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A friend of mine "abandoned reality" in 2004. He felt he had essentially mastered reality by understanding in a general way what science said about the human condition. He decided to read fiction. He said in an email to me and other friends this morning:
"It's been three years now since I decided that I think I know, at least in outline form, what is known about human nature from the social and biological sciences and that novelists have a way of getting at the human condition that eludes scientists. I decided to read fiction instead and have been rotating a reading of a Western novel, a non-Western novel, a science fiction novel, and something about religion, that enterprise that got going during the Bronze Age to make sense of reality by imposing a supernatural reality on top of it. A principal aim was to try to discern whether the non-Western mind differs fundamentally from the Western mind. (I lumped Russians in with the Westerns and Latin Americans in with the non-Westerns somewhat arbitrarily, but so did the editors of the Chicago Great Books of the Western World. In any case, this fits my own reading or lack thereof.) "
After recently reading the Book of Mormon and many other mormon works, he said his next SF book will be by Mormon writer, Orson Scott Card.
Question: Which should be the book he reads? Most would say "Ender's Game" but I actually prefer Pastwatch. I also prefer Speaker for the Dead to EG, but I suppose he would have to start with EG to make sense of it?
Since my friend has a pretty good mastery of the material from the Book of Mormon, I also considered the Memories of Earth series.
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Well, if it was just to introduce someone to Card's work for pleasure reading, I'd recommend Enchantment. For Card's take on humanity and the West, Pastwatch is probably the best stand-alone novel, the the later Ender novels(speaker, xenocide, children) the best series. (And I don't think Ender is required here, honestly. It's more personal than the later speaker books, or perhaps less universal.)
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Thanks for the Pastwatch votes. I am pleased and appreciative of all your contributions. I have passed on your recommendations to Frank, and suggested he come here and read the suggestions. Lynn
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I'd say Ender's Game or Treason. Ender's Game is more or less quintessential, but I really liked Treason. It'd be kinda weird to read it as ones first OSC book, though.
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Nikisknight, I totally agree with you about Enchantment. I use Enchantment to break people into OSC who are wary of him because of his field. It's a particular favorite of mine to give to teenage girls. In general, it's my number one ice-breaker novel.
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quote:Originally posted by Nikisknight: Well, if it was just to introduce someone to Card's work for pleasure reading, I'd recommend Enchantment. For Card's take on humanity and the West, Pastwatch is probably the best stand-alone novel, the the later Ender novels(speaker, xenocide, children) the best series. (And I don't think Ender is required here, honestly. It's more personal than the later speaker books, or perhaps less universal.)
Couldn't possibly disagree with you more. Ender's game is the most universal of Card's books, with close seconds in Speaker and Shadow. When the dust settles, if any of Card's books find application in the future of literary canons it will be EG and not likely any of the others.
Our definitions of "universal" may be different though. Universal as a literary term is often used to describe (especially among American novelists) those works who's themes are most aptly applied to the most diverse possible readings. The less esoteric, the less pop, the less pedantic a work is, the more likely it is to be universal in application. Something very "personal" would necessarily hinge upon an interpretation of the work as being applied to a single group or a single person and finding its audience in the specific group or person for whom it is intended- ie: letters are personal. Sometimes works which appear to be personal are in fact quite universal, finding readership and value across spectrums of human experience- and EG may be a great example, because it is a book of deep personal meaning to OSC. Still, it is undeniably universal in its dealings with human nature and motivations, and even Card has made this assertion many times.
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What does this mean? Obviously, Frank will have to read ALL of OSC's books. Nothing else will do!
I do think that EG is the most universal. My friend is seeking insights into humanity through the pursuit of fiction. I just thought that Redemption of CC fit that bill the best. But it is a rich universe to draw from. Thanks, all.
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lynn, You might want to recommend that Frank read The Geography of Thought as well. It sounds to me like a book that fits into what he is trying and likely one that he hasn't read yet.
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quote:Couldn't possibly disagree with you more. Ender's game is the most universal of Card's books, with close seconds in Speaker and Shadow. When the dust settles, if any of Card's books find application in the future of literary canons it will be EG and not likely any of the others.
Our definitions of "universal" may be different though
Well, let me clarify what I meant. Ender's game is a good story about personal responsibility, dealing with adversity, and small communities, with lessons certainly that could apply to anyone. The later books are more about society although of course the stories of the people's lives that older Ender interacts with are interesting and shwo Card's specialty--communities.
Don't know if that made more sense, it's the impression I have after a few years.
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I'll have to do some deep thinking about this as it relates to the unique fact of the existence of, as well as the semi-unique qualities of the Hatrackosphere.
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He seems like a pretty bookish guy, why not just tell him Ender's Game AND Pastwatch? I'm sure he could likely knock em both out in a few days if he has the down time. (I know I can)
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Maps in a Mirror will expose your friend to a much greater depth and breadth of OSC's work.
Pastwatch would be a good choice.
Also consider Lost Boys. Lost Boys presents an interesting take on a specific time and place in Western culture (North Carolina, early 1980's) and two rather specific sub-cultures (Mormons, computer programmers).
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