Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Credulous as Hell
by Tom Bozzo
Following Wonkette, via Ken, I was amused to see Card's The Memory of Earth described on the famously left-biased Wikipedia as a "fictionalization of the Book of Mormon." The first question coming to mind was how do you fictionalize the already-fictional? (Sorry, any LDS pals out there.) Indeed, among seven theories of the origins of the Book of Mormon listed in the Wikipedia entry as of this evening (see time stamp on post), exactly none is "Joseph Smith made it up." It's almost as if there were a Conservapedia take-over of our left-biased repository of the Webiverse's knowledge.
As for Wonkette, it's a mystery as to whether Ms. Cox is responsible for the Card reference, or the Wonk (so we undertand) using Wonkette's avatar. No matter. Just see how real Bible-thumpers responded to Mitt's efforts to work his way out of his debate non-denial of evilution (h/t TPM) to see what the poor, if ever so handsome, guy's chances are in Crazy Base World.
I confess that my exposure to the Orson Scott Card oeuvre to date has been limited to the discussion in Thomas Disch's The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of. It seems that I'm just as well off trying to keep up with a supermajority of the Hugo Award Best Novel nominees, though.
Following Wonkette, via Ken, I was amused to see Card's The Memory of Earth described on the famously left-biased Wikipedia as a "fictionalization of the Book of Mormon." The first question coming to mind was how do you fictionalize the already-fictional? (Sorry, any LDS pals out there.) Indeed, among seven theories of the origins of the Book of Mormon listed in the Wikipedia entry as of this evening (see time stamp on post), exactly none is "Joseph Smith made it up." It's almost as if there were a Conservapedia take-over of our left-biased repository of the Webiverse's knowledge.
As for Wonkette, it's a mystery as to whether Ms. Cox is responsible for the Card reference, or the Wonk (so we undertand) using Wonkette's avatar. No matter. Just see how real Bible-thumpers responded to Mitt's efforts to work his way out of his debate non-denial of evilution (h/t TPM) to see what the poor, if ever so handsome, guy's chances are in Crazy Base World.
Labels: Brother Orson, Conservapedia, Religion, sf
Brother Orson and Humor used Unironically in the same Sentence
by Ken Houghton
I'm certain most of you have seen the quote discussed elsewhere. And even the exegesis of it as being from Orson Scott Card's The Memory of Earth. But I don't remember the book ever being described as:
Now, the good folk at Tor (or anyone else who read that far in Card's oeuvre) are free to correct me, but my memory is that the Prentice Alvin series was Card's retelling of The Book of Mormon.
And does no one else remember those LDS (iirc) commercials from 1970s late-night television (we're talking Tom Snyder, and Geraldo as a semi-real reporter) with the couple who come before a judge asking to be married forever because they have found Jesus Christ? (Though, I note for the record, they want to be married to each other, not some Semite who allegedly traveled only in Orthodox areas, ca. 30-33 C.E.)
I'm willing to give credit where due, but I suspect both Brother Orson and Massachusetts Mitt were watching the same commercials I was, though perhaps with a bit more reverence.
UPDATED with link to Obsidian Wings. Credit Ana Marie Cox with the description of The Memory of Earth, op cit. Once a Wonkette...?
My Loyal Reader forwards this Wonkette post about Mitt Romney's Exploding Plastical Inevitable Campaign.
I'm certain most of you have seen the quote discussed elsewhere. And even the exegesis of it as being from Orson Scott Card's The Memory of Earth. But I don't remember the book ever being described as:
seven-year marriage contracts are a humorous feature of neo-con sci-fi author Orson Scott Card’s book The Memory of Earth, which is itself a science-fictionalization of The Book of Mormon.
Now, the good folk at Tor (or anyone else who read that far in Card's oeuvre) are free to correct me, but my memory is that the Prentice Alvin series was Card's retelling of The Book of Mormon.
And does no one else remember those LDS (iirc) commercials from 1970s late-night television (we're talking Tom Snyder, and Geraldo as a semi-real reporter) with the couple who come before a judge asking to be married forever because they have found Jesus Christ? (Though, I note for the record, they want to be married to each other, not some Semite who allegedly traveled only in Orthodox areas, ca. 30-33 C.E.)
I'm willing to give credit where due, but I suspect both Brother Orson and Massachusetts Mitt were watching the same commercials I was, though perhaps with a bit more reverence.
UPDATED with link to Obsidian Wings. Credit Ana Marie Cox with the description of The Memory of Earth, op cit. Once a Wonkette...?
Labels: 2008, Brother Orson, Politics, sf
