Orson Scott Card is a phenomenal science fiction writer, both in his own prolific production and in the audience who buys and reads him. He has been a giant on the scene for decades.
One of the biggest sci-fi authors of all time, doing fine in 2014.
He is not constrained to producing science fiction only, but also stretches his works into fantasy, religious novels, thriller-type mysteries, opinion essays and other non-fiction. He does a lot. He is read a ton, as mentioned. He is unabashedly Mormon, which means something to a lot of people that read him and hold him up as a standard. A little bit like the more recently huge writer Stephanie Meyer, these Latter-day Saint writers have proven that they can sell and capture the greater worldly attention of the masses. Not bad.
It makes me feel good as a Mormon, for sure. And it must be good that their works are so popular, right? But is there something missing... perhaps for me...and others.
So be it. I really like Chaim Potok, for example, and for me he speaks for Judaism (and let me posit that any "religious" writer is writing in some ways for all faiths, all people); I think that Potok has opened up avenues to the Jewish psyche and culture and belief-system like few other writers that I can imagine, which is usually through the vehicle of fiction, albeit realistic. And thus he does a fair share in his writing for all of humanity. Bravo for him and us. Like John Steinbeck, a more secular but definitely humanizing and powerful author. One of my personal favorites. These masterful writers do the whole human race a favor, not just "the poor" or the "Americans of the Depression", or "Mexican immigrants" or "post Holocaust Jews", but for all of us. That is great writing. Great literature.
Perhaps Orson Scott Card, or Scotty, as a few people I am friends with call him on a personal basis, is this type of writer for the LDS. Perhaps. But I have some reservations.
Like any person, any artist or craftsman, there are chinks in the armor. It is obviously impossible for anyone to be all things to all people. There is no such thing as universal acceptance or appreciation without caveats, especially when it comes to the masses . We Christians believe that Jesus is the Lord of all, and welcomes all, yet there are many who reject Him or those who purport to represent Him for different bases of criticism. Understandable. Some simply think of him as another historical figure, not much different than others. Messiah to mankind or another ins a series of martyrs in the Roman Empire? Or somewhere in between.
We can all judge for ourselves. Like with books.
I have not read all of Mr. Card's works. That is a tall order. The books and stories and articles that I have read of his I tend to enjoy and get pleasure and enlightenment from. My wife has read four of his books which I have not; she thoroughly enjoyed them and was engrossed. Nicely done. She also, to my liking, gets engrossed in the works of the aforementioned Potok. My daughter also read "Ender's Game", usually considered the seminal work of Card, which I think is appropriate for those far enough through middle school to read and contemplate. My wife and I enjoyed the movie a year ago (November 2013). Of course, the book is always better.
But speaking of better, perhaps I am too critical of things; perhaps I have little room to speak, but I think Mormons as a people can do better. Fiction or not, we LDS can produce even better works.
Will we?
If there is ever a Latter-day Saint writer, be it Stephanie Meyer or about 10 thousand others of the faith who hope to become popularly successful and meaningful in their craft of fiction or non-fiction, I do have hope that it will bring all of us, young and old, bond and free (LDS humor there, sort of) closer to where we need to be.
And where, pray tell, is that? Along with the greatness of the rest of humanity in art and literature.
And admittedly, like Card's character Ender Wiggins, we do await that day of success and accomplishment with some trepidation, but also with an undying hope and faith.
Keep writing everybody. And thanks, if any of the other writers ever read this, for sharing your gifts and talents. Humanity does not exist in a bubble. We are in this together, even the most spectacular "singular" feats are not islands unto themselves.
Tolstoy did not write "War and Peace" by himself. He got a lot of help. Possibly, from God above? I believe so.
And so we hope with our current and future books.
To bring the lowly pen and ink closer to a heavenly clime. It should happen.
Blog it. EMC
One of the biggest sci-fi authors of all time, doing fine in 2014.
He is not constrained to producing science fiction only, but also stretches his works into fantasy, religious novels, thriller-type mysteries, opinion essays and other non-fiction. He does a lot. He is read a ton, as mentioned. He is unabashedly Mormon, which means something to a lot of people that read him and hold him up as a standard. A little bit like the more recently huge writer Stephanie Meyer, these Latter-day Saint writers have proven that they can sell and capture the greater worldly attention of the masses. Not bad.
It makes me feel good as a Mormon, for sure. And it must be good that their works are so popular, right? But is there something missing... perhaps for me...and others.
So be it. I really like Chaim Potok, for example, and for me he speaks for Judaism (and let me posit that any "religious" writer is writing in some ways for all faiths, all people); I think that Potok has opened up avenues to the Jewish psyche and culture and belief-system like few other writers that I can imagine, which is usually through the vehicle of fiction, albeit realistic. And thus he does a fair share in his writing for all of humanity. Bravo for him and us. Like John Steinbeck, a more secular but definitely humanizing and powerful author. One of my personal favorites. These masterful writers do the whole human race a favor, not just "the poor" or the "Americans of the Depression", or "Mexican immigrants" or "post Holocaust Jews", but for all of us. That is great writing. Great literature.
Perhaps Orson Scott Card, or Scotty, as a few people I am friends with call him on a personal basis, is this type of writer for the LDS. Perhaps. But I have some reservations.
Like any person, any artist or craftsman, there are chinks in the armor. It is obviously impossible for anyone to be all things to all people. There is no such thing as universal acceptance or appreciation without caveats, especially when it comes to the masses . We Christians believe that Jesus is the Lord of all, and welcomes all, yet there are many who reject Him or those who purport to represent Him for different bases of criticism. Understandable. Some simply think of him as another historical figure, not much different than others. Messiah to mankind or another ins a series of martyrs in the Roman Empire? Or somewhere in between.
We can all judge for ourselves. Like with books.
I have not read all of Mr. Card's works. That is a tall order. The books and stories and articles that I have read of his I tend to enjoy and get pleasure and enlightenment from. My wife has read four of his books which I have not; she thoroughly enjoyed them and was engrossed. Nicely done. She also, to my liking, gets engrossed in the works of the aforementioned Potok. My daughter also read "Ender's Game", usually considered the seminal work of Card, which I think is appropriate for those far enough through middle school to read and contemplate. My wife and I enjoyed the movie a year ago (November 2013). Of course, the book is always better.
But speaking of better, perhaps I am too critical of things; perhaps I have little room to speak, but I think Mormons as a people can do better. Fiction or not, we LDS can produce even better works.
Will we?
If there is ever a Latter-day Saint writer, be it Stephanie Meyer or about 10 thousand others of the faith who hope to become popularly successful and meaningful in their craft of fiction or non-fiction, I do have hope that it will bring all of us, young and old, bond and free (LDS humor there, sort of) closer to where we need to be.
And where, pray tell, is that? Along with the greatness of the rest of humanity in art and literature.
And admittedly, like Card's character Ender Wiggins, we do await that day of success and accomplishment with some trepidation, but also with an undying hope and faith.
Keep writing everybody. And thanks, if any of the other writers ever read this, for sharing your gifts and talents. Humanity does not exist in a bubble. We are in this together, even the most spectacular "singular" feats are not islands unto themselves.
Tolstoy did not write "War and Peace" by himself. He got a lot of help. Possibly, from God above? I believe so.
And so we hope with our current and future books.
To bring the lowly pen and ink closer to a heavenly clime. It should happen.
Blog it. EMC
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