1997-2007 Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. All rights reserved.
Page updated 6:59 p.m. January 31, 2007. Comments to: Steve Miller

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