This is topic It's official: OSC's political views have infected every aspect of his writing in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.
I skipped Empire -- that was pretty obviously going to be a Rand-ian novel-wrapped-around-a-diatribe.
I haven't read his essays for at least two years, since it became apparent that reading them was an act of masochism on my part, and also I was in danger of doing permanent damage to myself from all the eye-rolling.
But even though the fiction and essays took an unfortunate turn, I still could (and did) enjoy reading the Uncle Orson Reviews Everything columns on the homepage. I found his book recommendations valuable and insightful, and I agree with him on movies about 70% of the time (much higher percentage than any other movie reviewer I've ever read). Plus, I like hearing about his experiments with various restaurants and food products that I'll likely never try. The humor and perceptiveness that I loved from the Ender books is still apparent when he's not talking about serious or worldly things.
And then, an election took place. I went to catch up on some reviews and even they now reek of left-bashing and Bush-defense.
Hey, it's no surprise to me that OSC and Denis Leary don't see eye to eye on politics. But Scott seems to have forgotten to remove his punditry hat before writing book reviews (or, even scarier, he's no longer able to remove it ), which makes them unreadable for me.
And since I prefer my book reviews to come without prejudice and ad-hom attacks, I guess I'll have to stick to goodreads for recommendations from now on.
*sigh*
Posted by Achilles (Member # 7741) on :
I hear ya.
Posted by Achilles (Member # 7741) on :
Adding: Sakeriver.com has some great book reviews. I find that I agree with Mike most of the time.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I agree with Mike a lot on movies; not as often on books. Plus I never remember to read his reviews.
Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
I don't know. I've found watching OSC going back and forth across the line between cognitive dissonance and willful delusion pretty entertaining actually.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I could have written all of that. Still, OSC directed me towards The Thirteenth Tale, for which I will always be grateful.
Posted by Stray (Member # 4056) on :
Yeah, I noticed that he hasn't written a World Watch column since the one that went out on election day, but all these bitchy little pro-Bush/anti-liberal comments have started creeping into the Uncle Orson Reviews Everything columns since then. It's sad Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
quote:Originally posted by katharina: I could have written all of that. Still, OSC directed me towards The Thirteenth Tale, for which I will always be grateful.
Thanks, kat! I hadn't heard of that book and I find your taste is very similar to mine in that kind of fiction so I looked it up and it looks fantastic!
ETA: Have you read Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón?
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by El JT de Spang: I skipped Empire -- that was pretty obviously going to be a Rand-ian novel-wrapped-around-a-diatribe.
OSC is a huge statist. He's the opposite of a "Randian" in just about every way. He thinks the state should legislate morality (his, of course). He thinks the state should engage in massive social programs. He may be conservative when it comes to defense ("neo-conservative" would be more accurate), but when it comes to the hegemony of society/state over the individual, he's as utterly statist as the most extreme Trotskyite.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Oh, you'll love it! I've read it twice again since then and I can't remember when I loved a new book so much.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
Lisa, I assumed that El JT was refering to the style of soapbix writing rather than the particular brand of political philosophy.
Posted by natural_mystic (Member # 11760) on :
Lisa, is there any article in particular you can point to that show OSC espousing those views? (I'm not doubting you, I just haven't yet seen them).
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
quote:Originally posted by kmbboots: Lisa, I assumed that El JT was refering to the style of soapbox writing rather than the particular brand of political philosophy.
What she said.
Posted by The Genuine (Member # 11446) on :
quote:Originally posted by kmbboots: Thanks, kat! I hadn't heard of that book and I find your taste is very similar to mine in that kind of fiction so I looked it up and it looks fantastic!
You gals have the same taste in everything.
Posted by Lissande (Member # 350) on :
I bet they even have the same first name.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by natural_mystic: Lisa, is there any article in particular you can point to that show OSC espousing those views? (I'm not doubting you, I just haven't yet seen them).
Before I go searching, can you tell me which ones in particular you want? Also, some of that he's told me in private correspondance, which I obviously can't share without permission.
Posted by natural_mystic (Member # 11760) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lisa:
quote:Originally posted by natural_mystic: Lisa, is there any article in particular you can point to that show OSC espousing those views? (I'm not doubting you, I just haven't yet seen them).
Before I go searching, can you tell me which ones in particular you want? Also, some of that he's told me in private correspondance, which I obviously can't share without permission.
I think I am the most interested in the view that the state should do massive social programs. Thanks a lot.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
quote:Originally posted by The Genuine:
quote:Originally posted by kmbboots: Thanks, kat! I hadn't heard of that book and I find your taste is very similar to mine in that kind of fiction so I looked it up and it looks fantastic!
You gals have the same taste in everything.
You know they're the same person, right?
Posted by Achilles (Member # 7741) on :
But which is the original, and which is the sock puppet?
Posted by Ela (Member # 1365) on :
Hmm...they look amazingly different in person. Wonder how they do it?
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Have you read The Time Traveler's Wife?
Posted by Vyrus (Member # 10525) on :
Perhaps they are both sock puppets of the other?
If one dies, neither can survive?
A symbiotic relationship, indeed.
I agree with Card on some views strongly, and on others I differ, so when reading his columns it's a very bittersweet experience.
I haven't read a lot of his newer novels, so I've for the most part been spared the "seeping of his views".
Socially, our views are vastly different, while fiscally and regarding Bush they are largely the same.
I also was unaware of Card expressing any "Trotsky-esque" qualities, and would be interested in furtherly hearing about it.
Posted by Ela (Member # 1365) on :
quote:Originally posted by El JT de Spang: Have you read The Time Traveler's Wife?
No, I haven't. But I think I heard it discussed on NPR.
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
Excellent book. REad it!
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:I also was unaware of Card expressing any "Trotsky-esque" qualities, and would be interested in furtherly hearing about it.
I wouldn't say Card is "Trotsky-esque," but he absolutely is a statist. After all, the things he's traditionally "liberal" on -- gun control, price fixing, welfare -- are authoritarian in nature; and the things he's "conservative" on -- expansionist defense policy, criminalization of immorality, etc. -- are equally authoritarian.
If you were to list the positions of the Libertarian Party, you'd find that Card comes down on the other side every single time.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
They aren't the same person, actually.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
The Time Traveler's Wife is not an excellent book, IMO.
Tastes vary.
The weird thing is I know Paul and I like some of the same fiction. (aside from OSC, who actually isn't in the same vein as either Niffenegger or the authors we both like.)
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by scifibum: The Time Traveler's Wife is not an excellent book, IMO.
BZZZZZ!
Sorry, wrong. Please try again.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
quote:Originally posted by Paul Goldner: Excellent book. REad it!
One of my favourites.
Posted by Ela (Member # 1365) on :
Yes, it sounded like a really interesting book. Maybe I will see if my library has it.
Posted by dean (Member # 167) on :
I really enjoyed Time Traveler's Wife. I also really, really enjoyed Eon: Dragoneye Reborn which Card recently recommended in his Reviews Everything column. It was the first book I've read in many years where I honestly couldn't hear someone saying my name while I was reading it. I finished it less than sixteen hours after buying it despite having to sleep and go to work during that time.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Yes, that has been rankling me as well. It's hard to read books of his these days without being nagged about marriage and babies, not to mention various socially conservative values. It gets in the way of the stories!
Posted by Foust (Member # 3043) on :
Empire was a complete hoot, unintentionally funny to the highest degree.
The authorial voice rang out loud and strong so often, saying "this book is non-partisan!" often in the same paragraph as a lefty insurgent begs for his life like a complete wiener as the manly conservative stands over him.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
quote:Originally posted by scifibum: The Time Traveler's Wife is not an excellent book, IMO.
BZZZZZ!
Sorry, wrong. Please try again.
I hate it when I'm wrong about my opinions.
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
I think he's having a middle-aged crisis and is doubting the choices he made, and consequently affirms them all the louder in his public voice. Protests too much, as they say. Not uncommon in theists.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
quote:Originally posted by Foust: The authorial voice rang out loud and strong so often, saying "this book is non-partisan!" often in the same paragraph as a lefty insurgent begs for his life like a complete wiener as the manly conservative stands over him.
SPOILER WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. a conservative hero barely fails to stop a liberal insurrectionist group from killing the conservative president of the united states. so the hero goes to save new york city from mechs used by the liberal army, which are gunning down anyone in uniform. it turns out the liberals trying to take over the united states with assassination and armed revolt are being backed heavily by a liberal financier who strongly resembles George Soros but who has a different name in the book. he saves a bunch of new york city cops from the liberals, whose mechs are, again, firing on anyone in uniform. eventually the conservative hero gets assassinated, shot in the head by his secretary who was secretly working for the liberals. so everyone else who has been fighting the liberals from the beginning go to the liberal lair and capture the liberal leader, stopping the campaign of the liberal army trying to kill and replace the U.S. government. the moral of the story NOT that liberals are crazy scum who will take over the us government by force if conservatives don't stop them but is instead that 'we need to all work together to prevent liberals, I mean, something like this, from happening.'
[ February 06, 2009, 03:46 PM: Message edited by: Samprimary ]
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by scifibum: I hate it when I'm wrong about my opinions.
*pat pat*
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
quote:Originally posted by scifibum: I hate it when I'm wrong about my opinions.
*pat pat*
If I were you, I'd be used to it by now... Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
No, I'm usually right about what my opinion is. Finding out that I described my opinion of a book inaccurately has been rather disappointing.
Posted by Jake (Member # 206) on :
quote:Originally posted by scifibum: No, I'm usually right about what my opinion is.
That's what you think.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
quote:Originally posted by scifibum: Finding out that I described my opinion of a book inaccurately has been rather disappointing.
It's always such a shock, you know? Yesterday I found out that I was wrong when I said I liked the oceans eleven remake!
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
quote:I think he's having a middle-aged crisis and is doubting the choices he made, and consequently affirms them all the louder in his public voice. Protests too much, as they say. Not uncommon in people.
Fixed it for you.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS SUPPORT HYPOTHESIS OF THREAD
quote:But along the way, he was convicted of perjury and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice -- crimes that, if you're Bill Clinton, lead to a slap on the wrist and huge speaking fees
quote:Not that anyone is overpraising Archer -- as a conservative, there's almost no chance of his being favorably reviewed by London's critical establishment, since the British intelligentsia are, if anything, even more leftist than the American.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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), which makes them unreadable for me.![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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