Doesn't get it, or too full of himself?

[patgund]

There are times I really think Orson Scott Card is just too full of himself. (well, that and he's too much in love with his own writing to realize when a series much be finished once and for all.)

His rant against "Star Trek" is a great example of this.

Strange New World: No 'Star Trek'(LA Times)

"So why did the Trekkies throw themselves into this poorly imagined, weakly written, badly acted television series with such commitment and dedication? Why did it last so long?

Here's what I think: Most people weren't reading all that brilliant science fiction. Most people weren't reading at all. So when they saw "Star Trek," primitive as it was, it was their first glimpse of science fiction. It was grade school for those who had let the whole science fiction revolution pass them by."

(shakes head and sighs)

Comments

[jkusters]

I've read his book on writing sci-fi. It's an incredible work of hubris. He seemed to contend that only sci-fi stories that cannot work in any other setting should be written. If you write something that could be transplanted to another genre, then it's not worthy of being considered "science fiction." Baloney, I say.

I had just about gotten over my distaste for him personally after his whole "gays have OCD" episode from about the time he published Xenocide when he launched his whole "marriage is for straight people only" campaign on his website. I know I should separate the author from his work, but I couldn't.

I certainly wouldn't mind at all if Mr. Card suddenly faded into obscurity.

JOhn.

[patgund.livejournal.com]

By that logic, "Ender's Game" couldn't or shouldn't be written. There's very little in that book that can't be transplanted into a non-SF theme.

I really think Card needs a good cup of shut the f*ck up on occasion

[firedrake-mor.livejournal.com]

There's an excellent response to Card's spewing here:

http://www.writergroupie.com/columns/cardtrekcolumn.htm

I think Jill Sherwin did a nice job of skewering him. I suspect at least partially, this may have happened because a) he got a script or story idea turned down (or misappropriated), b) his book sales are slipping and he wants some publicity, c) He couldn't sell the "Ender" concept or the "Prentice Alvin" concept as series, d) he's p.o.'d that Ken Jennings is more famous than he (he's from Utah), or e) he merely had a bug up his shorts.

He is related to an old Army friend of mine, who always found it weird to see his name on books. She referred to him as "my weird cousin Scott, who no one in the family gets along with."

[patgund.livejournal.com]

(nods) Makes sense. Card has a few really bad habits, and being sanctimonius is one of them. (Not knowing when to end a series is another. And, while I can understand why he feels his beliefs call him to speak out against homosexuality, I don't think it excuses his behaviour in that regard.

[winterlion.livejournal.com]

sometimes Card is good writing, sometimes he isn't. And yah his beliefs DO call him to do some odd things every now and again (I've got a whole pile of family with the same set). He does odd things back occasionally (the Alvin Maker series for instance which managed to rather quite offend some members).

I happen to agree that there's been enough of Trek. I -like- the original series though... not because of writing or acting but because they were so low budget fans were used to fill out the extra characters and writing.... Any show or story which includes and -welcomes- fandom to take part in it has quite a bit in favour. (as long as the show is respectful anyways).
I could be totally off though.

[patgund.livejournal.com]

Oh, I personally think Trek needs to rest for a while. The majority of the complaints I've heard about Enterprise, (for that matter, my own complaint), was that it was being canceled just when it was getting good. But on a whole, the franchise needs to rest for a while. Especially to recover from the damage that Berman and Braga inflicted on it.

But I think Card's comments were way off base, and smacks too much of a "my way is the only way" attitude - or a level of elitism against media SF vs. print SF.

[winterlion.livejournal.com]

agree on Trek. I fell out of interest in it -years- ago

Card? Elitist? LOL. WAY too true.