posted
First OSC book I ever came across was Call of Earth. Starting into it, I had no idea when the "hook" was coming. (Spoiler warning) It was just people walking though a desert and talking. I later read Memory of Earth (which was great), not actually knowing it came just before CoE. I still couldn't continue the series by getting all the way through the first chapter of CoE.
For me at least, CoE is certainly one of OSCs books that doesn't stand by itself if you havn't read the other stories in the series. But Earthborn, of which I've only read the first chapter on this site, is absolutely amazing. I want to buy it, but not if it'll ruin the rest of the series for me if I ever choose to try CoE again. I know it's silly to judge CoE on just one chapter, but oh well.
Spoiler:
quote:Akma was born in a rich man's house. He remembered little from that time. One memory was of his father, Akmaro, carrying him up a high tower, and then handing him to another man there, who dangled him over the parapet until he screamed in fear. The man who held him laughed until Father reached out and took Akma from him and held him close. Later Mother told Akma that the man who tormented him on the tower was the king in the land of Nafai, a man named Nuak. "He was a very bad man," said Mother, "but the people didn't seem to mind as long as he was a good king. But when the Elemaki came and conquered the land of Nafai, the people of Nuak hated him so much they burned him to death." Ever after she told him that story, Akma's memory changed, and when he dreamed of the laughing man holding him over the edge of the tower, he pictured the man covered with flames until the whole tower was burning, and instead of Father reaching out to rescue his little boy, Akmaro jumped down, falling and falling and falling, and Akma didn't know what to do, to stay on the tower and burn, or jump into the abyss after his father. From that dream he awoke screaming in terror.
posted
I would say that while Earthborn could be read as a standalone and enjoyed immensely, you would lose a lot of the meaning and depth of the story. Without the necessary background, much of the moral and sociological dilemma will not seem as, well, not important really, but full. You will end up missing out on a lot of the complex emotions, culturally and individually, that the story exudes. Also there will be parts that, you know, just don't make sense without reading the beginning of the series. But it does introduce almost all new characters, and I can imagine it would still be a fantastic book, read alone.
On another note, I very strongly suggest that you give the entire series another try. Just start at the beginning and read them all, all the way through. They are each incredibly moving novels of their own right, and the character development, IMO, rivals anything else that OSC or any other author has produced. Especially if all of CoE that you read was the first chapter. You have almost certainly shortchanged the experience if you don't give it another go. The story is definitely more than just walking through the desert and talking. Try it, you'll see what I mean.
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I would try the series again. While I would say that "Call of Earth" is my lest favorite book in the series, it does pick up a bit as soon as you get past the first couple of chapters. Besides which, it leads into the Ships of Earth which was truly fantastic.
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
You could probably read Earthborn alone, but I agree with vonk. Try the whole series again. There are a lot of nuances in Earthborn that will be lost on you if you haven't read the whole series. The Homecoming series is one of my favorite reads and it is definitely worth it to read from beginning to end.
Posts: 511 | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Is CoE first? I read 'em all in a collection. I wouldn't want to pick it up in the middle. Exception: the last one seems standalone to me.
Posts: 1877 | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
Nup, Memory of Earth is first. I read that and it was great.
quote:Exception: the last one seems standalone to me.
Yup. I got that impression from just the first paragraph. I mean, !!!!:
quote:Akma was born in a rich man's house. He remembered little from that time. One memory was of his father, Akmaro, carrying him up a high tower, and then handing him to another man there, who dangled him over the parapet until he screamed in fear. The man who held him laughed until Father reached out and took Akma from him and held him close. Later Mother told Akma that the man who tormented him on the tower was the king in the land of Nafai, a man named Nuak. "He was a very bad man," said Mother, "but the people didn't seem to mind as long as he was a good king. But when the Elemaki came and conquered the land of Nafai, the people of Nuak hated him so much they burned him to death." Ever after she told him that story, Akma's memory changed, and when he dreamed of the laughing man holding him over the edge of the tower, he pictured the man covered with flames until the whole tower was burning, and instead of Father reaching out to rescue his little boy, Akmaro jumped down, falling and falling and falling, and Akma didn't know what to do, to stay on the tower and burn, or jump into the abyss after his father. From that dream he awoke screaming in terror.
I know I already quoted that in this thread, but it doesn't get much better than that so I had to do it again.
And vonk and friends (tm), I will be folliwng your advice and reading the whole series. First I gotta read Shogun and Lost Japan, and watch the entire series of Walker: Texas Ranger, for research purposes first.
posted
You'd actually lose even less if you just ignored Earthborn all together.
edit: just want to mention that I'm a complete idiot for posting the previous message but I'm not going to delete it so everyone can see how much of a 'tard I can be.
posted
The Homecoming series was written as one continuous work, and is meant to be read that way. However, because the story takes a centuries-long jump between the end of 4 and the start of 5 (Earthborn), in effect we're starting over. That's why Earthborn stands alone and Call of Earth does not.
But even so, I thought C of E started in a really cool way. My bad.
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh, and Punjabee, thanks for coming on my site and recommending that people avoid one of my books. Do you do that when you go to parties in other people's homes? Talk down the host to his other guests?
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Earthborn presents characters to whom the first four books are mythic. Having read what actually happened and seeing how that has been incorporated into the daily belief structures of the Earthborn characters is an essential element of the book, and one of its best achievements.
It's my favorite book in the series, due in significant part to the contribution of the other 4 books.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Orson Scott Card: Oh, and Punjabee, thanks for coming on my site and recommending that people avoid one of my books. Do you do that when you go to parties in other people's homes? Talk down the host to his other guests?
Sorry sir, that wasn't my intention and it certainly wasn't my intention to anger my favorite writer (that's not ass kissing, its true).
I just found Earthborn to be anticlimactic compared to the awesome story of the first 4 books. I meant no offense.
Posts: 317 | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Earthborn can really stand by itself just fine, the one before it, Earthfall is about the humans setting meeting the Angels and Diggers and setting up colonies. But to understand that one, you should start from the begining of the series. So you really didn't loose much, but if you haven't read the others, start from the beginning.
Posts: 57 | Registered: Aug 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Punjabee.... there's already an entire other thread on that argument, why ruin this one by saying it again?
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
