OSC Alert!

Though it contains sections hinting at a lead-in to one, I promise this post is in no way a political (or other issue-related) rant. Rather I intend to promote a book while avoiding all actual discussion of any issues except those related to whether I like the little bit I have so far read and intend to read the rest of it.

I've never made it a secret that I'm a huge fan of Orson Scott Card. His newest book, Empire, will be released in the United States on November 28th of this year. The first five chapters are available online, and of course, upon discovering this, I promptly read through them. Despite the enourmous love I harbor for all things OSC has ever written (OK, not all; I have avoided reading most of his specifically Mormon works), the first two chapters made me nervous. The book is a "political thriller," something that first of all sounds like exactly what every other person is writing at the moment, all of those really popular, best seller listing, advertised on the radio books that everyone is talking about except people like me who role our eyes and wait for the next relatively-speaking unknown science fiction work to be published. Or even those other people who shove these new books aside to read the old classics. With no actual hostility intended to those who scour the best-seller listings to decide what to read, most of those simply aren't my style. Second of all, if I may proceed back to my original point, I've become so tired of arguing my own point of view against everyone else who doesn't agree with me that most of the current political issues, including that of our war, send me running for cover lest I become annoyed and frusterated at yet one my person telling me exactly how right they are, how stupid I am, and with whom I am unable to even discuss because I will never manage to meet them in my life.

I hope I haven't lost anyone thus far, because I'd really hate to turn anyone away from reading anything by OSC. As stated, the first two chapters had me actually nervous, wondering whether my beloved author could have written something which I would actually be forced not to like, and just waiting for the sentance or two that would have me frusteratedly leaving the webpage rather than spend my free time upsetting myself. I needn't have worried; it never came. It took until the last couple lines of the second chapter - not because everthing before was badly written, by any means, but because of the topic itself - to provide a hook I was willing to bite. The third, fourth, and fifth chapters were all brilliant. Another important point, particularly for me, is that this is OSC writing, and so even though a political thriller will necessarily have political material in it, it is told from a conservative point of view. While I may not entirely agree with everything, having made it through the first three chapters and then the first five, I will no longer hold any worry about coming across something that makes me want to throw the book. Instead, I expect another novel of brilliant thinking and writing, and anxiously await the book's release.

He's also proved in previous books that he has a good military mind and historical background, and understands how large groups of people work as well as individuals. I'm sure enough that he can sucessfully pull this off that I intend on having the book as soon as it comes out - whether I decide in early November to reserve a copy somewhere, or simply hit the bookstores as soon as possible on or after November 28th.

The Philotic Web has a short article/interview with OSC about Empire, for anyone interested in reading some of the author's own thoughts.