Ender's Game/Orson Scott Card
I'm pretty sure at least two others of the forum have read the series('s) so I thought maybe to generate discussion to have a thing about him.
Firstly just finished reading Shadow of the Hegemon, I liked it... I just seriously hope that the last of the Bean series will not disappoint as Children of the Mind did.... O_o
Also thought I would post some articles: About Card being a bigot/putting his religious(arguably) views before human rights(again arguably- really depends how you see the issue) - http://www.cracked.com/blog/2008/08/11/orson-scott-card-wants-you-to-rise-up-against-the-government-but-in-the-worst-way-possible/
Orson Scott Card being hilarious and hating on Jk Rowling- http://www.linearpublishing.com/rhinostory.html
I've read the whole series. Ender's Game is the only completely satisfying book. Ender's Shadow was good too, but it's just Ender's Game from Bean's point of view.
I was disappointed when I learned Card was a mormon. I thought he was smarter than that. I'm upset I gave money to him.
If you want beautiful scifi, I recommend anything by Dan Simmons.
Nickishappy introduced me to Hyperion and it has convinced me Simmons is the best scifi writer today.
I did like some of the future Ender's Game books, I really dug the philosophy- but I had a concussion during one part while reading....
Yeah, I never know what to think about the mormon thing (at least he is LDS and not a fundamentalist?) because all his books are.... not mormony and seem to have a high focus around Catholicism and often the Catholics are protagonists and righteous etc - I used to think he was a mormon exception... now I'm leading towards possible thief, mind you I would probably have to read his other books to have ground in that statement.
And if it makes you feel better I never gave him money, I borrowed books from my brother/library- but my library has like 5 copies of every book...
I will have to check out Dan Simmons, cause I never know where to find good sci-fi, besides obvious choices (2001 Space Odyssey, and earlier Vonnegut - but that's good Vonnegut rather than good sci-fi)
Dan Simmons is an amazing writer. If you thought Card was able to write people well and write sci-fi even better, Simmons is 10x better. There are also more twists in the Hyperion Omnibus than all of M. Night Shyamalan's movies combined (in a good way.) He always has you guessing and analyzing not only the story characters, but the future of mankind.
On the note of Card being a Morman, read the homecoming series. It is largely based on the Book of Morman. It's a good series, but makes you realize that Mormans have pretty messed up beliefs. I'm talking Church of Scientology weird.
It did surprise me that Card was a Racist Bigot. I found out once I tried to find interviews with him. I liked all of the Ender's Game saga, and can't wait for the last two books. One of them is supposed to focus on the alien race that debuted near the end of the Ender's game series, and Ender and Bean once again meet up.