K.A's response to the final book criticsm.

[Estelore]

Sherrilina, you have an amazing knack for changing the subject.
Bless you.

[Chad32]

Maybe I dislike realistic endings, partly because I read books to escape reality. If I wanted to read realistic books, I'd pick out some nonfiction.

[Estelore]

Fiction is designed to reflect reality in a new way, to help us to understand our universe and our purpose within it. It provides an escape, but that is merely a disguise for its greater purpose.

[TheFearlessLeader]

I was saying it to Applegate. And I think she deserves it. Just because she wrote SOME of the series, does not make her untouchable.

In my opinion, it is fantasy because kids who read it fantasized about it. I don't care if it was science fiction or romance. It was also fantasy. Don't give me definitions etc. I'm not interested. I am referring to it as what I thought it was, regardless of what the literature world thinks. The ghost-writers kept it alive, and we paid for Applegate to make a living. IMO it is the same as any other entertainer, sports or otherwise. Athletes get paid big money by teams, who make money by selling tickets and concessions to customers. Fans. People like US. If there were no fans, the athletes would not eat. If nobody wanted to see John Cena take on HHH in a cage match, they would be looking for jobs elsewhere and not providing the entertainment service.

When you write a book or series that you intend to sell for money that will feed you and keep you financially afloat for the next 6 years, there should be some consideration as to the fans and how they feel. For her to flat out say "If you're mad at me because that's what you have to take away from Animorphs, too bad." is like a slap in the face of anyone who is mad.

And that is a terrible attitude to have when selling something to people. ESPECIALLY after the fact when there is nothing to be done about it. That is like the chef of a really good restaurant cooking up a meal and having assistants create much of it, then putting on the finishing touches, but the problem is, the dish you ordered calls for a sprig of mint and the chef personally decides he'd rather put some parsley on it instead. And then once it is brought to you, and you complain, he says, "TOO BAD. I want you to eat it and like it, and learn from it. O yeah, and don't forget to PAY ME."

I just don't like the attitude is all. I'm fine with Rachel dying and having casualties etc. I'm NOT fine with ending the whole thing on a mystery that goes unexplained forever. I know you are all fellow fans and all that. And I just stumbled across this site the other night, so it has brought back very old memories and made them very fresh. And I love it. But I can't get over how mad that ending made me. And I never thought it through. I stopped thinking about it 7 years ago, after only about a week from finishing it. And I haven't gone down memory lane since. So it's tough for me. I don't want to argue with anyone here. Please understand that. I am just EXTREMELY emotional about this incredible sci-fi series that made my youth that much more special.

I am 22 years old now, and I would wish that everyone I know could've read this series around the same age I did. Except for the last chapters of the last book. I would tell them to read until Rachel is gone, and the world is saved. Read about Marco's fame and Jake's depression. Read about Tobias' emotions and Cassie's new life. Read about the honors that Ax received from his home land. But then stop. Do NOT continue onto the last Animorphs mission that you will EVER know of, and do not read further because things will happen and you will need to live forever without knowing the outcome. That is all I would say. It was not bittersweet to me. It was not ironically pleasant. It was terrible. I am a man of closure. And for me to NOT have closure on one of the biggest pieces to my youth is something that bothers the HECK out of me.

It may be selfish to think this way, or lazy or whatever you may say, but in truth all I wanted was closure. I didn't want an alternate ending where everyone lives and there is a happy ending. I simply wanted to know what the heck The One was and what took place after the final page. Closure.....

Anywho, thanks for reading all that took the time. Don't be offended all those who disagree. I am simply stating my opinion on entertainers and the industry as a whole. I will not be posting for a bit unless I really want to share something. I just don't want to get caught up in the forum when I have hardly any time in my life(recently married, new career starting, etc.)

I will read as often as possible. It is just nice to know I'm not the only Animorphs freak out there.


BTW, anyone remember all that fan fiction stuff on the internet back then? I printed out PAGES and PAGES of that stuff.

I even wrote my own story, but alas, I lost it among my rents getting new computers and word documents not being backed up. It was about 40 pages long, 2 chapters. It was an extension of the series after book #47 or so. Maybe one day I'll revive the story in my head and rewrite it so I can share it.

Thanks again all and I'm sorry to offend anyone!


And I have to say...Daphnes...you summed it up for me. I wish I could've just wrote that originally. Lol. Nice.

Estelore...I get where you are coming from. You are a literature buff. But what you should understand is that MANY people are not. And many people think that fiction is designed to take you away from reality. And some think it is supposed to take you as far away as possible. Not everyone is going to accept you telling them that they are wrong and that this book series was full of hidden messages about reality. People who read it, and I think, especially kids, do not care about reality. They are kids for crying out loud. My biggest concern when I was reading these books was this: Are my batteries going to hold up in my radio and reading light? Will it rain tomorrow and stop me from playing basketball outside?

I was 16 when the final books came out. I was then concerned with my first year of HS being over and I hadn't found a steady girlfriend. And I really wanted to beat this sophmore out for his starting spot on the football team. Honestly. Had I been 22 when I read the final book, I MAY have thought more about reality. But I took these books as an escape from reality, as I'm sure many people did.

[CounterInstinct]

Don't you see what would happen if Animorphs would end happily?
"Kids" or people in their "robbed childhood" as you say, would like wars. They would like to be the Heroes of wars. Because they do not see wars as tragic.

No one wins wars. That's what K.A might be trying to say. The motif is anti-war from the very start. If this war ended happily, it would defeat the point of writing Animorphs in the first place.


Everyone wants to see John Cena and HHH in a cage match, but not everyone wants to dictate who wins or not. Most of us pays just to see what happpens. We won't make a fuss if HHH wins over a bloody Cena or vice versa.

[TheFearlessLeader]

"Maybe I dislike realistic endings, partly because I read books to escape reality. If I wanted to read realistic books, I'd pick out some nonfiction."

Hey Daphnes...is it cool if I use this quote whenever anyone talks about the war messages from Animorphs? LOL. Not trying to be rude...I just find it funny. I did not take any messages from the books. I simply was entertained. I read and was entertained. And you know what? If that makes me lazy...then so be it. I am one lazy reader. Whatev. I, for one, am glad I missed all those hidden messages, because it would've ruined the fun of reading for me. So, I guess we are all happy.

[ANItiger13]

A lot of kids actually do care about reality. I'm a kid, I read these books and I care about reality.

Like Counter said, it's completely anti-war. They never wanted to fight in the war. At the end, it shows how war ends. It didn't end well. Like it should. That's reality and I did care about that.

It was still unrealistic in the way it was supposed to be. The points it covered about war were realistic throughout the books. But, it was an intergalactic war.

[Estelore]

Estelore...I get where you are coming from. You are a literature buff. But what you should understand is that MANY people are not. And many people think that fiction is designed to take you away from reality. And some think it is supposed to take you as far away as possible. Not everyone is going to accept you telling them that they are wrong and that this book series was full of hidden messages about reality. People who read it, and I think, especially kids, do not care about reality. They are kids for crying out loud. My biggest concern when I was reading these books was this: Are my batteries going to hold up in my radio and reading light? Will it rain tomorrow and stop me from playing basketball outside?

*sad smile*
Thank you, for clarifying and for seeing it my way. That is good of you.
I sorrow that people go to such lengths to get away from reality, first because they feel the need to flee in the first place, and second because that escape-instead-of-act reflex has been the cause of much pain for many people, on a very large scale. World hunger, war, poverty and disease, global climate change, all these things could be so swiftly and well resolved, if only more people would stop avoiding the truth and just DO SOMETHING, for pity's sake. The first step in action is realising the problem and admitting that it exists.

From a very young age, I sought fiction, not as an escape, but as a way to learn. I've always felt that if I can do something, anything, to leave this universe a better place for my presence in it, then my existence will have meant something, and I can hopefully deserve whatever comes after it. There is no greater sin than walking away, when you can prevent a great suffering.



One last point: The series is fiction, yes, but it is VERY realistic, by the rules it defines for itself. The Animorphs existed in a realistic Earth with non-real entities. They were realistic people, with realistic emotions, motives, and choices. It would be utterly wrong to create an ending that is unrealistic, by the rules of the Animorphs' universe.
I see your point of view, but I cannot so easily understand it, in the method of my mind. Reality is reality, and escape is turning your back on reality, denying all responsibilities for its future, according to the belief system by which I have lived my entire life. I admit that there are circumstances in which escape IS preferable to the alternative, circumstances in which the escapee is powerless to help himself out of his own misery, beyond dreams and fiction. However, when a person has an otherwise-endurable life, it seems to me a variety of cowardice to turn-tail-and-run, even if only on a psychological basis. There is always someplace that I am needed (to some extent or another), between my friends and my family, so I believe that my view of this is understandable.
I am not calling YOU a coward, of course. This is more of a non-specific generalization (a debator's cardinal sin, yes, I know).

[CounterInstinct]

*sad smile*
Thank you, for clarifying and for seeing it my way. That is good of you.
I sorrow that people go to such lengths to get away from reality, first because they feel the need to flee in the first place, and second because that escape-instead-of-act reflex has been the cause of much pain for many people, on a very large scale. World hunger, war, poverty and disease, global climate change, all these things could be so swiftly and well resolved, if only more people would stop avoiding the truth and just DO SOMETHING, for pity's sake. The first step in action is realising the problem and admitting that it exists.

LOL. I found this part really funny, but I can't seem to point out why. NOT funny because it's stupid... but funny because it's SO CORRECT and Straight to the point.....

[ANItiger13]

*sad smile*
Thank you, for clarifying and for seeing it my way. That is good of you.
I sorrow that people go to such lengths to get away from reality, first because they feel the need to flee in the first place, and second because that escape-instead-of-act reflex has been the cause of much pain for many people, on a very large scale. World hunger, war, poverty and disease, global climate change, all these things could be so swiftly and well resolved, if only more people would stop avoiding the truth and just DO SOMETHING, for pity's sake. The first step in action is realising the problem and admitting that it exists.

I'll have to applaud you again when the time limits up. That's an amazing point.

[Estelore]

LOL. I found this part really funny, but I can't seem to point out why. NOT funny because it's stupid... but funny because it's SO CORRECT and Straight to the point.....

Thank you. I have a gift for factual irony, I think. I make it a point to be direct and correct about serious matters, whenever possible. *self-deprecating chuckle*

I'll have to applaud you again when the time limits up. That's an amazing point.

Thank you, Ken. I take pleasure in knowing that I am not the only one who feels this way.

[TheFearlessLeader]

Hey guys..sorry if I hit home with some of the topics being discussed. I am a much different person now, of course, than I was 7 years ago. For one thing, the media pushes images and messages onto the public in a much different way nowadays. Before, you didn't see so many adds for "going green". You didn't see the liberal points of view so clearly in mass media. And 7 years ago you certainly didn't see the entertainment world as vividly as you now do.

All of these things contribute to the MAJOR differences in the 12 year old of today versus the 12 year old of 1998. That is simply fact. There is a greater awareness of the Earth's issues and the possible solutions. However, even though liberal thoughts have entered the playing field a bit more in terms of media outlets, there are still enough conservative points of view being thrown around to control any new-age hippie movement. War, especially since the time this series ended(sadly and ironically), has become a MAJOR factor in every American's life. And because of this, there is more to think about than simple character relationships and plot twists when reading books or engaging in other forms of entertainment.

When I read these books, I was not really a kid, but I was going through a time of major change in life. I had a rough family life and since I lived about 20 minutes drive from all my school friends, I was pretty much stuck and alone. I spent much of my time reading the books, sitting outside watching animals and wondering...and playing sports by myself. I was not close enough to anyone to actually go hang out. And my best friend had just watched his brother accidentally hang himself when we were 12. So he was never the same person and did not want to hang out anymore. Very often I found myself associating him with Tobias.

I was always a leader in the classroom and on the court or field. So, I began to really relate well to Jake, as he was around my age at the time I read these books.

It isn't surprising that I let myself get taken away into this new world that existed only between the pages of the books. I wouldn't necessarily call it escaping or running away from my problems, but I would certainly think of it as fantasizing about having a purpose. I wanted so badly to be able to fight for something as passionately as Jake and the Animorphs fought.

I had assembled my team that consisted of my friend who I thought of as Tobias. Myself(Jake). One of the girls who introduced me to the books(Cassie). Another girl who had liked the books, but was more into fashion(Rachel). And the first person to ever show me an Animorphs book(Marco). So, how could I not pretend to be inside the book? We played Animorphs at recess. I had dreams about it. I wrote fan fiction about it. We acted out scenes and wrote our own.

And this was the ONLY Series of books I have ever read. And the first real books I read outside of school assignments.

So piece all of that together, and you can kind of see why I would have been thinking of it as more of a "fantasy" series. I never even considered the fact that people could read into it otherwise, and I am at fault for not thinking of other viewpoints.

I was just so excited to see other fans posting in a recent forum that I may have started to urinate before I could unbuckle my belt. I just wanted others to relate to my Animorphs experience.

I hope you will all accept me into your society, as I really have much much more to say about the books if you will allow it.

Thanks.

 

[ANItiger13]

Alright, there's a story...And, you're right, more 12 year olds are aware of things now. But, pretty much the most realistic points of Animorphs were the realistic points of war that were there through the entire books. The end was a way to really point that out.

Here's a the biggest tip you could get right now,

Don't yell "Screw you" That's going to launch an awkward debate that consists of you revealing things about your life 7 years ago...weird.

[Chad32]

"Maybe I dislike realistic endings, partly because I read books to escape reality. If I wanted to read realistic books, I'd pick out some nonfiction."

Hey Daphnes...is it cool if I use this quote whenever anyone talks about the war messages from Animorphs? LOL. Not trying to be rude...I just find it funny. I did not take any messages from the books. I simply was entertained. I read and was entertained. And you know what? If that makes me lazy...then so be it. I am one lazy reader. Whatev. I, for one, am glad I missed all those hidden messages, because it would've ruined the fun of reading for me. So, I guess we are all happy.

Sure, go ahead. It's kind of cool being quoted.

Thank you, for clarifying and for seeing it my way. That is good of you.
I sorrow that people go to such lengths to get away from reality, first because they feel the need to flee in the first place, and second because that escape-instead-of-act reflex has been the cause of much pain for many people, on a very large scale. World hunger, war, poverty and disease, global climate change, all these things could be so swiftly and well resolved, if only more people would stop avoiding the truth and just DO SOMETHING, for pity's sake. The first step in action is realising the problem and admitting that it exists.

Leaving reality for a time and taking a break can be a healthy way of dealing with it. Reality can leave one stressed, especially people like kids who have little or no control over their realities. So calling them cowards for wanting to delve into worlds of fantasy and enchantment periodically does not make them cowards. You may be the kind of person who likes to take action at any possible time, but some people feel differently. Not everyone wants to spend their life trying to avert worldwide problems. Some people just want to live peaceful and quiet lives.

[CounterInstinct]

When you think about it, it's not just for a while. Most literature shapes us permanently, the way we forever mourn for Rachel's death.