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Orson Scott Card - RAGE

Eregion2

Posted: September 19, 2009 07:33 pm

IRC Nickname: Wayne|Eregion2
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You probably know Orson Scott Card from reading Ender's Game (1986) and the appended Ender's Saga. I know him as being of the most bizarre authors I've ever read because the books early in his career are AMAZING while in the last twenty years I'd classify it all collectively as a mix of senility and epic retardation worthy of Rikers.

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There's an eight-year window (1979 through 1987) where Card could write BRILLIANTLY. I mean, no shit, they're some of the best fiction I've ever read. Songmaster was so amazing I had to STOP READING and walk off the adrenaline, and it's also one of the first novels he ever published. Then we get up to Ender's Game in 1986. After that?

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Card has the honor of being my favorite and most hated author all at once. His books aren't just fiction, they've got BACKBONE. You'll know what I mean if you've read Ender's Game; Card writes stories that mean something in today's world. Even kids who pick up Ender's Game realize there's something different about it. They're stories that exercise your mind.

But recently, Card's become a bit of an extremist. Empire (2006) is a horrible depiction of how the United States could become a military dictatorship when a rogue general takes over New York City with technology that reeks of Star Wars, leading to a civil war situation between democrats and republicans. WHAT. THE. HELL.

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^ I'm aiming for the first panel there. If Card's earlier books are so great, why don't we hear about them? It's because he did tons of stuff that's extremely taboo in young adult fiction, especially for when they were written. Main characters who are homosexual or bisexual, Good guys who aren't good and bad guys who are morally justified? That's too confusing!

Before Ender's Game, Card was thinking a hell of a lot like Rat, and it made for AMAZING stories. When I read Songmaster it blew me THE FUCK away. But then Ender's Game happened, and Card realized that sympathetic innocent main characters who aren't responsible for the actions of big bad governments sells easier. The customer is right, right?

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So anyway, Card's writing ability is in the crapper as another casualty of applied commercialism. But his early books are seriously worth reading. Ender's Game not only suffered by having a sympathetic main character, but also a relatively simple plot and morally straightforward characters. If you want to see what he could tackle early on, check out any of these books below:

Songmaster (1979): One of Card's first published novels, and critically considered the best he's ever written. Songbirds are children trained at a prestigious school on a solitary planet. They are able to reflect and amplify their listeners' thoughts and emotions through song, and no one who hears a Songbird sing is unchanged by the experience. Songmaster is literally the single most impacting novel I've ever read, and I guarantee it'll blow your mind every few pages. Like Ender's Game, it's based on an earlier short story called Mikal's Songbird.

Hart's Hope (1983): This is probably Card's most controversial novel. It's pure fantasy, and it's thesis is rather similar to the short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, if you've ever had to read that one for English class. It's probably also Card's most morally convoluted story, involving prepubescent rape, adultery, ritual sacrifice and murder. Although not quite as thought provoking as Wyrms, the characterization is exceptional and it's a fascinating read. It also best reflects Card's background as a conservative Mormon.

Wyrms (1987): Wyrms is a mix of fantasy and science fiction, and is also Card's most theological/philosophical novel. Intergalactic settlers are stranded on a distant planet with practically no metal or advanced technology, effectively knocking them back to the middle ages. Card gets into some pretty heavy philosophy, especially about the metaphysical concept of the tripartite soul (desire, reason, and the human spirit). You can begin to see Card's storytelling degrading, but it's still very far from being crippled.

There are others, of course. Treason (1978) is one that I haven't had time to read as yet - the concept doesn't sound particularly appealing to me, but I'll check it out eventually and probably regret not reading it ages ago. Card has written MASSIVE amounts of short stories summed up in several anthologies. Songmaster and Ender's Game are just two major novels based of earlier short stories. So! That's my sales pitch. GO READ THEM NOW.

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Quikdrawjoe

Posted: September 19, 2009 08:35 pm

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I'll have to check out some of those books as I've only read the books related to Ender's Game.

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July 5, 2007 - June 27, 2011

Renegade3540

Posted: September 20, 2009 09:24 am

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This is something that bugs about a lot of books/movies/anime/series.

The fact that everything has to end with a happy ending where everything is alright and everything turns out just fine. The fact is there is no such thing as a complete happy ending. To get to the end sacrifices have to be made and choices have to be taken. Choosing something means not choosing something else and that's something that get me down about a lot of ending of great fiction plots.

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WG_Keanu

Posted: September 20, 2009 06:22 pm

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QUOTE (Renegade3540 @ September 20, 2009 10:24 am)

The fact that everything has to end with a happy ending where everything is alright and everything turns out just fine.

Not neccesarily - Frankenstein and Macbeth are two good examples.

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[05:42] <+WG_Keanu> I think I got a semi just looking at the pic
[05:42] <%kat> same

For Sooth

Posted: September 20, 2009 06:33 pm

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A very well written post.
I found that Enders Game was one if not the best book i've ever read.
Also I found that Shadow of the Giant was well written, but The following books were not as good.

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Dragon boots:29 Whips:2

WG_Aaron

Posted: September 20, 2009 10:10 pm

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Enders game was the most amazing book I've ever read. Changed how I thought about alot of things

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Chimpy

Posted: September 20, 2009 10:22 pm

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who reads?

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Sonixpber

Posted: September 20, 2009 10:46 pm

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Err.. I was reading Ender's game for freshmen year's summer reading, and I hated it. I only read 100 pages, but if its so good then 100 pages should be enough to get you hooked.. I don't know =\.

I'm not much of a reader anyways, that's probably why.

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Renegade3540

Posted: September 21, 2009 12:20 am

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QUOTE (WG_Keanu @ September 20, 2009 01:22 pm)

QUOTE (Renegade3540 @ September 20, 2009 10:24 am)

The fact that everything has to end with a happy ending where everything is alright and everything turns out just fine.

Not neccesarily - Frankenstein and Macbeth are two good examples.

That's the point I was trying to make.

Not a lot of commercial books like to go down that road because they're too scared.

I personally enjoy books with endings that have a bit of both. (not neccesarily completely depressing but not a happy everything is alright end either.)

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Eregion2

Posted: September 21, 2009 03:57 am

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QUOTE (Sonixpber @ September 20, 2009 05:46 pm)

Sure it wasn't just because it was assigned reading? I found that I pretty much instantly hated anything I had to read for class even if I would have liked it in any other setting.

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Eregion2

Posted: November 7, 2009 07:36 pm

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Rebumpage. I've reread Songmaster and a bit of Hart's Hope. Those links will take you to their previews on google books if you're interested. My current theory is that Orson Scott Card was abducted by aliens in 1987 and replaced with a biosynthetic doppelganger designed to systematically undermine intelligent young adult literature as a pre-phase to an alien invasion.

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Flame Outlaw

Posted: November 7, 2009 07:48 pm

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I loved Ender's Game, I read it my freshman year, and instantly became one of my favorite books of all time. I have also read all the sequel, and read all of the side story of Bean.

I have also read Empire, and would agree it was out there, a bit fanatic even. I wouldn't say it was a horribly written book. Dry and far fetched, but well written.

I would definitely say that his instant classics of Wyrms and Ender's Game make up for Empire

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Eregion2

Posted: February 2, 2010 03:21 pm

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I just found The Worthing Saga (1991). So far it's not written very well, and Card seems to get a kick out of giving a few of his characters rather strange names -- how can you take someone named Elmo seriously, seriously -- but there's something about it that's just overtly raw that makes me want to read it.

Like here:

QUOTE

Sala raised her head above the edge of her bed and said,
"The angels are gone, Mama. No one watches us anymore."

That sentence has NO RIGHT to be as creepy as it was when I hit it in the book.
I think I've still got goosebumps. It's uncanny.

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