Last night, I met a guy with 'Ender: The Game is his' across the back of his neck and shoulders. I was pleased and as soon as I had a break, I went over to talk to him, because I have yet to meet someone who has even heard of Ender's Game, in my hometown of Bristol.
Anyway, I just wanted to know what other peoples' thoughts were. I always find it bizarre that people want to have another living person's name permanmently etched into their skin, but I find it less unusual if it's in tribute to a fictional hero.
Posted by Frangy. (Member # 6794) on :
wow, :ooo, you speak with he???
Posted by Jane_Lane (Member # 7665) on :
Yeah he got really excited that I'd read Ender's Game, too! He read it when he was younger, and ever since, Ender has been one of his biggest heros. Bean, too, but he said he'd feel a bit odd having 'Bean' tattoo! Wonder why...
Posted by Frangy. (Member # 6794) on :
Well, the game is from Ender, Bean is more secondary (but i like's him too)
Posted by Gryphonesse (Member # 6651) on :
did you get a pic??
Posted by Frangy. (Member # 6794) on :
what is a pic???
Posted by Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged (Member # 7476) on :
a picture.
Posted by Frangy. (Member # 6794) on :
ap
Posted by Jane_Lane (Member # 7665) on :
No - I was at work at the time and didn't have a camera on me. Might bring one along for my next few shifts, just incase he comes in again It was pretty cool.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
I'm flattered to death.
But I'm still somewhat horrified. What if he finds a book he likes better?
Still, at least he did it to himself. The people who name their children Ender ... I worry. What will it be like going to school? I guess it's not as bad as Bradbury fans naming their kids "Dandelion" or "Mars," but it's close.
Name them "Andrew" and let them choose when they're older whether they want to be called "Ender."
And tattoos - can't you, like, use magic marker and see how you feel when it's worn off? Sort of a trial-run tattoo?
Posted by Frangy. (Member # 6794) on :
I consider to be impossible that he should find a book that he likes more after having read Ender's game
Posted by Verily the Younger (Member # 6705) on :
quote:The people who name their children Ender ... I worry. What will it be like going to school? I guess it's not as bad as Bradbury fans naming their kids "Dandelion" or "Mars," but it's close.
*Reconsiders his decision to name his children "Measure" and "Armor-of-God".*
*Wonders if everyone realizes he was kidding.*
Posted by Jane_Lane (Member # 7665) on :
I named my cat Ender - I'm sure he gets the hell teased out of him by other cats
And I agree with Frangy. When you find a book that means that much to you, no matter when and where you are in your life and what books you read after, that stays with you for the rest of your life. (No pressure or anything!)
Anyway, the guy seemed pretty proud of his tattoo so I don't think you need to worry about him regretting the commitment, or anything. (And btw, I've involuntarily tried permanent marker but it doesn't stay put).
I'm just curious to know if he has kids! Posted by Diko (Member # 6060) on :
quote:I consider to be impossible that he should find a book that he likes more after having read Ender's game
Not true! There -are- better books than Ender's Game out there...Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus is one of them, though not nearly as well loved as EG. *dramatic sigh*
Oh, and my nephew's name is Andrew (named for my grandfather) and I call him Ender. *snickers*
As much as I love Diko from Pastwatch...I'm going with Ariel (The little mermaid) for my first daughter's name. Posted by ssywak (Member # 807) on :
When my son was sleeping, I once wrote the word "Ender" across his forehead with a laundry marker.
For some reason, everyone got all pissed off at me, and the fumes made my son woozy for two days.
Posted by Jasmine (Member # 7370) on :
that is kinda funny. but if it made your son woozy for two whole days, i would be surprised if no one got pissed.
[ April 02, 2005, 11:59 PM: Message edited by: Jasmine ]
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
Congatulations. You've invented a new form of child abuse. I guess that 'father of the year' trophy was lost in the mail.
By the way, am I justified in calling myself Ender if my middle name is Andrew? Just wondering...
[ April 02, 2005, 11:47 PM: Message edited by: neo-dragon ]
Posted by ChaosTheory (Member # 7069) on :
My dad had a girlfriend a couple of years ago who had a son who named his child Ender...personally I think it would be cool being named Ender but it would suck because...well...those are some high expectations to live up to.
Posted by Jane_Lane (Member # 7665) on :
Yeah - Every kid feels under pressure to live up to his parents expectations. Imagine if those were to save the world!
Mind you, I'd rather Ender than Stalina!
Posted by Jane_Lane (Member # 7665) on :
Seems Ender's Game isn't such an unusual source of inspiration for tattoos:
"My dad had a girlfriend a couple of years ago who had a son who named his child Ender...personally I think it would be cool being named Ender but it would suck because...well...those are some high expectations to live up to."
"Hey you mean like the Ender from-" "D00d shut up! Like I hear that all the time (n' stuff)."
Posted by Jasmine (Member # 7370) on :
i can't make out a dragon on that tattoo. who is that?
Posted by Jane_Lane (Member # 7665) on :
The guy in the picture is Mark Mitchell.
The dragon is the red creature - His head starts on the right hand side of the circle, facing into the circle, and he coils around in a backward s-shape with his tail on the left of the circle.
Can you see it?
I think I'll stick to calling my cat Ender. For people who don't know about Ender's game, they'll just think it's a really bizarre, possibly offensive name. For people who do, they'll just feel sorry for the kid and worry about his parents!
Posted by Jasmine (Member # 7370) on :
o! haha, i was paying attention to the brown colored stuff. i wish i had a pet i could name Ender, or someone else Posted by Sejanus (Member # 7705) on :
Ah well, there're always your kids if/when you have them, Jasmine!
Posted by Frangy. (Member # 6794) on :
Thanks Jane, but you put it more above
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
Jasmine, surely there's a tree in your neighborhood that you could name. Before long, neighbors start calling the tree by the same name.
Or if you're in an apartment building, you could name one of the elevators. "No, I think I'll wait for Ender. You know, the other elevator."
Posted by Frangy. (Member # 6794) on :
or of you computer "I go to Ender to play..."
Posted by Verily the Younger (Member # 6705) on :
Or your favorite jacket. "It's chillier out here than I thought. Just a second, let me go grab Ender."
Posted by Frangy. (Member # 6794) on :
You have a lot of thinks to name Ender, do not complain!
Posted by DarkKnight (Member # 7536) on :
Great, now Ender will be just like Smurf! What an Ender day we are having, the birds are singing, the sun is shining, everything is just Endery Posted by ssywak (Member # 807) on :
Jeez,
I was kidding.
Besides, it was a ball-point pen, anyway.
Posted by Joldo (Member # 6991) on :
I named my computer Briseis . . .
Posted by Verai (Member # 7507) on :
A super idea. I will name my computer "Grulg"
(I am not ecstatic about the performance of my machine, if you couldn't tell)
Posted by Gryphonesse (Member # 6651) on :
well, I have a tattoo of Ariel on my ankle, but I probably wouldn't name my kid that, if we were to actually have any. I also have a knotwork design fro the Book of Kells on my back. Tattoos are addictive... they're not lying when they tell you that!
And as for naming stuff? Well, our truck is named Bettie after Bettie Page. The two newest cats are Lilo & Stitch. I answer to "Dammit"...
Posted by 0range7Penguin (Member # 7337) on :
If I ever got a Turtle I thinke I would name it ender. I don't know why but it seems a fitting name for a turtle. Not making any slow references or anything a turtle just seems the best pet to name ender if you ask me. Posted by FormerlyEmpty (Member # 7717) on :
I get the whole Andrew thing because its a normal name and you can claim its the saint too if anyone decides you are a lunatic and wants to commit you but naming a child Ender sounds a little too self absorbed for me. I understand the tribute but to say "This was important to me and changed my life and such so now its your name forever and its kinda odd and a lot to live up to and stuff but I dont care" just feels like the hippies that named their children "sunshine" without caring that it was unfair.
Posted by Jonathan K. (Member # 7720) on :
I think ender is a good name for a turtle, or maybe a small dog.
Posted by Suri-cool (Member # 7599) on :
Thats just freaky.... Well my father is a dermatologist so he could laser off that tatoo. Thats crazy i mean I understand nameing stuff, but a tatoo. A little extreme.
Posted by Jonathan K. (Member # 7720) on :
wait you think naming your'e child ender, based off of a fictional character in a book, a very good book, but still a book, is more extreme then getting a tattoo of it.
Posted by Suri-cool (Member # 7599) on :
oh no i was thinking about naing pets! Yeah naming kids is very extreme!
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It was pretty cool.
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