Don't start this one thinking Miles is in it. You'll only be disappointed. The little guy is mentioned quite a bit though and one of the major characters is Elli Quinn, some might remember her from The Warrior's Apprentice. The main protagonist is this chap Ethan. He lives on a male only planet inhabited by blokes who live in superstitious dread of women (otherwise known as uterine replicators with legs). The fun starts when he has to leave his home planet in search or a replacement supply of ovarian cultures to replace the failing existing cultures, without which his society can't reproduce. Due to massive culture shock (women everywhere) Ethan soon gets up to his neck in trouble. It's all quite light hearted but very amusing. ( )

Manhome loses some girl bits.

A scientists investigates the disappearance of some reproductive material from the titular planet, one which is completely populated by males. In the course of his investigations he meets a woman from that Vorkosigan related bunch, the Dendarii Free Mercenaries. Being a spook of sorts, she is rather useful, especially when kidnapping and dodgy bounty hunters is involved.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/08... ( )

Who needs Miles?: This volume is generally one of the less popular among Bujold fans, probably due to the absence of Bujold's most celebrated character, Miles Vorkosigan. But it's a solid story with pleasures of its own.Ethan comes from Athos, a planet founded by misogynists who took their loathing of women so seriously that they founded a planet populated only by men. Uterine replicator have been used for reproduction, but now they are failing and there is a need to import fresh genetic material, so Ethan is sent to Klein Station to pick up new materials.On Klein Station, Ethan encounters betrayal and conspiracies from galactic powers that isolated Athosians have little understanding of. His only ally is Elli Quinn of the Free Dendarii mercenaries.Wild adventures ensue, with the usual amount of double-crosses, mysteries, and sudden plot twists, all of which are handled well and are a sufficient reason to read the book. But the greatest pleasure in this story for me is the Bulold's world-building. She has really thought about Athos and about Klein Station, and she creates them as plausible places, showing what they are like. And, as another reviewer has properly pointed out, she shows the uniqueness of these societies not with long chunks of exposition that break up the story, or characters who deliver implausible lectures on the differences between their societies and 20th Century Earth, but by allowing you to see events from the perspective of people from those societies.This isn't Bujold's best. But it's an illustration that Bujold, even a bit off form, is still better than most and a very rewarding writer.Because this book doesn't include Miles Vorkosigan and his complicated personal issues, it will be an easier read than most Bujold books for somebody unfamiliar with the series.

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. ( )