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"A mesmerising novel"
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Perfect entry sci-fi, excellent Orson Scott Card book
-
Jun 28, 2010
- by ajensen960
- posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Rating:
+5
No spoilers. :)
Ender's Game follows the main charcter Andrew "Ender" Wiggin from age 6 to about age 11. What are mostly our formative years are Ender's years of training to become something like Earth's only 5 star general, charged with defending our planet. Through a series of ever increasingly challenging tests, Ender is pushed to the limit of his abilities to see if he is really "the one".
I enjoyed this book for its easy to read style. It wasn't clumsy, but was still detailed. Ender was well detailed, and I felt sympathy for his situation. The bad guys (not the aliens) felt truly evil, and Ender's triumph was always a surprise. The Battle Room was an interesting idea, but comes off as a huge waste of taxpayer's money. ;)
The tech, or at least the terminology, does come off as being a little dated. I didn't have a problem with this, as the tech is never fully decribed. For example, when Ender uses his "desk", I picture it as a larger, see-through iPad. The "rocket ships" and such are just a different way of saying "warp drive", or whatnot. This is entry sci-fi, where the story and characters matters more than the hard tech of true sci-fi. I also liked that this book was written in the late '70s/early '80s, but heavily features online message forums in the chapters about Valentine and Peter.
There are many good plot points for discussion, and the overall story of the book. (I would expand on that, but no spoilers!) 9 out of 10, for being a very entertaining read.
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Scotman
September 20, 2010
Good points! I have seen a review or two reveal the surprise ending. Sad.
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Scotman
June 28, 2010
Good write-up! I loved this book and loved the ending. Someone last year wrote a quick tip with the ending in it, so don't read the quick tip! Thanks.
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More Ender's Game reviews
It's a classic. It's one of a handful of books that I've read more than once. My pre-teens also really like it. It's the start of a good series. I'm not going to give you ANY spoilers so you'll have to get it and read it yourself.
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Compliments (17)
I just reread Ender's Game. It made sense to me since the movie was coming out soon and of course I would compare them. But I need to explain my perspective on the story. When I started high school I was put into what was called "The Top Class". The kids who became the valedictorian and salutatorian came from this class. Some kids spent all 4 years there and some did not. That is where I learned to play chess. So we were … more
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Compliments (12)
I Remember I had to read this book in Grade 10 English class. Ive never been a fan of Hard Science fiction, but I thought the book was pretty intresting. I enjoyed it.
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not many know this, but Cards fiction was rejected regularly by most magazine editors in the field until Bova ran the short in Analog. Should never have happened - one of the few "mistakes" Ben made while editing that magazine. Every copy of this awful book should be shredded and used to bury the homophobe author
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Compliments (2)
This book gave me chills! This is one of those books that you can't put down. Throughout this book you will get more, and more involved with the plot, and the main character. From what I experienced while reading this book, and from what I have heard on other online reviews is that It's very easy to relate with Ender in way that you could have sworn this book was about you in some ways. I recommend this book to anyone. Not just science fiction … more
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Compliments (24)
The coolness of Ender's Game has to do with its insight into the military indoctrination and isolation that goes into many males' upbringing in our society. I have come to believe that this 'insight' was unconscious to the author due to other comments O.S. Card has made, but none the less the book and its immediate sequel 'Speaker for the Dead' are quite good. Of course, there is also much silliness in Ender's Game.
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One of the better military science fiction novels.
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Wow! How did I miss reading this book before now? I just loved it. It must have been brilliant because here I am extolling a book that takes place at a military school and has military maneuvers throughout the book. It’s not normally my kind of book, but I was engrossed throughout and I cared so much about the characters, especially Ender. I just loved Ender. I ached for Ender and I felt as though I understood him. I rooted for him. I loved the way all the gifted children in this book were … more
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Compliments (16)
This book is so engaging! I still remember the first time I read it; I couldn't put it down. There's so much to dissect in this book: political commentary, the spectrum of human personalities and the implications they have for interpersonal relationships, morality. This book is easy to read/get through and therefore enjoyable at any age, but it's the sort of book that one can read and reread and learn/pick up on something every time. I'm a huge fan of SF, … more
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Quick Tip by SheilaDeeth.
November 08, 2010
Still one of my son's favorites, and one I'm really glad we both got to read. Fascinating ability to think and write movement in three dimensions.
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About the reviewer
Andy J (ajensen960)
I'm a slacker. A random dude in OKC that enjoys good books and wants to share, and find out what else I should be reading.
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About this book
In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut--young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.
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Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister. Back on Earth, Peter and Valentine forge an intellectual alliance and attempt to change the course of history.
This futuristic tale involves aliens, political discourse on the Internet, sophisticated computer games, and an orbiting battle station. Yet the reason it rings true for so many is that it is first and foremost a tale of humanity; a tale of a boy struggling to grow up into someone he can respect while living in an environment stripped of ...
ISBN-10:
0765342294
ISBN-13:
9780765342294
Author:
Orson Scott Card
Genre:
Science Fiction
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