Ender's Game

[litjunkie]

Has anyone read it? It is actually the first contemporary sci-fi that I have picked up and really liked. I'm about 80 pages until the end (so don't tell me how it ends!), but I really like it. What do you think of it? Are there particular parts that you found appealing or appalling?

[Dunpeal]

I haven't read Ender's Game but I've heard wonders of it...
and I think it's in development for a movie and Wolfgang Petersen is interested in the project.

Game is the first one..
how many books are in the series??

[seeker]

There are about five or six if I am correct off the top of my head.

... let me find my enders game copy and read the list of works by Card...

ook here it is, the books and the order in which they should be read

Ender's Game- the story of Ender and how he became the most powerful genuios in history

Speaker for the Dead- Enders story of the history of the Buggers (I think)

Xenocide- A story involving Ender and Valentine and a very special AI program, and whether two races can be saved from extinction

Children on the Mind- not sure havent read it, something to do with the Buggers

Ender's Shadow- The story of Bean, who would have had to take Enders place if he had died in training or went insane

Shadow of the Hedemon- not sure havnt read it, something to do with Peter

there you go!

I love Card as a casual read, he is a great writter and his books can just envelop you if you let them. He provides moral delemas and forces the most loved character through them, and in the end we are not sure whether he has passed or not. Have fun with the series!

[Dunpeal]

thanks for the info.

I think there is one book missing.. Shadow Puppets.

[litjunkie]

I finished the novel last night about 2am. I really enjoyed it. I found that it paralleled with much of what goes on in the world today. He seemed to be the challenging assumptions that our society has of what is right and wrong with the ways in which we define ourselves and each other. I found it to be especially insightful with all of the world events that have happened since Sept. 11th. I'm interested in continuing to read his novels. Which one is the next best to hit?

[simon]

Wow I didn't know that there was a whole series, I only read Enders Game, which I found to be a good work of sci-fi. It was simply written but with an ingenious plot, that had no need for unpredictablity or suprises for it was well thought out and planned. But in terms of penmanship, I thought that the actuall writing could be worked on, word choice and so on.

[trismegistus]

I thought that the actuall writing could be worked on, word choice and so on.
Agreed. Card's strengths are his ability to craft a character and the manner in which he explores his theme through plot. Literary eloquence isn't his forte.

Litjunkie, go to Speaker for the Dead next, but read the rest of the series at your peril. It takes a turn downward, IMO. (PS - Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, and Shadow Puppets are centered on Bean rather than Ender.)

The Alvin Maker series is good. It's Card's attempt at folklore, and with his story telling style, he pulls it off quite well.

[Diceman]

Has anyone read it?
Quite by coincidence, I read it just last week. I read it on recommendation from an online book-recommendation thingamajig (www.alexlit.com).

The style of writing in Ender is very simple - so much so that I thought I was reading a kids' novel for the first few chapters. The plot it simply described, without much depth - much like a comic book. But despite this, it WORKS. By the third or fourth chapter I was wholly sucked in. And there is much depth there, hidden beneath the shallow facade: Ender's Game has a lot to say about diverse topics like military strategy, martial arts, the nature of reality, fate and destiny, human nature, and much more.

Bits of it disappointed me - the whole "Locke and Demosthenes" subplot was just filler. And the final chapter seemed to me to be tacked on in order to give the sequel some meaning. In fact I'm halfway through Speaker for the Dead right now - the style of writing is much more mature, less like a kids novel. It really does feel like a whole different book. But I will reserve my judgement on it until I have completed the book - if it twists like Ender's Game, then I can't wait to see what happens!

I am envious of you - still 80 pages of Ender's Game to go, and I know what you are about to experience!

[simon]

The style of writing in Ender is very simple - so much so that I thought I was reading a kids' novel for the first few chapters.... By the third or fourth chapter I was wholly sucked in. And there is much depth there, hidden beneath the shallow facade: Ender's Game has a lot to say about diverse topics like military strategy, martial arts, the nature of reality, fate and destiny, human nature, and much more.


That exact thought crossed my mind during the first chapter, is this a childrens book? But despite that it definetly sucks you in, and I also agree with you about his exploration of military strategem, he gives it a thourough going over. And not knowing that there were sequels I was left feeling that the ending was lacking the "ending", but now I understand why it was missing closure.

[trismegistus]

That exact thought crossed my mind during the first chapter, is this a childrens book?
Part of that is Card's willingness to adopt the diction of children. (e.g. "fart") It makes the book read more childish, yet it invites you more freely into the world of the child. It's also important in helping to remind the reader that these are genuine children. That's easy to lose track of as the novel progresses.


I also agree with you about his exploration of military strategem, he gives it a thourough going over.
He definitely has a lot to say on the nature of warfare and where it seems to be going: war-as-videogame. I think as part of that he's also looking very carefully at the education and indoctrination of children. I couldn't help thinking as I read it of the National Geographic photo picturing an 8-year old Sudanese boy with an AK-47 slung across his chest. Disturbing. And with what happens to Andrew Wiggin by the end, I think Card deals unflinchingly with the results of war on child warriors. Even if it's a video war where the kid never sees the person (being) he slaughters.

[simon]

It's hard to know if these child fighters understand what they are doing, the consequences and so forth of killing. Being that I don't even remember what it is like to be an 8 yr old, at some point they will come to understand what they are doing fully and then the hard decision comes, whether or not to continue conducting their warfare as they did before. Of course in some communities, such as Sudan treat war differently, some societies would not think to put a gun in a childs hand, but as you say a real gun or a gun in a video game still amounts to killing, or at least the idea of it, so maybe there isn't much difference afterall.

[5Parker]

My group of friends is passing this book around, and I'm wondering if I should read it. See, one of my friends shoved it in another's mailbox and since then a circle of Ender's Game-ness hath begun. My point is that I'm not a sci-fi fan, so should I read it because it has hidden depth and a universal theme that breaks the bonds of Science fiction writing? Does it deserve to be called literature? Let me know.......

[litjunkie]

[QUOTE=Diceman]Quite by coincidence, I read it just last week. I read it on recommendation from an online book-recommendation thingamajig (www.alexlit.com).

Bits of it disappointed me - the whole "Locke and Demosthenes" subplot was just filler. QUOTE]

You have a good point there. As I was reading it, I wondered its relevance. Even with the last chapters, it seemed to be a way of giving a "happy ending." I did still really enjoy the read. I think I may have liked it so much because it was such a fast read with so many elements that could be given deeper thought.

[litjunkie]

My group of friends is passing this book around, and I'm wondering if I should read it. See, one of my friends shoved it in another's mailbox and since then a circle of Ender's Game-ness hath begun. My point is that I'm not a sci-fi fan, so should I read it because it has hidden depth and a universal theme that breaks the bonds of Science fiction writing? Does it deserve to be called literature? Let me know.......

Funny you should make the comment about not being a sci-fi fan. The truth of the matter is that I really can't stand modern sci-fi. I like canonical sci-fi that deals with social structures of the "future," i.e. A Brave New World, but other than those types, I can't get into them. I am one of the only people that I know who has not read even one of the Harry Potter series nor have I read The Lord of the Rings.

To the point, I still think that you should read Ender's Game. It is definitely something that I think pushes the limits of sci-fi by captivating your thought process and enticing you to apply it to current social issues. Well worth the read-->advice from a fellow non-sci-fi fan. ;)

[severian]

Hello everyone. New poster here. I liked Ender's Game quite a bit but the more I think about the series as a whole the more I enjoy its sequels.

In my opinion the strength of Science Fiction is its ability to make social commentary. Extremes can be shown when some of the basic limitations of "real life" are removed. Ive never read more scathing political commentary than in Sci-Fi books like StarShip Troopers.

It is the sequels that become much more socially and politically oriented. They lose the childlike quality of Ender's Game but gain much more in the area of subtext and meaning.

[leslie]

At the insistant prompting of a friend of mine, I actually read Ender's Game a few years ago. It was my first (and so far only) science fiction read.

I think that is an amazing novel. Not for it's possible political commentary as some of you have mentioned (I have to admit, I never paid much attention to that aspect), but for the way we are able to see into Ender's thought process. Card's writing style enables us, I believe, to feel every emotion that his hero is feeling.

I've read the novel a few times since my first reading and still I have to force myself to remember that Ender is a child. It's something that is so easy to forget. One of my favorite lines in the book is when Ender first decideds to go with Graff to the academy. While they are walking out to the car, Ender is holding Graffs hand. What an amazing picture. This little boy, leaving his family to save the world.

While I'm still not a sci-fi fan by any means, this book transcends the genre as far as I'm concerned.

[severian]

At the insistant prompting of a friend of mine, I actually read Ender's Game a few years ago. It was my first (and so far only) science fiction read.

I think that is an amazing novel. Not for it's possible political commentary as some of you have mentioned (I have to admit, I never paid much attention to that aspect), but for the way we are able to see into Ender's thought process. Card's writing style enables us, I believe, to feel every emotion that his hero is feeling.

I've read the novel a few times since my first reading and still I have to force myself to remember that Ender is a child. It's something that is so easy to forget. One of my favorite lines in the book is when Ender first decideds to go with Graff to the academy. While they are walking out to the car, Ender is holding Graffs hand. What an amazing picture. This little boy, leaving his family to save the world.

While I'm still not a sci-fi fan by any means, this book transcends the genre as far as I'm concerned.


Sci-fi is a tough genre to read because there is a lot of crap out there. But you will find that with the right authors it can be excellent. Ender's Game is simply the most popular of all the good sci-fi. Read some Robert Heinlien books. He is probably the best sci-fi author ever.

[Pickles]

My 2cents, Enders game = Good.
Other Card stuff, not so good.

Lost boys, very bad. - well, very very bad.

It does give you the feeling of what it was like to be involved with early IBM PC
software deleopement. But the whole novel is a thinly vailed invitation to join
the Mormon church. I was kinda shocked about that.

[baddad]

Enders Game.....not too shabby. An interesting take on children fighting wars, killing by proxy, no real tangible deaths to crush their little souls(but of course it doesn't turn out that way....because all war is bad for the soul)......But I wish there was a word like......GAZILLION! Because that would be the number of other science fiction novels that are worth reading...........

[Conn]

I disagree with Pickles, when I read the whole ender series along with the shadow series I did not see any pull towards any religion. To me it was just a really good set of books showing how war affects people along with a little imagination of how technology could come to be.

[DHarley]

i really liked Ender's Game but i think it should have had a better ending because it didnt make to much sense with the whole thing about the planet getting blown up and when Ender got there there was an egg waiting for him. Wouldnt it get destroyed when Ender blew up that world.

[Conn]

well it sets you up for the next book it explaines it all in speaker for the dead although i reccomend you read the shadow series first it goes in chronicalogical order that way. If you want to read it harley i can let you borrow it lol

[steve12553]

I was really impressed with the story. It read very quickly and never telegraphed what was coming. The ideas remeinded me of some of the Robert A. Heinlein stories.

[zanna]

I also read it, and agree w. steve, I never saw it coming. (but I never do, so that's not new :) ) I am having to write a paper on it, and thought to compare Ender to Hitler. Both tried to exterminate a race they didn't like, but in contrast, I think Ender is the better person. He kinda gets a second chance when he finds the bugger queen on the other planet (it's not their home world, that's why it wasn't blown to bits, but don't ask me how the cocoon got THERE), and I was glad to see that he tried to "fix it," by telling the truth about the buggers. I also liked Speaker of the Dead, the sequel, which wraps up some things for Ender, but also opens a whole 'nother can of worms. It makes me wonder . . . if Ender, who was given a second chance, changed accordingly, what might Hitler have done, if he'd had a second chance? If, somehow, he would have been spared the death penalty so that he could make up for all the bad stuff. :P Really don't know. But it is interesting to compare them, and compare yourself. Would I have reacted the same way Ender did? I probably would have been seriously ticked (in the end of the book)!

Ooh, and Pickles, could you explain why it's an invitation to join the mormon church? I didn't see that, but I wasn't looking for it, either.