Bel Thorne
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Bel Thorne |
| Occupation: | mercenary, portmaster, part-time spy |
| Relationships: | Nicol (partner), Miles Vorkosigan (employer), Ky Tung, Elli Quinn, Taura &c (colleagues) |
| Fandom: | Vorkosigan Saga |
| Other: | Bel Thorne on the Vorkosigan Wiki |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Bel Thorne is a secondary character in the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. It is a Betan hermaphrodite, who initially works as a mercenary. The character is introduced in The Warrior's Apprentice, and has important roles in 'Labyrinth', Mirror Dance & Diplomatic Immunity. It settles down on Graf Station after the events of Mirror Dance.
Fandom
Bel's hermaphrodite status is sometimes discussed in the context of Bujold's treatment of queer/trans characters. Not a particularly popular character in fanworks overall, Bel is among the most frequently written of the mercenaries. Espresso Addict writes Bel's a fascinating character who gets all too little fannish attention.[1]
It is sometimes paired with Miles, building on his canonical one-sided attraction and the fact it has long worked out his secret identity. It's paired with a wide range of mainly male characters in fanfiction, often for shock or humour value, and sometimes its canonical partner, the Quaddie musician Nicol.
Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fanfiction
- The Emperor's Wedding by Helen E. Davis. Bel appears in one of the earliest Vorkosigan stories; Bel/Gregor Vorbarra (1991)
- A Diversion by Grey Bard. Bel & Miles mission (2004)
- Wrappings by SJ Kasabi. Unrequited Bel/Miles (2004)
- Pity by Mamadeb. Bel/Arde Mayhew short (2004)
- Can't Trace Time by AJ Hall. Crossover with Torchwood. Bel/Owen Harper (~2007)
- The Balls of the Bel by David Hines. Bel/Ivan Vorpatril (2008)
- Passing by Ollipop This perceptive origin story really gets into its head, and presents a plausible reason for its devotion to Miles[1] (2013)
Fan Art
- Young Bel Thorn by Suryakami. Semi-clothed; sketch (2006)
- Bel Thorne by Madlore. Monochrome digital art portrait (2007)
- Bel Thorne by Gemmiona. In dress uniform; digital art (2008)
- Bel Thorne-2 by Gemmiona. A very feminine version; digital art (2010)
- another vorkosigan sketch dump! still massively inconsistent! still mostly bel! by Kelasparmak. Pencil sketches of Bel & other characters (2016)
References
- ^ a b "Espresso Recommendations: LM Bujold – Vorkosigan series: Bel Thorne". Retrieved 27 June 2016.