Taura
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Taura |
| Occupation: | mercenary soldier |
| Relationships: | Miles Vorkosigan (lover, boss), Roic (lover), Dr Cannaba (creator), Bel Thorne & Elli Quinn (colleagues) |
| Fandom: | Vorkosigan Saga |
| Other: | Taura on the Vorkosigan Wiki |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Taura is a minor character in the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. A human genetically engineered to be an ideal soldier on Jackson's Whole, she is rescued by Miles & subsequently works as a mercenary. Her non-human genes give her extreme height, claws & fangs, an extremely high metabolic rate & very short lifespan. Her taste for pink frilly clothes is played for laughs given her appearance. The character is introduced in 'Labyrinth', appears in Mirror Dance, and plays an important role in 'Winterfair Gifts'.
Fannish Opinion
One of the most beautiful love scenes I have ever read in our field happens in Lois McMaster Bujold’s Labyrinth. In it, Miles Vorkosigan (dwarfish, twisted, odd looking) makes love to Taura, a genetically modified human that was designed to be a killing machine. She is seven foot tall, covered in rat blood, and has fangs. He does it at her request, to prove that he sees her as human and worthy of saving. And the act of making love transforms them both into people worthy of love. ...
Taura is a fan favorite among Bujold’s following. She unlike many of Miles’ other lovers, is not standard pretty. But her strength and competence and inner pain make us all love her. Make your character strong, clever and competent and that is all we will need to root for her, and to take pleasure in her love affairs. (Hilary Moon Murphy)[1]
Fandom
Taura is a well-loved character but receives relatively little in the way of fanworks. Discussion often focuses on her as an unusual example of a female soldier. Gen fanfiction tends to the angsty vignette; it often deals with her short life expectancy, aging, death & the afterlife. She also appears in a few crossovers. Her canonical relationship with Miles was listed as a major het pairing in the Crack Van overview of 2006,[2] but is much less popular as of 2016. Since the publication of 'Winterfair Gifts', her canonical relationship with Miles' armsman Roic has gained a small following. Her unusual appearance & taste in clothing has inspired some fan artists.
Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fanfiction
- Legacy by Greg Slade. Mark & Taura, in an early take on her aging (1998)
- Lies by Mamadeb. Angsty Taura/Roic at the end of her life (2005)
- The Taura-Tara Nexus by keswindhover. Crossover with Buffy. Taura/Tara Maclay in the afterlife (2006)
- Minotaur by Glishara. A rare piece about Taura on Jackson Whole, before she meets Miles (2007)
- Handle It by Valentinite. Action short (2009)
- Personal Defence by fawatson. Taura & Elli mission (2013)
- Pillow Talk by Minutia_R. Taura/Roic (2013)
- How to Gather Rosebuds by kaffyrutsky. Crossover with Doctor Who, set during 'Winterfair Gifts' (2014)
Fan Art
- Miles & Taura by Didodikali. Cartoon sketch (2005)
- Pink Taura by duVallonFecit. Digital art (2007)
- Taura by gemmiona. The wedding outfit; digital art (2008)
- Taura by gemmiona. Mercenary; digital art (2008)
- Taura by ALF874. Anime-style digital art (2011)
- Taura and Gregor playing chess by AmiMercredire. Fanfiction illustration with Gregor; digital art (2014)
- Sergant Taura by Hloramin. Pencil sketch portrait (2016)
Meta
References
- ^ In the comments to wordsfromtheherd: Plain Female Protagonists (accessed 28 June 2016)
- ^ crack-van: Vorkosigan Universe: An Overview (accessed 28 June 2016)