Hatrack River Forum: Finally read Earthborn

This is topic Finally read Earthborn in forum Discussions About Orson Scott Card at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :

I say "finally" because the first time I read the series I got to Earthborn and was offended that he'd skipped the olive tree allegory [Wink]

I have to say it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. In fact, it really pertained to my life right now. I think it demonstrates a major shift in Card's philosophy... I don't have the data to say it was the first or anything, but I'd always wondered when he turned from a conventional creative genius into someone who sees a value in community.

I wonder to what degree writing these books constructs his beliefs or if they are more a reflection of what he already thinks.

Posted by Bricks-N-Sandwiches (Member # 5603) on :

I think one of the most obvious and long lived themes in his writing is that the meaning of life is to have children protect them to adulthood and watch them have children and so on. I am already on my way with one child and a second on the way. So in his view I am doing one of the few works in life that really matter. Or at least thats the way I saw it. [Big Grin]

Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :

My sampling of his early short fiction indicates, to me at least, that the whole "circle of life" thing came later. It isn't as strong in the Ender series. Most of his books lie along a continuum in terms of the struggle between individual and collective, but Earthborn was more clearly about this than most of Card's books that I have read.

Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :

pooka, I'm glad you posted this. I have kind of shied away from this series...I'm not sure why. I guess I just really love the BofM and I'm not sure what I'll think of a story that's 'loosely' based on it's premises. So, you liked it. Hm. Well, I'll just have to read it. I have to fill up that huge gap in my OSC repertoire anyway. [Smile]

PS I found that whole 'community as a whole' theme all the way through Lovelock too. It wasn't necessarily presented in a positive light. It made me think of what the United Order could have been like when they first tried it with a group of imperfect, extremely flawed people (like we all are.)

Posted by Mikal (Member # 5564) on :

I have to say, as someone who has read the book of mormon, that this is definitely a worthwile series to read. It was very interesting to get inside the heads of the characters like Nafai and Elemak, and gave me a new perspective when reading through the book of Nephi.

I was also hesitant to read Earthborn at first, although my main reason was that a story with the absence of nearly all the characters from the first four books didn't hold much interest for me. But when I did finally read it, I loved it. The overall messages of the book were very applicable to my life, and it was a great experience for me. One of my favorite OSC novels.