Hatrack River Forum: Where did the EMAIL idea come from?

This is topic Where did the EMAIL idea come from? in forum Discussions About Orson Scott Card at Hatrack River Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/main/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002781

Posted by Locke2525 (Member # 7554) on :

Yo osc and fans...
since i havnt been able to attend a book signing....and ask..iw as wondering
before each chapter he ahs emails going back and forth....

where did the idea come from?

and how did you know of Email in the 1980's?

Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :

It existed.

Posted by Locke2525 (Member # 7554) on :

well
than ive been had-and im not as educated as some of u..lol
but still
I LOVE the email part
it sets you into the chapter..

where did the inspiration for it come from

Posted by Aeroth (Member # 6269) on :

From e-mails.

Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :

Well, in Xenocide, Card does basically the same thing, just with conversations, and not email. Lots of authors begin chapters with quotes or something similar. It's not a particularly new idea.

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

"than ive been had-and im not as educated as some of u..lol"

I wouldn't call it education. Some of us were using E-mail in the eighties. [Smile]

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

Damn, you are old....

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

Say that to him when he's got his teeth in and he'll bite you. I'd watch it--he may be old, but *man* is he spry.

Posted by Constant Reader (Member # 7282) on :

Well, you'll be safe for a while. Tell him to stop leaving his teeth in a glass of water on my bedside table. The effervescent Efferdent has worn off and now they smell!
[Taunt]

Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :

He didn't necessarily have emails in mind in the 80s. Only the last 3 Shadow books begin each chapter with emails. Card did, however, write about the net in EG, and the way he presented it displayed remarkable foresight considering what the internet was in the 80s (barely existed) and what it is now.

By the way, I like how the emails set up things which don't actually happen until later. For example, in Shadow of the Giant,

-- *Very Minor Spoiler*--

One chapter begins with Peter and Virlomi setting up a meeting, but it doesn't actually happen until the next chapter. I also really enjoyed the email exchange between... I think it was, Carn and Dumper? Or was it Carn and Vlad? Where one insisted that living on Eros was better than living in Australia.

[ March 17, 2005, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: neo-dragon ]