Well-Actually War Trall Doctor Albert Halfmann Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 And if so, what sorts of things do you collect? I'd love to claim to be above material possessions, but at least at this stage I adore certain objects far too much. I actively collect vintage push-button retractable ballpoint pens (Paper mate and Parker are the most prevalent brands in my collection); hats (mostly of a markedly retro '70s or earlier style); and, of late, Playmobil minifigures in the castle knight genre. If you have not the slightest urge to collect, can you express why it is that you have no interest in such activity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast keira Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I hoard. Really, you have no idea. I once had two year's worth of perfectly not-folded starburst wrappers in a box. It was a little strange. I've kinda gotten over that sort of hoarding, but I do collect coins, hockey pucks, beer coasters, and college form letters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Goldengirl Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Both of my parents are hoarders, so I really do try to avoid the behavior as much as possible. I throw away/recycle a lot more than I save, by any chance. That said, there are two things I collect. During my years in junior high school, I was always losing pencils, so I got into the habit of taking pencils whenever I saw they were not under clear ownership (e.g. they were lying unattended on the ground). This habit has carried on, even though the utility for it is gone. And, far less justified, there are these chocolates sold periodically as a fundraiser around campus. The wrappers look gold and are reflective; I've started collecting them, as well as using that as an excuse for my consumption of chocolates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Randomizer Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I used to collect stamps and coins. Some book collecting trying to get everything from favorite authors. Now I think they call what I have hoarding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Aran Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I've collected different kinds of stuff over the years. Comics, books, stamps, paper napkins... As of now, data archives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Harehunter Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I collect books. Books on programming in languages I once used, but unlikely to do so again. Mostly books by sci-fi authors I like: Heinlein, Asimov, Christopher Stasheff, Tolkein, Piers Anthony, Robert Asprin, a few others. I did part with my Heinlein collection to the son of one of my co-workers. He has the spark of imagination that I had at his age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Dikiyoba Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: Sylae I hoard. Really, you have no idea. I went on a Hoarders binge over the summer, so I'm pretty sure I do. Dikiyoba collects dinosaur models, feathers, and, if they happen to be clean enough, animal bones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk The Loquacious Lord Grimm Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Legos, snowglobes, and 1st edition hardbacks of books that I have enjoyed, when I can get them. The Missus collects shot glasses, postcards, and china. Suffice to say, together, we have a rather eclectic curio cabinet. _________________________ The Silent Assassin collects moonbeams, screams, and photos of pies. He also used to collect custom-built paintball guns, until the local authorities got involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Aran Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 No souls? Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk The Loquacious Lord Grimm Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: Aranophobia No souls? Anyone? Turns out, they're high in cholesterol. And they waste away like nothing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Lilith Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 these days i'm mostly collecting dust Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Callie Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 When I was little I used to collect rocks and smash them to see the quartz veins inside. Now I collect coins. I even have some 500+ year old Japanese Shogun coins. They're only worth like $10 each, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Rowen Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I collect debt. Once I started I found out that I don't really enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Doctor Albert Halfmann Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: Sylae I've kinda gotten over that sort of hoarding, but I do collect coins, hockey pucks, beer coasters, and college form letters. College form letters?! Well, I suppose some have rather nice letterheads to them. Do you obtain the hockey pucks at games you attend, or by some other means? Originally Posted By: Goldenking Both of my parents are hoarders, so I really do try to avoid the behavior as much as possible. I throw away/recycle a lot more than I save, by any chance. I think my parents' habits with regard to their possessions have influenced me as well. My mother has always professed a disdain for superfluous possessions and is only too willing to get rid of anything which lack obvious monetary value. My father, on the other hand, is a bit overly conscientious in his preservation of records and items of sentimental value. I cannot abide by displeasing junk- I'm lazy about cleaning, but when I am roused to do it, I'll dispose of any bit of paper that isn't of crucial importance. But I still have my father's yen for preserving items of sentimental value. Being a thoroughly frugal chap, however, he has never possessed my flair for collecting. Looks as though we have a fair few numismatists and philatelists among us. I wish there were a term for ever manner of collector, but those two are the only forms of collecting, to my knowledge, popular and well-developed enough to demand specific terms to define them. I'm grateful that I've only ever been interested in collecting fairly diminutive items. A friend's father once incurred the wrath of the neighbors, and subsequently, the village council when he insisted on storing his collection of rusted-out lemons in their backyard, obliterating the lawn entirely. The man's hoarding was entirely out of control, as evidenced by the boxes upon boxes of junk piled up within their house, which was on the small side in the first place. He prohibited his son's friends from even entering the house for fear of lawsuits over fallen debris. He was a rather mad character on the whole, and the hoarding was just one of the more conspicuous symptoms of his disease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dintiradan Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Hmm. I don't go out of my way to collect anything, and I usually don't have any hoarding problems. I find it impossible to throw out a book, however, no matter how bad it is. The most I can make myself do is donate or regift them. Do hats count? I've got several ball caps (included a Nike cap from when I was ten which became a work cap that is now covered in paint and caulking and has faded from black to a light tan), several touques (I've had one since I was six and it still fits!), an Ajax trucker cap (?), a fedora (too small for me now, though), a straw hat (neither a panama nor a boater; more like a straw trilby), an akubra (though not an actual Akubra), and a pork pie (from the excellent Beau Chapeau in Niagra-on-the-Lake). Next is probably going to be a panama or a bowler. A top hat would be funny, though I can't think of a single situation where it would be appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Doctor Albert Halfmann Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: Dintiradan Do hats count? I've got several ball caps (included a Nike cap from when I was ten, a work cap that is now covered in paint and caulking and has faded from black to a light tan), several touques (I've had one since I was six and it still fits!), an Ajax trucker cap (?), a fedora (too small for me now, though), a straw hat (neither a panama nor a boater; more like a straw trilby), an akubra (though not an actual Akubra), and a pork pie (from the excellent Beau Chapeau in Niagra-on-the-Lake). Next is probably going to be a panama or a bowler. A top hat would be funny, though I can't think of a single situation where it would be appropriate. Hats assuredly do count. An item's utility can only enhance its collectibility, in my opinion. My two most longstanding collections are of ballpoint pens and hats. I used to have a single hat for each season, but I've since expanded the collection further. I've got a Russian ushanka (furry winter hat) adorned with the Soviet symbol; a Scotch-Irish style herringbone-pattered trilby by Christy's; a furry Tyrolean by London Fog from the 1970s; a British imperial pith helmet; an eight-pointed military cap (seen in the photos thread); a geometric-patterned flop hat; and my newest addition, another furry '70s hat which defies categorization. Perhaps I'll attempt to photograph a few with my mediocre web cam tomorrow. Your collection sounds most solid. I've considered akubra-style hunting hats in the past, but find that wide-brimmed hats don't suit me so well. Pork pies are pretty styling, though I have been too worried about being mistaken for a fanatic jazz fan to want to sport one. I lack a top hat as well; I highly doubt I could pull one off. Edit: I've also got a colorful, reversible hippie headband in my wardrobe. I rarely leave the house without it or a hat of some kind, as I cannot abide by the wind blowing my hair willy-nilly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk Nicothodes Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Top hats are always appropriate. For me, probably instruments. I currently have a cello, an electric guitar, two violins, a harmonica, a pennywhistle, and a bowed psaltery. I'm planning on getting an acoustic guitar once I'm not quite so poor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Doctor Albert Halfmann Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: Nicothodes Top hats are always appropriate. For me, probably instruments. I currently have a cello, an electric guitar, two violins, a harmonica, a pennywhistle, and a bowed psaltery. I'm planning on getting an acoustic guitar once I'm not quite so poor. Another collection of great utility! I had never heard of a psaltery. The only instrument I own is a harmonium. Can you play all of those? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk Nicothodes Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 All to varying degrees except the violin. I'm hoping to find a hungry music student who would be willing to help me get started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyshakk Koan Mistb0rn Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I'd say I'm definitely a hoarder. My most prominent collections would be my library of sf/f books, unused pens, and photos. Though I also have quite a lot of other assorted junk that 'may be useful someday' that I just can't bring myself to get rid of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I'm not a collector, though I am partial to assuming direct control of one from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Harehunter Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Tools, construction materials, lumber, nails and screws of all sizes, old paint to match your current color scheme. You never know what type of home repair you may encounter, and the week after you toss that special tool you got five years ago and only used once, you're going to need it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast keira Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: Stugri-La Originally Posted By: Sylae I've kinda gotten over that sort of hoarding, but I do collect coins, hockey pucks, beer coasters, and college form letters. College form letters?! Well, I suppose some have rather nice letterheads to them. Do you obtain the hockey pucks at games you attend, or by some other means? The college letter thing is weird--they all send pretty much the exact same letter, but just change the name of the college and a couple alumni I'm supposed to know. The hockey puck thing is from games I've been to--it's mostly Bozeman Icedogs before they left NAHL. It's pretty much just the pucks that leave the rink during the pre-game practice warmup thingy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Doctor Albert Halfmann Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: Nicothodes All to varying degrees except the violin. I'm hoping to find a hungry music student who would be willing to help me get started. Ah, this would seem to be more economical than taking lessons from some big shot, assuming the student's appetite is within reason. It does seem an awfully hard instrument to learn. Originally Posted By: gangster w/umbrella: Fo' Drizzle Originally Posted By: Stugri-La Originally Posted By: Sylae I've kinda gotten over that sort of hoarding, but I do collect coins, hockey pucks, beer coasters, and college form letters. College form letters?! Well, I suppose some have rather nice letterheads to them. Do you obtain the hockey pucks at games you attend, or by some other means? The college letter thing is weird--they all send pretty much the exact same letter, but just change the name of the college and a couple alumni I'm supposed to know. The hockey puck thing is from games I've been to--it's mostly Bozeman Icedogs before they left NAHL. It's pretty much just the pucks that leave the rink during the pre-game practice warmup thingy. Hmm,it is interesting how they are only superficially different. I never noticed that back when I was applying. Or perhaps I did, but have forgotten- it has been nearly ten years now! As for the pucks, that makes sense. As a Chicago Blackhawks fan, I've read numerous articles and heard several experts expound on the question of where the puck which clinched the Stanley Cup for us ended up. I'm not obsessed with the subject by any stretch, but it is interesting how no-one has owned up to pocketing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Alorael at Large Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I used to collect wine corks, but I gave that up. I'd like to collect recorders, but that's a very expensive hobby if they're wood or acrylic. I'd love to have a full set one day, but anything larger than a tenor is more than I can really justify spending on. —Alorael, who doesn't set out to collect anything right now. He accumulates books and appreciates them very much. He also accretes sticky notes with impenetrable memos on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dintiradan Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: Dantius I'm not a collector, though I am partial to assuming direct control of one from time to time. Now imagining an episode of Hoarders dealing with Harbinger's Collectors collection. Thanks a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk nikki. Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I collect stolen mugs from coffee shops. Also books and bottle openers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk Student of Trinity Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I collect digital artwork. Sort of. I don't think I'm really diligent enough to count as a collector, but I do slowly accumulate it. I'm fussy about copyright, so I either make my own — at which I have no great talent — or buy the rights properly. I dislike the idea of collecting physical objects. Somehow I have a sort of horror of taking up too much space. I think it's really that I am so lazy, I can't stand the amount of effort it would take to look after stuff properly. So I prefer to lay up treasure in cyberspace, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt. Actual works of art are okay, on the other hand; but I acquire them rarely, and then as individual pieces, not as a collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Doctor Albert Halfmann Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 As promised, the hat collection captured for posterity. Despite space limitations, I think most of 'em are fairly visible. Absent are the pith helmet and ushanka, as those are back home in Illinois. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall A less presumptuous name. Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Wait... how is owning books the same as collecting books? Are you considering buying books to read and then keeping them to be collecting or hoarding? Or do you people buy the books just to own them? If the former is the case, I'm a theoretical book collector. If I had more time and money, I would own far more books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: Dintiradan Now imagining an episode of Hoarders dealing with Harbinger's Collectors collection. Thanks a lot. This hurts you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk nikki. Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I, personally, buy as many different versions and printings of my favourite books as I can afford. I've numerous copies of various Wilde books/plays, for instance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast keira Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Part of my library. I had a panickey moment when I was missing a bunch, then I realized it was in the other box (Not shown, since I'm too lazy to grab it). Sidenote: How does SW feel about eReaders (nook, kindle, etc)? I got one for Christmas and I can't stand the thing--it's just not the same as paper, I'm paranoid they'll screw me over with DRM, and they're full of formatting errors and typos (Which is ridiculous, I'm paying just as much for the paper-bound edition). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk nikki. Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Not nearly as good as holding (and smelling <3) a good book (and by "good" I really mean "old"). I've read eBooks, but yeah, not for me, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: gangster w/umbrella: Fo' Drizzle Part of my library Orson Scott Card? Dune books written by someone other than Frank Herbert? Eragon? I thought you had taste! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast keira Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: Dantius Originally Posted By: gangster w/umbrella: Fo' Drizzle Part of my library Orson Scott Card? Dune books written by someone other than Frank Herbert? Eragon? I thought you had taste! What's wrong with Card? I've never had a problem with his writing...The same with Brian Herbert's Dunes (although I've heard quite a bit of flak about them on the internet...). With regards to Eragon, yeah...it's been kinda disappointing, hoping the last book makes up for it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Doctor Albert Halfmann Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: Master1 Wait... how is owning books the same as collecting books? Are you considering buying books to read and then keeping them to be collecting or hoarding? Or do you people buy the books just to own them? If the former is the case, I'm a theoretical book collector. If I had more time and money, I would own far more books. An important distinction. I wouldn't consider you a collector, as your primary motivation for seeking out books is to read them. Those that accumulate items of utility as a consequence of making use of them cannot be considered collectors, in my opinion. However, one who seeks out first printings or special editions of books he has enjoyed (e.g. Lenar Labs and Nikki) can rightfully be considered a collector. In this case, the utility of the item is secondary to its aesthetic and/or nostalgic value. For example, I collect ballpoint pens and hats, both of which have undeniable utility. However, I have many more pens than I will ever use, including some that do not function properly. All of them appeal to me aesthetically, though, so I'd consider that my primary motivation. Where hats are concerned I only collect those that fit me, but I certainly have more than I need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Originally Posted By: gangster w/umbrella: Fo' Drizzle What's wrong with Card? I've never had a problem with his writing...The same with Brian Herbert's Dunes (although I've heard quite a bit of flak about them on the internet...) Personally, I'd have thought that your objection would be more along the lines that Herbert Sr. and Card are both huge fans of using caricatures of homosexuals as mustache-twirling villains who are evil because they are gay and gay because they are evil. Card is well-known to be a fundamentalist Mormon activist who pretty much hates everything not explicitly endorsed by Joseph Smith and Herbert Sr. has taken a lot of flack for his characterization of Baron Harkonenn. Of course, this is different from Heinlein's libertarian insanity because Heinlein was a brilliant writer and extraordinary storyteller and could get away with interweaving political theory in his book without beating you with it, whereas Herbert really only produced one flawed masterpiece (which is still one more than Junior did), and Card is just way too busy pushing his message on his readers to bother actually writing a interesting story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast keira Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Originally Posted By: Dantius Personally, I'd have thought that your objection would be more along the lines that Herbert Sr. and Card are both huge fans of using caricatures of homosexuals as mustache-twirling villains who are evil because they are gay and gay because they are evil. Dude, I live in rural freaking Montana. I'm used to that kind of crap. Also, if you have a mustache you can twirl... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Tyranicus Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Originally Posted By: Narwhal Sidenote: How does SW feel about eReaders (nook, kindle, etc)? I got one for Christmas and I can't stand the thing--it's just not the same as paper, I'm paranoid they'll screw me over with DRM, and they're full of formatting errors and typos (Which is ridiculous, I'm paying just as much for the paper-bound edition). I bought a Kindle a bit over a year ago, and I love it. I still enjoy physical books, and I still buy them and put them on my shelf, but the convenience of the Kindle is great. Also, I have never had a problem with formatting issues on any books bought through the Kindle store. I sometimes find errors in books acquired through other sources, but never on an ebook for which I have paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unflappable Drayk Nicothodes Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I love physical copies of books, but I have a bad habit of putting down books when I'm halfway through or near the end and getting distracted with other things to the point where I forget to pick them up again. E-books help me with this, since I'll leave them open on my computer until I'm finished with them, so it's at least somewhere on my mind every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dintiradan Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Quote: Part of my library Oh, wow, that's a lot of Modesitt. I stopped reading the series sometime around Fall of Angels. Maybe I'll give Death of Chaos a quick reread, since I suspect the final WoT book is going to share a lot in common with it, but probably not. I should give Card a go one day. Depending on who you ask, the author's either a monster or a genius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Alorael at Large Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Orson Scott Card is a good writer. I like Ender's Game quite a lot, and the next three Ender books quite a bit. I stopped reading the Bean books; they fell into weird politics land. My favorite of his is actually the Alvin Maker series, which seems to largely avoid excess religious fervor and most political pitfalls. Baron Harkonnen is evil and gay, or maybe just pedophilic. But mostly evil. It's not as though a great deal is made of his homosexuality. I like to read books, but my acquisitions are often in reverse order: I'll read a book, then buy it if I think it's worth owning to lend to others or to reread. —Alorael, who has a Kindle. He uses it exclusively for travel. It's easier to carry around than a large book, and it's easier to transport than an extra suitcase for books. He uses it probably less than once a year, though, because while that's nice in theory, in practice he can always find a nice paperback for the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Lilith Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Originally Posted By: I swear to break this vow. Orson Scott Card is a good writer. I like Ender's Game quite a lot, and the next three Ender books quite a bit. I stopped reading the Bean books; they fell into weird politics land. My favorite of his is actually the Alvin Maker series, which seems to largely avoid excess religious fervor and most political pitfalls. do yourself a favour and don't read his take on Hamlet also between this review (warning: contains a language) and the article linked in it i'm pretty sure it's no longer possible for me to enjoy ender's game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Aoslare Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Most of Card's writings are not explicitly anti-gay. However, if you read the many statements he has made concerning homosexuality, and then read his books, it's hard not to see the connection. If he just didn't like it, that would be one thing, but he seems pretty intent on connecting it to pedophilia in a way that seems less akin to casual discrimination and more akin to social darwinism and auto-da-fés. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Tyranicus Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I seem to recall that there is a gay character in one of the later Bean books who realizes that marrying a woman and having children is something he must do because all people must procreate. That was around the point that I stopped reading the books. It was a shame too. Ender's Shadow was incredible, but the later Bean books just got worse and worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Originally Posted By: HOUSE of S Most of Card's writings are not explicitly anti-gay. However, if you read the many statements he has made concerning homosexuality, and then read his books, it's hard not to see the connection. If he just didn't like it, that would be one thing, but he seems pretty intent on connecting it to pedophilia in a way that seems less akin to casual discrimination and more akin to social darwinism and auto-da-fés. It's not really even that, so much as it is that when you read his "arguments" against homosexuality, they're so laughably bad, and he spends so much time going on and on about them in his books, that it just utterly ruins any sort of positive view you have of his intelligence or competence (or writing skills). For instance, in the second article, he argues that the decriminalization of homosexuality is a legitimate reason for violent rebellion against the US government because it's tantamount to an assault on civilization itself, and in the third one he starts off by railing about how "diversity" is a stupid concept that makes no sense- and then goes on to argue in the next paragraph that same-sex marriage is bad because it loses the "diversity" inherent in heterosexual marriages, whatever that's supposed to mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dintiradan Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Quote: do yourself a favour and don't read his take on Hamlet also between this review (warning: contains a language) and the article linked in it i'm pretty sure it's no longer possible for me to enjoy ender's game I've read those two essays before. Again, I've never read the books, but I was always under the impression that Ender was supposed to be a flawed protagonist until the reveal. But good or bad, it's pretty clear that the quality of the later books took (more of) a nosedive. But that Hamlet link... as odd as it is for me to say it, Strange Brew is no longer the least faithful Hamlet adaptation. ;-) And if people though the Oedipus Complex in Gibson's version was too much... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Alorael at Large Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Let me rephrase what I said: some of Card's writing is good. Some is execrable. (Or even some of his novels are good and some are execrable. From what I've seen, his writing craft is always at least serviceable; it's the stories that sometimes become too full of junk to be worth slogging through.) I think Ender's Game and Alvin Maker are in the former camp, although the Bean books fall apart and the later Alvin Maker ones start becoming iffy. That said, I don't hate authors for writing characters I disagree with, and I don't hate books for being written by authors I disagree with. I wouldn't support any of Card's political or religious aims, but I can enjoy some of his novels perfectly well. (Yes, I've seen those Ender's Game reviews. I still like the book. It's a dystopian future of sanitized child soldiers. It might be geek victim porn, but I don't follow that line of reasoning to it being bad. It's not great literature; it is good good reading.) —Alorael, who does not think Ender is supposed to be flawed. He is, in fact, an immaculately pure, intensely brilliant, unstoppably driven Mary Sue. The question is never if he'll win but how he'll win, which isn't a terrible thing. Maybe not gripping drama, but still fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ineffable Wingbolt Necris Omega Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Last novel series I voluntarily sat through was by Richard Knaak. Suffice it to say, I am no longer the avid reader I might once have been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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