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Orson Scott Card Reviews Everything

H_Fisher writes "Orson Scott Card, author of sci-fi classic Ender's Game and many other novels and stories, has posted his review of the much-discussed Joss Whedon film Serenity (which opened at #2 in the US box office this past weekend). Among other things, Card has this to say about Serenity: 'Those of you who know my work at all know about Ender's Game. I jealously protected the movie rights to Ender's Game so that it would not be filmed until it could be done right ... I'll tell you this right now: If Ender's Game can't be this kind of movie, and this good a movie, then I want it never to be made.'" With praise for Full House, Friends, Being John Malkovich, and Lost to boot.

10 of 552 comments (clear)

  1. If you are wondering by stoolpigeon · · Score: 5, Funny

    like I was. Here is the count of mentions from the body.
     
    Serenity: 7
    Ender's Game: 6
     
    So it really is more about Serenity.

    --
    It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
  2. You know... by Shads · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As a person I don't have alot of respect for OSC.

    However as a writer I have alot of respect for his work and his ability to tell an interesting and complex story. Enders Game and The Tales of Alvin Maker are great stories and series in and of themselves and I think it's nice to see someone who sticks to their guns for a change and won't let their movie be utterly butchered... like ULG's Wizard of Earthsea, that was so sad. :(

    That is about the absolute best review I've ever seen for any movie and it's enough to make me go see the movie several days sooner than I had planned... I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie now.

    Hopefully OSC can get someone to make Ender's Game the right way, hell I'd even settle for the Tales of Alvin Maker... (speaking of which there is an MMORPG coming out based on that-- same people who did A Tale in the Desert.)

    --
    Shadus
  3. Whoa.. so when's it coming back to TV then? by HeroSandwich · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How does a TV show go from being cancelled to being made into a top notch movie without somebody at the Network being fired?

    1. Re:Whoa.. so when's it coming back to TV then? by pintofblood · · Score: 5, Informative

      I was lucky enough to see one of the screenings in early September. They had a Universal rep there that had tons of info. (Like where all the Easter Eggs were) She said that is was written into the contract that they could not make new episodes for 12 years after the date of cancellation. This was probably an attempt at not having the Sci-Fi Channel pick it up like they have done with so many other shows. She also said the movie had to hit 80 million in order for Universal to consider a sequel.

  4. Strange choice... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    What? No reviews for Will and Grace or Queer as Folk...?

  5. Re:reevers by Supurcell · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I go get and beat you with 'til you understand who's in ruttin' command here.

  6. Re:Glad he liked it. by haplo21112 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'll just agree to differ in Opinion. I personally respect Card as writer. I also generally respect his opinions on movies and books. I can't say I fully agree with all his political Ideals. However there are some people attribute to him that simply are not true. Ender's Game is not an apology for Hitler. Card as spoken about this time and time again, that Ender and Hitler have some parallels, Yes. However he was in way even thinking of Hitler when he wrote the book.

    I also disagree with his point of view on the whole "Gay" marriage thing. My opinion differs, it doesn't however make me detest him as a person and I still read and enjoy his books. He is a Religious Family man and his views of the world stage are tinted by that fact. He beleives it is the role of our government to uphold some of his ideals. I think its the role of the governemnt to uphold some of mine too, they in someways differ form his, but it is what it is.

    We even have a few incommon, for instance he believes that he has the right to rip music to MP3 just like I do.

    Many people on the site do not even dig that far into the man however. They respect him as the writer of Ender's Game one of the greatest sci-fi novels ever published. They do not need or want to know anything more than that about him. And thats fine too!
    The writer of Ender's Game likes Serenity...and thats good enough for them. I don't think this in anyway contributes to or shows any decay of the site.

    --
    Power Corrupts,Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely, leaving one person(group)in charge is absolutely corrupt.
  7. Re:Respect? nope gone.. by AJWM · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Orson Scott Card is a mediocre writer with an ego that is completely out of proportion to his talent.

    I've never met the man, so I can't address that specifically. However, any author whose first novel wins both the Hugo and Nebula awards -- and then goes on to do that again the very next year with the sequel (Speaker for the Dead), certainly has a right to at least some of that ego.

    --
    -- Alastair
  8. Re:Glad he liked it. by thc69 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Somehow, I don't think Hitler was under the impression that he was playing a harmless video game when he tried to exterminate my ancestors. From the wiki:
    Card entered the fray and responded in the same issue of Fantasy Review, claiming that this was an attack, and that no such parallel could reasonably be drawn because Ender kills unknowingly, while this can't possibly be said about Hitler.
    Ender, meanwhile, got so pissed off at the school that he decided to cheat at the "game" so they would throw him out. He was trying to get out when he committed his xenocide.

    As far as Stilson and the other jerk he killed in self defense, they got justice -- even if you think their punishment was too harsh, they're definitely the guilty parties. This isn't the questionable morality found in a drunk driver's excuse for killing a bicyclist. It's not a matter of Ender's intent being used as an excuse -- even though it's the only way he can justify it to himself. The truth is that they chose to enter a battle to the death with him, fully expecting to kill him, rather than to be killed by him.

    Sorry, theorize all you want, but Ender fails to be eqivelant in any way to Hitler.
    --
    Procrastination -- because good things come to those who wait.
  9. Re:Glad he liked it. by Alaska+Jack · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Two thoughts:

    First, OSC may have quite different political ideas than you. You may think he's a crappy writer. You may think he has bad breath.

    But you (and the GP) didn't say any of those things. You said *he's insane*.

    Now, think for a moment. You know how sometimes you hear about how what's wrong with America is how we demonize people who don't agree with us? About how far political discourse has fallen, because instead of talking about ideas, all we do is call each other names? About how the few voices of reason get drowned out by all the voices shrieking hate?

    Well, now consider this: I bet, when you do, it never occurs to you that they're talking about *you*.

    OSC's views are, as far as I can tell, well within conservative mainstream. You may *disagree* with them, but that doesn't mean they're extreme, or that he's "batshit insane." Calling them "batshit insane" doesn't say anything about OSC -- if anything, it tells us about *you*, and how seriously we should take anything you say.

    Understand? I think gun control advocates, for example, are wrong and misguided. But I don't think they're "batshit insane."

    My second thought, to the moderators: I just wanted to point out that you took a post that said, essentially, "Me too," and modded it INFORMATIVE. Nice.

        - Alaska Jack