ENDERVERSE.com
Everything in the known “Ender’s Game Universe”. And nothing that’s not.
Should Ender’s Game be judged by it’s author?
Ever had a hard time reconciling your feelings about Ender’s Game, the author who wrote it, and the ideas that he expounds in other venues? Did those ideas somehow shape the content of the book? And if so, is it appropriate to appreciate a book out of the context of which it was written, or can it stand alone and transcend the author’s political views?
Matt Blum @ Wired dealt with OSC’s position on same-sex marriage, asserting that “We need a way to gauge the quality of a person’s work against whatever repugnant thing(s) they’ve done.”
I’ll let you be the judge on that one; make your own analysis on the arguments outlined in either of these articles. Is his analysis on OSC’s arguments correct or fair? Are OSC’s outlined implications for democracy just a thinly veiled disguise for an ideological attack on gay rights activists? Perhaps it’s a bit of both. But regardless of the truth of this particular argument, even if OSC were a gay-bashing religious zealot that only used language to manipulate his readers with red herrings to further his agenda, would that mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater?
I think it’s a fair question. Can we judge a work out of the context in which it was created; or can we reinterpret the work in it’s more modern context, apart from the author’s evolving policial ideas? If the story stands alone as a work that can be applied to the world we live in, shouldn’t we take all the other stuff with a grain of salt? Or are we better off seeing the whole picture, even if it’s distorted by the layered lenses of perception? After all, the real power of storytelling, whether it come from a bible or a science fiction eipc, is in it’s osmosis-like ability to help us learn about and navigate the world around us.
So if Ender’s Game teaches us about the world we live in, what are the lessons?
Was Harry Potter a rip off of Ender’s Game?
According to OSC, sure looks to be that way. Last April, he had this to say:
A young kid growing up in an oppressive family situation suddenly learns that he is one of a special class of children with special abilities, who are to be educated in a remote training facility where student life is dominated by an intense game played by teams flying in midair, at which this kid turns out to be exceptionally talented and a natural leader. He trains other kids in unauthorized extra sessions, which enrages his enemies, who attack him with the intention of killing him; but he is protected by his loyal, brilliant friends and gains strength from the love of some of his family members. He is given special guidance by an older man of legendary accomplishments who previously kept the enemy at bay. He goes on to become the crucial figure in a struggle against an unseen enemy who threatens the whole world.
Sure sounds familiar. But is that a fair assessment? Leave your comments below.
Ender’s Game comic featured at Comic-Con 2008 this weekend
Entertainment Weekly featured these two screenshots from the new Ender’s Game comic being featured at this week’s Comic-Con 2008:
Orson Scott Card dons teachers cap this Saturday at ComicCon 2008
Orson Scott Card is scheduled to conduct a workshop in San Diego this weekend on making it in the comics biz. From the ComicCon 2008 Saturday schedule page:
6:00-7:00 Impact University: How to Write and Draw Comics and Graphic Novels— Some of the biggest names in comics are on hand to teach you what it takes to make it in comics and graphic novels. The star-studded faculty includes Peter David (Dark Tower, X-Factor), Orson Scott Card Ender’s Game, Wyrms), Colleen Doran (A Distant Soil, Sandman), Brian Miller (Hi-Fi Color Design), and Comics Buyer’s Guide senior editor Maggie Thompson. Find out the best way to submit your work, learn the dos and don’ts of the business, and participate in a Q&A session. Room 7AB
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Bender’s Game “Sneak Peek” Video Released
As reported on Wired.com’s Underwire Blog:
The third episode should please Futurama and sci-fi fans alike: Bender’s Game is ripe with nerd references and tributes to geek lore.
In addition to the telltale title riff on Orson Scott Card’s 1985 sci-fi novel Ender’s Game, Star Trek’s George Takei guest stars as himself in the new movie. Multiple homages to Dungeons & Dragons and The Lord of the Rings also can be seen in the preview (above).
Video: Marvel Interviews Orson Scott Card about Ender’s Game Comic Books
Orson Scott Card dishes on the announcement that Marvel Comics have opted the rights to publish both Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow; think “story board” for the Ender’s Game movie.
Ender’s Game listed #59 on the Modern Library’s “100 Best Novels” list
Random House keeps a list of what they consider to be the 100 Best Novels of the “Modern Library”; Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game comes is listed at #59! “Cult Classic” my butt.
Video Interview: Chair discusses the new “Battle Room” video game
Great new games coming your way from XBOX Live arcade
While we’re optimistically skeptical about the development of the Ender’s Game video game “Battle Room”, it’s heartening to hear Chair Entertainment’s Donald Mustard talk about wanting to “not ruin” the franchise, and that he suspects this will be one of the more “fully featured” games we’ve seen in the modern downloadable games space.
It’s actually a great interview, covering a bit of Chair’s history and relationship with OSC. They apparently approached Orson Scott Card to write the book “Empire” for the video game of the same title, rather than the typically “other way around” hollywood approach; and that project eventually led to discussions around the Ender’s Game franchise. Apparently, they were involved in both Advent Rising and the downloadable game Undertow; I’m not sure that’s a good sign (I tried Undertow last week, and got bored pretty quickly.)
Ender’s Game celebrates 30th Anniversary.
Found in an article in the Daily Hearald (Central Utah) reporting on a lecture Orson Scott Card gave at BYU.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Card’s best-selling science fiction novel, “Ender’s Game.”