"Virgins" FAQ

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about Diana Gabaldon's novella, "Virgins". (Last updated November 17, 2016)

1) What is "Virgins"?

"Virgins" is a novella (about 28,300 words) by Diana Gabaldon that tells the story of Jamie Fraser and Ian Murray as very young mercenaries in France, before Jamie met Claire.

2) Where can I find it?

The story is available in three different formats:



E-BOOK: A standalone e-book edition of "Virgins" was published on April 8, 2016.  You can download it here:

Kindle
Nook



HARDCOVER: The DANGEROUS WOMEN anthology, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, was published in hardcover on December 3, 2013. This anthology includes stories by a number of different authors, including Diana Gabaldon and her son, Sam Sykes. For a complete list of the stories in this book, look here.



PAPERBACK: "Virgins" is also available in mass-market paperback format, as part of the DANGEROUS WOMEN 2 anthology, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.

3) Where does "Virgins" fit into the chronology of the OUTLANDER books?

It takes place before Jamie met Claire. Jamie is 19 years old in this story, and his best friend Ian is 20.

4) How can I get an autographed copy of DANGEROUS WOMEN?

You can order autographed copies of all of Diana Gabaldon's books, including DANGEROUS WOMEN, from the Poisoned Pen bookstore, in Scottsdale, Arizona. This is Diana's local bookstore, and they ship all over the world. Their staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about Diana's books.

5) Where can I go to discuss "Virgins"?

There's a thread on Compuserve here.

6) Is there an audio version of "Virgins"?



Yes! The standalone audio version of "Virgins" was released on April 8, 2016. It's narrated by Allan Scott-Douglas, who sang the part of Jamie on the OUTLANDER: The Musical CD that was produced in 2010. The audio version of "Virgins" is 3 hours 3 minutes long.



7) I live outside the US/Canada. How can I get a copy of DANGEROUS WOMEN?

The UK edition of DANGEROUS WOMEN was published on December 3, 2013. The photo above shows the cover of the UK edition.



8) Is it true that there is a reference to "Virgins" in the OUTLANDER TV series?

Yes! Ian's comment to Jamie in Episode 113, "The Watch", is a direct quote from this story:

“Well, if ye’re goin' to Hell, I might as well go, too. God knows, ye’ll never manage alone.”

9) What about the special UK hardcover edition?



A special hardcover edition of "Virgins" was published in the UK and Australia on November 17, 2016.

I admit that I was baffled when I heard about this. A hardcover edition of a story that's only 79 pages long in the e-book version? Diana Gabaldon replied to my question on Compuserve as follows:

It's what they call a B Format hardcover, which is slightly smaller than a regular one.  They then use large type and generous spacing--and added (at my suggestion) _three_ chapters of OUTLANDER, rather than just the first.  (My reasoning being that it didn't make sense to add the first chapter, as Jamie isn't in it, and there's no apparent connection to VIRGINS.  By using the first _three-, they at least get to the place where Claire's sitting on his chest, keeping him from bleeding to death.)

You can order this new edition on Amazon UK here. It's available in print or e-book format.