Empire (Card novel)
LC Class PS3553.A655 E486 2006 | | |
Followed by | Hidden Empire |
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Empire is a 2006
Plot
The book follows
The book opens with Major Malich, a captain at the time, leading a
Major Malich works at
While Malich is being debriefed at the Pentagon, Coleman is asked to participate in a right wing coup to correct the existing government. Coleman recounts the meeting on live television and retreats to Malich's side in
Once back in New Jersey, Malich and Coleman join Malich's wife who used to work for an
The new National Security Advisor, Averell Torrent, is one of Malich's former professors. He sends a team including Malich's Special Forces operators and Coleman out to discover information about the Restoration group responsible for Malich's death and the subversion of the United States of America.
Upon finding the Progressive Restoration's lair, the team, led by Coleman, reconnoiter the
Towards the end of the novel, Malich's wife Cecily begins to suspect Torrent's involvement in instigating the entire conflict in order to ascend to power. She discovers many of the key rebel leaders were taught at some point by him. From the notes Malich left from his classes with him, she uncovers Torrent's obsession with the
Setting
The leader of the "Progressive Restoration" rebellion movement in the book, Aldo Verus, is often seen as corresponding the real-life liberal financier George Soros.[2]
Reception
The novel's political stance has received both praise and derision. Booklist commended the novel for being "heartfelt and sobering" and expressed approval for "the author's message about the dangers of extreme political polarization and the need to reassert moderation and mutual citizenship."[3] Other critics were less favourable. "Right-wing rhetoric trumps the logic of story and character in this (...) implausibly plotted departure from Card’s bestselling science fiction," wrote Publishers Weekly.[4] Library Journal assessed the novel as "entertaining, though not one of Card's best efforts," and expressed reservations about its tendency to "lean heavily to the right" and sound "more like social commentary than fiction".[5] In Locus, Gary K. Wolfe faulted the novel for constructing a world where "insanity is mostly the province of liberalism" and compared the characters and dialogue to "Mattel action figures" and "bumper stickers and political-convention applause lines."[6] He also dismissed its afterword's claim of impartiality as a false centrism.[6]
In addition, the novel has received praise for its action. Booklist characterized it as a "relentless thriller," praising its plot and pacing: "Intriguing plot wrinkles come fore and aft of those basic developments, there are many deftly shaped supporting players, and major shocks explode in a split second (...) Moreover, all the action doesn't obscure the author's message (...); indeed, it drives it home."
It has a rating of 3.4 out of 5 on Goodreads out of 8000 votes.[8]
Awards
The novel was nominated for the Prometheus Award for Best Novel in 2007.[9]
Adaptations
Video game
Empire is not an original Orson Scott Card project, but rather stems from the development of the Empire video game. The game was being developed by the brothers Donald and Geremy Mustard, founders of the Chair Entertainment Group development studio until it was canceled. Card was contacted by Donald Mustard and offered the chance to develop the game's storyline as well as a novel to set the series into action.[10] The Xbox Live Arcade Game Shadow Complex was announced by Donald Mustard to be a tie-in to the second installment of Orson Scott Card's Empire Trilogy and is a prequel to the Empire novel that is developed by ChAIR.[11]
Film
The rights to a film version of Empire have been acquired by Joel Silver and Warner Bros.[12]
Sequel
At the video game convention
See also
- List of works by Orson Scott Card
- Orson Scott Card
References
- ISBN 0-7653-1611-0.
- ^ Empire review from SF Reviews.net
- ^ a b "Card, Orson Scott. Empire. (Brief article) (Book review)". Booklist. October 1, 2006. Registration required.
- ^ "Publishers Weekly - Web-Exclusive Reviews: Week of 11/6/2006".
- ^ "Library Journal: Audio - 6/1/2007".
- ^ a b Wolfe, Gary K. (February 2007). "Locus Looks At Books: Gary K. Wolfe". Locus: The Magazine of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Field. 58.2 (553): 71.
- ^ "Entertainment Weekly: Book Review - Empire (2006)". November 24, 2006.
- ^ "Empire (Empire, #1)".
- ^ "Libertarian Futurist Society: Prometheus Award for Best Novel -- Nominees". Archived from the original on 2008-05-09.
- ^ Empire Archived 2008-03-17 at the Wayback Machine on the official ChAIR Entertainment website
- ^ Developer Diary
- ^ "Movies Rights acquired by Joel Silver and Warner Bros". Archived from the original on 2007-05-13. Retrieved 2006-12-01.
- ^ "Shadow Complex Xbox 360 Video - Dev. Diary". IGN Video. Archived from the original on August 17, 2009.
- Gamasutra
External links
- About the novel Empire from Card's website
- Empire title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database