Author Topic: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.  (Read 37760 times)

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Offline morfowt

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #195 on: December 16, 2008, 04:57:53 AM »
The Drode informed the Animorphs that the terms of the game established that there was always a way out for them.
wait...so does that mean that in book 54, there was a way for rachel to live? Like i mean at that moment, had rachel done something different, she would have lived, not through a different plan.

Offline Liz

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #196 on: December 16, 2008, 11:25:46 AM »
Maybe if she had accepted Crayak's offer right then she could have been saved.

Offline Chad32

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #197 on: December 16, 2008, 03:06:52 PM »
The way out for her would probably be saying no to Jake's command. Akthough, I think she could have lived through other means. I don't mean to say that Crayak and Ellimest are noncanon or anything. I just don't see the point in pushing for realism in the last book, in one of the most unrealistic areas. That being everyone lives through every battle somehow. I know there are people that love the ending, but those are the minority. You can say you're the "truer" fans if you want to. You can say the Animoprhs series is best ended tragically the way it was. But you're in the minority of Ani fans.


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Offline KOFSoldier

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #198 on: December 16, 2008, 07:41:26 PM »
Exactly.

When, exactly, did KA start to care about being realistic? NOTHING about Animorphs is realistic, that was half of the fun.

I was reading her interviews, and now Im starting to think she killed off Rachel simply because she didnt like her.
She's stated a few times that she loved writing for Marco, Cassie; she liked Tobias; and that she misses writing for Jake.

I wonder if it's a coincidence that the two people she didnt list that she liked writing for (Rachel and Ax) ended up totally screwed in the last book. Also that her 2 favorites (Marco and Cassie) ended up being the only prosperous ones. Also, Rachel seemed to be the one that all the ridiculous stuff happened to (such as her splitting into two personalities, and her allergic reaction). I wonder if this is all a coincidence?

Offline Chad32

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #199 on: December 16, 2008, 08:47:23 PM »
I hear that KA's favorite anis tended to shift around. Animorphs is fairly realistic, as far as towns and such go. However, there is a good amount of unrealistic stuff. Which makes the urge for her to write a realistic war ending hurt all the more.

I've mentioned before that if she wanted to write a war story, that had a realistic war ending, then she should go all the way. Not make a sci-fi fantasy world and try to make that as realistic as possible.


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Offline Kelly

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #200 on: December 16, 2008, 09:10:16 PM »
I didn't mind the last book at all, apart from Jake and Cassie splitting up :(
"I always considered myself a loner. I mean, not like a poor-me, Byron-esque, I-should-have-broughta-swimming-buddy loner. I mean the sort of person who doesn’t feel too upset about the prospect of a weekend spent seeing no one, and reading good books on the couch. It wasn’t like I was a people hater or anything. I enjoyed activities and the company of friends. But they were a side dish. I always thought I would also be happy without them."

- Harry Dresden/Jim Butcher, Ghost Story.

Offline Galladerotom

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #201 on: December 16, 2008, 10:12:53 PM »
Her reaction seemed remarkably angry at our generation even. I think in her books she mainly wanted to use them as a vechicle to promote pacifistic ideals and used the Animorphs logo as possibly a way to attract readers. I man in today's society parents are more concerned about an imaginary friend on television patronising hallucinogens than violence and war. I think this might have been apart of the fuel for her dissatisfaction to criticism.
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Offline Essam 293

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #202 on: December 16, 2008, 11:10:16 PM »
When, exactly, did KA start to care about being realistic? NOTHING about Animorphs is realistic, that was half of the fun.

...You're kidding, right? Did you miss the whole slavery/genocide/war bit? Cause that's about as realistic as it gets in a sci-fi kids series. Obviously the whole concept of aliens and morphing is extraordinary and surreal, but the stories involving many of the characters were written realistically in the way any war would actually affect them, psychologically and emotionally. At the same time, it was also written in a way so that the silent invasion could believably be happening in our world too. I don't know about everyone else, but that was what hooked me onto the series.


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Offline Toc'

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #203 on: December 17, 2008, 12:16:14 AM »
When, exactly, did KA start to care about being realistic? NOTHING about Animorphs is realistic, that was half of the fun.

...You're kidding, right? Did you miss the whole slavery/genocide/war bit? Cause that's about as realistic as it gets in a sci-fi kids series. Obviously the whole concept of aliens and morphing is extraordinary and surreal, but the stories involving many of the characters were written realistically in the way any war would actually affect them, psychologically and emotionally. At the same time, it was also written in a way so that the silent invasion could believably be happening in our world too. I don't know about everyone else, but that was what hooked me onto the series.

 :)
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Offline KOFSoldier

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #204 on: December 17, 2008, 11:34:30 AM »
When, exactly, did KA start to care about being realistic? NOTHING about Animorphs is realistic, that was half of the fun.

...You're kidding, right? Did you miss the whole slavery/genocide/war bit? Cause that's about as realistic as it gets in a sci-fi kids series.

That's my point.

I just think that she let emotions get in the way of her story, rather than power it. Then again, this is purely estimation, and I could be very very wrong.

But why kill Rachel? Out of everyone, I wanted to see what her life would be like after the war. Cassie's was 100% predictable, Marco's was (if you pay attention to his dialogue throught the series, he's always talking about getting rich and going on Letterman, and dating models and stuff like that), too, and Ax's. I will admit, though, that I didnt see Jake and Cassie splitting up. That was a sad (yet definetly surprising) twist. 

I was more interested in seeing whether Rachel and Tobias would last. Tobias seemed to enjoy being a hawk more than being a human at that point, and I was wondering how much longer would Rachel tolerate it, and vice-versa. I also wanted to see if Rachel could adjust to going back to being a normal person, now that the excitement that she loved so much was gone. I love Cassie, but honestly, I think it should've been her that died.

Also, if Cassie died (with her being still sort of engaged to Jake), I think it could've made a more profound impact on Jake that would allow us to see him go into deeper depression, and maybe even thoughts of suicide (yeah, that's sad, but dont lie; it would've been interesting.) I think KA didnt kill Cassie because she was her favorite and she even used her to relay some of her own feelings to us (such as her disdain for the internet).  SOOOO many missed oppurtunities....

Offline Chad32

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #205 on: December 17, 2008, 12:30:38 PM »
If Cassie died, I'd be almost as upset. Though it would have been quite ironic. The reason Rachel died is because Jake needed to make sure Toma and the box weren't taken. How ironic would it be that Cassie died because of her decision at the end of book 50?


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Offline KOFSoldier

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #206 on: December 17, 2008, 12:51:46 PM »
If Cassie died, I'd be almost as upset. Though it would have been quite ironic. The reason Rachel died is because Jake needed to make sure Toma and the box weren't taken. How ironic would it be that Cassie died because of her decision at the end of book 50?

EXACTLY!

You want to show realism? OK, show us how morals have no place in wars. I love Cassie (even though I know more than half of the board hates her), but her death would've been more tragic imo. Not because I would miss her more (because I like Rachel just as much), but because it would be a great display of how war destroys everything pure.

Not ONLY did she live, but she came out seemingly unscathed and prosperous from the war. In real wars, people like Cassie die, while people like Rachel are considered heroes, or monsters, but still live. I dont think K.A. cared how they died, just that it happened.

Offline Hylian Dan

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #207 on: December 17, 2008, 12:55:27 PM »
Gee, I think what really happened is KA hated Animorphs all along. The cruel irony of it being a consistent best seller haunted her day and night. She probably hated every stupid brat that kept buying her books every month and decided to ruin their lives by trashing her series. That's because she's a really nasty selfish hack of a writer, right?


The attacks on KA here are getting a little ridiculous.

Quote
When, exactly, did KA start to care about being realistic? NOTHING about Animorphs is realistic, that was half of the fun.
Book one? When the first mission failed spectacularly. When Cassie told the others the policeman who'd captured her would no longer be a problem. When Tobias became trapped in morph.

This was the tone KA set right from the start of the series. On top of that, all four Chronicles had dark, bleak endings. Foreshadowing, much?

Animorphs was not a fun happy fantasy story that took a completely unanticipated left turn into dark, bleak reality in the last book. If that's what you think, you were not paying attention. Dark, bleak reality was present throughout the series, always keeping the wild fantasy story grounded.

Offline Chad32

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #208 on: December 17, 2008, 01:35:34 PM »
I guess I just wasn't paying attention. As serious as it was early in the series, I didn't think it was all that dark until around the final arc. There were moments like book 1, but there were also moments like book 9. They work to save skunks, and trick Visser Three into thinking grape juice gets rid of skunk stink. There were cute, funny parts in the beginning that balanced out the darkness. As the war went on, those moments faded away.

The Chronicles were a bit dark, and redundant. I don't know if I'd say visser was all that dark. Techinally, Visser kept going on until Visser 1 died and Eva was rescued.


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Offline Hylian Dan

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Re: K.A's response to the final book criticsm.
« Reply #209 on: December 17, 2008, 02:24:28 PM »
Even when it wasn't that dark, the books continuously dealt with the theme "Life may suck but you need to deal with it." Just like in real life, there are plenty of times when the heaviness of life is lifted and things are simply fun and crazy, but the overarching struggles of life always return to haunt the characters. Each of the Animorphs' coping mechanisms were discussed and explored a great deal.

Jake was putting on a strong face, but in book 37 Rachel notices how it's breaking him. He was holding on the entire time for his family. The loss of his parents ended the brave front he'd been showing the Animorphs and sent him into depression. Cassie's decision to protect him from killing Tom convinced him to abandon morality and do whatever it takes to win. Tom and Rachel's deaths break him just as the war ends. The immediacy of the war had always stopped him from looking back and second guessing himself, but that coping mechanism fails when the conflict ends. After a few years he starts to move on, and when a new war begins he's his old self again.

Rachel generally avoids introspection and deals with what needs to be done, but it gnaws at her on the inside. She is always willing to make sacrifices to help others, to be the one to do the dirty work. She becomes scared and lost and confused when she reflects on this, because she is losing herself and she doesn't know where this path is leading her.

Tobias relied entirely on Rachel early on when he had no self esteem of his own. He would frequently talk to her to sort out his own feelings and struggles. As the war went on he grew in confidence and became more comfortable with himself, but he loved Rachel and she was always his crutch. She was the strongest link he felt he had to humanity, so when he loses her he lives only as a hawk, broken on the inside.

Cassie remained firmly grounded in her morals. They helped her maintain a sense of stability as her world changed. She had strong support from her family and Jake. When she had doubts, she would talk things over with her loved ones and find reassurance. Her coping mechanisms allowed her to emerge from the war able to continue with her life. But book 41 showed that these mechanisms weren't infallible. When Jake refused to listen to her and offer reassurance, she went home a mess. Almost immediately afterwards Jake was killed and Earth was conquered, causing Cassie to throw away everything that had kept her grounded. She becomes disgusted with what she thinks is her weakness and changes into a completely different person, a hardened terrorist.

Marco rarely relied on others for support, since he had had to take care of his family by himself for a few years. He lives by the guy code, meaning he doesn't talk about his feelings. He lapses into depression, impulsiveness, and mental instability a few times, but he believes in trying to see the world as a comedy rather than a tragedy. That gives him a flexible world view, so when things are horrible he's still able to snap out of it with a quick change of perspective. He practices shutting down emotional ambiguity and focusing on what's necessary. The end of the war leaves him with a nagging sense of emptiness, but he doesn't hesitate to live out his life.

Ax had always been extremely disciplined, and he practices daily rituals to remind himself of his people and culture and their values. He is a faithful soldier, and after the war he continues serving his people as a wise, experienced leader. He selflessly serves something that is greater than himself, so in a way his being absorbed into The One is darkly appropriate.

The long epilogue that was the last book was necessary to the story in part to show whether the Animorphs' various coping mechanisms are able to carry them through the end of the war.  A happier ending that didn't present the characters with some internal challenge post-war would have abandoned this theme, which had given the story so much resonance. It was an honest ending.

The fact of Rachel's death revealed as much about her as any of the other Animorphs' post-war stories. Jake had to choose one of them to sacrifice, and Rachel had stepped up to the plate. It was the natural culmination of her story. Someone needs to be the one to do the dirty work.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2008, 02:43:00 PM by Hylian Dan »