The Memory of Earth

Rating:
Summary: "Memory" is not Card at his best...
Review: ...but Card is still Card, so the worst he could write would be average. My chief complaint is that he rehashes the first couple of books of the Book of Mormon in order to come up with the outlines of his plot. Card, if you'll pardon my blasphemous opinion, is a much better writer than Joseph Smith, so any borrowing he does is a step down. That said, Card consistently addresses the interworkings of religion, family, and technology to good effect.

Rating:
Summary: Great Story, but it's not his
Review: I read this book and loved it and let my best friend (who is a Mormon) who got me started on Orson Scott Card read the book. He then told me that it was just a long paraphrasing of the first few books in the Book of Mormon. I then read the books he spoke of and he was correct. In some instances names are only changed by a couple of letters. Nafai represents Nephi, and Basilica represents Jerusalem. It also turns out that OSC is a Mormon and his first writing were of were Mormon Propoganda. Just thought you'd like to know. If you don't believe me read this and the Book of Mormon. You will notice the similarities

Rating:
Summary: Memory of Earth is a Great story, well worth reading.
Review: The Memory of Earth, when kept in context with the rest of the saga, is a beatiful story. Many thoughts are protrayed that keep you at the edge of your seat. This and the whole Homecoming Series, Gives a great view on a Higher purpose, without dragging on and becoming boring. I was not a Card reader before I read this, so I have no past loyalty to him. What would be a great touch to a wonderful story such as this, would have been Atleast a short story on the end of Nafai, and Elemack. This I tend to think was the only fault in this story. Has any thought been giving to turning this into a two hour per, five part mini-series. Thank you for your time, and I hope to see more on that idea.

Rating:
Summary: Great story...but isn't it a little familiar?
Review: Hats off to one of the greatest science-fiction writers ever. Card's obvious talents for characterization, pacing, and subject material again make themselves known in this first installment of the Homecoming series...but haven't we heard this story before? "The Folk of the Fringe" would know that this is a clever interpolation of a pre-established series of events, but the fact that the source is never referred to is a serious omission, not an oversight. Regardless of this, however,"The Memory of Earth" is a very engrossing read.

Rating:
Summary: Tough slogging
Review: I'm a big Card fan, but found this book to be slow. Some interesting concepts, but I had problems establishing any kind of empathy with the characters. Not much of a way to start a series. Stick with his other series

Rating:
Summary: A good story; thought provoking
Review: Not Card's best, but some interesting ideas. Could there really be a society where women rule over men? Do religions control us as the Oversoul does: by keeping us from discussing certain topics? The series drags on for too many books, before coming to an interesting conclusion.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating read; intriguing concepts
Review: A fascinating book that sometimes takes the point of view of "God." On a world 40-million years older than a humanless earth, a culture has developed free of large-scale weaponry and destruction. Guided carefully by a super-powerful human-made computer called the "Oversoul" by the human inhabitants, the inhabitants are made ignorant of complex technologies that may lead to the ultimate destruction of their race as it had once very-nearly happened on earth 40-million years ago. But now the computer begins to find its memory running out, its systems failing, and its control of the humans disappearing. A young boy named Nafai and his physically-disabled brother Issib begin to realize what the Oversoul actually is, and begin discovering what is happening and race to solve it. However, they are obstructed from a solution by greedy-minded people and highly-religious people who consider the Oversoul a god -- not a limited, man-made computer. Although not much on action, this book will have you fascinated to the end. If you're a Card-lover (which I doubt much aren't), then this is a must-read

Rating:
Summary: Good Read. Interesting use of religious concepts and SF.
Review: Card does something rare in commercial science fiction by asking what you would do if God (in this case an all- seeing computer watching over the affairs of the planet Harmony) asked you to do something involving sacrifice and danger? Would your do it? Would you care? The book is good but the subject matter is fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: In the city of Basilica, the guardian computer of the planet Harmony has chosen one family to journey back to earth and find out how to repair it. A marvelous host of characters and plots is introduced in this, the first volume of five excellent books, as the Oversoul's mission is discovered and accepted.

Rating:
Summary: Nice concept, rather dissapointing execution..
Review: After reading Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, and the worthing saga I was looking forward more Card novels... This one looked like it would be good, epic scale, cool computer, building of civalization, -- all the elements that worked so well in the other books i've read. But they don't work here. It not long before this book becomes a shapeless mess. I could say this and this and this is wrong with it but it wouldn't accomplish much. Nevermind, there are very good card books: The first two in the ENDER series and the ingenious WORTHING SAGA... so look at those first you should be very happy with them.