Mirror Universe Progression

[Mr. Domino]

Ok, so several reading lists on here have pointed me towards needing to read the Mirror Universe Saga in this order:

Glass Empires
The Sorrows of Empire
Obsidian Alliances
Shards and Shadows
Warpath
Fearful Symmetry
The Soul Key
Rise Like Lions

However, I've found out that The Sorrows of Empire, or at least a The Sorrows of Empire is in Glass Empires - my question is, if I get Glass Empires, do I need the standalone MMPB release of The Sorrows of Empire? Is it expanded or changed in any way, or is it just a separate release of that story?

 

[Skywalker]

The separate release of The Sorrows of Empire is indeed an expanded version of the original story. I've never read either, so I can't say exactly what it expands upon, but I know it's not just a re-release of the story found in Glass Empires.

 

[ATimson]

The separate release of The Sorrows of Empire is indeed an expanded version of the original story. I've never read either, so I can't say exactly what it expands upon, but I know it's not just a re-release of the story found in Glass Empires.

At this remove, I don't remember exactly what was expanded on either. But it's almost twice the length of the original; it's quite a substantial update.

 

[Sci]

The expanded version of The Sorrows of Empire is indeed twice as long as the version that appears in Glass Empires. It greatly improves upon the (already excellent) original story, and adds some really, really important details to Spock's campaign that are followed up on in Rise Like Lions.

 

[captcalhoun]

i could tell you what was expanded upon, but then i'd spoil you.

 

[Thrawn]

Yeah. You really want the full-length MMPB. Totally worth it. Read the MMPB where you would read the Glass Empires story; between the ENT and TNG tales in Glass Empires.

 

[Christopher]

The short version of The Sorrows of Empire had 15 chapters; the expanded version has 50, with the new material being chapters 3-4, 6-22, 25, 27-32, 36-38, 41-44, 46, and 48. A lot of those added chapters are short, though, so I'm not sure how the books compare in word count.

 

[Sci]

The short version of The Sorrows of Empire had 15 chapters; the expanded version has 50, with the new material being chapters 3-4, 6-22, 25, 27-32, 36-38, 41-44, 46, and 48. A lot of those added chapters are short, though, so I'm not sure how the books compare in word count.

David Mack has indicated that the new material has almost doubled the word count, IIRC.

 

[DarkHorizon]

^An additional 40-50,000 words was the figure given at the time.

 

[Mr. Domino]

Alright, sounds great - just didn't want to double-buy if it proved to be unnecessary.

 

[Defcon]

Here's part of what David said about the expanded version in my December 2009 interview with him:

The fact that the novel is an expansion of an existing story might lead to scepticism amongst readers as to whether the new version is worth buying. What, in David’s opinion, makes the new Sorrows a worthwhile read? “The first reason is that the new novel is more than twice the length of the original, clocking in at around 92,000 words.” But quantity isn’t everything, so David has made sure to improve the existing material, too. “In the course of adding new material, mostly in the form of new chapters, I have also taken the opportunity to streamline much of the original work. In some cases this was done to mesh old and new material; in other cases I was addressing stylistic issues, tweaking my word choices, or otherwise applying the lessons I have learned in the last few years since I wrote the original.”


The expansion has also given him the chance to explore some plot elements and characters which were sidelined in the short novel in more depth. “I’ve plumbed deeper into characters other than Spock,” he reveals, “and I’ve detailed at least one event from each of the 28 years spanned by the story. Marlena’s point of view is given greater examination, and I’ve worked to better integrate the characters who previously had made only cameos – in particular, Saavik and, to a lesser degree, T’Prynn from the Vanguard series.”