OSC has discussed a Mazer Rackham novel as part of the Enderverse series but has anything every been discussed as to writing a novel concerning the actual start of the Formic war? Just curious if any mention has ever been made or thread started on this.
Posted by DSP_Molo (Member # 8102) on :
I don't know if I'm remembering my timeline correctly, but I seem to recall that the First Invasion (scouting fleet) was only a small span of years before the Second Invasion (which was put down by Rackham). If this is true, the planned Rackham novel itself could feasibly cover the beginning of the Formic Wars.
Posted by Dr. Evil (Member # 8095) on :
Hmmm...now you have me wondering about that time frame. I am going to have to take a look today and see if I can find a reference in EG to this.
Posted by DemonGarik (Member # 7793) on :
I've mentioned it in a few previous posts where that is one of the things I most want to see is just what happened when the buggers attacked as humanity went from fighting amonst itself, to panic, to unity and the start of the IF
Posted by Dr. Evil (Member # 8095) on :
Agreed.
Reference is made in EG about the space marines fighting on bugger ships too and it would be great to read a tale of how humans first came across the buggers and how the conflict escalated.
Posted by trance (Member # 6623) on :
I agree...one thing I thought was never quite explained all that well was how the buggers thought it was "innocent" to kill a few humans just to let humans know they were in the neighborehood. I understand that individual buggers mean nothing if they die because its not an individual life thats dieing because the overall mind still exsists within the queen. I think its said somewhere that they did it because they couldn't communicate with humans so they tried that way thinking it wouldn't harm anyone.
On another note, I read somewhere that the Mazer book will take place at the sametime as the new Ender novel just elsewhere but a prolouge about the war would be awesome still though.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
Good idea. A short story about events in the First formic War might be fun ...
To the Hive Queens, killing a few of their "servant formics" is roughly like pulling up in front of somebody's house and loudly honking the horn. It's aggressive, but not, in itself, causus belli - you CAN come out of the house firing your shotgun, but you can also come out and chat over the front fence.
The trouble was, by the standard they used to measure intelligence, intelligence was not present. Not having had any kind of language themselves, they were unprepared to imagine a society that couldn't communicate mind to mind, but must rely on a clumsy oral or written symbol system as a poor substitute for shared memory.
Consider the suggestions about that first war to be "in the stew pot, simmering." Thanks!
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
Yeah, I think something about the marines who fight the Buggers hand-top-hand would be really cool. In any event, it would seem that someone has been inspired.
Edit: Maybe something about a soldier discovering some of the alien techonology and a scientist expiermenting on it, in an attempt to adapt it for human use. Thus the idea for the Battle Room and Battle School. Bringing us to a story about the opening of Battle School. Wow, there is a lot OSC could play around with here.
Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :
I'ld be interesting to have some of those action scene cariographed as well. As well as any ship combat but of course like in the Shadow series a strong emphasis on the politics involved, with of course lots of little bits of irony pointing to events in the Ender/Shadow books.
Posted by Dr. Evil (Member # 8095) on :
I wasn't thinking anything along the lines of much in the way of military action but more along the lines of the first contact (not a cheesy Star Trek reference either ) and the human reaction and unification that accompanied it. Possibly the idea of what was behind the creation of the Polemarch, Strategos and Caliph roles. Perhaps a deeper explanation of how the Warsaw Pact evolved.
Glad to see that the idea is well received by the La Viro himself too.
[ May 27, 2005, 11:28 AM: Message edited by: Dr. Evil ]
Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :
Caliph? I think your slightly mistaken did you mean Hegemon?
Posted by Dr. Evil (Member # 8095) on :
That too, but the Caliph was certainly a world leader in the Shadow series.
Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :
Yes, but it is kinda well explained enough in the Shadow series, and I think it was implied that there was no Caliph for centuries. I could be wrong but I was mistaken.
Posted by Dr. Evil (Member # 8095) on :
Hmmm...was it Alai who brought the office back?
Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :
Alai was made the Caliph because some of the prominent Muslims thought him wise, others a pefect puppet. While the office of Hegemon was never "gone" but it did become however somewhat of a joke when the Bugger Wars ended and had no real power or prestige. It was Peter who made the Office mean something, united the world (with the excpetion of those durned Americans) and laid the foundation for a wise and democratic after his death.
Posted by Dr. Evil (Member # 8095) on :
Regardless, there still has to be some history behind the role of the Caliph since there currently is no single leader of a united Muslim community. Just an interesting concept.
Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :
OOOOH thats what you mean! Mr Card didn't make up Caliph or something like that it is an actual position of being the head of the Islamic movement, kinda like the Pope, there were a few Caliphs especially during the Middle Ages I know Muhammed and a few others were Caliph's but i forget when they stopped having a Caliph something to do with the arguement between the Sunni's and the Shiites the differenc erthat that Caliph should be a relative to Muhammed or just some really holy figure.
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
quote:Consider the suggestions about that first war to be "in the stew pot, simmering."
Is that anything like "in the urn, awaiting cremation"? Just wond'rin'....
Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
) and the human reaction and unification that accompanied it. Possibly the idea of what was behind the creation of the Polemarch, Strategos and Caliph roles. Perhaps a deeper explanation of how the Warsaw Pact evolved.