Simon/Alys
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Simon Illyan/Alys Vorpatril |
| Alternative name(s): | |
| Gender category: | het |
| Fandom: | Vorkosigan series |
| Canonical?: | yes |
| Prevalence: | popular |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Simon/Alys is the canonical m/f pairing of Simon Illyan, a prole who is the former chief of ImpSec, and Lady Alys Vorpatril, a high Vor widow who is the Emperor's hostess & social secretary, in the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. After years of acquaintance, Simon and Alys become lovers in Memory, after Simon has suffered a catastrophic mental breakdown when his chip is sabotaged; both are in their fifties/sixties.
Fandom
The introduction of the pairing in Memory was well received, and it remains a popular pairing, particularly considering the age of the characters and the fact neither is one of the principals. In July 2016, it was the second-most popular pairing on Archive of Our Own for the fandom, after Aral/Cordelia, and beating both slash & het pairings for the hero, Miles Vorkosigan.[1] It dominates pairing-centric stories for both characters.
Many stories examine the motivations of the characters, particularly Alys; Beatrice Otter writes:
Lady Alys was widowed young, and made a life for herself as the arbiter of the Vor social scene, acting as the Emperor's political hostess and ensuring that the social end of the sociopolitical life of the Barrayaran Empire flowed as smoothly as possible through turbulent times of great change. And then ... things quieted down, the Emperor grew up, her son grew up, the Emperor got married, and Simon Illyan was injured and forced to step down from his post as head of Imperial Security, and she and he started a discreet affair. But in the books we never get her POV, we never get any explanation of how and why this proper lady did something so ... improper.[2]
Other common topics in fanfiction include:
- Simon's ongoing memory issues
- the class difference between them, especially whether they marry
- the reaction of Alys's adult son Ivan
- the possibility of children in late middle age
- Alys' earlier marriage to Padma
Much fanfiction is relatively fluffy although sometimes tinged with hurt/comfort, with Alys comforting and reassuring Simon. Casefic with the two solving a mystery together is another popular genre. There is little explicit fanfiction. Authors noted for writing Simon/Alys include Philomytha, whose prolific series started in 2009 popularised the pairing. Fan art for the pairing appears rare.
Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
- Alys/Simon fics by Philomytha. More than 20 stories, charting the couple's relationship from its early days to the aftermath of Cryoburn (2009–14)
- Miracles and Modern Medicine by Glishara. A take on the marriage & parenthood issues (2010)
- Sleep. by Lanna Michaels. Short comparing Simon & Padma (2010)
- deep as I have been done by Raven. Deals with Simon's memory problems (2011)
- Protocol by Shimotsuki. Short set during Memory (2011)
- White Knights by Elvaron. An AU in which Simon & Alys marry and have children when Ivan is a chld; WiP (2011– )
- Anamnesis by Linman. Popular novella retelling Memory from Simon's perspective; expands on many Simon/Alys scenes (2011)
- Recall by Elvaron. Deals with Simon's memory issues (2012)
- By the Seashore by Beatrice Otter. A take on the possibility of parenthood (2014)
- Change of Place by ExtraPenguin. A relatively rare explicit short (2015)
- Diamonds and Hearts by A_T_Rain. Casefic (2015)
References
- ^ As of 1 July 2016, 65 works were tagged 'Simon Illyan/Alys Vorpatril' compared with Aral Vorkosigan/Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan (147), Ivan Vorpatril/Byerly Vorrutyer (54), Ekaterin Vorsoisson Vorkosigan/Miles Vorkosigan (51), Gregor Vorbarra/Miles Vorkosigan (49), Gregor Vorbarra/Laisa Toscane Vorbarra (46) & Aral Vorkosigan/Ges Vorrutyer (40).
- ^ fancake: Vorkosiverse: Domestic Affairs (accessed 1 July 2016)