Rating: 
Summary: Good and quick read.
Review: Scott Card always amazes me with his breadth of ability (if you haven't read _Maps In A Mirror_ yet, get it). I finished this book in two sittings; it's a wonderful written and structured story (if you get past your nitpicky nature and accept Card's world as it is given to you).
Rating:
Summary: Pastwatch- One of SF/Fantasy's best
Review: Original, hooked me in the moment I picked it up (That doesn't happen often for me). Never thought much of OSC, only liked the Ender books, but he redemmed himself. Brilliant, made me think about things I'd never have dreamed of.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite as good as Ender's Game but worth a look.
Review: Orson Scott Card is not one for taking on light airy subject matter in his novels. His Ender books hypothesized the fate of a boy manipulated into becoming the destroyer of an entire race of beings. Another series of books envisioned the journey of humanity back to an Earth that they destroyed millennia before. In one of his latest novels Pastwatch (I'll dispense with the subtitle), he envisions a humanity that almost destroyed itself through pollution, overpopulation, and deforestation. Then they realized the error of their ways, so they stopped throwing things away, chopping down trees and evidently started using birth control. Hallelujah! Along the way they also invented a way to look into the past. So while the Earth and humanity were recovering from the previous devastation, humanity was also re-examining the past, looking for all the things that were thought lost forever. So was born Pastwatch, the organization dedicated to rediscovering the past. Card takes us through the lives of people that are intricately linked to that organization and its discoveries. We also see through the eyes of one of these people, as they look into the past, the life of Christopher Columbus and his fate as discoverer of the new world. We come to find out that Columbus is the person ultimately responsible for the destruction wrought upon the Earth, that is only in Pastwatch's time being repaired. Card delivers multiple characters that he fills with breadth and life, although they aren't formed really well until the latter half of the book. The examinations of Columbus I found more tedious than the present day characters that he uses, but for the books premise to succeed we do need to understand Columbus' motivations, at least as Card envisions them. Card succeeds beautifully in examining history in this novel and in concocting a believable and highly satisfying conclusion to a well crafted story. A bit melancholy at the end, but nonetheless it is quite a novel. Overall it is tightly written, with the Columbus portions lagging a bit. The overall premise to the book, that of redeeming Columbus, is sound and while at times certain assumptions are made that seem a little contrived, they work to keep the overall plot moving along successfully. I would give more detail about that, but it would serve to spoil certain surprises. I would not categorize this as hard SF, more of a modern fantasy with SF trappings along for the ride, the technology is never really spelled out for you, it is a vehicle for the storytelling. 4 out of 5 stars
Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic Read
Review: This book was thought provoking. What if Columbis had never returned from America? How different would history have been if what OSC portrayed had been true? Think about thoes questions as you read..but dont forget to enjoy yourself as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay but disappointing...
Review: I have enjoyed Card's other books and stories, but Pastwatch didn't do it for me. Sure, there were some interesting concepts, but the overall story was just too implausible to enjoy. I just couldn't believe that 15th-century Americans could be brought up to a level of power and organization equal with that of Europeans of the time, especially in one generation. Since the whole story hinges on that being possible, I didn't buy it. One other point: as a veteran of way too many hours playing "Civilization" (which, btw, I'm still not bored with after 5 years of playing), I can see that Card was overly influenced by that game's framework of history. The Civ framework works great for a simulation game, but it's too simplistic for a novel. (Specifically, in the game the only real difference between two civilizations is the technology they possess.) The fact that I didn't find the story plausible detracted too much for me to really enjoy the book, although as I said, it did have some interesting concepts. I was especially disappointed because Card usually has better insight into people and society. One more thought. I might have enjoyed this book a lot more as a teenager, which I was when I read Ender's Game, etc.
Rating:
Summary: A Fast & Interesting Read...
Review: I picked this book up on a whim and I'm very happy that I did. It was one of those books that I simply couldn't put down once I started reading it. The story held my interest all the way through and the characters seemed well-developed. Fans of "time travel" stories will like this one!
Rating:
Summary: A Sci-Fi novel with Historical Basis
Review: This is a book which will fast be listed with "classic sci-fi". Truly one of Card's best, and a worthwhile read. I have read many of Card's books including the Alvin series, the Ender's series and Lost Boys, and think this is one of his best. Though not a short book, it will grab you and make for a quick read. One of the more thought provoking books I've read in awhile. Card is successful for two main reasons: he has an amazing understanding of human nature, and he does not come across as a biased Anglo- Saxon perspective, but explores other cultures with an open mind.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointed unexpectedly.
Review: I expected to read an excellent book... but... after 300+ pages of reading, I still felt like the book hadn't started yet. I would not recommend this book. The characters are "flat" and there is a LOT of confusing, esoteric discussion ... that doesn't give a fluid explanation for things in this book. Maybe I was let down because I had expected something entirely different, but I don't know. There just seems to be something MISSING in this novel. It just doesn't capture the reader the way it ought.
Rating:
Summary: If this could happen.....
Review: Thought provoking I want a seque
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the most thought-provoking of Card's science fiction
Review: This is a superb novel, blending science, history, and emotion into one fabulous page-turner. Be prepared to question the past and whether the wrongs of centuries ago can be righted retroactively. What an involving novel! Even better than Ender's Game.
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