Maybe its just me, and I don't know if a topic about this has been brought up or not, but I would love to see a book, or short story, on Achilles.
As I was rereading Ender's Shadow for about the tenth time, I found myself constantly glancing back to the chapter which is in Achille's perspective (the one where he confesses). It was a shame that we never got to see things from his point of view again.
Bear in mind I don't condone what he did in the book in any way, I just found him fascinating as a character.
I wouldn't mind learning some more about him. His backstory before he met Bean, we get a little idea of what kind of bully he was but nothing else, the other people he killed and how he did it (he mentions 7 in the book but only details 3.)
The main reasons I loved the Shadow series so much is that the Earth conflict was very interesting and the fact that Achilles was one of the best villians in any sort of media, IMO. It would be fun to read a book from the bad guy's POV.
Anyone else agree?
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
Whenever I read that chapter in Enders Shadow, I always think of how it doesn't really seem to add up with the Achilles we're shown as the series progresses. I don't know quite how to explain it, but I just can't picture the same thoughts processes we're shown leading to some of his actions later on. It never really jived (I sure hope I used the right word) with me. But that's just me.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
I completely forgot I ever HAD a chapter from Achilles' point of view. Wow. That was brave of me.
The reason there weren't more chapters like that is because Achilles would be so hard to write.
Remember, Strangelove, that Achilles would change perceptions over time. His thought processes when younger would change, both through self-knowledge and through more-successful self-deception.
Posted by cochise (Member # 9614) on :
I tend to get stuck on things like this. I love to read but I don't diversify. So I end up reading the same 5-10 books over and over again until I start thinking way too hard about them. The good thing is I notice more and more details as I go on.
The books were all great how they were written OSC, I just was a bit curious at some instances as to what Achilles was thinking. Like when he made the decision to kill Sister Carlotta. Or his final confrontation with Bean before he got killed.
I still would be interested to know a little more about his life before he met Bean.
Posted by B34N (Member # 9597) on :
It could be one of the shorts on IMGS?
Posted by Joldo (Member # 6991) on :
Hm, what I noticed about the one chapter in his POV did stick out a bit from the rest of his life we see. I mean, he is supremely, pathologically confident when we get inside his head. He believes he is the center of the universe, and shows some maudlin remorse for his murders--though not as murders, but accidental deaths.
When he's on the plane with Petra, though, I notice very different things. I mean, there's times when she manipulates this deep need to be the boss, but on the plane he admits uncertainty or instability. The Achilles I saw would be unable to even see that in himself.
Posted by Gwen (Member # 9551) on :
Maybe the psychologists in the insane asylum fixed his superiority thing. If so, at least they made some progress, right?