Ha. I should cover Practical Homicide Investigation in flowery paper.
Um, well, we listened to aggressively cheerful music sung by people chosen for their ability to dance. Then we ate cookie dough, and talked about boys.
Giles ,'Get It Done'
We're Literary 2: To Read Makes Our Speaking English Good
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
erikaj - May 17, 2005 12:33:15 pm PDT #7687 of 10002
Always Anti-fascist!
Betsy HP - May 18, 2005 10:51:37 am PDT #7688 of 10002
If I only had a brain...
There's an excellent dissection of the ethics of Ender's Game here: [link]
As with Ender’s goodness, this is a case of the author insisting on a quality in the character that need not be demonstrated by action to be held as true. Goodness is not a matter of acts, but of intentions, an inherent quality independent of what one does. “I don’t really think it’s true that ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Card stated in a 2002 interview.9 “Good people trying to do good usually find a way to muddle through. What worries me is when you have bad people trying to do good. They’re not good at it, they don’t have any instinct for it, and they’re willing to do a lot of damage along the way.” The import of this statement is that there are some people who are good before they act, and some others who are bad before they act, and that goodness or badness is exhibited in their actions. These "bad" people can’t do good, and “good” people can’t do bad.
Connie Neil - May 18, 2005 10:53:08 am PDT #7689 of 10002
brillig
I knew there was a reason I didn't consider Orson Scott Card to be a reliable source of moral definitions.
Nutty - May 18, 2005 10:55:45 am PDT #7690 of 10002
"Mister Spock is on his fanny, sir. Reports heavy damage."
My problem with Orson Scott Card was always that he had no idea what children really act like. The moral stuff was always vaguely present and irritating, but no moreso than the Mormon! Ask me how! subtext. Well, until the later books.
Betsy HP - May 18, 2005 10:56:43 am PDT #7691 of 10002
If I only had a brain...
I think I ran away from Orson Scott Card when I realized that every. single. book. had child sexual abuse in it.
§ ita § - May 18, 2005 10:57:41 am PDT #7692 of 10002
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
every. single. book. had child sexual abuse in it.
A little boy, lost because of his genius, is treated very badly by grownups. Lather, rinse, repeat.
JohnSweden - May 18, 2005 12:04:49 pm PDT #7693 of 10002
I can't even.
I think I ran away from Orson Scott Card when I realized that every. single. book. had child sexual abuse in it.
One trick pony, plus y'know, disturbing subtext. It was a good trick the first couple of times, but after that I was like, "Hey, Scott, what else you got?"
Consuela - May 18, 2005 4:00:02 pm PDT #7694 of 10002
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix
I'm trying to recall if there was sexual abuse in the Alvin Maker novels. I forget.
Betsy HP - May 18, 2005 5:16:33 pm PDT #7695 of 10002
If I only had a brain...
I think there may not have been. I thought the first two or so were excellent, till it all turned into Joseph! Smith! Does! It! Right!
Consuela - May 18, 2005 5:56:53 pm PDT #7696 of 10002
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix
I liked the first 2, and then it went somewhere I didn't like, so I stopped reading.