Other Science Fiction Series

Does anyone else like Orson Scott Card?

POSTED BY: rita
UPDATED: Saturday, March 13, 2004 18:31
VIEWED: 10920
PAGE 3 of 4

DRAGONFLYDIRECTOR

Monday, February 16, 2004 8:06 PM

OK, Thanks. I understand now.

Remember this, I myself tried to show the other perspective.

This may help since no one has asked this till now ...

What HAVE you read by OSC?

Capn Rahn's list {incomplete} :
A Planet Called Treason
Songmaster
The Abyss
Return to Earth Series
Lost Boys
Lovelock
Ender Series
Wyrms
Pastwatch
The Changed Man
Maps in A Mirror

OK, my novel and short story list is incomplete, but a good start.

Now- What have YOU read of OSC stuff? {even his various monographs}

Then we can compare our differing perspectives.

EDIT

Quote:
by SwizzlePits
What is the difference between "Treason" and "Planet Called Treason"?

Nothing really, the first several printings were "A Planet Called Treason" then the most recent printings title was shortened to just "Treason".

A publishing ploy that has cropped up in the past several years. A ploy that seems to save any legal hassles with the original publisher. Weird stuff, publication rights.

Actually Knibblet would seem to know more about legalities than I.

"Observe Analyze & Respond"
Motto of the A.P.E.s
Alliance Protean Engineers

PALEHORSE

Monday, February 16, 2004 8:21 PM

Shiny, and anyone else offended by my comments, I appologize for the tone of my statements. I am not trying to say that your oppinion is invalid, I'm just trying to refute the claim that the Bean books were "trying to live off the reflected glory of the first..." Ender book.

I'm sure there are reasons for your dislike, but I am wondering whether you have looked at the Bean books in this light.

If one ignores current events, these books could be viewed as a slightly sentimental tale of three self pitying boys and one over accomodating girl.

If one ignores history blended with current events, Firefly could be viewed as wittily written fluff, with a little sexual tension thrown in for mass market appeal.

What made sci-fi a relevant forum in the first place is the same thing that makes great sci-fi today. Analogy.

Don't fool yourself, Firefly was written as a charachter study wherein a crew tackles current day issues crouched as "space-western" back ground.

-Bean himself is a study in the benefits/hazards of genetic experimentation.
-Sister Carlotta addresses the Chuch's revised stance on original sin
-In a world with the inability to use nukes(due to threat from above)the Battle School graduates represent nuclear prolifferation.
-India and Pakistan are both nuclear powers today, they are in promising peace talks today
-India features the greatest population growth with the greatest need for outside food sources
-The US is incredibly reliant upon manufacturing trade with China right now, with this reliance being non-reciprocal.
-In order to offset our reliance with China US companies are throwing money at India in the form of offshore employment( just call customer support for tech assist after normal bis hours to see what I mean)
-With these contracts in place the US is somewhat safe, as it would be a stike at India's economy for China to wage war on us, and a strike to China's for India to do so
-The death rate in America now exceedes the birth rate, while we also hold the greatest food production. These factors would make us the greatest target in the next 25-50 years(population controls internationally being what they are)
-The US economy cannot support a sustained military presence without foreign governments paying us. And we have burned many foreign relations bridges throughout our history.

I think Card did a good job of showing a more than possible future, that's all.

There were prodigies and portents enough, One-Eye says. We must blame ourselves for misinterpreting them. One-Eye's handicap in no way impairs his marvelous hindsight.

ARCPLAYER

Monday, February 16, 2004 8:37 PM

I liked Enders Game and the alternate history of the
US in the Alvin series. Haven't read much else of his.

Shindig is playing while I post this.

HJERMSTED

Monday, February 16, 2004 9:15 PM

Somehow O.S. Card the sci-fi and fantasy writer and O.S. Card the every day person are two halves of a split personality.

I never feel overly preached down to when reading Card's books nor do I get even a whisp of conservative politics... quite the opposite in fact. I find progressive and libertarian philosophies in most of his works.

However... when I visit O.S. Card's website ( http://www.hatrack.com/) I feel as if someone turned on an AM radio opinion show and that Rush Limbaugh is behind Card whispering in his ear. His politics are that conservative. It's the typical family-values mantra... make the world safe for five year olds kinda stuff with no consideration that adults need to lead adult lives. Also there is some of that no change is good change junk posted there.

But I've learned to differentiate between Card the innovative writer and Card the PTA member though and still look foreward to his new books.

In fact, I just finished the newest Alvin Maker book The Crystal City. Aside from the revelation at the end that the Crystal City we've been hearing about since early on in the series is going to be referred to as a tabernacle... It was a great book!

RE: Treason and A Planet Called Treason...

Treason is the updated version I do believe. Card wrote A Planet Called Treason when he was young and spiffed it up for re-release after Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead won all those awards.

mattro

KNIBBLET

Monday, February 16, 2004 9:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DragonFlyDirector:
Quote:
by SwizzlePits
What is the difference between "Treason" and "Planet Called Treason"?
Nothing really, the first several printings were "A Planet Called Treason" then the most recent printings title was shortened to just "Treason".

A publishing ploy that has cropped up in the past several years. A ploy that seems to save any legal hassles with the original publisher. Weird stuff, publication rights.

Actually Knibblet would seem to know more about legalities than I

They do like to mess with stuffs. I didn't study enough about that to pontificate. I do know that my aunt lost the rights to her name for 10 years when she left Regency Romances to write for Silhouette. She got it back three years ago and Nina Pykare is published under her own name again.
Logic would tell us that changing the name slightly protects the original publisher's rights to the first name (if they have no intention of reprinting the book) while allowing them to sell the reprinting rights and earning cash that way.

"Just keep walkin, preacher man."

DRAGONFLYDIRECTOR

Monday, February 16, 2004 9:56 PM

Thanks Knibblet!

"Observe Analyze & Respond"
Motto of the A.P.E.s
Alliance Protean Engineers

PALEHORSE

Monday, February 16, 2004 11:51 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by arcplayer:
I liked Enders Game and the alternate history of the
US in the Alvin series. Haven't read much else of his.

Shindig is playing while I post this.

Just remember that he wrote "2001:..."

The other Ender books are philosophic studies of the human race's view of the things we don't understand and the effects of genocide. Don't get me wrong, they can still be enjoyable. As you've seen, some like them and some do not.

The Shadow books, I think are great fun and have a lot of references to the world we know.

"Enchantment" is a cool treatment of the Sleeping Beauty tale, returning it to the russian root with Baba Yaga thrown in for good measure. I thought it was a hoot.

There were prodigies and portents enough, One-Eye says. We must blame ourselves for misinterpreting them. One-Eye's handicap in no way impairs his marvelous hindsight.

PALEHORSE

Monday, February 16, 2004 11:57 PM

OOOPS!

Arthur C Clarcke : "2001:..."

I'm a goof.

There were prodigies and portents enough, One-Eye says. We must blame ourselves for misinterpreting them. One-Eye's handicap in no way impairs his marvelous hindsight.

SERENA

Tuesday, February 17, 2004 12:20 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hjermsted:
Somehow O.S. Card the sci-fi and fantasy writer and O.S. Card the every day person are two halves of a split personality.
...
However... when I visit O.S. Card's website ... His politics are that conservative. It's the typical family-values mantra...

I think you'll find OSC's values reflect the fact that he is a card carrying Mormon, which is amazing considering I have rarely found explicit evidence of the philosophies of that religion in his writing.

"Every well bred, petty crook knows that the small, concealable weapons always go to the far left of the place setting."

DJKILLJ0Y

Wednesday, March 3, 2004 6:49 AM

Yes indeed, it is also bit interesting to note that he has written religiously themed novels as well about biblical characters.

Overall, I think he's a developed "working" writer who creates the occasional work of sheer genius. A bit like Ray Bradbury, in my opinion, though I find I can dive into a Bradbury book and usually not come away disappointed.