Becky’s Online Reading Group

Day Nine, Worthing Saga, Chapters 19-21

The Worthing Saga
by Orson Scott Card
Day Nine
Chapters 19-21

Welcome to the last day of discussion. Well, what did you think? I hope it kept your interest. I hope it got you thinking. I’ve got so many things I want to say, but I suppose I should start at the beginning.

We’re to the last three chapters, the last three short stories. These are set on the planet of Worthing. The stories focus on Jason Worthing’s descendants. I found them to be so VERY different than what was presented earlier in the novel. The introduction did say that he didn’t use the original stories as reference points. That they are contradictory to the novelization, the revision, of his original ideas. Did you find that interesting or fascinating in any way? Were there things you liked better in the stories than in the novel? Or vice versa?

Did you have a favorite among the short stories–the nine short stories? Do you feel that including these stories weakened or strengthened the book? I personally found it interesting to see how these characters, these stories, these concepts evolved over time. The stories came first, but they’re presented last. Did you like the progression, the evolution? Do you feel that the stories can be read independently from the novel? How about vice versa? What do the stories add, if anything, to your feelings about the book as a whole?

If this is your first introduction to Orson Scott Card, would you–based on this book–be interested in reading more of his work? What did you like or not like about Card’s writing style? What things stood out to you? Notice any strengths, any weaknesses?

If this is NOT your first introduction, if you’ve read other Card books, how do you compare The Worthing Saga with the other novels you have read? How would you rank it in comparison?

Would you recommend The Worthing Saga to others?

The Worthing Saga, Day 8, Chapters 16-18

The Worthing Saga
by Orson Scott Card
Day Eight
Chapters 16 – 18

We’re still in the short story section. Still in the ‘Capitol’ section. I must admit that chapter 16 “Breaking the Game” is probably one of my favorite short stories in this latter half. How do you think this compares with the version of the story we read earlier in the novel? Which do you prefer? Why? Does the fact that in this version–the original version–that Abner Doon is Herman Nuber’s grandson add significance? Does it make Doon more human? I tend to prefer this version.

Chapter 17 “Killing Children” — What a mother?! Did you like this story? Dislike it? I admit that except for some funny lines by the social/mental health workers about the mother…that I had a hard time connecting with this one. I guess I didn’t ‘get’ the symbolism of eating and sacrificing babies. It was just freaky to me. Really really creepy.

Chapter 18 “And What Will We Do Tomorrow” — I didn’t *love* this story either. I mean it was slightly interesting to find out about Mother, the ruler of Capitol. To learn more about the decaying of the society, the government. We do find out a teeny bit more about Abner, however. What do you think?

These six chapters, these six stories, showcase the world that Abner Doon “destroyed.” Do you think it needed to be destroyed? Do you think that Doon was ‘the devil’ or ‘the savior’? Why do you think society remembered him so harshly, so cruelly?

There are only three chapters–three stories left. I hope you’re still enjoying this one!

Worthing Saga, Day Seven, Chapters 13-15

The Worthing Saga
by Orson Scott Card
Day Seven Chapters 13-15

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, last time we concluded the *main* part of the novel. What remains are short stories set in the Worthing universe. Today (and next time) we’ll be looking at stories set on and around the planet of Capital. You may recognize some of the names. And you may notice that elements of these stories found their way into the novel.

I’m curious to see what your opinion is on these short stories. I would *imagine* that if you’re like me, that you would like some better than others. I’m always that way with short stories. Still I think they’re important for setting the stage–letting you know firsthand just what life was like before Abner Doon “destroyed” civilization by “destroying” somec and the sleephouses.

In the first story, we see the effect of somec on friendship. Two boys who are growing up together side by side. True, one is a servant, and the other is the son of a rich man, heir to it all, but in childhood these differences seem *almost* trivial. Bergen, the rich one, and Dal, the servant. We see how somec enters society. We see a glimpse of what life was like before. Crove was Crove, it wasn’t yet Capital. The setting is almost rural. It hasn’t succumbed to urbanization. There are trees. There is wildlife. It’s a natural world; a beautiful world that is just right for painting. We see how Somec divides people. It’s a ‘class’ thing; a hierarchy. What do you think of Dal? What do you think of Bergen? What do you make of each of them wanting to ‘be’ immortal? One by living seemingly forever by somec; the other living through his art work? Did you like the analogy between living life by skipping stones and living life by swimming?

In the next story, “Second Chance” we get a fuller glimpse in the back story between Abner Doon and his lost love, his first love, Batta. (Yes, Batta was one of the ones who lost their memory while on Worthy’s colony ship.) Does knowing this about Abner Doon make you love him? hate him? understand him? And what about Batta? Do you think she made the right decision?

In our final story (for today) we meet Arran, the actress, the star. I think this chapter highlights how crazy the society had become. The anything-goes-ness of it. Doesn’t it seem like society has everything topsy-turvy only no one realizes it? Does the “lifeloop” craze remind you of the nonsensical reality tv craze of today? When Card was writing this story, that craze hadn’t happened yet. The following of semi-celebrities around-the-clock. Doesn’t this say “Britney Spears” to you? Or Paris Hilton? People who are only famous for “playing” themselves and partying and being oh-so-dramatic?! Arran isn’t really likeable. I didn’t find her so. But we do get our first glimpse of the TRUE happenings at the sleephouse. How much somec HURTS and how UNCOMFORTABLE it makes the sleepers…only they never know…they never remember.

Which of these three is your favorite so far?

Day Six: The Worthing Saga

The Worthing Saga
by Orson Scott Card
Day Six
Chapters 9-12

The last chapter ended with Lared bringing his father back home safely. His father is still recovering–obviously–and this is something that will take time to heal both physically, mentally, and emotionally. Lared needs to heal as well. And though I don’t know how aware Lared is of this, I think that is why Lared throws himself heart and soul into the writing. It is both an escape from his reality and a healing from it in a way.

Hoom.

The legend of Hoom continues on in this chapter as Jason and Lared have some meaning-of-life type conversations.

“Lared, for thousands of years my children watched all the worlds of men, protected you all from pain and suffering. In all that time, Lared, in all those years there never was a Hoom! Do you understand me? A Hoom or Wix or Dilna is impossible in a universe where actions have no consequences! Why do you love Hoom, if not because of what he did in the face of suffering? Without the suffering, what was he? A clever carpenter. Without his father’s beatings all his life, without the face of his father haloed in the flames, without his wife’s adultery and the deaths of Bessa, Dallat, and Cammar–yes, without the touch of Cammar’s fingers as he leapt and fell, what would there be in Hoom to make you love him? What would there be of greatness in him? What would his life have meant?”

Jason’s passion shocked Lared. He had been so calm for all these weeks, it made his rage the more fearsome. But Lared would not be put off, even so. “If you could ask Hoom, I think he would gladly have foregone the greatness if he could have lived his life in peace.”

“Of course he would. Everybody would prefer that everything go smoothly for them. The worst bastards in the world are those who devote their entire lives to making sure things go smoothly for themselves. Individual preference has nothing to do with what I’m saying.” (208-209)

The conversation goes on…

“Lared,” Jason said, “people aren’t individuals, even though we all think we are. Even before I came, what did you know of yourself, except what your family told you? Their tales of your childhood became your vision of yourself; you imitated your father and mother both, learned what it means to be a human being from them. Every pattern of your life has been bent and shaped by what other people do and what other people say.”

“So what am I then? a machine that echoes everyone around me?”

“No, Lared. Like Hoom, you have in you something that makes a choice–something that decides, this is me, this is not me. Hoom could have become a murderer, couldn’t he? Or he could have treated his children as his father treated him, couldn’t he? It’s that part of you that chooses that is your soul, Lared.” (209)

Quite a lot isn’t it? I mean it addresses true meaning-of-life stuff. Why is there pain and suffering? Are who we are a result of nature or nurture? What makes you you? It really doesn’t get more basic than that–why are YOU you? DNA? Genetics? Your parents? Your family? Your society? Your environment? What makes a person great? Why do two individuals in the same situation make such radically different choices? Using Hoom as an example, we see that he had every excuse in the book to be a bad guy. He was an abused child. Isn’t there some truth to the statistic that abused kids can and sometimes do grow up to be abusers themselves? I’m not saying every case, but sometimes family patterns are hard to break. And after his father’s fiery death, Hoom could have easily let that one bad decision ruin the rest of his life. He could have ‘embraced the dark side’ if you will. He could have become hardened, angry, bitter, hateful. And his marriage–he could have been jealous, angry. He could have sought vengeance. He could have tried to kill his wife and his best friend. He could have hated his children–after all, he very well could have been raising Wix’s children. But he was full of love, full of compassion, an example of grace and mercy. Why? How? Do you buy Jason’s argument that Hoom was great because he suffered greatly? Do you think it was adversity that caused him to be great? Or do you think it just revealed the greatness that was lurking underneath the surface?

What are your thoughts on Jason? Do you agree with him? “I would rather live in a world where there can be agony like Hoom’s–so that there can be a man like Hoom.” (210)

Jason does spill some secrets though, doesn’t he? Does this shed some light on Lared’s parents? Their coldness and awkwardness with one another? With his father’s abrasive attitude towards him at times? IT did for me. His father is a man in pain, a man who is hurt.

Interesting concept isn’t It: “Which do you want, boy–to be safe or to be free?” (211) This premise, this argument gets around a lot both in real life and in fiction.

Jason now tells the rest of his stories…the rest of what he knows. Justice will finish the job after Jason’s through.

The creation of Worthing Farm.

“I gave them powers beyond anything men had conceived of except in their dreams of God; but I also made them less than human in their hearts. The miracle is not that they grew powerful. The miracle is that when they finally left Worthing Farm, any of them had any humanity at all.” (215)

I love this concept in science fiction or in any type of fiction really. This idea, this questioning of what makes us human. What separates us from monsters, from animals, from that great OTHER?

Sibling rivalry. Elijah and Matthew. Not easy to read about Elijah’s power is it? But it gets worse doesn’t it? Anyone else hate being stuck in the mind of Adam? I know I did. I wanted more separation. Adam is truly terrifying. A true horror. So not-human. So vicious, so cruel. Why do you think Uwen is attracted to Adam? Why is she drawn to such evil-incarnate?

Faith. What do you think of her? I admit I was puzzled by her. How she could accept, take in, all of Adam into her soul, her mind, and be at peace with it…to not go insane. How could she be ‘good’ or be ‘pure’ and do such a thing. Yet her purpose was to first understand, to know evil, to know pain, to know everything in order that she could heal it from the inside out. Anyone else surprised that this worked? That she survived her meeting with Adam?

And we come to the end of that tale. Who do you believe? Lared or Jason? Is ruling and enslaving by kindness any less slavery? Do you think that Jason’s children had in fact enslaved all of mankind? Do you think that the Day of Pain was a liberation day? A day where freedom to live, to be human, was finally won?

And so we’re almost finished–with this part of the book at least. Justice and Mercy. The tale of a brother and sister. A tale of how Jason came to be awakened. A tale of the Day of Pain.

What did you think of Justice? Of mercy? Of the systematic watching of all planets? What do you think of their decision to STOP watching? What of their decision to kill themselves? Right? Wrong? Too harsh a price to pay?

What do you think of the ending? Of Sala testing Justice? Of Justice’s decision to stop pain (though not death) for this one village? I admit I’m torn. If you bought into the idea that interfering with human’s pain and suffering was wrong in the chapters that came before…how can it be right now at the end of the book? I’ll grant you that it was the stopping death and altering memories part that was ultra-creepy, but still…I’m not completely satisfied with the ending. What do you think of Lared’s decision to travel with Jason?

Day Five: Worthing Saga: Chapter 8

The Worthing Saga
by Orson Scott Card
Day Five
Chapter Eight (154-205)

To me this is one of the most powerful chapters. I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now, but Worthing Saga isn’t your traditional type of novel. You may love it, you may hate it. But I hope–I really hope–it’s giving you something to think about. I just find it very engaging.

The chapter begins with Lared and Jason participating in the community’s work. Lared and his father are leading the teams of men to haul the trees, haul the limber. This is Lared’s first real part in the community since his coming-of-age, his rite of passage ceremony. He’s deliriously happy and proud–at least at first. But then Justice and Jason start manipulating him, manipulating the situation. They’re trying to teach him something–though Lared isn’t quite sure what. “Was it the pain, then, that made the joy so strong?” (157)

We then transition rather quickly to the past–to Jason. What do you think? If you’d been Jason, would you have given Stipock his memory? Would you have been afraid of change, afraid of revolution, afraid of doubt? Or would you have embraced the changes come what may? Was this a situation that proved Jason’s integrity? Did Jason do this because it was the right thing to do? Or did he do this because he was curious? In his act at playing god, did Jason restore Stipock’s memory because he was following in Doon’s footsteps? Did he want to prevent his society from becoming safe and complacent and stagnant?

Stipock does seem to do a world of good. He’s smart. He’s creative. And he’s a good leader. Did this surprise you? Does the communities reactions surprise you? The way the parents, the elders, feared him, disliked him…would you welcome strange teachings into your home, your town, your community? And what about the mayor, Noyock, does he strike you as wise or foolish? weak or strong? I really see some admirable traits to admire.

Hoon. Poor Hoom. First he’s abused–verbally and physically–by his father. He takes it, accepts it. Then comes that horrible, dreadful night. A life-changing night. What did you think? Did this scene have you convinced that Hoom was a bad guy? Or did you see him as just someone who had reached their breaking point? It’s hard to “like” a man who would set his parents’ home on fire. Yet his remorse seems mostly genuine. I don’t doubt for a minute that he would have saved his father’s life at the cost of his own once the fire had started and the truth of his actions started to sink in. It must have been hard to live with…really hard…to live with the image of your father burning to death…and the realization in that final moment that you did in fact love him. It’s haunting and tragic. Hoom’s father was a horrible man, yet Hoom still loved him in spite of it…even when he didn’t realize it. All that hate melted away into love.

And life doesn’t get much better for Hoom, does it? Did this section get to you? I don’t expect *every* reader to get all emotional…but I know I sure got teared up there at the end. The babies, the children dying. The baby that was buried but the wind unburied and blew up against the house. That’s the kind of stuff that just hurts to read about, to imagine. The situation is desperate. What of Hoom’s marriage? His wife’s adultery? And his good-natured, merciful, compassionate response? His loving the children with every fiber of his being. How can you not feel for Hoom now? How can you not see him as a good guy? It was such a heartbreaking scene, for me at least, to see Hoom risk it all to save the life of his first born son. To willingly sacrifice himself for the chance–remote as it was–of saving him. Wow. And all those people working as a team in this life-and-death situation. And oh how it ended. Those final minutes, those final goodbyes. So horrible yet touching. I don’t know what it makes you think of…but I got a flash to 9/11…to some of those phone calls that got made by people who knew that they were going to die…that it was just a matter of time…those final outreaches to connect just one more time with the people they loved most…it just got to me. This scene is one of the most haunting from the novel. A testament to love.

All this tension, this suspense, of two stories juxtoposed together. The timing of clipping back and forth between Lared’s own life-changing life-and-death experience and Hoom’s. Lared’s father having had an accident in which Lared has to try to save his father’s life. Talk about responsibility. Talk about fear and courage. To act when every minute counts despite being scared and unsure of what to do. His praying for a miracle. Again just really powerful images and powerful characterization.

I don’t know about you, but up until this chapter, up until Lared’s realization, I didn’t much like the father. He was so harsh. He didn’t really “get” Lared…or so we thought. Yet here we see him as a father who loves his son and is proud of him. We see him happy to be a father. We also see him scared and angry in this chapter.
Lared didn’t have an easy choice, did he? To be the one to cut his father’s arm off in the attempt to save his life…knowing that his father’s livelihood came from being a blacksmith…knowing that so much was at stake here…not knowing if this would make any difference…if his father would die anyway…or not knowing if perhaps his father could be saved without making that sacrifice.

This chapter also has one of those light bulb moments. Stipock’s realization…

Through Lared and through Hoom we are left with two poignant stories that sometimes you don’t know how much you love someone, how much you really love someone…until they’re life is at stake. It takes a strong wake-up call at times to break you out of your comfort zone, your complacency, your taking everyone and everything for granted. And it is easy to forget sometimes. The little things, the big things, the anger, the bitterness, the pride, the regret, the little frustrations that can make people difficult to live with, difficult to love.

This chapter is all about humanity. This is meaning-of-life stuff. Here we see dozens of characters all perfectly flawed examples of humanity in action. We see the good, the bad, the ugly, the foolish. We see the best and worst. We see all the emotions–love, hate, anger, fear, courage, regret, guilt, joy, pain. Really I can’t think of much that isn’t here, isn’t revealed. We are who we are…and we can only try to be the best we can be. To love, to forgive, to embrace life and live it to the fullest.

Day Three, Chapter 5, Worthing Saga, OSC

Note: I just wanted to remind you that you can still join in and participate on the discussions at any time. You don’t have to keep up (as far as reading goes) with the posting schedule in order to join. You can read at your own pace, and discuss at your own pace. If you are reading and blogging about this on your own site, please let me know so I can link to you!

The Worthing Saga
by Orson Scott Card
Day Three Chapter 5

Chapter five opens in the present. Lared and Sala and their parents’ inn. The tinker has arrived. He comes each and every year to the Inn just before winter gets started. Lared and Jason are still having some troubles getting along. Lared is having a lot of responsibility placed on him by Jason. He’s being expected to do so much, understand so much, feel so much. It’s not really surprising that these dreams, these visions, these stories can and do weigh him down. Jason thinks it’s worth it though. That these stories must be told, must be passed on. He believes that Lared is the one who must tell this story. That Lared is the perfect one for the job. Lared has his doubts. He doesn’t want the burden. And I think this task has lost some of the fun. I believe, in the beginning, Lared was so in awe about Jason and Justice’s coming, about their special powers, about the task they wanted–they needed–him to do that he got carried away. But it’s a task, a chore now.

We do find out a little more about Abner Doon. About Abner’s lost love. And through this story we learn more about the concept of memories and human brains. Before people go under, go to sleep, their memories are downloaded, stored, “bubbled”. The text refers to their memories being stored in bubbles. When they’re woken, their memories are placed back. But whether through experimentation or carelessness (or whatever) we learn that the human brain cannot stand to have another’s memories placed inside. To download another’s memory bubbles into one’s own mind would cause insanity. The brain, in this case, is acting as a soul, a conscience. It cannot stand to have memories that it could never/would never do.

I *think* it was mentioned earlier but I wanted to talk about it here. The concept of lifeloops. Of actors and actresses that allow cameras to follow them around for a certain amount of time. Of them “filming” anything and everything. Of them living their life in front of the cameras for all the world to see. Of airing their dirty laundry for applause. A bit scary. When OSC wrote this there wasn’t an explosion of reality TV shows. But this blending of “reality” and “acting” is just odd and prophetic in a way. You’ve got to question–or I’ve got to question–folks who will do anything and everything to become famous. Life loops are also similar to THE TRUMAN SHOW. I love that movie. And yes, Worthing Saga came first. But the concept of this man (first a baby) living his entire life for the cameras, for an audience.

Doon’s final manipulation with Jason Worthing. What do you think of that? I think Jason made the only choice he could under the circumstances. And as we read on we learn that Doon’s plans maybe just maybe have been thwarted a little. At least that what Jason feels at first. I’m not so sure of how it will finally finally play out there. I’m sticking with just this one chapter. So he’s off with a ship of colonists. 334 men and women. That’s what we start out with anyway.

Jason does get into a predicament though on the way. But he uses it to his advantage. He turns it into a fun game. He likes playing God I think. Likes the power of making the decisions. Likes the power of turning chaos into sense. Of making something out of nothing. Of course, we don’t see this in action yet.

It’s an interesting premise. This society-making from the ground up. Starting with nothing, trying to craft, trying to mold a utopia. Trying to decide what to do and when to do it and how it will all work together.

I can see how Jason would get swept up in it. What do you think? Are you liking Jason? Not liking Jason? Do you think he’s trustworthy? What about Justice? Would you be scared of her as well? And what about Justice answering Lared that Jason wasn’t good?

Share your thoughts

Personally, I was reminded of Five For Fighting’s song WORLD

Got a package full of Wishes
A Time machine, a Magic Wand
A Globe made out of Gold

No Instructions or Commandments
Laws of Gravity or
Indecisions to uphold

Printed on the box I see
A.C.M.E.’s Build-a-World-to-be
Take a chance – Grab a piece
Help me to believe it

What kind of world do you want?
Think Anything
Let’s start at the start
Build a masterpiece
Be careful what you wish for
History starts now…

Should there be people or peoples
Money, Funny pedestals for Fools who never pay
Raise your Army – Choose your Steeple
Don’t be shy, the satellites can look the other way

Lose the Earthquakes – Keep the Faults
Fill the oceans without the salt
Let every Man own his own Hand

What kind of world do you want
Think Anything
Let’s start at the start
Build a masterpiece
Be careful what you wish for
History starts now…

Sunlight’s on the Bridge
Sunlight’s on the Way
Tomorrow’s Calling

There’s more to this than Love

What Kind of world do you want
What Kind of world do you want

What Kind of world do you want
Think Anything
Let’s start at the start
Build a masterpiece

History Starts Now

Be careful what you wish for
Start Now

Day Two, The Worthing Saga, Chapters 3-4

Note: I just wanted to remind you that you can still join in and participate on the discussions at any time. You don’t have to keep up (as far as reading goes) with the posting schedule in order to join. You can read at your own pace, and discuss at your own pace.

The Worthing Saga
by Orson Scott Card
Day Two: Chapters 3 – 4

In chapter three the narrative shifts. We see Lared begin to write his book. But very quickly, we shift the focus, attention, and narrative onto Jason Worthing. This chapter focuses on Jason Worthing’s childhood and his life-changing meeting with Abner Doon. Introduced early on is the concept of Swipe–humans that are born with extra powers, extra abilities. Swipes, for example, can read minds. Also introduced in this chapter in greater detail is somec. The sleep-inducing drug that has civilization enslaved. It has everyone wanting to live forever by sleeping away today. No extra-life is gained. You just slow down the dying process by dying gradually. Awake three years, asleep one year. (For example.) The more “important” you are. The more “wealthy” you are. The better the ratio. The more sleep, the less life.

What do you think? You can definitely see why Jason’s life is forever changed. Danger. Adventure. Excitement. The threat of death. Mistrust. Fear. What do you think of Jason’s decisions? Was it “right” for him to send his mother away to keep her safe? Should he have gone with her and lived out the rest of his life in obscurity? What do you make of his mom’s decision to forgive him? Do you think it’s genuine? And what about somec? Would you ever be tempted? I don’t know. It has to be hard psychologically to miss out so much on life. Maybe not for those sleeping months or years…but if you were to spend a decade or two asleep…and then wake up for a bit…it would have to be disconcerting. Rip Van Winkle. You’d find, I think, that you care less and less and less and less about people, about life and society. How can you make friends? How can you find love? How can you have a family? If you had children or grandchildren, you’d awake to find them older. You might go to sleep a mother and wake up with your children grown with kids of their own. You wouldn’t–couldn’t–really keep even family ties. And friendship would be among the first to go. It would be very weird. What do you think? Appealing? Or not so much?

In chapter four, we’re back to the present day. We see Jason and Lared working together, talking together, learning more about each other. Lared isn’t always fond of Jason. He’s a bit in awe–a bit scared–of what he’s learning. He’s shocked that Jason could have gone through what he’s gone through AND still like, still love Abner Doon. For Worthing to support and understand and condone what Doon has done? It seems so very wrong to the boy. Based on what you know, what you’ve learned so far, what do you think? While the situation with the twick is awful–dreadfully awful–I can understand some of his other choices. His choice to unmake the society that was so dead, so lifeless, so selfish, so pointless. To destroy the society’s reliance on Somec? I think that’s a good thing. What say you? So while I would probably never ever ever ever forgive a person if they set me up to be attacked by a monster, I can understand the other stuff. Still, to put yourself in their shoes. It must have been super-scary to have society go all topsy-turvy and crazy in your lifetime. To have everything you’ve known, everything you’ve been made accustomed to suddenly be questioned, challenged, gone.

What do you think of this conversation:

“It doesn’t depend on whether you live or die. It depends on what’s right. And what’s right and wrong doesn’t come down to your personal preference. It never does. If it comes down to what you personally prefer, then there’s no right or wrong at all.” (80)

And

“You’re not a human being until you value something more than the life of your body. And the greater the thing you live and die for, the greater you are.” (80)

Quite philosophical. Is the book “deeper” than you imagined it would be? I know it certainly surprised me. I wasn’t expecting such rich philosophical debate. Reading it took me right back to my two philosophy classes in college.

What did you think of our inside-look at Abner Doon? The dream Lared is sent where he “is” Doon and has his memories. This terrifies Lared, would it terrify you? Any thoughts on the game? Do you think this is really the best way to spend your time playing and betting on virtual games of world domination? Would you let a virtual game become your life? Let it define you? Do you think this society has forgotten what it means to really live? Do you think that this laziness is detrimental?

I found this a bit eery

“He engaged in pointless wars and made sure they were badly generaled and stupidly fought–but not so stupidly that there were any crushing defeats. Just attrition, a slow wearing away of the army, of the wealth of the empire.” (86)

And what do you think of this, “life can only continue in the face of death.” (89)

Jason thinks–he knows–that what Abner Doon did resurrected life, resurrected humanity’s soul. Yes, it caused pain. Yes, it caused discomfort. Yes, it caused upset and confusion and turmoil. But it was in humanity’s best interest. Or so we’re told. I’m inclined to believe Jason. What about you? It does bring up some valid points. I think people–collectively and individually–like comfort, like complacency, like knowing what’s going on, like feeling safe. But it is in times where you don’t know, times of uncertainty, times where you’re challenged, where you struggle that you learn, that you grow, that you become. Pain and suffering and endurance are often the catalyst for people becoming better, stronger, smarter, more capable. Some people fear change. Some people accept it and adapt. Some always look back to what they had before, they glamorize what once was–or what might have been. Others live in the moment. Still others live and dream about the future. I don’t know that there is a “right” way to live…but I feel certain that living too much in the past, present, or future could be a bad thing.

So what are you thinking so far? Of Jason? Of Abner? Of Lared? Of the dreams?