Ender's Shadow is one of the few books I have literally thrown across a room. I was willing to put up with the shitty writing, but the character assassination of Petra was just too much for me.

I don't remember that in the first book, but I was definitely irritated with how he handled her in the later books. It's been a long time since I've read them.

I am with Matt as regards to disbursement of my money in the future. Ender's Game was excellent, Speaker for the Dead was very good, and the man is not just someone I disagree with, he's someone who's fighting to disenfranchise human beings. I don't think any books are more important to me than that, but I'll keep evaluating books as I read them.

I read a few of his other books before I knew anything about the guy, but there was enough there there for me to engage in "is this guy alright???" conversation with other sci fi reading friends. I cooled on him during Alvin Maker, I think.

I have never read one thing by him. I think I started Ender's Game years ago but never finished it.

You can get any of his books you wish used, which avoids him getting any of your money. Or, if ownership of books is not important to it, you can get it in your local library, being careful not to put wear and tear on it, and being careful to return it on time so you are not encouraging them to buy more. Possibly in the library case, your best bet is to read it in the library so you do not add to the list of the number of people checking it out.

You can get any of his books you wish used, which avoids him getting any of your money

Unless you affect the supply and demand enough to make someone else buy new who would have bought your copy instead.

Clearly piracy is both insupportable and the only answer that doesn't smell.

But that could be LA libraries.

I will actually be able to stop and think and gain pleasant feelings knowing I did not, have not, and will not (pay to: I may pirate for the looksee) see Ender's Game. I'm a generally smug bitch, but this guy is working my last self-righteous nerve: [link]

::pukes::

It is the permanent or semipermanent bond between a man and a woman, establishing responsibilities between the couple and any children that ensue.

The laws concerning marriage did not create marriage, they merely attempted to solve problems in such areas as inheritance, property, paternity, divorce, adoption and so on.

Um, yeah, you say that like gay people don't want those same things. Gay marriage is solving problems like inheritance, property, paternity, divorce, adoption, and so on.

Card needs to die in a fire, preferably one fueled by piles of his his later sorry-ass novels.

DH and I saw Pacific Rim last night, and it was HUUUUUUUUGE.

There is more or less no plot. It's 2.5 straight hours of giant robots punching giant monsters in the face. And it was AWESOME.

Highly recommend seeing in IMAX 3D because, as I mentioned, there is basically no plot. I couldn't even tell you one of the characters' names. (There's Bland Ryan Gosling, Australian Bland Ryan Gosling, Australian Bland Ryan Gosling's Dad, Japanese Girl, Science Nerd Guy, British Science Nerd Guy, That Guy From That Other Movie, Ron Perlman, and Idris Elba.)

But Guillermo del Toro should be allowed to get his Michael Bay on more often, because he is REALLY good at it. My arms are sore from all the fist pumping I was doing when the giant robot punched the giant monster really hard.