I personally think that the events on the board in the last few days have been towards the pushy, almost demanding end of the spectrum. I for one hope to never cause Mr. Card to become jaded because of the requests we constantly throw at him. Mr. Card knows how appreciative I am of his work, and I hope to never seem that I have lost that appreciation. So, what I hope to do with this thread is to have those that occupy the forum express their gratitude. Please don't use this space to criticize his work, or throw political rants.
I'll start by saying (more or less) what I've already said to Mr. Card in hopes of starting:
Mr. Card,
Through my whole life I've had many changes that have drastically altered the way I thought about my future. Probably the largest change was when I joined the military and was sent around the country/world in support of different operations. But, through every change in my life there has been one constant, your writing. Everywhere I've been, through everything I've done, I've always had at least one of your books with me. It's silly how much time I spend trying to catch up with the books you are currently writing/publishing. I was in High School when I first picked up Ender's Game after reading everything my English teacher required and started into the required reading of the other teachers. I can't honestly say how many times I've read the book and I can't say how much of an influence it had with my decision to join the military, because it has become so much a part of me that I wouldn't be the same person without it. So, with the gratitude of a person you helped shape, I thank you.
Scott Nebeker
[EDIT: I really wish I didn't have that nervous tick that makes me hit the comma button when I don't want to. ]
[ March 10, 2005, 11:24 PM: Message edited by: scottneb ]
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
You are very kind and generous to credit me with so much influence. Keep in mind though that while Ender might have been a trigger, you are the person who decided what you would do. I'm grateful you found Ender's Game useful in helping shape some of your decisions, but you were always the decider, and the acter, and the judge of your own actions.
Meanwhile, I hope nobody takes the first part of your post as any kind of rebuke - I know you didn't mean it that way. Nobody's been pushy, at least i don't think so - I think it's cool that people would care enough to post the things they have - the funny and the serious. Hatrack is a cool place to hang out, as you all know; I wish I had more chances to do it.
In fact, if I still had Civ II on my computer, I would have been unwinding by playing that instead of reading really funny or good or interesting or bizarre-but-fascinating title suggestions <grin>.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
"In fact, if I still had Civ II on my computer, I would have been unwinding by playing that instead of reading really funny or good or interesting or bizarre-but-fascinating title suggestions."
Hm. We need to find a way to incorporate th....
Oh, wait. There's a Hatrack River MMORPG coming up, isn't there? If you play your cards right, you can get your bizarre title suggestions and your civilization sims all in the same place. *grin*
Posted by beatnix19 (Member # 5836) on :
I've had the good Fortune of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Card twice. Both times at Books and Co. in Dayton, Ohio. In fact, my daughter screamed and cried when we had our picture taken(She was angry that Mrs. Card was taking the picture and not her). I simply recall how very approachable and average (and I truely mean that as a compliment) they both were. Nothing to suggest they were anything other than two people who love what they do as much as we all love what they do. I spoke with them both, briefly, and recall stumbling on about how Ender's Game is why I read today. The fact of the matter is that it was the first book I ever cared about. The first novel that I didn't just "tolerate" to get an assignment done. I vividly remember sitting in my room wrapped up in the story, and my favorite blanket. Just like scottneb, I can't even begin to think of the number of times I've read the book. It's my go-to, rainy day, put a smile on my face when nothing else will book. It always takes me back to that first time reading. For that Alone I say thank you.
Now as a reading teacher I've introduced the book to countless kids. I love that they enjoy the book and that I am now seeing student after student carrying Ender's Shadow and the following novels. I've even overheard kids recomending the books to other kids and in my school, that doesn't happen very often.
So, very simpily, thanks for sharing your wonderful stories with the rest of us.
[ March 10, 2005, 11:12 PM: Message edited by: beatnix19 ]
Posted by Verai (Member # 7507) on :
I remember the enthusiasm my big brother had when he presented Ender's Game to me. It was ten at night when I opened it and three in the morning when I closed it, awestruck.
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
I had to read Ender's Game as a summer reading project the summer before high school. I opened, on a Monday morning at 11:00 A.M. Why I remember this, was probably because of how much I became absolutely entralled in this book. I finally put it down, finished, at 1:30 P.M. that day. I read it again 4 times that week. Each time taking a longer time, in order to not miss a detail. It is, in my opinion, one of the best Sci-Fi books ever written. I have read all of Ender, all of Shadow, all of Alvin,Wyrms, and Folk of the Fringe since then. The significane of all of this is that I was never a very exceptional student in school. But I noticed, that whenever have an OSC book in my hand, I did immensely better in school then I ever have before. No other author, has ever done that for me. If it isn't an OSC book I am reading, I fall back inot my old habits. I cannot find a logical way of explainning this. But, I may owe all of my college opportunities to you Mr. Card. Without your books, I don't know if I would have been able to turn myself around and have the confidence to want to go to college, and believe I can actually get there. That hour and a half of reading Ender's Game for the first time, was possibly, the turning point that put my life on track. Thank you, for showing me that I can succeed.
Greg Alfonso
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Seventh Son was one of the books that shaped my paradigm. Reading Ender's Game several years later was positively enthralling, I love that series. But, Lost Boys when I read it for the second or third time recently made me cry. I am not a parent, but the scenes in that book were so moving and heart wrenching. Thanks for writing such fascinating books. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
When I was in high school, my favorite teacher loaned me Ender's Game.
Now I get to be the teacher who introduces students to OSC's wonderful books (or in one recent case, to more of his books -- she'd read the Alvin books and Enchantment).
Thank you, Scott, for writing books it is an absolute joy to recommend.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
For as much pleasure as I have gotten out of the sci-fi books, I have received great healing from the books such as "Folk of the Fringe" and "Saints".
The disillusioned, painfully bitter child needed to learn in some way that all the LDS folk she grew up with were just human beings, and that whatever harm they did to one another, there was also love and learning. And God's grace.
Without learning that, I could never have moved on to finding a spiritual home and outlet that worked for me.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
I think OSC knows most of the reasons I think he's such a great guy, and if he doesn't, he should ask Kristine why I think he's such a great guy, and she should feel free to add in her own and then they should hug because both of them really deserve a good hug.
Hobbes Posted by Verily the Younger (Member # 6705) on :
Well, I don't want to pour too much syrup on the man. But I think I'm a better person for having become an OSC reader. It's not that I was a bad person before. I've always strived to live a moral life. I don't commit crimes or drink to excess or get into fights or anything. But OSC's writings have shown me how wonderful things like community and family can be. Things I took for granted and was becoming jaded about. I think I'm less selfish now than I used to be. More happy to spend time with my family. I tolerate my sister's children easier. (I've never been fond of children, and the sound of children screaming pierces my brain. But I've learned to put up with it.)
If you had asked me five years ago what my biggest wish in life was, I would have said it was to become fabulously rich. Now, my biggest wish is to get married, move to a small town (maybe in New England--I hear its small-town life is wonderful) and raise a family. I certainly wouldn't turn down wealth if it came to me legitimately. But I no longer consider that as important as having a family of my own.
And I understand that all the decisions I've made, I made myself. He didn't make the decisions for me. But, I really do think that reading OSC has made me want to be a better person. So I do credit him with helping with the positive changes in my life. Him, and Marcus Aurelius.
Posted by HesterGray (Member # 7384) on :
Ender's Game is one of those rare books that appeals to a wide range of people. That's why I find myself recommending it to just about everyone I know. (And I even got three people to read it so far!) Mr. Card's other books are also wonderful, but a reader has to start somewhere, so I recommend the one I started with.
I had never read a science-fiction book before, that I can remember. But in one summer at Camp Christian, I came across three people who all recommended Mr. Card's books. I am so very glad they did.
Posted by mimsies (Member # 7418) on :
On a VERY personal note. When I picked up Ender's Shadow a few years ago, I was in the depths of a very bad bout of clinical depression. Ender and Bean's world were a sort of a temporary sanctuary for very difficult emotions when they got to be too overwhelming.
After devouring Ender's Shadow, I slowly gathered the other books to become a steadfast fan. Then went on to the Maker Books. I had already read Lost Boys several years ago and was touched and found it VERY interesting, and always remembered it (even kept the copy). When i realized after reading Ender series I was delighted!
I won't be so overly dramatic as to say he cured my depression, but his stories certainly helped pass through some of my very darkest times, even as just a place to retreat to regain strength and energy to pass another day, and something non-destructive to do during long nights of insomnia.
Hmmm, that;s enough gushing and babbling for now!
-Mimi
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Well, I can't credit OSC with changing my life. Sorry! But I can credit OSC with providing me with a lot of entertainment and showing me how a master writes a novel. I wanna be just like him when I growed up. Okay, not really, but I would like to write as well as OSC does. There aren't very many authors that I hold up as examples of masterful writing, but OSC is one of them.
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
quote:When we declare an alien species to be raman, it does not mean that they have passed a threshold of moral maturity. It means that we have.
I was very arrogant and judgmental during my early teens. That all changed when I read SFtD. That is when I started considering the possibility that authority figures, like my parents, may be ramen afterall.
The Worthing Saga also had a profound effect on me. I've always wondered why a merciful God would allow suffering in the world, and OSC's book answered that question beautifully. I can't say that Worthing Saga turned me into a religious person, but it at least nudged me from atheist to agnostic. Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :
I picked it off from my english teachers desk at random when I though it may involve games of some sort (I'm addicted to my computer) so I read it in 6 hours and try to scrounge up the rest of the seriers. Now I don't know if everyone knew the ending but still I suspected it somewhat and I was still stunned at the end. I have to say that the Lord of the Rings got my to love fantasy and Ender's Game got me to love Science Fiction and Star Trek.
I do believe that Mr. Card is the best science fiction writer currently alive. Like Hubbards books are interesting but pale in comparison.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
I'm afraid I can't credit my love of reading to Orson Scott Card -- that goes to my mother. She instilled in me a great love of the written word, and because she herself was a rabid Card fan, she's the one who first introduced me to OSC's works. There was even one time back in Jr. High when I was playing in the pep band at a football game, and my mom and I were in the middle of a reading war over a single copy of Ender's Shadow. She was in the stands reading it and being careful not to lose my bookmarked place (which I must admit was much farther ahead than hers ), and the school librarian goes up to her and says "You must be Ashley's mother." My mom wondered how she knew, and the librarian said "because you've got a book in your hands".
Now my mom and I are both aspiring writers: My mom told me before that she wants to write sci-fi. Though sci-fi/fantasy is about my favorite genre to read, I find myself gravitating more toward realistic or psychological fiction in my own writing. I love Card's character-driven stories and would be dead wrong in thinking that his writing didn't influence me.
So thank you, Mr. Card. And thanks, Mom.
[ March 11, 2005, 10:17 AM: Message edited by: sarcasticmuppet ]
Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :
Posted by Qadar (Member # 7175) on :
I first spotted Enders game in a bookstore a few years ago. I have always een a science fiction fan, but nothing touched me as deeply as this book, i guess as most people i got emotionaly involved in the story.
I recently bought enders game for my sister who loves to read, but hates science fiction, i am glad to say she loved it.
here my hat off to you Mr Card Posted by Dread Pendragon (Member # 7239) on :
In the late 90s I took a class from Grant Underwood (an interdisciplinary Mormon studies class at BYU-Hawaii). One of the segments covered "Mormonism and Literature." The class as a whole is one of the best I ever took, and the segment on literature peaked my interest. Of course we covered your work. I took a Chinese literature course there too, and it was amazingly good. Later, when I read about your thoughts on why fantasy/science fiction can be significant and read some of your books, I became a convert to the idea that a person could do a significant amount of good in people's lives writing fantasy & science fiction.
Sarcasticmuppet: turns out my mom is a huge OSC fan too. I didn't know it before. She reads a lot of authors (she loves Robin Hobb) but always has another OSC book to loan me when I've finished one.
[ March 11, 2005, 01:33 PM: Message edited by: Dread Pendragon ]
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
My mom took my dad to see Stone Tables when they were BYU marrieds (my parents are old, what can I say... ). My mom loved it. My mom's collection isn't all-inclusive, but she promised I get to inherit them. Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Most of the people here got hooked on OSC's works because they were recommended or given the books by their parents, teachers or friends..
...which makes it kind of scary that I got hooked because I was turned to these by my kids...!
which also makes me feel very old..
Scott - I LOVE your books. I can't explain why - I just do. You are the only author whose books I "collect" instead of just having a few of.. (And I'm not a pack-rat by nature)
Farmgirl
Posted by Promethius (Member # 2468) on :
As I have said before in other threads Cards writing is the reason I read today. Enders game was a book that I read cover to cover with only bathroom breaks. I remember my mom yelling at me to come to dinner and faking not feeling well because I didnt want to put it down. The Worthing Saga also had huge influence on me as well as Wyrms because of what it said about self control.
[ March 11, 2005, 03:59 PM: Message edited by: Promethius ]
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
♫Night and you, and BYU-Hawaii the night is heavenly and you are heaven to me Lovely you and BYU-Hawaii with all this loveliness that should be loved♪
You know, if they don't have a song, this should be it . . .
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
I used to find a series that I loved, and read it long after I should have moved onto more difficult reading material. It was Ender's Game that got me out of young adult and into real books. I found it in the young adult section, loved it, and asked for Ender's Shadow for my birthday the following month. (They were both part of a collection of adult books being reprinted for the young adult section.) I got it, and then went looking for the next book, though I was having trouble figuring out the order of the series. It was then that I realized that I was reading science fiction, and I haven't stopped since. My friends keep telling me I need to get a new author, and they're getting tired of me trying to get them to read Ender's Game.
Like quidscribis and sarcastic muppet, I can't credit Orson Scott Card with drastically changing my life or giving me my love of reading, but I would like to thank him profusely for getting me out of the young adult section and into books with a little more depth.
Posted by Jasmine (Member # 7370) on :
Before Mr. Card's work, i'd read a book and just stop. I wouldn't read the series or anything. Then my friend recommended Ender's game, which at the time I thought it was another one of those pathetic books. But as i read, i got intrigued(sp?) with all the military stuff, and battles that it got me into reading the series and reading the Shadow series. Now i'm working on re-reading the ender's series and getting into alvin.
Mr. Card, thank you for giving me petra and all the other characters. They've given me light in the worst time in my life. And i'm seeing you today in boston(with a small gift ) Very excited!!!! See you soon! Posted by Soara (Member # 6729) on :
Can I start a Douglas Adams appreciation thread?
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
No!
OSC hates him!
Posted by Judas (Member # 7355) on :
Thanks ol' man.. heh, poor Scott
-Judas
Posted by Soara (Member # 6729) on :
quote:No!
OSC hates him!
*falls over dead*
Posted by Catseye1979 (Member # 5560) on :
Well I know I really appreciate all the books Orson Scott Card has written that has entertained me over the years. I really Appreciate the fact that after sharing Ender's Shadow with my brother he has been reading all the same books I've loved for so many years and the the best part is my brother has read more books this year (all being Orson Scott Card books) just for the fun of reading then he has probly read (of his own free will) in his previous 26 years of life.
In other words it was Orson Scott Card books that opened my brothers eyes to reading, finnally giving me some one with whom I could actully talk about the books with. So....Thanks....
[ March 14, 2005, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: Catseye1979 ]
Posted by alluvion (Member # 7462) on :
Soara,
I think the idea of an appreciation thread for SF writers of any influence (if you read 'em and you liked 'em?) on this side of hatrack is an excellent one.
I met Asimov once, briefly and informally (*shudders at the thought of that cold-limp-fish handshake and the stupid STOOPID question I managed to ask him*)
Posted by Soara (Member # 6729) on :
I was kind of kidding. We all know that Douglas Adams is God already, so it would be redundant to make a thread about it. Posted by alluvion (Member # 7462) on :
good point. I'm sure he could care less about whether you dropped his books mid-sentence in knee-slapping laughter. But, it's possible that everyone hasn't had that pleasure.
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
]![[Wave]](graemlins/wave.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
Okay, not really, but I would like to write as well as OSC does. There aren't very many authors that I hold up as examples of masterful writing, but OSC is one of them.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Hat]](graemlins/hat.gif)