In one word, this book was Cute. It wasn't very deep, no great overall ethical dilemma, just a guy trying to save his planet and way of life. A bit of intrigue, a mercenary space captain (Female of course), and a strange kid the result of mad scientists genetic tinkering.

This book could have gone all deep and painful, but then it wouldn't have been a fun romp in a space station. For those a bit squeamish about the topic, theres little mention of romance and our hero Ethan is pure of heart with eyes only for his mission. ( )

This story takes place in the Vorkosigan universe but the only regular character involved is Elli Quinn, who claims to be on vacation but is actually on a mission.

The main charter is Dr Ethan Urquhart, Chief of Biology at the Severin District Reproduction Center on Athos an all male planet. Because there are no women on Athos (for religious reasons) children are conceived in vitro using egg cultures brought by the original colonists and brought to term in artificial wombs. But after two hundred years the egg cultures are failing and the new eggs that were ordered from off world at considerable expense are all garbage. Ethan is sent out to oversee the purchase of new human egg cultures but he has never seen a woman in his life and galactic culture is a bit overwhelming. On top of that the problem with the original shipment was no accident and dangerous people think Ethan knows more than he's telling.

This book raises some interesting questions. I bought it because of a conversation between Elli and Ethan about the cost of raising children. This book answers the question "What if men were the ones who raised the children" and the answer is that on Athos raising children is a respected and honored social duty. Ethan talks about the cost of raising children and compensating primary nurturers for their labor, but the economics of Athos are not well explained. Fatherhood on Athos is an honor one must build up social credit in order to acquire. That would seem to imply that fathers in a sense pay to receive children instead of being paid for their labor. It is never explained how (or if) primary (or secondary) nurturers are compensated for their labor. When men apply to receive children they cash in their "social duty credits" and pay cash for the production of the child. That seems to fit the traditional model of children as personal possessions of the parents and not something society as a whole pays for. The "Social Duty Credits" are more of a licencing system than a compensation system. In the end I don't think it explains how a society could fairly value the "women's work" of raising children. But it does explain why clone armies are impractical (I'm looking at you "Star Wars").

Children being a privilege that is licensed by the government is a recurring theme for Bujold. Beta Colony, generally presented as socially and technologically advanced, requires citizens to get a government licence to have children.

A lot of people talk about this novel as a landmark in gay science fiction, but I'm not convinced. I was struck by the open homophobia of the galactic culture. Ethan gets beaten up in a bar because he is gay, and homophobia is generally accepted. Homosexuality is only acceptable on Athos because there are no other options and I'm glad Bujold admits that, because an all male culture with no homosexuality would unrealistic. Ethan mentions that there are monasteries on Athos where men practice celibacy in accord with the Founding Fathers principles. But most human men would rather have sex with another man than not have sex at all.

A lot of single-sex female utopias have been written but I can't think of another single-sex male utopia. I wonder why. ( )

Having read the blurb on the back cover—Dr Ethan Urquhart, a specialist in reproductive medicine from the male-only planet Athos, who has never before seen a woman, has to leave his isolationist, backwater homeworld to seek out some new ovarian samples so that the Athosian population doesn't die out—I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book. It could all have gone horribly wrong, but somehow Bujold manages to turn this book, despite its fairly thin plot, into a clever, funny romp. Parts of it do seem rather dated now (especially if you get to really thinking about its set-up/what it's saying about gender and sexuality; Bujold privileges space opera over philosophising, but there were parts which made me raise an eyebrow), and Bujold's vision of the future is sadly white-washed, but it bowls along at a great pace, Ethan and Elli are both pretty great, and there's a happy ending for the non-heterosexuals! How often does that happen in scifi? (How often do non-heterosexuals appear in scifi? That's a different rant.) Also, there are space newts! ( )

Ethan is from a isolated planet where women are no more than a frightening myth. In order to renew the organic material needed to continue cloning children, Ethan is sent out on a dangerous mission.

A very fun read. Miles is absent (at least physically), putting Elli Quinn in the hotseat. Center stage belongs to Dr. Ethan Farquart, though, and he is a first-rate creation. Explores the feminist question of what society could be like if women were freed from reproductive necessities. Answer -- women could be dispensed with altogether... sort of. But it turns out that mothers will have their revenge, individually and collectively. Read this one for the plot, the characters AND a glimpse of a radically different, and yet fundamentally familiar, society.