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Denver Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club |
PASTWATCH
by
ORSON SCOTT CARD
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Pastwatch : The Redemption of Christopher Columbus (1996) A book about viewing and changing the past In the twenty-third century there are machines that let people look into the past. Well meaning researchers try to reach back and sabotage the European conquest of America by stopping the voyage of Christopher Columbus. By changing the past, they hope for a better future. |
Ace Trade paperback - 323 pages
Read for group discussion on September 8, 1999
Instead of meeting, as usual, at the Barnes and Noble book store in Lone Tree, we made a group field-trip downtown to the Tattered Cover to see Orson Scott Card. He talked about his current projects, including a possible movie of Ender's Game, answered questions from the audience, and signed books. Amy, Dan, Cheri, Cynthia, Aaron and Richard were there.
Our book group has also read the following books by Orson Scott Card:
-- Ender's Game in August 1995
-- Hart's Hope in November 1996
-- Speaker for the Dead in November 1997
-- Enchantment in November 2000
-- Shadow of the Hegemon in September 2002
| RATINGS:
How we each rated this book |
| Dan | - | Amy | 8 |
 |
10 Wow! Don't miss it 8-9 Highly recommended 7 Recommended 5-6 Mild recommendation 3-4 Take your chances 1-2 Below average; skip it 0 Get out the flamethrower! U Unfinishable or unreadable - Skipped or no rating given |
| Cheri | 8 | Barb | - | ||
| Aaron | 8 | Cynthia | 8 | ||
| Lars | - | Jackie | - | ||
| Kerry | 8 | Lindsey | - |
| Aaron's Commentary
Orson Scott Card - Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus Card usually affects me emotionally, but this one appealed to me on an intellectual level. I just loved it when the idealistic researchers trying to prevent Columbus's voyage realize that Columbus may have averted a far worse future. (They realize this when they discover why Columbus dedicated himself to sailing west in the first place, a terrific moment I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't read it.) Card's speculations on how things might have played out in Mesoamerica if given a few more years without European influence are fascinating. The only thing that bothers me about the time travel scenario is why, once the Pastwatchers realized stopping Columbus might not accomplish what they wanted, they didn't just look for another focal point in history to change their future problems. I felt quite connected to the characters despite the frequent shifts in point of view. (The only passage that didn't work for me was Diko's decision to keep her distance from Hunahpu.) There is some very solid dialogue throughout, for example in Columbus's first conversations with Chipa and Diko. Finally, the past and future scenes, and characters, parallel nicely. Card clearly has the knack for writing time travel stories; I wonder when he'll come back to it. What do you think? Your comments are welcome. Please send them to vanaaron@excite.com |
Bibliography:
Orson Scott Card (1951- ) Is a US writer of novels and short fiction.
Awards:
1979 John W. Campbell Award (for best new SF writer)
1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel Ender's Game
1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel Ender's Game
1986 Nebula Award for Best Novel Speaker for the Dead
1987 Hugo Award for Best Novel Speaker for the Dead
1988 Hugo Award for Best Novella "Eye for Eye"
1991 Hugo award for Best Non-Fiction Book How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy
Card has written fantasy, science fiction, horror, and mainstream books. His first published story 'Ender's Game' was nominated for a Hugo Award.
The Ender books are Ender's Game (1985), Speaker for the Dead (1986), Xenocide (1991), and Children of the Mind (1996).
Ender's Shadow (1999) is a "parallel novel" to Ender's Game. It's the story told from the point of view of Ender's friend Bean. Shadow of the Hegemon (2001) and Shadow Puppets (2002) are sequels in this saga.
The Locus award winning fantasy books of the Tales of Alvin Maker sequence, Seventh Son (1987), Red Prophet (1988), Prentice Alvin (1989), Alvin Journeyman (1995), and Heartfire (1998) are set in an alternate-world version of the USA.
The Homecoming series is The Memory of Earth (1992), The Call of Earth (1993), Ships of Earth (1994), Earthfall (1996), and Earthborn (1996).
Some of his earlier material he later reworked. Stories of Jason Worthing were in Capitol (collection 1978). Several of those short stories were incorporated into his first novel, Hot Sleep (1978), which was later entirely rewritten as The Worthing Chronicle (1983). The Worthing Chronicle and some stories from Capitol, and some additional related stories were published as The Worthing Saga (1990). Other books revised books are Treason (1988, revision of A Planet Called Treason (1979), and Woman of Destiny (1984, text restored version Saints 1988).
His short fiction has been collected in Cardography (collection 1997), Folk of the Fringe (collection 1989), Unaccompanied Sonata (collection 1981), and in Maps in a Mirror (collection 1990). The paperback editions of Maps in a Mirror are Volume 1: The Changed Man, Volume 2: Flux, Volume 3: Cruel Miracles, and Volume 4: Monkey Sonatas.
Other works include Songmaster (fixup 1980), Hart's Hope (1983), Wyrms (1987), Lovelock (1994, with Kathryn Kidd), the fantasy Enchantment (1999), the adult picture book Magic Mirror (1999), and the dark fantasy or horror novels Lost Boys (1993), Treasure Box (1996), and Homebody (1998).
Card's novel Stone Tables (1997), a retelling of the story of Moses and the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, was published as religious fiction. Sarah (2000) and Rebekah (2001) are books in his "Women of Genesis" series.
He has also written non-fiction. How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy (1991) won the Hugo Award for best non-fiction book. He's covered the subjects of writing technique (Character and Viewpoint (1988)), child-rearing (Listen, Mom and Dad (1978)), sports biography (Ainge (1982)), and Mormon topics (Saintspeak (humor 1982) and A Storyteller in Zion (essays 1993)).
Card did the novelization of the movie The Abyss (1989).
He has edited several short story collections, including Dragons of Light (1980), Dragons of Darkness (1981), Future on Fire (1990), Future on Ice (1998), and Turning Hearts: Stories of Family Life (1984 - stories of Mormon interest).
Thanks to Aaron for providing information for this Orson Scott Card bibliography
Links:
Hatrack River - The Official Web Site of Orson Scott Card
Our book club's page for Speaker For the Dead
Our book club's page for Enchantment
Our book club's page for Shadow of the Hegemon
Aaron's book review of Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
Aaron's book review of Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
Aaron's book review of Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card
Parsec review: Orson Scott Card, Pastwatch
Basilisk Dreams Books - Review Pastwatch
frimmin: PASTWATCH The Redemption of Christopher Columbus
golden.net: Review of Orson Scott Card's Pastwatch
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October 05, 2008