Bujold and the "John" problem

I've been on a Bujold reread kick for a while now. I've noticed that she manages to avoid one of the pitfalls that frequently bugs me about long-running series set in invented worlds, which I call the "John" problem.

The worst invented worlds use names that are totally random strings of syllables, with no sense that the names come from a real culture. One step up from that, and more commonly seen, is what I call "the John problem": all the names are utterly unique. As a sometime storyteller, I definitely see the value in having each character identifier be unique and unmistakable. However, if this technique is used over the course of a long work, or series of works, it starts to damage credibility. In the real world, partial (and even complete) names get re-used with great frequency. As the oldest active "Alex" in Carolingia, I'm acutely aware of the phenomenom :-)

But, as I said, Bujold does not fall prey to this problem. Barrayaran characters often have partial or complete names that have been used in previous books. The storyteller-urge seems to keep her from re-using names within a book (which is probably wise), but when you read several books in a row, you notice the occasional minor name being re-used. I approve.

Bujold and the "John" problem

I've been on a Bujold reread kick for a while now. I've noticed that she manages to avoid one of the pitfalls that frequently bugs me about long-running series set in invented worlds, which I call the "John" problem.

The worst invented worlds use names that are totally random strings of syllables, with no sense that the names come from a real culture. One step up from that, and more commonly seen, is what I call "the John problem": all the names are utterly unique. As a sometime storyteller, I definitely see the value in having each character identifier be unique and unmistakable. However, if this technique is used over the course of a long work, or series of works, it starts to damage credibility. In the real world, partial (and even complete) names get re-used with great frequency. As the oldest active "Alex" in Carolingia, I'm acutely aware of the phenomenom :-)

But, as I said, Bujold does not fall prey to this problem. Barrayaran characters often have partial or complete names that have been used in previous books. The storyteller-urge seems to keep her from re-using names within a book (which is probably wise), but when you read several books in a row, you notice the occasional minor name being re-used. I approve.