Sunday, April 5, 2009

Orson Scott Card, Xenocide Pg.1-85 Cycle-22

Orson Scott Card, Xenocide Pg.1-85

Summary:

This book is a continuation of “Ender’s Game” and “Speaker for the Dead”, “Ender’s Game” I have read, but I think some events that take place, are dependant on some events of “Speaker for the Dead”. In the beginning, we what seems a Chinese village, Han Fei-tzu and his wife Jiang-qing are talking about some religious path to divert them from Jinag-qing’s condition. Then he promises to teach their child about the Gods. Then the book moves to Valentine Wiggin, Peter, and Ender’s sister. She is on a ship to Lusitania with her Husband Jake. She is writing propaganda to try to stop star fleet congress from destroying Lusitania, where Ender left the Hive Queen. Then they talk to Miro, who has a connection with Ender, probably explained in “Speaker for the Dead”. Then Miro explains some things about the Piggish, and the Descolada. The Piggish, which are another species on Lusitania, and the Descolada the deadly virus that the Stairway Congress plans the Destroy by using the M D devise on Lusitania. Then the book moves back to the villages where the girl is tested and proved to hear the gods. Then she is asked by her father to do something with the Lusitania fleet. Then the book moves back to Miro and Valentine, who talk about philotes, the things that the ansibles, the fast as light communications system is based upon. In addition, about Jane, and computer program is stored in. In essence, the philote is the physical particle that a soul is made up of. Jane, although she is a computer program, she is very much human like and has strong relations with Miro, which cause many complications, because in order to stop the fleet she has to die or as the book calls it (because she is a computer program that has gained sentience) terminate, it's a very ethic question.

Vocabulary:

· Xenocide

o Not a real word, but for Genocide and Xenophobia, which –cide means, mass death and Xeno- meaning outsiders, or non-natives, it means the killing of non-natives (a.k.a. the destruction of the 3 species on Lusitania.)

Response:

While reading this part, I thought of a perfect song the fit the mood of Miro’s plight. The song M4 part 2 from “The Faunts” perfectly illustrates the colors of Miro and his thoughts. In accordance with the Sci-fi type of space opera genre of the book the song is like a blend of indeed, electronic rock. Using lots of synthesis to produce neat sounds and guitar distortions it is very much a conveyer of Miro disposition. Some of the lyrics, like, “I can’t make it on my own.” Expresses Miro’s pain and helplessness at the though of Jane, one of Miro’s only companion, gone forever.

2 comments:

  1. I thought it was interesting how you compared the part of the book you read to a song. Is it possible to have a song bite on your blog for the reader to listen to?

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  2. Dear akimura12 I will try to post a sound byte, thanks a lot for the comment/hug.

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