Miles Vorkosigan - Personality

Personality

Miles is both brilliant (especially in military tactics) and hyperactive; one of his girlfriends describes him as "addicted to adrenaline rushes." He compulsively and constantly challenges the world, sometimes with disastrous consequences, although more often his mind overcomes his physical weakness.

His status on his home planet is ambiguous, being simultaneously a privileged and powerful aristocrat and a despised "mutie." In his youth he contemplated running away from Barrayar and its prejudice against disabled people, but he never acted on this impulse, perhaps because of his loyalty to his family and his Vor code of honor.

He has a strong tendency to manipulate people and is very good at bluffing. The Dendarii Free Mercenaries begin as pure imaginative figment, and through frantic improvisation he conceals his deception from his recruits; their accomplishments make real his invention. Despite the initial successes of this "lie first, fix later" strategy, it always makes for manic juggling of various falsehoods and stories, and it does eventually blow up in his face: first he is caught lying about his seizure disorder, and then the widow he loves is enraged when she discovers that he has been attempting to court her by stealth during her socially-recognized period of mourning.

By the later novels, Miles is living the (relatively) calmer life of Imperial Auditor, a sort of cross between special investigator, special prosecutor and military commander, for the growing Barrayaran empire. Miles acts on the behalf of and reports directly to Emperor Gregor Vorbarra.

In the course of what is already a lengthy series, Miles has been allowed to grow and evolve in ways most action heroes never do. While Miles grows, the series background does as well. The large supporting cast of characters that populate the Vorkosigan novels are well developed. The cultures of the various worlds and locations where the action takes place—Barrayar, Beta Colony, Cetaganda, Komarr, Kline Station, Athos, Jackson's Whole, Graf Station, (Quaddiespace), and New Hope/Kibou-daini—are distinct and skillfully worked out. Variety also appears in the stories themselves: Miles's challenges are varied from one episode to another, so rather than there being a new space battle in each book, the books fall into different genres, from mystery to Regency romance to hard science fiction.

These strengths explain why the Vorkosigan series is among the most popular with readers and critics in current science fiction. Works with Miles Vorkosigan in them have won four Hugo awards and Two Nebula awards.