The Liaden Universe!

The Liaden Universe series by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller are a real treat for science fiction fans. I just finished re-reading them all for the fifth or sixth time. Within every genre there are "comfort books" that you find yourself reading again and again, but this entire series falls into that wonderful niche.

The first books in the series were published in the late 1980's: Agent of Change, Conflict of Honors, and Carpe Diem. I still have the original Ace paperback copies I bought back then. And then...nothing. Evidently the publisher didn't feel there was enough interest to continue the series. But fans of the books wanted more, and a few years ago the original books were brought back into print. And fortunately for us all Sharon Lee and Steve Miller have added more.

The series is set in a future inhabited by three races which have descended from Earth ancestors who have colonized the universe, though each denies that they are related. There are the Terrans, who are closest to human norm, the Xtrang, a warrior breed at war with the other races, and the Liadens, traders whose society is based on strict codes of behavior and honor. A fourth race, the Clutch, is also featured prominently; they are a large, long-lived turtle-like species. Each novel in the series focuses on the adventures of different members of Clan Korval, one of the most powerful Liaden clans.

The newest books in the series, Crystal Soldier and Crystal Dragon take the reader back to the very beginning, to the origins of Clan Korval.

More information on this series can be found on this site: http://www.korval.com/.

I would say that fans of C. J. Cherryh'’s Foreigner Universe series will find Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Liaden Universe books right up their alley.