Pilots Choice

The first of Lee & Miller's books that I read was "Conflict of Honors". After that, I haunted the bookstores until I had obtained "Agent of Change" and "Carpe Diem". Alas, no more books were forthcoming. Of all the hundreds of books I have collected over the years, these were the ones most frequently re-read. Now that the Liaden universe is again available, we can again enjoy the rich environment and thoroughly enjoyable characters that peaple these books. Pilot's Choice gives us two stories that give a real fleshing out of the series. When you consider that these were written without firm hope of publication, they are all the more remarkable. In my humble ( but emphatic ) opinion, these are the best of Lee & Miller's work to date. Considering that they were already at the top of my list, that is simply amazing.

Pilot's Choice is a book in the Liaden Universe series. It takes place prior to all the previously published novels, and focuses on the parents of the main characters in Agent of Change, Conflict of Honors, Carpe Diem (available in the omnibus Partners of Necessity), and Plan B.I was most struck by the tone of the stories. Local Custom explores the romance between Anne Davis, human linguist, and Er Thom yos'Galen, Liaden pilot and master trader. They love each other deeply, but differences between their culture make it very difficult to come to a happy resolution. The sense of helplessness and frustration is palpable through the story, as both main characters are rocked by actions of others with power over them. While reading this first story I was drawn deeply into the lives of the characters and the hope that they could end up happily together.Scout's Progress is the story of the independence of Aelliana Caylon. She is a mathematical genius whose independence and grace has been stunted by the cruelty of her brother. A series of circumstances leads her to believe early on that she must leave Liad. Daav yos'Phelium (foster-brother and clan head to Er Thom, introduced in the first story) is longing for a place where he can lay all his clan responsibilities to rest. The two meet up at a Liaden shipyard where Daav's true identity is known but not spoken of. Watching Aelliana gain confidence and Daav wrestle with the frustrations of his position was truly heartbreaking yet exhilerating.This book has quickly became my favorite in the Liaden Universe series. I believe it would be a good introduction for someone who has not read any of the other books, as it takes place a generation before them. Anyone who likes well written fiction, who likes romance, or who likes character-driven and culturally-focused science fiction would be well pleased by the stories in this book. I'm planning to introduce several of my friends to this volume.

Pilots Choice is actually two novels about two cousins and their interactions with family, friends, and society. Both novels are also love stories. _Local Custom_ focuses on Er Thom yos'Galan and Anne Davis. One Liaden, one human, they have to overcome cross-cultural misunderstandings. _Scout's Progress_ is about Daav yos'Phelium and Aelliana Caylon. Both are struggling to balance personal happiness with the constraints of society's and families' expectations.The Liaden novels (others are _Partners in Necessity_ and _Plan B_) are space opera in the best sense. Tightly plotted, interesting characters, neat fights, great fun. I've read and re-read all the books multiple times. They're 'comfort' books for when you're feeling blue or just want to revisit some characters that you wish you could call in a crisis.

A wonderful read! I finished it at three o'clock in the morning, then stayed up another hour re-reading "the best bits".The book is actually two novels under one cover. The first, Local Custom, is about two cultures in conflict, revolving around the parentage and custody of a child of mixed lineage. The second, Scout's Progress, is one woman in conflict with her own culture. Don't look for great space battles or the trappings of action/adventure. This is well-drawn, likeable, *believable* characters interacting within the bounds of equally well-drawn and believable cultures. I confess that the second novel, Scout's Progress, is my favorite of the two. Aelliana Caylon is a fascinating and complex character. Her mathematical genius is respected, even honored, among the pilots and scouts to whom she teaches "math for survival", yet it does her no good against her abusive brother and the restrictive social conventions that give him power over her. It does provide her with a tantalizing hope--escape by fleeing the planet. But to survive she needs to learn to pilot a ship and operate in cultures not her own. The scouts are masters at piloting--and flouting convention....

Steve Miller and Sharon Lee have been telling each other and the rest of us stories about the strange human race called Liaden, and their interactions with our kind of human for over 20 years now, barring a long hiatus during which a host of publishers had the incredibly ignorant opinion that there were no Miller/Lee fans. The story of the Liadens gets better and more varied and rich with every new book. Buy this book. Read this book. Then read it again. Bet you have to read it at least three times.