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I am new to reading Card's works. I cruised through the Ender series and really enjoyed them. I just finished "Crystal City" (and registered here today as a result) and I just have to know - is that it? Please tell me there's a follow up? If that's it, then I'm one frustrated reader. Unfortunately, I thought "Crystal City" was poorly done, and I hate to say that because I've enjoyed everything up till now. There was no synergy between the ending of "Heartfire" and "Crystal." Where did the characters go - one can't just wrap up a six book series in the last ten pages (without frustration) and then provide a mere obligatory mention of otherwise introduced characters in previous books and expect that to be considered an even remotely satisfying conclusion! I'm sorry but I read all six books in a month I was so hooked, but to have such prominent characters like Verily, Mike Fink and Purity barely make entrance in "Crystal" was beyond annoying. I don't know Mr. Card's history. I see there was a large gap between the conclusion of "Heartfire" and "Crystal" so was that due to a lack of ideas, was he just tired?
I hope not to offend any avid Card fans or readers - I would now count myself among those, but "Crystal" left me wanting much more and just seemed so flat. I just didn't get the departure from so many characters previously introduced, and I would have been happy without the all the new characters. I could even say the same about "taleswapper," introduced early, then only a hint here and there. Perhaps because I read everything so fast I didn't pay attention, but is that his style: introduce, abandon for awhile, introduce more, abandon, obligatory mention, etc.?
I apologize for the length and was just hoping someone more familiar with Card's work might be able to shed some insight on my myriad questions. And please tell me there is a follow up to "Crystal." Thanks.
Posts: 1 | Registered: Jul 2006
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That's not "it," and yes, there is a follow up to Crystal City -- a final volume called Master Alvin. Answer to inevitable follow-up question: no, we don't know when it's coming out. Some time after OSC writes it is as much as we've officially been told. Well that, and it's gonna be long, because he swears that will be the last Alvin book, and people keep reminding him of additional storylines he needs to finish *smile*.
The gap to which you refer can be partially filled by three short stories (two of which have been written thus far) -- Grinning Man, Yazoo Queen, and White Prophet (one-time working title, forthcoming). They can be found in the Legends anthologies I and II, and Yazoo Queen is also available in the second issue of Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show (which I'd recommend even if it didn't have the story).
quote:Man, I have no idea what "White Prophet" would be about. If that title came from me, I wonder what I had in mind. I certainly don't remember now.
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The mayor from Crystal City, Tennizy -- one of the leads from Heartfire. At least originally. <Checks book.> Mentioned in the first and last chapters of Heartfire. But despite popular belief, I am not an authority when it comes to this series.
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Kind of funny to do a search on “White Profit” on here and see all the old posts about it. Though OSC seems a little confused on it too. Fun!
Posts: 2845 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Oh, I didn't mean to insinuate that you were the be all/end all of Alvin Maker information, but when I searched White Profit, every single hit was your answer to a question similar to the one above. As I recal that was my first question on this forum and that was pretty much the exact answer you gave me at the time. So, I figured that if OSC didn't know about it, you might.
If I offended you by pinning un-asked for or un-deserving information holding status, my apologies.
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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I thought the Alvin Maker series started going downhill somewhere in Alvin Journeymen. Seventh Son, Red Prophet, and Prentice Alvin were excellent books, but the last three are just bland. That's my opinion anyway. I'm sure the last one will be great, though. It better be. Posts: 464 | Registered: Jul 2004
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Oddly enough, I think the series keeps getting deeper and richer. <grin>. But because I've stretched the writing over so many years (twenty and counting), it's a different guy who sits down to write them. Some readers are bound to like the books written by the young guy in his early thirties better than those written by the codger in his fifties. Some, though, will like the later ones better.
All I can do with each book is the best job I know how at the time I'm doing it ...
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
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I finally read "Grinning Man". I think it helps explain some of the jadedness that Alvin suddenly [if you only read the novels]shows up with at the start of Crystal City. Mostly it was a pretty funny story. I'm more interested in finding "Yazoo Queen" now.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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