I was standing in our awesome local book store, Powells, browsing, and there was a kid(12ish, maybe) looking up at a higher shelf beside me. I was absorbed, didn't notice a thing, but my wife, being more observant, asked if he needed help getting something. Sure enough he did. She handed him down the book he indicated (an odd cover art version of Card's Enders Game), then put it back when he decided he didn't need it.

For some reason, he asked if I had read Cards books, and when I indicated I had, started talking about how after the first few, Card had gotten very religious/political in his writing. And remarked that that had apparently been his plan all along, and wasn't it a shame, as he has a real talent that he is wasting.

Its a shame. He really does have an amazing writing ability. And he has chosen to throw it away. It was awesome to see a young person able to recognize that and wanting to make sure that information is disseminated to other readers though.

In the late 80s I heard about this writer that had a neat story about a little boy that saved humanity. Sci Fi and epic in scope- seemed right up my alley so I bought the enders' game series and enjoyed the first 3 books. I started collecting his novels and reading his older stuff. Pretty soon I ended up with a good size collection of rare 1st editions and collections like "maps in a mirror". I started noticing that all of this writer's stories had an uncomfortably obsessive preoccupation with children and the notion of a single, special savior emerging from childhood with amazing abilities. He really started making the reading experience an uncomfortable maze of partisan political barbs and right wing, culture warfare memes. He really let his wacko mormon cult narrative become an undercurrent featured in all of his later stuff that i had the stomach to read. Fuck Card and his cult of homophobes.