Pathfinder is a fairly recent (2011) release from Orson Scott Card. I’m surprised to find myself struggling to describe it, but I think it’s because there’s so much setup early in the book that I can’t come up with anything that isn’t a spoiler.
Here’s what works about this book: there is both a system by which the world works that is intriguingly fun and characters who feel worth following. It’s very much an ensemble cast of characters, so even if you dislike the protagonist (and I’ll admit, at times I found myself annoyed with him,) there’s enough about the other characters to carry you through.
Pathfinder is an excellent example of sci fi that crosses over into fantasy and then comes back. Or maybe it’s fantasy that crosses into sci fi and then comes back. I’m not really sure. I know this: I couldn’t wait for my wife to finish reading it so we could talk about it. Pathfinder definitely qualifies as a fun read.
Archives for November 2014
Friday Fun: Model trains
On Internet Trolls and Being a Wimp
I am a wimp. A push-over. I have been called “the Pillsbury Dough Boy” by an employer, and it wasn’t a comment on my weight. At least, he said it wasn’t.
I think that probably informs my approach to antagonism. My preference is to positively state what i believe to be true, engage honest dialogue seeking interaction, and peace out as soon as behavior verges on Troll-like.
Trolln.One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument.– urbandictionary.com
There are countless examples of trolling on the internet. Sometimes it happens among friends. Sometimes it happens among absolute strangers. Sometimes it happens in your local homeschool group.
It’s not new. If you went to college, there was always that one guy who tried to ask as many provocative questions as he possibly could to see if he could push the professors over the edge. (Wait… I may have done that a bit.) Usually, you’ll find some people who are Troll-wardly inclined at work or church or … somewhere in your life.
It seems worse on the internet. Some people attribute that to anonymity, but I think it’s more than that… or different than that. It’s the lack of having to deal with the immediate consequences that causes people to be bigger jerks on the internet than they are in real life.
I think, if you’re going to be online, you’re going to have to deal with trolls on the internet. I think my approach, while verging on wimpy, is worth considering.
Don’t feed the trolls. They only get bigger when you feed them. Trolls are like a fire. Rob it of air, and it just snuffs out.
Don’t feed the trolls.
Word-of-the-day: Absurd
ab·surd
adjective \əb-ˈsərd, –ˈzərd\
: extremely silly, foolish, or unreasonable : completely ridiculous
Full Definition of ABSURD
1: ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous<an absurd argument>2: having no rational or orderly relationship to human life :meaningless<an absurd universe>; also: lacking order or value <an absurd existence>– from Merriam-Webster.com
I abuse this word. It’s a good one. Don’t be absurd.
Tuesday Quotivator: Effort
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
– Colin Powell