I don't think I've ever felt this proud.
- Thread starter TJinLOCA
- Start date
God, for a second i thought you said, "Bender's Game." 
Noooo, he finished that quite awhile ago. And I have no particular reason to be proud of it.God, for a second i thought you said, "Bender's Game."
It's my 15-year-old daughter's absolute favorite book, and it's in the top 5 or 10 of everyone else in our family.
He was the only one left that hadn't read it - I feel as if we're all part of the same cult now. 
"One of us! One of us!"
I read it in university, and I kind of wish I hadn't, because it means that Orson Scott Card got some of my money. The man is a serious homophobe (though he denies it - he just wants to prevent us from having equal rights 
). His general political beliefs are pretty odious, too.
). His general political beliefs are pretty odious, too.
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Yeah, Orson Scott Card is a bit of a prick in person from what I understand. Nevertheless, I can't allow my personal opinion of the creator stop me from enjoying whatever creative works I happen to enjoy. If I did, I'd have to throw a lot of things in the garbage- and that just won't do.
With that being said, it's been a while since I read Ender's Game. But I do recall digging it a fair bit. I also enjoyed Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus and would certianly recommend it.
With that being said, it's been a while since I read Ender's Game. But I do recall digging it a fair bit. I also enjoyed Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus and would certianly recommend it.
Sometimes I feel a similar way -- for example, I can still enjoy a film with Tom Cruise or Mel Gibson, even though I think they're both nutjobs.
When it comes to a literary piece, however, where there is usually only one creative mind at work (the author's), my personal opinion of that individual seems to factor in a lot more. Orson Scott Card really rubs me the wrong way; I find his viewpoints ignorant and offensive. As such, I have no desire to read any of his books. True, Ender's Game is (mostly) well-regarded by literary sci-fi aficionados, and I admit that makes me a tad curious about it, but that curiosity is outweighed by my personal distaste for Card.
Anyway, that's just my personal opinion, for whatever little it's worth. TJinLOCA, I understand your pride though. It's always great to see kids reading books... even when I'm not particularly fond of the author.
I'm with Daneel on this one.
I have no trouble separating the guy's personal opinions from his brilliant writing (especially in his early books). Some of the sequels got a bit wonky, but "Ender's Game" is still, IMO, one of the finest SF books ever written. I'm not worried about it turning my son into a homophobe ... I'm just thrilled that he's reading such serious & challenging books at the age of 10.
Now I just have to get the kid to read Robert J. Sawyer.
Now I just have to get the kid to read Robert J. Sawyer.
I should get that one for my Niece and Nephew; it's about time they starting reading real SF. Congrats to your son. 
I understand where you're coming from, but, as someone who read Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead long before being aware that Card lived in fuckwit territory, the books really don't come across as having been crafted by an intolerant bigot. If anything, Speaker for the Dead is the exact opposite, a moving plea for compassion and tolerance wrapped in a tragedy about how horrible things happen to good people (and alien species).
I don't know, maybe his first novels and his current political blogs were written by two different Orson Scott Cards.
Invasion of the body snatchers!I don't know, maybe his first novels and his current political blogs were written by two different Orson Scott Cards.
I saw him do his "Secular Humanist Revival Meeting" at a long-ago Worldcon, and it was fabulous ... he was the darling of liberals and non-extremist religious folks for quite awhile with that gig. I'm not sure when he went off the deep end, but he seemed more than sane back then. It really is hard to believe he's the same guy.
Despite his freakazoid politics today, I still love his old books.
I'm not familiar with that; do tell.
It was amazing - he led a huge ballroom of people in an old-style revival meeting, playing the part of a fire-and-brimstone preacher - for secular humanism. It was a diatribe against prayer in schools and the teaching of creationism, done with all the verve and showmanship of the best evangelists. I have a cassette tape of it somewhere - it's absolutely inspirational.
Apparently his church got upset that he was doing it, and he toned it down and eventually stopped doing it completely. But it was absolutely wonderful, and it's one of my best convention memories!
Too bad he's a nutcase now.
Now I just have to get the kid to read Robert J. Sawyer.
Well, Rob does have a new book that just came out recently (Wake, part one of a planned trilogy), and Flash Forward is being made into a TV series (it was picked up for a full season by ABC). Maybe the series will get him interested in reading the book.
(Edit: my "this is me" avatar is from a photo taken by Rob at a party at his home. I mention this only because it makes Kommander insanely jealous.
)
Now I just have to get the kid to read Robert J. Sawyer.
Well, Rob does have a new book that just came out recently (Wake, part one of a planned trilogy), and Flash Forward is being made into a TV series (it was picked up for a full season by ABC). Maybe the series will get him interested in reading the book.
I haven't read Wake (yet), but Flash Forward is a good starting point. Alternately, if he's like the vast majority of ten year-old boys, the Far-Seer trilogy might be a good bet because of the DINOSAURS! factor
Oh, fantastic news! I've been waiting for a new Sawyer ... "Rollback" was wonderful, and I've been dying for a new book. I'm actually reading "Iterations," one of his story collections, right now.
Yeah, he expressed interest in that one when his older sister was reading it, but I thought at the time the dinosaur sex scenes might be a tad bit too much.
We got Sawyer to autograph my daughter's copy of Far-Seer at DragonCon a few years ago, and she told him that the particular phrase "puffy dewlap" in the sex scenes cracked her up. She said it sounded like the name of a rapper, and he immediately launched into an impromptu dinosaur rap:
"My name is Robert J. and I write dinosaur sex,
I hang with the raptors and the T-Rex ..." etc.
You get the idea. God, I love that man.
My 10-year-old son just finished "Ender's Game" and can't stop talking about it.
I am such a proud mother! Not to mention a hopeless SF geek.
That's a great sign, must be a smart kid! There was probably a lot that went over his head, but the fact that he was able to get through it at age 10 is pretty remarkable.
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