Editing Vorkosigan Saga (section)

==="Vorkosiverse"===
Humanity has colonized a galaxy in which there are no competing intelligent species. Since then (at least 400 years before ''Falling Free'' or 600 years before ''Shards of Honor''), dozens of planets have been colonized and have developed divergent cultures.<ref name="timelines">Based on the timeline and map in the Appendices of ''The Vorkosigan Companion''.</ref> Barrayar was colonized and then lost contact with the rest of the galaxy, suffering a "Time of Isolation", after which it was reconnected. Due to apparent nuclear warfare that has left large areas too radioactive to inhabit, low [[genetic diversity]] on Barrayar during the time of isolation, as well as the effects of mutagenic compounds found in native Barrayaran plants, a cultural phobia about mutation developed that leads to a high level of [[xenophobia]]. Within the series, exploration and colonization of new planets is still ongoing, most notably on the planet Sergyar.

Interstellar travel is achieved by "jumping" from solar system to solar system via spatial anomalies known as [[wormholes]] that create tunnels in a five-dimensional space. Typically wormholes are bracketed by space stations, military or commercial, which provide ports for jump travel. Stations may be owned by planetary governments, or by specific commercial organizations, or they may be completely independent of any planetary organization.  Barrayar's original wormhole collapsed, a rare event leading to the Time of Isolation. Barrayar was later re-discovered via a wormhole jump from [[Komarr]]. Komarr allows the neighboring Cetagandan empire to use their wormhole to conquer Barrayar, and is later conquered in its turn when Barrayar eventually defeats the Cetagandans.

The stories feature several planetary systems, each with its own political organization, including government by corporate democracy, rule by criminal corporations, monarchies, empires and direct democracies. In most cases, there is a single government which dominates the entire planet (exceptions include Jackson's Whole and Earth). Both Cetaganda and Barrayar have empires, acquired by conquering other planets via neighboring wormholes.

As a tool to simplify the writing process, Bujold devises a standard system of timekeeping universal to all planets regardless of the length of their day and year. Bujold herself has commented that her posited system is neither technologically nor economically feasible, but is rather a convenience for storytelling.<ref name="convenience">See {{cite web |last=Bujold |first=Lois McMaster |url=http://www.dendarii.com/space_opera.html |title=Space Opera, Miles and Me |year=2007}}</ref>