[Drew]

Rowling has now shown herself to lack a brain, a heart and courage. Clearly, she needs to visit Oz.

*standing ovation*

I'll confess, I enjoyed the Harry Potter novels. They weren't high literature by any stretch, but they were entertaining, and sometimes you need something that's just a good, easy-reading story between books that challange you a bit more.

That said, the last page of that article, and especially that closing sentence, was absolutely incenerary writing. Excellently played...

I read Ender's Game as a kid, I think. I'm less into sci-fi these days, but maybe I'll pick it up again. I agree with OSC on one point, at least - Rowling's activities, regardless of the merits or relative lack thereof of her writing (your choice), are absolutely in poor taste.

[FortePenance]

I read Ender's Shadow first, so i'm more fond of that than Game, but they're both excellent books. I must read Shadow Puppets.

[RgAscendant]

Ouch, she got owned pretty bad. Not sure I'll see her in the same way from now on. We'll see I guess.

[noodles]

Originally Posted by Drew

I read Ender's Game as a kid, I think. I'm less into sci-fi these days, but maybe I'll pick it up again.

This is why I hate the tag "sci-fi". The original Star Wars worked because it was a good story set in a sci-fi world, kind of like Lord of the Rings is "fantasy".

Ender's Game fits that bill. It is an excellent story, set in a sci-fi world. The technology is mentioned insomuch as you need to enough about it to comprehend what is going on, but Card never geeks out on it. Sci-fi writers who waste pages upon pages describing obscure technological concepts, hidden behind the smallest semblance of plot, is what gives the genre a bad name.

[Kotex]

Originally Posted by eaeolian

Do. It's worth it - I don't always like OSC, but that book deserves all its accolades.

+1 Enders Game is a GREAT fucking book.

[Drew]

Originally Posted by noodles

This is why I hate the tag "sci-fi". The original Star Wars worked because it was a good story set in a sci-fi world, kind of like Lord of the Rings is "fantasy".

Ender's Game fits that bill. It is an excellent story, set in a sci-fi world. The technology is mentioned insomuch as you need to enough about it to comprehend what is going on, but Card never geeks out on it. Sci-fi writers who waste pages upon pages describing obscure technological concepts, hidden behind the smallest semblance of plot, is what gives the genre a bad name.

I feel the same way about Vonnegut. Sure, you could call the guy sci-fi.... but that's not the point. Vonnegut writes about what it means to be human - he just occasionally uses some pretty far-reaching sci-fi elements to get there.

[sakeido]

Originally Posted by Drew

I feel the same way about Vonnegut. Sure, you could call the guy sci-fi.... but that's not the point. Vonnegut writes about what it means to be human - he just occasionally uses some pretty far-reaching sci-fi elements to get there.

Make that another +1
I really enjoyed Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion/Endymion/Rise of Endymion for this reason. They were set in a sci-fi universe, but he only talks about the sci-fi elements long enough for you to go "wow that is totally cool and plausible" and he never beats you to death with "look at how much of a pseudo-scientist I am!" crap.
A good story is a good story.. I really dislike people who get carried away with playing up the distinguishing characteristics of a genre. Like fantasy authors who write doorstop-sized novels with little actual plot development, sci-fi authors who waste entire chapters describing space stations, you know.

[noodles]

Neil Stephenson is awesome at that kind of stuff. He'll describe some incredibly advanced future technology in a very matter-of-fact way, as if it is really no big deal at all. At the beginning of the book, you have this, "Holy shit!" kind of reaction to everything, but after about fifty pages, you're taking things like nanotechnology and atomic level engineering as a matter of course.

I hate science fiction writers who spend all this time fabricating this incredible universe, only to fill them with paper characters.

[DelfinoPie]

Originally Posted by noodles

I hate science fiction writers who spend all this time fabricating this incredible universe, only to fill them with paper characters.

Michael Crichton's "Congo" immediately springs to mind.

[TemjinStrife]

I did enjoy the Harry Potter books because they were enjoyable and fun, with good suspense and a believable and amusing universe. However, Ender's Game is utterly incredible.

Anyways, having spent a decent amount of time in college writing for lit courses (including three separate ones on Tolkien... I love UVM's English department!) Card's notes are spot-on. The body of literary criticism surrounding such literary works is immense, and what she is up in arms against has been done for YEARS (without complaint) to the Tolkien estate, the Star Wars universe, the Ringworld universe, the world surrounding Foundation... and many other more "classic" sources such as Crime and Punishment or The Grapes of Wrath. She has no case, and is showcasing a rather disappointing side of her personality.