The only attitude I clearly get from the Ender books is one of fear and hatred. I was wondering if there were people, even before Ender, who had other perspectives on the Formics...
The slightly twisted fellow who uses the Formics as a symbol for his own power - much the same way tough guys use sharks or other dangerous creatures as an emblem.
Someone like me, who seeks to understand and respect what is feared. Wouldn't there be scientists who saw the Formics as a wonderful opportunity? Or people who were struck with awe and wonder?
A person who is attracted to the Formics, but frightened at the same time, the way certain odd elements creep into our dreams.
People who claim the Formics are God's judgment on the wicked.
Any other perspectives on Formics, besides fear or military aggression?
[ March 30, 2005, 10:20 AM: Message edited by: Jenny Gardener ]
Posted by Jenny Gardener (Member # 903) on :
Oo! And what about a crazy psychic who claims to be carrying messages from the buggers? Is she really receiving messages or not?
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
There would be people like that, I suppose. Somebody else will have to write books about THEM. I was writing about the people who were running and fighting and training for the war. THEY all took the Buggers seriously as a Bad Thing That Had To Be Stopped.
Posted by Jenny Gardener (Member # 903) on :
This is what you do to people, Mr. Card. You suck people into your worlds and then they forever wonder about the details you didn't include. Of course, that's what's cool about books. You can do that.
Now I'm wondering what sorts of discussions we'd see popping up on Hatrack about the Formics, should they invade in our time. What would Tom D think? What would Irami do? What would OSC's next essay be like? How would the moms and dads of Hatrack react? How would the college students?
Would we have pages-long debates about the Buggers and our political reactions to them, the way we did to September 11 attacks? Would we unanimously support our governments' actions, or would we fight about them?