Pastwatch

Rating:
Summary: readable, but not without its flaws
Review: This book was apparently the result of several games of Civilization -- Card complains to Sid Meier in the acknowledgments section -- and deals with ideas both relating to alternate histories and with a very scary extrapolation of the direction in which our own history may go. I can't say it's his best work, but he raises several thought-provoking questions about both our own history and about the "what-if's" of the past. This is why I am enjoying re-reading it: I'm generally not a fan of alternate histories, but this one also deals with current history. That being said, there are a lot of places where it seems extremely simplistic (Card's liberal attitudes are rather obvious) and I have a tremendously hard time buying into the absolute wonderfulness of the ultimate solution. Even someone like me, who believes that people are essentially good, can't believe that changing one thing in history can create the perfect utopia. In a way, I wish there were other stories in this universe because that's not like Card; nothing's ever completely perfect in his worlds and I'll bet Caribia is no exception. But based on several of the other reviews I've read, he couldn't ever find a widespread audience for the Pastwatch idea, so it will have to go down in its own history as a "might have been." And, in a way, that's a shame.

Rating:
Summary: A number of Historical errors
Review: If you are going to write alternative history, Orson Scott Card, you owe it to your readers to get the real history that you use right. The particular errors which I spotted in Pastwatch were;
Card refers repetedly to "three caravels"; Santa Maria was not a caravel, Columbus refers to her several times in his Journal as "la noa" (the ship)to differentiate her from the caravels Nina and Pinta. Caravel is not a generic word for a ship, it refers to a specific type of vessel, fast, seaworthy and weatherly. developed by the Portuguese for their exploring and trading voyages down the coast of Africa.
10,000 Maravedis, the annuity promised to the first man to sight land in "The Indies" was not a fortune, it was less than the 12,000 maravedis which was the average annual wage of an Able Seaman of Columbus' time. Such an income would hardly permit a man to "live like a gentleman" in 15th Century Spain
Intership signaling of more than the most primitive kind was not developed for 300 years after Columbus' time. Signals mentioned in Columbus' Journal were limited to basics such as firing a gun to announce that land had been sighted.
We know a surprising amount about Columbus and his First Voyage. Two of his contemporary biographers, his son Ferdinand and Bishop Las Casas had access to Columbus' own Journal and Las Casas' abstract of the Journal has been recovered, translated and published several times.
Card did a good job on Columbus' character, but he should have done a bit more research on the actual events of his life and the historical context.

Eugene S. Erdahl

Rating:
Summary: Or rather, the Redemption of Western Society
Review: This is a very bizarre book. Card is torn between an affection towards Columbus and a feeling of disgust at the results of the European migration to the americas. This entire work, as the title suggest, is to find someway for the "New World" to interact with Europe in a less destructive way and yet leave the reputation of Columbus intact. With the use of a time machine, Card then attempts not to write revisionist history, but to re-make historical events so that they will have a more positive outcome. In a strange way, isn't this the ultimate in political correctness?

In the creation of this time traveling, history busting conspiracy, Card offers up another interesting thesis. Card suggests that in the future, the failing of the human race is somehow traceable to the historical actions of Columbus. Some type of global karma. The sins of the fathers or some such. Here again is Card's reaction against American achievement and potential. A constant in many of his works.

The book is readable, just very strange. If you read it you will probably enjoy it. It is Card after all.

Rating:
Summary: Card's religion
Review: One reviewer wondered whether Orson Scott Card is Christian. My understanding is that he is Mormon. (Or, more properly, Church of Latter-Day Saints.)

Rating:
Summary: An Intriguing Alternative History of the Americas
Review: Orson Scott Card sets up a marvellous premise, but one not nearly as well written or thought out as his books on Andrew "Ender" Wiggin. Still he manages to write a compelling tale about time travel intervention to create a more tranquil, fiercely independent Caribbean/Mexican state in the 16th Century that is a technological rival to Spain. Where Card succeeds is his admirable portrayal of Christopher Columbus as a flawed, yet basically, kind person interested in helping humanity. It's a pity he choose to tie up loose ends so neatly at the end.

Rating:
Summary: Nice concept, but poor research
Review: Although most of Card's books are well thought out, and, if not probable, then plausible, Pastwatch was neither. A number of points occured to me as I was reading this: (1) if the Europeans could not conquer the revitalized Mexican Empire in the alternate future/history because of the logistical problems, then how could the Mexicans, who, you must admit, would be slightly behind the Europeans technologically, conquer Europe?; (2) the era in which the Mexicans would supposedly conquer Europe-the 1500s-was a period of intense religious growth and fervor. If so, I cannot see how whole populations would merely abandon their religions to join pagans. Even if we assume that Columbus' Crusade was a total failure (and it probably wouldn't have been-if so, why would the future Pastwatchers have chosen a failed general as their emissary to the Americas?, their would have been thousands of times more fervent European soldiers than even the most technologically advanced Mexicans of that time.
In addition, I found Card's view of the future very strange; for example, the total destruction of the environment that he predicts would not occur for centuries. Also, I think the fact that was not one white character in the future portions of the book was a bit telling. I find it hard to believe that any American or European government would actually sanction the destruction of the world, and all Western culture, because maybe some pagan Mexicans would get it right? Card has a very simplistic view of the world if he believes that.
The only possible explanation I could think of for writing this book would be as a sop to Mexican nationalists.
I gave it two stars, because at least Card didin't bash Colombus as a racist and bigot, but as a good man who tried to do the best he could (which he did).

Rating:
Summary: Sarah
Review: This is a wonderful and exciting view of the lives of Sarah and Abraham. I wasn't sure I would like it, but once I read one page, I was unable to put the book down. It is the best book I have read this year. This is the first book I have read by Orson Scott Card. I am looking foreward to reading the rest of The Women of Genesis.

Rating:
Summary: it's really about the (possible) redemption of Christianity
Review: Loved it, agree with all of the kind words above, read it on 3 airplane flights within 2 days. Outstanding historical fiction and alternate reality sci-fi wrapped into one package.

However, it's as much about what was wrong with Christianity in Columbus's time (and much of what is still not right in our time) as it is about the title character. I'm not Christian, and have always been confused about a supposedly "life-oriented" religion condoning so much hatred and death. Not sure if OSC is Christian, but he sure tries to make an argument to bring Christianity back to it's 2000-year-old roots.

It is both a massive socio-political statement and an outstanding read.

Rating:
Summary: "Pastwatch" or is it "Pastwash"
Review: Pastwatch is a future organization that has the technology to view the past. What did Pastwatch see when they viewed the lives of Jesus and Muhammed? This book, whose entire premise seems to be religon and redemption fails to tell us. In Orson Cards future world, Christianiy is still around so when the Pastwatch organization viewed Jesus'life they must of seen he was God. Islam is still around, so when Muhammeds' life was viewed they must of seen that "Allah was god, and that Muhammed was his Prophet." I could not suspend my disbelief after 200 pages, the situation and the technology seemed forced, squeezed to fit into an implausible plot. The Columbus parts of the story are tedious, and dreadful, you hate when they appear, as they are filled with cardboard charicatures. The cover was interesting but buying a book under that pretext well ...you know.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting ideas from science fiction and history
Review: I enjoyed this novel; I like history and science fiction. Card carefully handles time travel as a literary device; the "science" doesn't take over the story and that shows that Card is better than a lot of the hack science fiction writers out there. After seeing the three pages of research sources at the end of the book, it is obvious that Card did some considerable historical research both into Columbus and into the Central America of the 1400's.

The conclusion to the novel is brilliant; it would have definitely changed world history greatly. It really made me think... Would Europe and Europe's role in world history (e.g. imperialism, founding colonies) stop? Would the new State in the Americas simply act as a counterbalance to Europe or would there be wars etc?

On the downside, is the cultural relativism expressed in the book. One of the dilemmas in the novel is whether a future society can judge the morality of the past. One of the characters says this on that issue:

"Just admit that maybe your set of values is as arbitrary as any other culture's values, and to try to revise history to make your values triumph in the past as well as the present is pure cultural imperialism." (page 95)

This is loaded with problems. First of all, arbitrary means determined by chance, whim, or impulse, and not by necessity, reason, or principle. The character simply asserts this view and offers no reasons or arguments to accept it. This view (known as descriptive or cultural relativism) has as its implicit reasoning, cultures differ on moral questions, therefore no culture has universally applicable moral rules. Relativism of any stripe reduces to "There are no universal moral rules." Yet, relativists always break their own system. In the above quote, it is implied that imposing one's values on a different culture is immoral. This is like saying, "There are no moral rules... Here's a moral rule (i.e. you shouldn't impose your values on other cultures). For more on why relativism is false and doesn't work, see, "Relativism: Feet firmly planted in mid-air," by Gregory Koukl and Francis J. Beckwith (I have also written a review of that book).

It is also ironic that despite the objection above, the characters do decide to intervene...

Also, at another point, Card describes what the people in new future described the events of the novel as the "greatest reconciliation in history." Then, he goes on to list several possible recompilations (e.g. Alexander the Great and the Persians) and lists as the last one reconciliation between the Christians and the Muslims. If he means, peaceful non-violent coexistence, I think this is fully possible and should be worked for. However, if he means combining Islam and Christianity, it simply cannot be done. The two systems differ on their basic claims and these are too big to simply to papered over.

Despite these criticisms, it is still quite a good novel. I think I have learned quite a bit about Columbus. I thought he had the ships, men, and resources handed to him with royal blessings and told to find a route to the East. The truth is that it was a long hard life long quest. My interest in Columbus himself has been piqu