Friday, July 19, 2013

Now this happens...

The summer of 2001 I was vacationing in Myrtle Beach and I picked up a `beach book` to read from the local Wal-Mart. It was by a sci-fi author I'd heard of, but I'd never read anything of his. The book was called `Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus'.

Well, the book was great, and my obsessive self wanted more. I looked up the author's list of books and the most recommended by far was a book called 'Ender's Game'. I ran to the bookstore, bought it, read it in one sitting, and the rest is history.

It immediately shot up to the top of my list of favorite books. Not only was it my new Favorite Book Ever, but I became insufferable about it. I made my mom, my brother and my daughter read it. My brother agreed with me. Mom and daughter thought it was very good. I made Dwayne read it too, and my friend Mark from work. Both of these guys are of the 'haven't read a book since high school' variety, and they both loved it!

I started giving the book away as Christmas presents...and then I started buying extra copies, so that I could say, "Have you read Ender's Game? No? Oh, well then here's a copy."...

And it has umpteen sequels, those are all wonderful, too.

So finally, the movie they've been talking about making for YEARS is coming out, and I'm soooo excited. But wait...there's a controversy...what's that...

It turns out that the author of all my favorite books ever is a raging homophobe. Not only that,  but the kind of raging homophobe who says things like, he'll destroy and bring down any government that supports gay marriage.

(sigh) His name is Orson Scott Card. He has every right to think this way...it doesn't affect the books. It will, however, cause certain people not to read his books, and that makes me sad.

The saddest thing is that the first sequel to 'Ender's Game', 'Speaker for the Dead', is a book I've talked about before in this journal.  It's a beautifully written book, and is the start of its own trilogy, about acceptance and peace between all the living things in the universe.

It's hard to believe that the author could write something so beautiful about the concept of acceptance between all living things, yet he couldn't include gays in with them.

20 comments:

  1. It is a strange contradiction. Sometimes it seems that it is better not to know anything about the author's personal life.

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    1. Hi Laoch,
      I completely agree. I have no need to know anything about anybody...I'm not ashamed to say I'm completely self-absorbed! :)
      But in this case, the headlines are following me everywhere I go online. If I didn't have a computer, I probably would never have known this...
      -Michelle

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  2. Great post !

    Do you write reviews of books in goodreads ? If not join asap !

    Moreover, have you authored any books ? If not, do it also asap. :)

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    1. Hi Rajiv,
      Thank you!
      I am on goodreads - I love that site! But no, I never write reviews. I do read the reviews, though. LOL :)
      It just occurred to me that if I read the reviews, I should also probably contribute.
      :( Thanks a lot, Rajiv! :)
      Also, no, I've never written any books - I'm not at all creative.
      -Michelle
      p.s. I did write a review on Amazon.com once...

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  3. Ok, I will try to add you as friend in goodreads asap.

    You write reviews there too.

    Also try to write a short story. Publish it here. You could keep this blog alive all these years by writing posts. So you can write stories.

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    1. Ahahaha, sorry Rajiv. I'm the creative one in the family, not her. :)
      (I'm kidding Mommy I love you)

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    2. It's the truth, though!
      I love you, too!

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  4. Hi Michelle, couldn't find your profile in goodreads.

    But you can find my goodreads profile on my Google plus, about page or from my goodreads widget on the sidebar of my blog. Please add me from there on goodreads.

    Thanks
    Rajiv

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    1. Hi Rajiv,
      Okay I will try to add you when I go on there...I've never done that before so we'll see what happens!
      Thank you!,
      Michelle

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  5. I think I'm the only person who has not read this book.

    My sister-in-law won't watch movies that are "made by liberals." What does that leave? Clint Eastwood Movies? :-)

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    1. Hi Susie,

      Oh, now see what you've done?!
      Susie, you must go out and find this book and read it, immediately. It's the best book ever! LOL

      I think ALL movies are made by liberals! Isn't that what Hollywood is? Like the Land of Liberalism? I don't think anyone is allowed to NOT be a liberal in Hollywood... I still remember that time poor Tom Selleck was on a talk show trying to defend his conservative views...

      I don't know Clint Eastwood's politics, thankfully. But I know I really, really like him!

      :)

      -Michelle

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    2. Clint supported Romney. He did that empty chair gig at the Republican Convention. I watched both conventions.

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    3. (sigh) The coolest guy in Hollywood. Probably the only one who could stand up and proudly be a Republican and all the liberals still fall all over themselves wanting to work with him.

      I don't think I watched either convention. :(

      I really usually do. I just wasn't in a place the last couple years where I watched anything.

      I'll watch them next time. I like the drama.

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    4. Hey Suzie, if you don't wanna buy the book, I'm 90% certain my mom can quote it to you word for word!
      (Perhaps 10% certain I can...I've only read it 3 times.)

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    5. I probably could, because it is THE BEST BOOK EVER.
      Thanks for setting that up for me.
      :)

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  6. Yes, as you say, now this happens. What hooked me here is your opening,"The summer of 2001". it was in 1968 that I went to see a film by one of my favorite sci-fi writers, Arthur C. Clark --a UK tobacconist-- at a local theater. When the movie ended, half the audience remained seated, with their heads on backwards, discussing what we'd just seen. Many years later, when this century began with its strife and brash technology, I rented a videotape of the film and watched it again. I could not have celebrated the turn of the millenium more satisfactorily. I know I'm a bit off-subject here but felt it appropriate to endorse the visions, benevolent and dangerous, of sci-fi writers as aids to understanding the future. What they offer is often utterly separate from their private lives. They are regular people --I've known enough of them-- who dismiss everything, their churches and routines, suspend their prejudices, to concentrate on a vision, explain it and clear their desks of it, certainly to our benefit. Thank you, Michelle, for reminding me of writers and fantastic stories I knew in the progressive past.

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    1. Hi Geo.,
      Yes, I agree! Sci-fi is by far my favorite genre for that reason...
      Arthur C. Clarke wrote one of my favorite books ever, Dolphin Island. I've probably read it about 4000 times in my life. :)
      Thanks,
      Michelle

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  7. Ahhhh ... *that* controversy ...

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    1. Yeah.
      :(

      My favorite book, The Best Book Ever. Go figure.

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