posted
I read on Wikipedia that the buggers are formally known as "Formics," and the name 'bugger' is only a pejorative term. This makes sense, because the Latin word for ant is "Formica" and the buggers are much like ants, but I just read Ender's Game and I don't recall the buggers ever being called Formics.
Could someone please tell me when in Ender's Game or another book in the Ender series that the buggers are called Formics?
Posts: 6 | Registered: Nov 2005
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I think that they are call formics in just about all the other books, maybe not Ender's Shadow.
Posts: 503 | Registered: May 2005
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They were retconned into "formics" due to some negative connotations, IIRC, and some movies that came out a while back involving space battles against bugs.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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They are called Formics at least in the beginning of Enders Shadow, when its on Earth with Sister Carlotta. If nothing else I remember the soup kitchen lady calling them Formics, though I dont' have my copy right here, so I could be wrong.
Posts: 2827 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Retconned. "Buggers" was used all through the Speaker Trilogy.
The word came to have a more unsavory connotation (not sure what) since the Speaker Trilogy. So Formics is the new politially correct Bugger.
Posts: 1757 | Registered: Oct 2004
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As I've heard OSC explain it, there were at least three reasons. The ones I've heard him use are as follows:
1) "Bugger" is a curse word in many English dialects. 2) Starship Troopers made the idea of battles against giant bugs seem unoriginal to studios for a while. 3) It's hard to imagine everyone on Earth, even the serious scientists and politicians, using a term that sounds like children's slang.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Well, in Britain (and presumably other nations as well), "bugger" refers first and foremost to sodomy. I can see where that would cause problems in international editions.
Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
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[sidenote on use of "bugger"- apparently in the UK Buffy the Vampire Slayer was wayyy more popular because of all the swearing Spike does (bugger, bloody, etc) that is just not as deliciously naughty in the U.S.]
Posts: 866 | Registered: Dec 2003
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It causes much problems in international edition, 'cause in polish "bugger" is very nasty, but it has no other uses, it's no curse, no insult and only make it seems as if the book was very stupid while you read th book cover.
Posts: 723 | Registered: Dec 2004
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