Hatrack River Forum: Lifetime Achievement Writers of the Future

This is topic Lifetime Achievement Writers of the Future in forum Uncle Orson On the Fly at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :

First of all, congratulations Mr. Card! You absolutely deserved to given this award. Your work has transformed my life in ways I never anticipated. Many of my best friends are only such because you brought together a community that I have been privileged to be a part of these many years.

Beyond that, your work I think will be remembered for a very long time. Long after all of us are in the ground.

But with that, you said,

quote:
I'd like to think that my best work is still ahead of me. But I'm also aware that most writers are not like Isaac Asimov, who was doing the best work of his life when he died. Most people fade a little as they get older. The last works of fine writers like Agatha Christie and Ross Macdonald were far from their best. I can't think of any reason why I would be immune to the effects of age.

That was one of the saddest things I've ever read. You may be right, but perhaps believing that you can yet do your best work I think is a necessary step towards achieving it. I have high hopes you will yet write books that astonish even you.

Posted by millernumber1 (Member # 9894) on :

Congratulations indeed. I've remained a big fan of the most recent books (well, okay, I admit I haven't been able to power through the Pathfinder books, but the Lost Gate stuff is riveting, even if I don't love it as much as Enchantment, which played with a lot of the same toys). Even though Ender in Exile isn't anywhere close to my favorite, it's still a powerful book - and Shadows in Flight is probably way up there on my list. The Formic Wars stuff is really enjoyable (thanks too for championing such talents as Johnston!), and I still can't believe that Ender's Game Alive exists in its glory. (Also, still desperately hoping for one or more of the sequels to get the same treatment - with a million times more excitement than any movie sequel [Smile]

)

I'm doing my part to try to keep the flame alive. I have the entire Ender series on my list of books my students are allowed to write their final paper of the semester about, and this semester, I have two or three students writing about various books in the series - including Ender in Exile!

Posted by Doug64 (Member # 13148) on :

quote:
Originally posted by BlackBlade:
That was one of the saddest things I've ever read. You may be right, but perhaps believing that you can yet do your best work I think is a necessary step towards achieving it. I have high hopes you will yet write books that astonish even you.

It was unfortunately true for Robert A Heinlein.