This is topic Orson Scott Card...Genius or Madman? YOU decide!!! in forum Discussions About Orson Scott Card at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
<Includes spoilers for Ender's Game>

Think, in Ender'sGame he put a 6 year old boy through such horrible things that one would assume he would go insane. Furthermore, he made a 6 year old KILL PEOPLE!!! The 6 year old boy was ripped apart from his parents (could you do that?) sent to space, had the weight of the entire human race on his shoulders. (Big responsibility? Nahhh)And, in the end of the book, at about 13, he was a mass murderer of billions... and a hero. Funny?

But, he did all of this brilliantly, expertly, and just well.. well. We belived that a 6 year old could handle this. Also, went on to write more books in the series. [I'm on Speaker. (Brother, (Fanatic) who has read the both Shadow and Ender series basicly ruined it for me.) Though I did ask]He has captivated millions into reading the brilliant books.

Not ment to offend anyone, but be funny! [ROFL]

So you decide Genius... or Madman?

Me? I say Genius

[ December 25, 2005, 03:30 PM: Message edited by: Reticulum ]
 
Posted by BandoCommando (Member # 7746) on :
 
Why can't it be both?
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
Well, I guess he could be both, as a mixture between Genius and Madmam, which would be either Genman, or Manius?

OSC, What do you think you are? [Dont Know]

But truth be told and to extend this post, I suppose he could be... he just might could be sometimes.

[ November 09, 2005, 12:31 AM: Message edited by: Reticulum ]
 
Posted by lego feet (Member # 8093) on :
 
How about, "Mad Genius".

That sort of goes with Hip Hop culture.

"Yo, my brother Orson, he be a Mad Genius, dogg."

To which my homie or homies reply, "Word."
 
Posted by Princess Leah (Member # 6026) on :
 
Reticulum, I am curious about your username. Enlighten us.
 
Posted by Atlantis (Member # 8788) on :
 
Maybe he's a Genman or a Madius... ^_^
 
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
 
Orson Scott Card has a brilliant imagination.
 
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
 
I prefer "Tragic hero."
 
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
 
Or maybe "writer who eats chocolate chip ice cream too late at night."
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
My user name? Well I was actually hoping someone would ask me about it. it comes from my other story Zeta Reticuli. the constellation that Zeta Reticuli is in is Reticulum, so I thought it would do pretty well. As for Zetars though, it's a conjunction of "Zeta Reticuli Story".
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
So Trero, Wecictlan?

Orson Scott Card...Trero of Wecectlan? YOU Decide!!!
 
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
 
Come on, don't chicken out. Make it look really alien: Wweccictolan. Then watch people try to pronounce a doubled double-u.
 
Posted by DarkKnight (Member # 7536) on :
 
My personal favorite was one Mr. Card has posted awhile ago after his Philadelphia book signing
"an aging guy who types for a living"
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
You mean, "Falls asleep on keyboards"?

[Hail] [Party]
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
He'll probably never respond again, do to my suggestion. [Cry] And all I wanted to do was be noticed. [Cry]

Oh well,

[Party]
 
Posted by 0range7Penguin (Member # 7337) on :
 
Or my personal favorite "Coffin Dodger."-thats what my drivers ed teacher called himself. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Salah (Member # 7294) on :
 
Is Orson really meant to be understood? My guess is no.

I thought a lot of geniuses are mad. Slightly off topic, but I heard Einstein had to call out for help because he would get hopelessly lost on a college campus- even with a map.
 
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
 
quote:
My user name? Well I was actually hoping someone would ask me about it. it comes from my other story Zeta Reticuli. the constellation that Zeta Reticuli is in is Reticulum, so I thought it would do pretty well. As for Zetars though, it's a conjunction of "Zeta Reticuli Story".

Oh, I thought your name had something to do with the endoplasmic reticulum, which is an organelle in a cell.

My opinion:

I always thought that Mr. Card was a Tragicly Mad Genius Who Does Heroic Things While Eating Too Much Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and All Before or After His Bedtime

Edit:

quote:
I thought a lot of geniuses are mad. Slightly off topic, but I heard Einstein had to call out for help because he would get hopelessly lost on a college campus- even with a map.

I think remember something about him having all the same clothes because he couldn't match properly or dress himself too terribly easily. Or something like that.....
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
Very Good Mr. Rogers, very good, but you are forgetting one thing... That I and I alone control the world's supply of absolute Randomness and strangness on this board!!! (Save Mr. Card)
BahdahBahdahBahdahBahdahBahdahBahdahBahdahBahdahBahdahBahdah!!!

So he would be a Tmgwdhtwetmcciaaboahb!
 
Posted by Princess Leah (Member # 6026) on :
 
I thought endoplasmic too, but I didn't want to say so because that particular organelle squicks me out. In my textbook it's lurid Pepto pink and disgusting looking. ewwwww.
 
Posted by LadyDove (Member # 3000) on :
 
quote:
I think remember something about him having all the same clothes because he couldn't match properly or dress himself too terribly easily. Or something like that.....
Einstein, the father of the theory of relativity and Garanimals.
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
Nope, the constellation Reticulum...
 
Posted by airmanfour (Member # 6111) on :
 
OSC has witten some pretty twisted stuff, but he also recognizes them as twisted: "a thousand deaths", "kingsmeat", and i thought his car chase story was a little off too, so the madman thing can be debated. his genius, though, is undeniable.
 
Posted by airmanfour (Member # 6111) on :
 
i realized i put words in OSCs mouth after i wrote that. oops. i just remembered the preface to Kingsmeat and unconsciously expanded it. my bad.
 
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
 
I like the old meaning of the word genius - everybody HAS one, and nobody IS one.

reticulum, I could have sworn that I DID notice your existence by responding to you before. Now I've done it again. Consider yourself noticed. I hope it doesn't leave a bruise.
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
Yes, 'twas a joke, 'twas just a joke...
 
Posted by Cashew (Member # 6023) on :
 
OSC's thoughts on the original question are the same as mine: He's neither. Not a genius, but HAS genius. An intellect to be respected, however...
 
Posted by Cashew (Member # 6023) on :
 
I'm rereading Saints at the moment and am so enjoying the way he is able to build raw humanity into people like Heber C Kimball (one of my all-time favourite figures from Church history) without diluting their spiritual presence and power. Ditto for Joseph Smith. When I read the book originally it gave me even more of an appreciation for what Joseph Smith accomplished by reminding me that he was, after all, as human as the rest of us, and had to learn and grow through his humanness like we all do.
 
Posted by Mary Robinette (Member # 8388) on :
 
You know, there was a point in the Q&A portion of Uncle Orson's writing class this summer when someone asked, "How do you write geniuses?"

You looked perplexed and proceeded to explain that you didn't think there was such a thing. I wanted to raise my hand and say, "That's because you've never met anyone smarter than you."

I have met two geniuses, no wait. Now I've met three.
 
Posted by Locke2525 (Member # 7554) on :
 
Genius
but if this movie is made without him
madman
lol
 
Posted by Classic (Member # 8075) on :
 
Gawsh, I'd like a thread where people debate to give me one of the two highest compliments there and decide on both.

By the way, Saints was the first OSC book I ever read. Almost never knew OSC did sci-fi. After I learned that, then he was my hero.
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
Bump... May it be revived!
 
Posted by Eva Scrye (Member # 8960) on :
 
Heh... if it were only the Ender/Bean series I'd leave it as straight genius. But I read some of the Alvin Maker series, and I think that's pushing the boundary of... not weirdness or madness really, but aspects of it I found a bit disturbing.

But I suppose I'll hazard saying that Mr. Card's works are genius, but that I have no information to judge whether he himself is a genius.
 
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
 
"You know, there was a point in the Q&A portion of Uncle Orson's writing class this summer when someone asked, "How do you write geniuses?"

You looked perplexed and proceeded to explain that you didn't think there was such a thing. I wanted to raise my hand and say, "That's because you've never met anyone smarter than you.""

Heh. I bet the audience would've gotten a kick out of his reaction if you said that.
 
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
 
Why the bump?
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
Because I wanted too, Rice, because I wanted to...
 
Posted by Eva Scrye (Member # 8960) on :
 
Genius of you ^_-
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
Thank you!
 
Posted by Joldo (Member # 6991) on :
 
quote:
I thought a lot of geniuses are mad. Slightly off topic, but I heard Einstein had to call out for help because he would get hopelessly lost on a college campus- even with a map.
Hey, I can't find my way around college campuses with a map and a guide! I must be really clever.
 
Posted by Frangy. (Member # 6794) on :
 
A genius. Sometimes the histories can seem rather ... stranges, but the way of writing converts them in almost real.
 
Posted by Advent 115 (Member # 8914) on :
 
He is the Issac Asimov of our lifetimes, a demigod who controls the sci-fi genre and... a Gunius.

p.s. I have read every enderverse book yet, alvin series, homecoming, and Robota.
 
Posted by Eva Scrye (Member # 8960) on :
 
Hmm.... a "gunius"...

Sounds like the name of an anime.
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
About Mechas with laser swords.
 
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
 
I always wanted to chop up the endoplasmic reticulum in my biology textbook. It just looked so squishy.
 
Posted by Reticulum (Member # 8776) on :
 
...heheheh. Reticulum is actually a constellation.
 
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
 
I'd tend to say most decent writers are somewhat both. People who look at the world through uncommon viewpoints are more likely to have interesting and new things to say.

EDIT (ADD): And someone (often attributed to Einstein) once said that the definition of insanity is to repeatedly do the same thing, expecting different results. A more straightforward definition of the process of getting one's first work published would be hard to find. [Smile]

[ January 11, 2006, 07:05 PM: Message edited by: Sterling ]
 
Posted by Descolada Survivor (Member # 9019) on :
 
You'd be amazed as to how often those two things coinside with one another
 
Posted by Advent 115 (Member # 8914) on :
 
Did I misspell genius again? Sorry. [Frown]
 
Posted by RunningBear (Member # 8477) on :
 
Hmmmm, I was actually thinking a good name for the new book would be The Enderplasmic Reticulum.

I dont think being "intelligent" has a lot to do with other things. Supposedly i am very intelligent but I get lost every time i drive to the doctor's.
 
Posted by Black Mage (Member # 5800) on :
 
Post! Me.

I got the new page!

Hm. I think by confusing this with the Last Post Thread, I removed any possible belief in my extraordinary intelligence.
 
Posted by Valentina (Member # 9029) on :
 
Orson Scott is on my List of Geniues along with Tolkien,Tom Clancy and of course J.K Rowling;i read and re-read the Ender Saga and love it more each time!! [Smile]
 


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