I just finished it. This is one of the best series I have ever read. The scale of the plot is so grand and yet so personal. The characters were easy to like, or hate, and they were all very well developed.
The only problem I have with it is the last book, “Earthborn.” It suddenly breaks away from the familiar storyline and introduces entirely new people. I don’t mind that, and I thought a story about the New Humans was great, but Card did a poor job of continuity, even with Shedemei as the connecting character. I found it hard to get familiar with the new characters. They seemed very distant.
That’s my opinion for now. So how did you like, or not like it?
I read them all about a year ago. I loved the first three. They were a bit soap-opera-ish, but pretty creative and damn exciting at times. As soon as I finished one volume, I would immediately pick up the next and devour it. The fourth one kind of curbed my enthusiasm and the fifth book did even less to hold my interest. You are spot on in your criticism of it. I had come to really enjoy reading about the characters in the previous books and suddenly they become footnotes. In the end, I was quite disappointed with how the series played out in those final two books. It became all about the rats and bats.
Whenever I read Card, I wish I knew a little more about the history of the Mormon church. I understand that he is a faithful member of the LDS and apparently he often weaves storylines into his novels that are allegorical of Mormon history and beliefs. My deepest understanding of the beliefs of Mormons comes from that one South Park episode. Even so, I can definitely see some parallels: chosen people who can speak with the Overseer; individuals who can interpret information from the Overseer using a special device; the chosen ones heading out into the desert in search of a new home, and so on.
Since Card’s Mormonism has been brought up, has his rampaging homophobia effected anyone else’s opinion of his writing? I thought the Ender series was brilliant but since I’ve read his writings on homosexuality, I just can’t enjoy the books anymore. http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2004/02/shame_on_orson_.html
I had the opposite reaction to the Homecoming series. I enjoyed the first one, but I found the rest not up to par until the last one, which I really liked.
For me Card is great at setting up a character in the first book that a character appear in. However as a series progresses the characters story and inner dialog feels very repetative. There is little new going on. I notice this in most Card series but at least in other series he was continually bring in new characters to keep things interesting. In Homecoming the cast was pretty much fixed until the last book.
Yes, that was kind of weird. The reason for that was that the whole series was based on the basic elements of the Book of Mormon–if you pick up a copy and read the first several chapters, you’ll see the similarities. He takes those first chapters, invents a new setting, adds some characters, and expands the whole thing into the first four books. The last one goes over the events later on in the BoM. I have no idea why he did it that way; I don’t like the fifth one as much either. But the basic plot is the BoM, and the characters’ names are virtually identical, since he wanted to make it clear to those who would recognize it.
Besides the Homecoming series, the Alvin Maker series is (very loosely) based on Joseph Smith. Lost Boys is obvious. The Ender books contain a lot of very LDS ideas that he has played around with; aiuas, for one. And so on.
If you’re interested in learning a bit about LDS history, I would recommend getting The Mormon Experience by Arrington out of the library. It’s a history written by a well-known LDS historian for a general audience, and explains a lot.
I’ve read most OSC’s fiction and The Memory of Earth (the first book of the Homecoming series) was one of the single most enjoyable books I’ve read. However, I must say that my enjoyment of the series gradually diminished as it went on. It didn’t finish as I would have liked, but that’s my problem, not his.
Folk of the Fringe was about Mormons in a post-apocalyptic world. Pretty good.
As for the Homecoming series, I seem to remember feeling the same way as the OP. In fact, anyone I’ve ever talked to about the series feels the same way. I really enjoyed the dynamic of the characters in the first 4 books and then felt like I was reading a new series in the 5th book. It was a good book, but it felt like I read a stand alone Card book.
As for his politics, AmericanMaid, I can only offer you advice given to me. I am a moderate conservative, so I have trouble with the ideological slants of some of the more liberal members of Hollywood. Upon telling liberal friends (I have plenty and Ann Coulter can kiss me ass; I WANT to talk to them!) that I would have trouble seeing a flick with people who go on television and smugly mock my opinions and beliefs, they told me to ignore the participant and judge the product.
It may be tougher with a writer because he crafts the message entirely, but I don’t think Card has pushed his political ideology or his opinions of gays into his works.
I seem to recall that he treated the gay character from this series with respect and made him a loving father and a committed companion to his platonic wife.
Definately. I think Zdorab was one the most honorable people in the series.
I wasn’t disappointed with Earthborn, but I had grown to like Nafai, Luet, Hushidh, and the others. Even Elemak and Mebekew had grown interesting. Having them stopped suddenly was confusing and somewhat depressing.
I suspected that this series was probably based on Mormon beliefs, but because I have 0% knowledge of Mormonism, I didn’t know for sure.
Don’t let this turn into a debate about homophobia. I knew it would come up as it always does when the discussion is about Card and his work. That’s not why I started the thread.
I thought the real problem was that with both series, there was a general slacking off as the series progressed. It got repetitive and started to drag heavily. And Card was never able to figure out what the heck he wanted with the villain characters, or even who was the villain, oir what kind of villains they were.
Actually, that’s a problem through most of Card’s works. His villains don’t stay villains.
Card appears to be a guy who lives deep in his head along with his characters. And once they’re in their he ends up deciding that even his bad guys aren’t beyond redemption and that becomes a part of the next story.
I can live with that. But they keep going back and forth on us in the Homecoming series and its sequel. Character development is fine, but it just started to seem like Card was picking out how evil his characters were out of a hat every morning.
If they are beyond redemption, they get killed, like Bonzo Madrid and Obring.
Card is really one of the rare authors who develops his villains. Most fictional villains are 100% evil, beyond reasoning, and unable to have emotions other than anger and rage. Bonzo was like this, but Elemak and Mebbekew had convincing reasonings for their actions, and it seemed that the reader could relate to some of their emotions. They weren’t supernatural creatures that seem to come from nowhere. Card gave them a background and soft sides.
Hmm, when I read Ender’s Game I liked the story but the character of Ender didn’t do much for me. He just didn’t seem like a kid (yes, I know Card states that he never felt like “a child”, but as a somewhat intelligent kid, I know I definitely had childish thoughts). However, I thought that series got stronger once Ender grew up. Now, one could argue that the Ender of Ender’s Game isn’t the same as the Ender in Speaker for the Dead et al., but I liked the later novels.
However, I agree with you with respect to the Ender’s Shadow series. Those books have just gone downhill. Also, with Shadow Puppets, it was the first time that Card the man, rather than Card the author, was preaching at me.
Even so, I can definitely see some parallels: chosen people who can speak with the Overseer; individuals who can interpret information from the Overseer using a special device; the chosen ones heading out into the desert in search of a new home, and so on.