#orson scott card is a hack

[daakjenaar]

Sci-fi writers not being racist and unimaginative challenge (IMPOSSIBLE)

I had a dream that I tried to write this recently and accidentally replaced it with footage of me playing Deep Rock Galactic when I tried to post it, so I’ll try my best to not do that.

I know saying that a lot of fantasy and science fiction worldbuilding is barebones and bland is a pretty tepid take. In many fictional settings, the idea of nationality, ideology, and race are conflated. One and the same, effectively. Mass Effect has the Turian Hierarchy and the Salarian Union, galaxy-spanning governments made up of almost singularly the species turians and salarians respectively, who all believe in roughly the same things, have the same broad personality, and have seemingly been stagnant for thousands of years. Deviation from the turian mentality is treated as a unique trait worthy of ascending a random NPC to a supporting character. To all other races, the idea that humans can believe in different ideologies is fascinating. I think it’s an uncontroversial take to say that this is pretty bland writing, and at least a bit racist. Outside of the special and unique (and overwhelmingly European) humans, all other cultures are monolithic and simplified. 

I should stop myself here because I genuinely have at least half a dozen essays’ worth of Mass Effect topics I would want to go on a rant about. I should move on.

Orson Scott Card’s writing beyond the original Ender’s Game is also emblematic of this approach. In his sci-fi universe, all of the countless worlds that have been colonized are entirely monocultural. Specifically, they are takes on cultures from the point of view of a 30-something center-right mormon in America in the 1980’s. Highlights include a world colonized by the Japanese which bears the name Divine Wind, which translates to ‘Kamikaze’, which might be in slightly poor taste. There is also a world with a predominately Chinese population that is notable for a) being largely covered in rice fields, and b) not knowing what neurodivergency is. It gives overwhelming ‘I read a Wikipedia article and skimmed a really racist history book and am now an expert on all other cultures” vibes. He also wrote Xenocide and Children of the Mind, so maybe we should stop taking him seriously.

So often, worldbuilding in fiction refuses to reckon with the idea that the nations they depict can be anything beyond overwhelmingly monocultural stereotypes of real-world people. After all, it’s much simpler if all of the aliens are just caricatures of other people that really exist, right? No work needed. Oh no, what's this picture of a T'au doing here?

This took me a while to write because I’ve got a lot of takes on the topic of writing and worldbuilding, and it was hard to figure out what to include and what to save for a more focused post later. On that topic, I do have another one planned focusing on my personal, insignificant takes on the ingredients to make a coherent backdrop for a story, and some hot takes and blanket statements to make about worldbuilding as a whole. It’ll hopefully be something more positive and constructive than this.

EDIT MADE MINUTES AFTER I POSTED THIS: I forgot to include the funniest example of all time, the world of Warhammer Fantasy. There are some incredible examples of this kind of worldbuilding. Kislev, the Lizardmen, Cathay, Nippon, Araby, the Tomb Kings, Bretonnia, all comically transparent carbon copies of the most obvious, stereotypical parts of real-world cultures that managed to become a relatively successful media franchise that helped to launch Games Workshop into the company it is now.

[sabakos]

I never liked Twilight but I thought it was stupid that people always tried to paint Stephanie Meyer as some sort of talentless hack. Like, are you trying to convince me you could write a popular series of novels, like it's easy or something? Or are you stupid enough to think that that was all "luck" or something. Like invent whatever conspiracy theory you want for why she was successful, if you're so smart, why ain't you rich. Go pretend to be Mormon and fuck Orson Scott Card's ghost for the networking if that's what it takes. You care not for material things? Fine, give all the money to mosquito nets or something. Is your self-respect worth more to you than children dying of malaria? Or was it maybe uh, a little more difficult to write a not-quite-smutty vampire fic that was just raunchy enough than teenagers would buy it but not enough that their parents wouldn't let them read it, and interesting enough for them to finish but boring enough that they could project their stupid little ingrate selves onto. I think it's a technical accomplishment of some sort that she pulled off, and you have to respect that even if you would have preferred it didn't exist. Also if you like pretty much anything vampire-related in the past decade you have to credit her a little bit for lowering the barrier to entry for horny bloodsuckers. No Taika Waititi without Edward Cullen.

[weaselandfriends]

What are your favorite books, and which books do you feel have been the most influential on your work? Do you read much non-fiction?

I watched all of School Days because of you. What do you like about it? How ironic is your enjoyment?

I am loving CQ thus far.

When I was very young, the books I read and reread again and again and which certainly had some formative impact on me as a writer were Loser by Jerry Spinelli and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, but I think the most clearly influential books on my writing today are Franz Kafka's novels, The Castle and The Trial, as well as Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. I first read all three of these novels as a teenager and they really unlocked the world of literature for me. All three depict ordinary landscapes as surreal nightmares, the way I would go on to depict the locations in Modern Cannibals and Cockatiel x Chameleon. Another work I read as a teen and which surely influenced me was King Lear by William Shakespeare. I've always been a fan of the bleak and tragic.

Other favorite literary works of mine include (in no particular order):

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

VALIS by Philip K. Dick

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

Ulysses by James Joyce

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

2666 by Roberto Bolaño

The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West

Nightwood by Djuna Barnes

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

Demons by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Grendel by John Gardner

Paradise Lost by John Milton

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

As you can see, my reading is on the European and especially Anglo-centric side, which is probably to be expected given I primarily speak English myself. I'm always reading new stuff and try to branch out into time periods and locations outside of Western canon, especially given I've read most of the Western canon by now anyway.

I'm not a large reader of nonfiction. Fiction has always been my passion, since I was very young.

As for School Days, I want to stress that my enjoyment of it is in no way ironic. People ask me this all the time, but I legitimately just think School Days is excellent on its own merits. School Days is a detailed, complex psychological drama in which characters are pushed or push themselves into increasingly uglier directions based on initially small flaws or miscommunications that they are unable to overcome or grapple with. There's very little fat or filler in School Days, it is a lean work in which nearly every conversation has some kind of psychological subtext or is deepened by its context, and the pacing consistently pushes the story toward its explosive, tragic end. I recently watched Breaking Bad (also excellent) and found it similar in how an initially neutral or merely flawed protagonist gradually devolves into outright villainy on account of those flaws; other comparable works would be Nightcrawler, Taxi Driver, the aforementioned Wide Sargasso Sea, or Shakespeare's play Macbeth.

I think the overwhelming backlash about School Days is a byproduct of the Western anime culture back when it aired in 2007. This was just about when the internet was coming to prominence and Western viewers were able to access seasonal anime for the first time via fan subs and dubs; before this, anime watching in the West was either hack-n-slash dubs of kid's shows like Sailor Moon or Pokemon or isolated to a few select (and often Western-influenced) shows like Cowboy Bebop on late-night programs such as Adult Swim. Because of this, the Western anime community was fairly embryonic in 2007, comprised mainly of younger people, and almost entirely male. I don't think this audience collectively had the patience and comprehension skills to appreciate a dialogue-based psychological drama, and especially not one primarily concerned with digging into and exposing what we might nowadays call "toxic masculinity."

2007 was a year where "There are no women on the internet" was taken as an absolute truth, a pre-GamerGate era before even tepid incipient criticisms of sexism in gaming were being made by the likes of Extra Credits or Anita Sarkeesian. School Days, depicting a seeming everyman whose casual objectification of women transforms him into a callous monster, was simply not something this anime community was ready for. And so it was raked over the coals, memed on, and generally held up as "one of the worst anime ever made" (around the same time the anime community thought mind-boggling dreck like Elfen Lied was "mature" art). You would see School Days on Worst Anime of All Time lists right next to Mars of Destruction. I think even if you're only lukewarm on School Days you can see how that level of excoriation is utterly unwarranted.

The community, and the internet in general, and popular media criticism, has changed a lot since then, and I think the current zeitgeist is one that would be far more willing to accept School Days and realize its virtues, but its reputation precedes it and few are willing to watch "The Room of anime" with any amount of good faith. Certainly not enough good faith to pick up on its subtle and psychological writing. I think it's no longer as frequently held up as one of the worst anime of all time, but it's still generally despised (usually by people who haven't even seen it).

So, that's why I do my part to try and change the perspective on School Days.

[novelsmini]

What are 10 Science fiction novels

 Sure, I can recommend some classic and popular science fiction novels:

1. "Dune" by Frank Herbert - A epic tale set in a distant future with politics, religion, and ecology playing key roles.

2. "Neuromancer" by William Gibson - A cyberpunk classic that explores a world of hacking and artificial intelligence.

3. "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov - The start of a sprawling series about the decline and fall of a galactic empire.

4. "1984" by George Orwell - A dystopian classic that explores a totalitarian future.

5. "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley - A novel depicting a future society driven by technological advancements and social conditioning.

6. "The Martian" by Andy Weir - A gripping tale of survival on Mars.

7. "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson - A cyberpunk novel that blends technology, linguistics, and a fast-paced plot.

8. "Hyperion" by Dan Simmons - The first book in a series known for its complex characters and intricate storytelling.

9. "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card - A story of gifted children trained to save humanity from an alien threat.

10. "Altered Carbon" by Richard K. Morgan - A noir-style detective story in a future where consciousness can be transferred between bodies.

These are just a few options to get you started, and there are many more incredible science fiction novels out there to explore.

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT NOVELS CLICK HERE -https://novelsmini.blogspot.com/

[diamondnokouzai]

orson scott card is a stupid hack but ill give him this much. ender wiggin is a homosexual.

[theragamuffininitiative]

Guys, I shouldn’t be allowed by the book sale ok. (#book sale day 2017 / on my blog for evidence)

Here we go:

Fiction:

Rump, the True Story of Rumplestiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff (so sweet, so fun, I love this one so much)

The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke (I need a copy of Dragon Rider to own all my favorites of hers)

3rd Luck Uglies book by Paul Durham (I own the other two)

Remarkable by Lizzie K Folley

Two Renegade Realms, sequel to a book I have by Donita K Paul -unread

The Prophet of Yonwood, worst book in the Ember series I hear -unread

The Long Way Home by Andrew Klavan (I own the whole series in a complete paperback, but like, that’s huge, and also I would happily gift this to a friend)

Savvy (finally!), by Ingrid Law, the first of a trilogy and completing my copies

The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd (my sister raves about it, looks adorable) -unread

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse by Bruce Hale (for my brother)

Redwall, Brian Jacques

Loamhedge, Brian Jacques

The Grimm Legacy, Polly Shulman (loooooove)

Rebel Magisters by Shanna Swendson (? a sequel, but looked interesting) -unread

Heist Society, Ally Carter (so. much. fun.)

The Pawn, by Steven James, one of my dad’s favorites, and I have some wonderful books on writing by James, so I figured I should try this series -unread

Stranger, by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith. ??? looked interesting -unread

The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre, by Gail Carson Levine. -unread, but, like...it’s Gail flipping Carson Levine, I know I’m going to love it.

Classics-ish:

The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler, E. L. Konigsburg (like The Boxcar Children, but in a city)

The BFG, by Roald Dahl (love him, the weirdo)

Winnie the Pooh, A A Milne (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! love )

The Seaboard Parish, by George MacDonald. It’s a sequel, but it’s also George MacDonald. -unread

The House of the Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne. -unread. Eh, I have a friend who might want it, if not *shrug*

Also!

Three Garrison Keillor books.

Also!

The little one is signed. A total happy little surprise. (Merry Christmas, Helen! XD )

Non-fiction:

Upstairs at the Strand, which is a handful of conversations of writers who have worked at the Strand magazine.

Inflight Science, a book about traveling via airplane. ( @hisloveconsumesme, I thought of you lol)

How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card. Been looking for a copy of this to show up for a while. :D

Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things - like a life hack book basically.

Theater-y stuff:

Grease screenplay (why not?)

West Side Story, on vhs because my family can turn it into a dvd for me

A Dictionary of Theatrical Terms (old, but useful)

The World of Musical Comedy (I actually now have two editions of this?)

The Art of Theatre (used as a college textbook in some places, lots of good pictures and interesting chapters)

Journey to the Center of the Theater by Walter Kerr - caught my eye with its iconic Al Hirshfield star caricatures on the cover

Fosse, a book about: you guessed it: Bob Fosse. Could be terrible, but hey. IT was like 25 cents. XD

And some musicals and dvds!

Funny Girl OBC

Hairspray movie soundtrack

Mamma Mia! I almost didn’t get, but it’s a very nice special edition original soundtrack and it was like a dollar. XD

Jamie Cullum’s Devil May Care album, which I love

(not pictured: Chris Rice’s album What a Heart is Beating For, I forgot to put it in the stack, my favorite Chris Rice album probably)

La La Land (!!!!)

Two seasons of Psych (!!!!)

There you have it!

Someone come buy me a new bookshelf.

[dominionleathershop]

Current Audio Book List - 05-17-2018

Here is my current book list...I actually spent some time taking it from Audible and putting it in a text file.  I thought you might like it!

Yes...there is crappy politics and some erotic BDSM books.  Don't Judge, you are on a BDSM Leatherworking Tumblr!  :)

I do figure in the near future I might start putting some text along each of them like opinions, details or at least “Wikipedia links” to them so you can see what they are about.

British

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley Master and Commander - Patrick O'Brian

Technology

Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking -  Christopher Hadnagy

History - Military

The Civil War: Volume I, Fort Sumter to Perryville (The Civil War: A Narrative Volume I) - Shelby Foote The Civil War: Volume II, Fredericksburg to Meridian (The Civil War: A Narrative Volume II) - Shelby Foote The Civil War: Volume III, Red River to Appomattox (The Civil War: A Narrative Volume III) - Shelby Foote Midway - Mitsuo Fuchida, Masatake Okumiya The Coldest Winder - David Halberstam The Second World War - Antony Beevor D-Day - Antony Beevor Operation Mincemeat - Ben Macintyre

History - Political

The Sleepwalkers - Christopher Clark Lone Star Rising - William C. Davis Game Change - John Heilemann, Mark Halperin Nullification - Thomas E. Woods Jr.

History - Company

Of Dice and Men - David M. Ewalt

History - Biographical

Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson Failure is Not an Option - Gene Kranz Going Rogue - Sarah Palin Son of Bum - Wade Phillips, Vic Carucci

Humor

The Rules of Supervillainy (The Supervillainy Saga, Book 1) - C. T. Phipps The Games of Supervillainy (The Supervillainy Saga, Book 2) - C. T. Phipps The Secrets of Supervillainy (The Supervillainy Saga, Book 3) - C. T. Phipps Year Zero - Rob Reid

Fantasy - Contemporary

Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1) - Kevin Hearne Hexed (Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 2) - Kevin Hearne Hammered (Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 3) - Kevin Hearne Tricked (Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 4) - Kevin Hearne Trapped (Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 5) - Kevin Hearne Hunted (Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 6) - Kevin Hearne Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 7) - Kevin Hearne Staked (Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 8) - Kevin Hearne Scourged (Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 9) - Kevin Hearne Left Behind (Left Behind Series, Book 1) - Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins Tribulation Force (Left Behind Series, Book 2) - Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins

Fantasy - Epic

Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1) - Steven Erikson Dragons of Autumn Twilight (Dragonlance Chronicles, Book 1) - Tracy Hickman, Margaret Weis Dragons of Winter Night (Dragonlance Chronicles, Book 2) - Tracy Hickman, Margaret Weis Dragons of Spring Dawning (Dragonlance Chronicles, Book 3) - Tracy Hickman, Margaret Weis AlterWorld (Play to Live, Book 1) - D. Rus The Name of the Wind (KingKiller Chronicles, Book 1) - Patrick Rothfuss The Wise Man's Fear (KingKiller Chronicles, Book 2) - Patrick Rothfuss Pawn of Prophecy (Belgariad, Book 1) - David Eddings Queen of Sorcery (Belgariad, Book 2) - David Eddings The First King Shannara (Sword of Shannara, Book 0) - Terry Brooks The Sword of Shannara (Sword of Shannara, Book 1) - Terry Brooks The Elfstones of Shannara (Sword of Shannara, Book 2) - Terry Brooks The Wishsong of Shannara (Sword of Shannara, Book 3) - Terry Brooks The Scions of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara, Book 1) - Terry Brooks Armageddon's Children (Genesis of Shannara, Book 1) - Terry Brooks The Elves of Cintra (Genesis of Shannara, Book 2) - Terry Brooks A Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) - George R. R. Martin A Clash of Kings (Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2) - George R. R. Martin A Storm of Swords (Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) - George R. R. Martin A Feast for Crows (Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4) - George R. R. Martin A Dance with Dragons (Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5) - George R. R. Martin A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Song of Ice and Fire) - George R. R. Martin

Mystery and Thrillers - Suspense

State of Fear - Michael Crichton One Second After - William R. Forstchen Invasion: Alaska (Invasion: America, Book 1) - Vaughn Heppner Zero Day (Jeff Aiken, Book 1) - Mark Russinovich Daemon (Daemon, Book 1) - Daniel Suarez Freedom (tm) (Daemon, Book 2) - Daniel Suarez

Mystery and Thrillers - Technothrillers

Influx - Daniel Suarez

Horror

Robopocalypse - Daniel H. Wilson

Mystery and Thrillers - Espionage

The Hunt for Red October (Jack Ryan, Book ) - Tom Clancy Red Rabbit (Jack Ryan, Book ) - Tom Clancy Patriot Games (Jack Ryan, Book ) - Tom Clancy The Cardinal of the Kremlin (Jack Ryan, Book ) - Tom Clancy Clear and Present Danger (Jack Ryan, Book ) - Tom Clancy The Sum of All Fears (Jack Ryan, Book ) - Tom Clancy Debt of Honor (Jack Ryan, Book ) - Tom Clancy Executive Orders (Jack Ryan, Book ) - Tom Clancy The Bear and the Dragon (Jack Ryan, Book ) - Tom Clancy The Teeth of the Tiger (Jack Ryan, Book ) - Tom Clancy Without Remorse (John Clark, Book 1) - Tom Clancy

Science Fiction - Classic

Foundation (Foundation, Book 1) - Isaac Asimov Foundation and Empire (Foundation, Book 2) - Isaac Asimov Second Foundation (Foundation, Book 3) - Isaac Asimov 2001 - Arthur C. Clarke The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress - Robert A. Heinlein Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert A. Heinlein Dune (Dune, Book 1) - Frank Hebert Ringworld - Larry Niven

Science Fiction - Contemporary

Plague of the Dead (Morningstar Strain, Book 1) - Z. A. Recht Thunder and Ashes (Morningstar Strain, Book 2) - Z. A. Recht Survivors (Morningstar Strain, Book 3) - Z. A. Recht, Thom Brannan Swarm (Star Force, Book 1) - B. V. Larson Extinction (Star Force, Book 2) - B. V. Larson Rebellion (Star Force, Book 3) - B. V. Larson Conquest (Star Force, Book 4) - B. V. Larson Battle Station (Star Force, Book 5) - B. V. Larson Empire (Star Force, Book 6) - B. V. Larson Annihilation (Star Force, Book 7) - B. V. Larson Storm Assault (Star Force, Book 8) - B. V. Larson A Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle The Oncoming Storm (Angel in the Whirlwind, Book 1) - Christopher G. Nuttall Falcone Strike (Angel in the Whirlwind, Book 2) - Christopher G. Nuttall Mass Effect: Revelation (Book 1) - Drew Karpyshyn Mass Effect: Ascension (Book 2) - Drew Karpyshyn Mass Effect: Retribution (Book 3) - Drew Karpyshyn The Lost Starship (The Lost Starship, Book 1) - Vaughn Heppner Firestar (Firestar, Book 1) - Michael Flynn Pandora's Star (Commonwealth Saga, Book 1) - Peter F. Hamilton 1632 (Ring of Fire, Book 1) - Eric Flint 1633 (Ring of Fire, Book 2) - Eric Flint, David Weber 1634 (Ring of Fire, Book 3) - Eric Flint, David Weber Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card Armada - Ernest Cline Ready Player One - Ernest Cline Seeds of Earth (Humanity's Fire, Book 1) - Michael Cobley Omega Rising (Omega Force, Book 1) - Joshua Dalzelle Soldiers of Fortune (Omega Force, Book 2) - Joshua Dalzelle Savage Homecoming (Omega Force, Book 3) - Joshua Dalzelle Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, Book 1) - James S. A. Corey The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, Book 1) - Suzanne Collins Catching Fire (Hunger Games, Book 2) - Suzanne Collins Mockingjay (Hunger Games, Book 3) - Suzanne Collins Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, Book 1) - Jack Campbell Fearless (The Lost Fleet, Book 2) - Jack Campbell Courageous (The Lost Fleet, Book 3) - Jack Campbell Valiant (The Lost Fleet, Book 4) - Jack Campbell Relentless (The Lost Fleet, Book 5) - Jack Campbell Victorious (The Lost Fleet, Book 6) - Jack Campbell Dreadnaught (The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier, Book 1) - Jack Campbell Invincible (The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier, Book 2) - Jack Campbell Guardian (The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier, Book 3) - Jack Campbell Steadfast (The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier, Book 4) - Jack Campbell Leviathan (The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier, Book 5) - Jack Campbell Tarnished Knight (The Lost Stars, Book 1) - Jack Campbell Perilous Shield (The Lost Stars, Book 2) - Jack Campbell Imperfect Sword (The Lost Stars, Book 3) - Jack Campbell Shattered Spear (The Lost Stars, Book 4) - Jack Campbell On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 1) - Piers Anthony Bearing an Hourglass (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 2) - Piers Anthony With a Tangled Skein (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 3) - Piers Anthony Wielding a Red Sword (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 4) - Piers Anthony Being a Green Mother (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 5) - Piers Anthony For Love of Evil (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 6) - Piers Anthony And Eternity (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 7) - Piers Anthony Into the Storm (Deadly Shores, Book 1) - Taylor Anderson Crusade (Deadly Shores, Book 2) - Taylor Anderson Maelstrom (Deadly Shores, Book 3) - Taylor Anderson Distant Thunders (Deadly Shores, Book 4) - Taylor Anderson Rising Tides (Deadly Shores, Book 5) - Taylor Anderson Firestorm (Deadly Shores, Book 6) - Taylor Anderson Iron Gray Sea (Deadly Shores, Book 7) - Taylor Anderson Storm Surge (Deadly Shores, Book 8) - Taylor Anderson Deadly Shores (Deadly Shores, Book 9) - Taylor Anderson Home (The Traveler, Book 1) - Tom Abrahams Canyon (The Traveler, Book 2) - Tom Abrahams Wall (The Traveler, Book 3) - Tom Abrahams Aurora CV-01 (Frontiers Saga, Book 1) - Ryk Brown The Rings of Haven (Frontiers Saga, Book 2) - Ryk Brown The Legend of Corinair (Frontiers Saga, Book 3) - Ryk Brown Freedom's Dawn (Frontiers Saga, Book 4) - Ryk Brown Rise of the Corinari (Frontiers Saga, Book 5) - Ryk Brown Head of the Dragon (Frontiers Saga, Book 6) - Ryk Brown The Expanse (Frontiers Saga, Book 7) - Ryk Brown Celestia CV-02 (Frontiers Saga, Book 8) - Ryk Brown Resistance (Frontiers Saga, Book 9) - Ryk Brown Liberation (Frontiers Saga, Book 10) - Ryk Brown Born of the Ashes (Frontiers Saga, Book 11) - Ryk Brown Rise of the Alliance (Frontiers Saga, Book 12) - Ryk Brown A Show of Force (Frontiers Saga, Book 13) - Ryk Brown The Weak and the Innocent (Frontiers Saga, Book 14) - Ryk Brown That Which Other Men Cannot Do (Frontiers Saga, Book 15) - Ryk Brown Escalation (Frontiers Saga, Book 16) - Ryk Brown Rescue (Frontiers Saga, Book 17) - Ryk Brown Resurrection (Frontiers Saga, Book 18) - Ryk Brown Rebellion (Frontiers Saga, Book 19) - Ryk Brown Balance (Frontiers Saga, Book 20) - Ryk Brown For the Triumph of Evil (Frontiers Saga, Book 21) - Ryk Brown Who Takes No Risk (Frontiers Saga, Book 22) - Ryk Brown Local Custom (Liaden Universe, Book 1) - Sharon Lee, Steve Miller Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Alan Dean Foster Star Wars: Into the Void (Legends Dawn of the Jedi, Book 1) - Tim Lebbon Red Shirts - John Scalzi Old Man's War (Old Man's War, Book 1) - John Scalzi The Ghost Brigades (Old Man's War, Book 2) - John Scalzi The Last Colony (Old Man's War, Book 3) - John Scalzi Zoe's Tale (Old Man's War, Book 4) - John Scalzi The Human Division (Old Man's War, Book 5) - John Scalzi The End of All Things (Old Man's War, Book 6) - John Scalzi The Rookie (Galactic Football League, Book 1) - Scott Sigler The Starter (Galactic Football League, Book 2) - Scott Sigler The All-Pro (Galactic Football League, Book 3) - Scott Sigler The MVP (Galactic Football League, Book 4) - Scott Sigler The Champion (Galactic Football League, Book 5) - Scott Sigler Earth Strike (Star Carrier, Book 1) - Ian Douglas Center of Gravity (Star Carrier, Book 2) - Ian Douglas Singularity (Star Carrier, Book 3) - Ian Douglas Deep Space (Star Carrier, Book 4) - Ian Douglas Dark Matter (Star Carrier, Book 5) - Ian Douglas Arisen Omnibus Edition - Michael Stephen Fuchs, Glynn James Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson Dies the Fire (Emberverse, Book 1) - S. M. Stirling The Protector's War (Emberverse, Book 2) - S. M. Stirling A Meeting at Corvallis (Emberverse, Book 3) - S. M. Stirling The Sunrise Lands (Emberverse, Book 4) - S. M. Stirling Worldwar: In the Balance (Worldwar, Book 1) - Harry Turtledove Artemis - Andy Weir The Shadow of Saganami (Honor Harrington Saganami, Book 1) - David Weber Storm from the Shadows (Honor Harrington Saganami, Book 2) - David Weber Shadow of Freedom (Honor Harrington Saganami, Book 3) - David Weber Shadow of Victory (Honor Harrington Saganami, Book 4) - David Weber On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, Book 1) - David Weber The Honor of the Queen (Honor Harrington, Book 2) - David Weber The Short Victorious War (Honor Harrington, Book 3) - David Weber Field of Dishonor (Honor Harrington, Book 4) - David Weber Flag in Exile (Honor Harrington, Book 5) - David Weber Honor Among Enemies (Honor Harrington, Book 6) - David Weber In Enemy Hands (Honor Harrington, Book 7) - David Weber Echoes of Honor (Honor Harrington, Book 8) - David Weber Ashes of Victory (Honor Harrington, Book 9) - David Weber War of Honor (Honor Harrington, Book 10) - David Weber At All Costs (Honor Harrington, Book 11) - David Weber Mission of Honor (Honor Harrington, Book 12) - David Weber A Rising Thunder (Honor Harrington, Book 13) - David Weber

Erotic - BDSM

Club Shadowlands (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 1) - Cherise Sinclair Dark Citadel (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 2) - Cherise Sinclair Breaking Free (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 3) - Cherise Sinclair Lean on Me (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 4) - Cherise Sinclair Make Me, Sir (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 5) - Cherise Sinclair To Command and Collar (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 6) - Cherise Sinclair This Is Who I Am (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 7) - Cherise Sinclair If Only (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 8) - Cherise Sinclair Show Me, Baby (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 9) - Cherise Sinclair Servicing the Target (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 10) - Cherise Sinclair Protecting His Own (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 11) - Cherise Sinclair Michief and the Masters (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 12) - Cherise Sinclair

[lazaroschamberger20]

Oryx and Crake Audiobook Download

[Audio Books] Oryx and Crake Audiobook Download by Margaret Atwood

A stunning and provocative new novel by the internationally celebrated author of The Blind Assassin, winner of the Booker Prize

Margaret Atwood’s new novel is so utterly compelling, so prescient, so relevant, so terrifyingly-all-too-likely-to-be-true, that readers may find their view of the world forever changed after reading it.

This is Margaret Atwood at the absolute peak of her powers. For readers of Oryx and Crake, nothing will ever look the same again.

The narrator of Atwood's riveting novel calls himself Snowman. When the story opens, he is sleeping in a tree, wearing an old bedsheet, mourning the loss of his beloved Oryx and his best friend Crake, and slowly starving to death. He searches for supplies in a wasteland where insects proliferate and pigoons and wolvogs ravage the pleeblands, where ordinary people once lived, and the Compounds that sheltered the extraordinary. As he tries to piece together what has taken place, the narrative shifts to decades earlier. How did everything fall apart so quickly? Why is he left with nothing but his haunting memories? Alone except for the green-eyed Children of Crake, who think of him as a kind of monster, he explores the answers to these questions in the double journey he takes - into his own past, and back to Crake's high-tech bubble-dome, where the Paradice Project unfolded and the world came to grief.

With breathtaking command of her shocking material, and with her customary sharp wit and dark humour, Atwood projects us into an outlandish yet wholly believable realm populated by characters who will continue to inhabit our dreams long after the last chapter. This is Margaret Atwood at the absolute peak of her powers.

Read Oryx and Crake Audiobook Download by (Margaret Atwood)

Duration: 10 hours, 30 minutes

Writer: Margaret Atwood

Publisher: Random House (Audio)

Narrators: Campbell Scott

Genres: Campbell Scott

Rating: 3.28

Narrator Rating: 4.67

Publication: Thursday, 01 May 2003

Oryx and Crake Audiobook Download Reviews

Serhii Y.

Amazing book. Though the plot development is sort of predictable, the execution is flawless. Awesome characterisaton, so many little details that make the world and participants vivid and believable. I absolutely adored tie ins across many chapters to some background filling charachters like a 'reading of makbeth'. I had a several good chuckles and even a few loud ones which adds some sweet flavor into the mix of sorrow and even horror the book emanates. Lots of controversial themes are covered from eugenics to child pornography and even the latter the author managed to present in a standard-challenging ways. I had a blast, hope you will also.

Rating: 5

Elise S.

I liked this book a lot. It’s classic Margaret Atwood, so if you like her other dystopian books, you’ll like this one too. I could have done without the kiddie porn. Oryx could have had a different back-story that was just as plausible. I liked the ending a lot, although I saw that other reviewers thought it was a cop-out. Ending the story with a big question mark about what will happen next gives the reader an opportunity to write their own ending.

Rating: 5

JHP

Margaret Atwood can really tell a story and she can create a very credible guy protagonist.

Rating: 5

Natasha H

I Loved this book! The narrative slowly unfolded and i couldn't stop listening! I love Atwood's dystopian future settings, and the way she incorporates science into her fiction without being completely over the top.

Rating: 5

Jason C

This is a Frightening but realistic view of where our world is heading, and should serve as a warning.

Rating: 4

Amy Aro

I think the idea of this trilogy was so creative, but poorly executed. The first book is about jimmy, then he barely makes an appearance in book 2 or 3.

Rating: 2

Leah Beall

This book is fairly long, but it has many elements I enjoy. It is a dystopian novel with elements of child abuse and neglect, terrible parental figures, an unreliable protagonist who is absolutely miserable, interesting female characters, and a devious anti-hero. It has sci-fi elements all throughout, including computerized components, hacking, genetically altered people and creatures, voluntary body modifications, and secret altering elements in the drugs. There are conspiracies and clones. I loved this book. If you are sensitive to graphic language--mostly sexual, including rape and child-pornography moment--and terrible events involving mass genocide of a species, you won't like it, but it is excellent. I cannot wait to read the others!

Rating: 5

Anonymous

Wry, intelligent, unsentimental writing,,,good narrator...interesting characters...depressing (at times distasteful) apocalyptic subject matter.

Rating: 3

SOPSYCHOBILLY

I CAN'T GIVE IT LESS THAN 3 STARS CUZ I REALLY DIDN'T GIVE IT A CHANCE. I STOPPED LISTENING PRETTY EARLY IN THE BOOK BECAUSE THE WRITING STYLE WAS MAKING ME CRAZY. WRITING IN THE PRESENT TENSE IS VERY "JR HIGH" AND I COULDN'T GET PAST IT.

Rating: 3

Emerald

Oryx and Crake is an outstanding futuristic novel - with well-developed characters and a frightening scenario which involves genetic manipulation gone bad. Protagonist Jimmie, aka Snowman, moves the story along and links us to the misguided genius of Crake, the anti-hero. The female lead is equally mesmerizing. This is one story you won't want to turn off, and the final chapters constitute a very scary ride.

Rating: 5

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[sumergosuigeneris]

I’m confused

I’ve only dug in a little bit, but I can’t really find too much in terms of specifics of Ilhan Omar’s remarks. Therefore, I can’t take a stand regarding whether or not there was any antisemitic intent in her communication.

However, being anti-Israel is not being antisemitic. Yes, one can be both, but...it’s also possible to be one or the other. Israel is a country. Judaism is a religion. Most (not all) people who live in Israel are Jewish, but not all Jews are Israeli. Conflating the two is the same as saying that criticizing England is criticizing the Church of England, and this criticizing England is engaging in religious bigotry against all Christians. We had this same issue come up with Kennedy was running for president. People were concerned that he’d answer to the pope instead of adhering to political stuff. A person, all people, have religious leanings/opinions, and political leanings/opinions, and they are the same, regardless of party or religion or lack thereof - separate from each other. One’s religious opinions can influence one’s politics, and vice versa, but they are two different things. And most (not all) countries in the world, including the United States, separate the two. In contrast, Iran has a theocracy. Israel is not a theocracy. Therefore, legitimate criticism of the government of Israel is nowhere near the same as being antisemitic.

it is a fact that the US has a very weird relationship with Israel. We are expected to have unflagging loyalty, regardless of party, etc.....and generally it’s a united front, even from Congressional delegates who are racist, bigoted, sexist, and likely closet-antisemites. As a country, we supported Israel unwaveringly, even there was a significant amount of public and accepted antisemitism. We, by law, tithe to Israel every year, regardless of how much money (ie debt) we have. We tithe before anything else our budgets do. It’s insane.

Are there crazy-powerful Israeli lobbies, Jewish lobbies, and Jewish/Israeli lobbies? Probably. But I would point out that lobbying for Judaism or Israel does not mean you are lobbying for both. A critical point too is that there are also crazy-powerful lobbies for guns, for tobacco, for cars, for farming (well, the farming lobby might not be powerful, I’m not sure), et cetera, et cetera.

Maybe some of this is well-intentioned. Maybe there are people who very not-antisemitic and they are afraid if they think negatively about Israel, it will mean that secretly they hate Jews, and since they do NOT hate Jews, then they cannot criticize Israel. And I’m sure there are people who are legitimately just concerned about optics. That is, they know that the two are separate but because the marketing campaigns or the way the media twists everything, they feel they don’t dare criticize Israel because it will be bandied about that they are antisemitic. Sure there are people who are paid to be Israeli hacks, but again, I just don’t see how that’s any different from being paid to be hacks for corporations or teachers or guns or whatever.

Anyway, putting aside what the contents and intent of her remarks are, there is extra vitriol. That she is a woman. That she is a woman of color. That she is Muslim. That she is young. That she is a democrat. That she is ‘outspoken.’ All of these things have made her a target. She’s being held to waaaay higher standards. And that’s not even including the massive amounts of hypocrisy all around. I can’t even with all that.

This whole mess, going back to the 40s (or was it 20s or 30s), is insane to me.

And because I too am not immune to fear over being mischaracterized...I’m a huge fan of Jews, in general. Thousands of years of persecution around the world and they have still managed to survive and sometimes thrive. I’ve got Jewish friends, I work and have worked with Jews. I’ve gone to school with Jews, and done extracurriculars with them. Some of my favorite actors and musicians are Jewish. Probably writers too, I don’t tend to look into writers’ personal lives that much (which is how I didn’t know that Orson Scott Card went nuts). I am a friend and an ally to the Jewish community. I hope that I will always stand up for them against antisemitism, that I will be brave enough to stand up physically and not just in my thoughts or in writing. I also see Jewish people as people. Just like any religion or whatever, there are individuals I love, individuals I like, individuals I don’t like too. And a shout-out to all the crazies out there - the Holocaust really happened, you insane mofos.

[novelsmini]

Top ten Sci-fi novels along with theirs author and others info

  Certainly! Here are summaries of 10 classic science fiction novels, along with some information about their plots and characters:

1. **"Dune" by Frank Herbert**

   - **Plot:** Set in a distant future, it follows the story of Paul Atreides as he navigates the desert planet of Arrakis, the only source of a valuable spice called melange. The novel explores themes of power, religion, and ecology.

   - **Characters:** Paul Atreides, Duke Leto, Lady Jessica, Baron Harkonnen.

2. **"1984" by George Orwell**

   - **Plot:** This dystopian novel is set in a totalitarian society controlled by Big Brother. It follows Winston Smith, who rebels against the oppressive regime and seeks truth and freedom.

   - **Characters:** Winston Smith, Julia, Big Brother.

3. **"Neuromancer" by William Gibson**

   - **Plot:** A cyberpunk classic, it follows Case, a washed-up computer hacker hired for one last job. The novel is known for its virtual reality, hacking, and complex conspiracies.

   - **Characters:** Case, Molly Millions, Wintermute.

4. **"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley**

   - **Plot:** In a futuristic world, society is conditioned to maintain stability and happiness through genetic engineering and mind control. The story revolves around Bernard Marx, who questions the system.

   - **Characters:** Bernard Marx, Lenina Crowne, John "the Savage."

5. **"Foundation" by Isaac Asimov**

   - **Plot:** This is the first book in the Foundation series. It centers on mathematician Hari Seldon's plan to preserve knowledge during the fall of a galactic empire and the rise of a new civilization.

   - **Characters:** Hari Seldon, Gaal Dornick, Brother Day.

6. **"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card**

   - **Plot:** The novel follows Ender Wiggin, a gifted child trained to lead humanity in a war against an alien race. It explores themes of leadership, morality, and the consequences of war.

   - **Characters:** Ender Wiggin, Valentine Wiggin, Colonel Graff.

7. **"The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin**

   - **Plot:** In a world where the inhabitants are ambisexual androgynes, an Earth ambassador, Genly Ai, navigates cultural differences and political intrigue.

   - **Characters:** Genly Ai, Estraven, King Argaven.

8. **"Hyperion" by Dan Simmons**

   - **Plot:** A group of seven pilgrims, each with their own story, travels through a far-future universe. They share their tales on a journey to a mysterious, time-altering structure called the Shrike.

   - **Characters:** Martin Silenus, Brawne Lamia, The Consul.

9. **"Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson**

   - **Plot:** Set in a cyberpunk world, it follows Hiro Protagonist, a hacker and pizza delivery driver, as he investigates a virtual drug called Snow Crash and its connection to a linguistic virus.

   - **Characters:** Hiro Protagonist, Y.T., L. Bob Rife.

10. **"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams**

    - **Plot:** This comedic space odyssey follows the unwitting Arthur Dent as he is whisked away from Earth just before its destruction and joins an eclectic group of interstellar travelers.

    - **Characters:** Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox.

These novels offer a wide range of themes and storytelling styles within the science fiction genre, making them essential reads for fans of the genre.

For more info visit here -https://novelsmini.blogspot.com/

[diamondnokouzai]

the themes of a given orson scott card book are

orson scott card is a hack

orson scott card is a mormon hack

orson scott card is a stupid mormon hack

if orson scott card had two brain cells to rub together, he’d use them to light the local LGBT center on fire

orson scott card is a dumb ugly little bitch and we should make fun of him as much as physically possible

[diamondnokouzai]

orson scott card is a hack but he did give us one good thing.