Back in March of 2005, at the passing of science fiction mistress Andre Norton, I lamented the fact that there were so many acclaimed science fiction authors whose work I had not yet taken the opportunity to read. One of those authors, whose nonfiction work on writing I had previously read, was Orson Scott Card. I sought to remedy that oversight by going out that day and purchasing a few science fiction novels, including this beautiful copy of Ender’s Game, Scott’s most celebrated work.
I dove right in and was really enjoying the story. But as is the way of things, I ended up putting it aside and starting something else eventhough I was enjoying it. In my defense, during that period of my life I had the habit of having 4 or 5 or more books going at the same time. Over the past year I have really worked on lessening this amount and concentrating on whatever I am reading. Defense over.
The recent arrival of Chris’ uncalled for yet heartily appreciated Christmas gift, including an equally beautiful* copy of Speaker for the Dead, the sequel to Ender’s Game, prompted me to take up where I had left off. Amazingly enough I only had to back up a few pages and I then remembered everything that was going on with the story.
Thank you Chris!
Wow!…..Wow!!!
As I turned that final page, with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, I reflected that Orson Scott Card certainly deserved the Hugo and Nebula awards that he won for this work. It is astonishingly good.
Ender’s Game tells the story of six year old Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, one of many children taken from their homes by Earth’s government and enrolled in Battle School, a place where simulated war games are fought in the search for the fleet commanders skilled enough to protect the Earth from annihilation. Earth has survived two previous invasion attempts…it won’t survive a third. To a lesser degree, though no less vital to the overall story, Ender’s Game also tells the story of Ender’s siblings, Peter and Valentine, left behind on Earth to play out their roles in the salvation of mankind.
Ender’s Game is a hard story to discuss without ruining the experience of reading the book for oneself. It is a story that touches on genetic engineering, the threat of alien invasion, population control, and man’s driving need to survive. It explores the nature of childhood and the costs and sacrifices of war. It is a novel about connections and relationships and the importance of communication. And woven throughout these and other themes is the thread of battle and the intensity of playing a game that has potentially deadly consequences.
Ender’s Game was a page-turner of a book. Before I read John Scalzi’s book, Old Man’s War, last year, I would have taken the stance that I was not a fan of militaristic science fiction. That was a stance based solely on ignorance, and I have found that good writers can write stories about strategy and tactics and battle that grab ahold of you and won’t let go. Scalzi taught me that lesson and Card has reinforced it. My favorite parts of the story, until the very end that is, are those moments focused on Ender Wiggin and his growth both as a master strategist and as a young man. Throughout much of the story the reader accompanies Ender Wiggin as he directs battle game after battle game, striving to be the best there ever was. It was a fascinating part of the story and even during the moments when I didn’t have a clear picture conceptually how a battle was being played out, Card’s writing was so alive and engaging that I could not put the book down.
As exciting as those moments in the book are, and they are riveting, what elevates Ender’s Game from a ‘good’ science fiction adventure story into a great and meaningful novel is the thread of melancholy that runs throughout the book, culminating in the very emotional final chapter. Orson Scott Card does a masterful job of building a connection with the reader in the embodiment of Ender Wiggin, and the culmination of the journey Card takes Ender and the reader on is unexpected and powerful. As I said earlier, “Wow!”.
Ender’s Game is a rush of a story and one that proves that the stigma that the label ‘science fiction’ sometimes carries is truly undeserved. These stories can be, and are, every bit as worthwhile as any other reading. I am so thankful that Chris gave me the sequel and motivated me to go find this book again, the last few days of reading have been charged with excitement and satisfaction. And Ender’s Game is just that: a truly satisfying read. I can see why Orson Scott Card is a favorite of Chris and so many others.
One of the ‘adventures’ of picking up books that I previously started is discovering just what I have left in the book to hold its place. I have a few actual bookmarks that I love and use on occasion, but more often than not I find a trading card or something I’ve cut out of a magazine (my more recent finds have been pages from a Gil Elvgren page-a-day calendar from 2005), whatever is convenient and fun and use it as my place saver. When I picked up Ender’s Game I found this marking my spot:
It is a promo card from a company that made Avenger’s trading cards. Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. It was a nice surprise.
This is makes my third book completed for the From the Stacks Winter Reading Challenge. I am a happy to say I am moving right along with this challenge and am chipping away slowly at that figurative To Be Read pile!
*I say ‘beautiful’ because these John Harris covers are some of my favorites and because, second to hardcovers, these larger trades are the format that I like best for reading.
Update: If you want to discuss the book in the comments section that is great, I’d love to, but please put ‘Spoilers’ in capital letters at the start of your comment so that those who want to experience this story the way it should be read won’t get any surprises.
Gee….can you make a book NOT sound good?? Yes, I’m one of those people that haven’t read any Card. But this book is top of my list. I joined the Cardathon Challenge, mostly because Chris keeps telling me I HAVE to read him!!
So glad you enjoyed this one, Carl. It is without a doubt my favorite, favorite book. I read it in 2000, and I’ve reread it every year since. 🙂
Jeff and I were talking about this and he listened to the audio version earlier this year and swears by it, so for those of you who are into audio books it sounds like this one might be a good one to pick up.
😀 Great review Carl! I’m going to bookmark your review and just send people over here when they ask me why I love this book so much, because you describe it way better than I ever could!
It’s great to hear the thoughts of someone who just finished the book. Isn’t that last chapter amazing??? I remember feeling blown away (literally!)after reading it. It was just phenomenal. That’s the reason that Card and Gaiman will both always stand on their own little pedestals for me. There’s no one else that comes close to their talent when it comes to story writing. And Card shows consistency…I’ve never been disappointed by a book of his and I’ve read about 40 of them!
The battleroom scenes were some of my favorite scenes too! I loved watching Ender grow as a commander and develop new strategies. I also loved the scenes with the computer game…I thought those were genius, and that just became even more genius.
One interesting fact, OSC has written the screen play for the book and had Wolfgang Peterson ready to direct the film and then something happened and Warner Brothers pulled out. But it’s looking a little brighter again now. Who know’s if it’ll ever be made. There are a few problems when it comes to the film…mainly, you need young actors who are really good! OSC has made the kids about 10 years old for the sake of the movie, but still…
Oh, and you should pick up War of Gifts now 😉 You’d love it!
Well, as per usual I am the loner in not being as much in love with this book as other people! I liked it, but I did not love it. I still haven’t reviewed it, but that is normal…
Ditto for stephanie’s comment -“Can you make a book not sound good?” Orson Scott Card was one of my first introductions to SciFi. (you suggested Les get it for me in the book exchange) When I was recently in Borders I saw this book and was so tempted to get it because I hadn’t read anything of his since my first two, but I decided against. Now I’m sorry I did. Too bad we’re iced in or I’d be on my way to Borders.
The enthusiasm Chris radiates when talking about the book convinced me to get this book for Annie a few months ago (so I can borrow it, of course…easier to justify spending money on kids than on myself, after all). Your incredible review has me itching to go get it from Annie’s room right this minute. But I seem to be having that problem you mentioned…I keep trying to read too many books at once, and I’m finding it’s taking me forever to finish anything. I need to take a lesson from you, and go back to one or two books at a time.
Anyway, thanks for yet another fabulous review…you truly have a gift, you know!
I generally pick out books that I am sure I’ll like, so its not hard to be enthusiastic about them. I had a couple that I read this year that I was disappointed with but then was less enthusiastic about reviewing them in the first place…guess I should so that there would be some comparison to what I do and don’t like. 🙂 This one was better than average, however. It was Phenomenal. At least that was my experience with it.
Kailana: that is just the way of books, really. We’ve all hard our share of experiences loving books that others don’t and vice versa.
Debi: I was thinking Annie might enjoy this one after I was done. I’m trying to be good as well. In theory I have a ton of books “going” if I counted all the books I have started and still intend to get to some day. Nowadays, however, I am not juggling multiple reads like I usually do. One or two at a time is enough for now.
Pat: Can’t remember what books I had him get you. I could’ve sworn that was a different author. I cannot recall though and you would know better than I. I do think you’d enjoy this one alot.
Becky: I love hearing about what books people are so hooked on that they have to read them every year. I’m glad I am not the only one who frequently rereads beloved books.
And now, for SPOILERS (Please do not read these if you have any intention of reading the book.)
Chris, and whoever else has read the book:
I was taken by surprise with the reality of what was going on with the games. I have a vague memory of early on in the story wondering if maybe it was all a trick and that they were really fighting, but then the thought left me and when all the people in the room were cheering I still didn’t get it until it was explained to Ender..and of course the reader. That may make me sound daft, but I really enjoyed the surprise. It really blew me away. Quite the unexpected climax for me. Mostly because I went into this knowing there were sequels and figured that the bugger war would be the ongoing issue with the series. I had no expectations that it would wrap itself up in that way.
Also, the twist after the climax really got to me. I literally did have tears in my eyes. The message to Ender was so touching and so sad. The fact that they forgave us and in turn asked for our forgiveness was incredibly powerful. Wow. I just hurt inside when the realization came that the reason there was no third invasion was that they had learned we were not the enemy. Man! That really got to me, big time. I was even choked up trying to tell Mary about the book right after I finished.
I think I was surprised by the amount of emotion this story generated and by how attached I had grown to Ender and to Valentine in such a short novel. I got the same feeling reading this that I got reading Old Man’s War and its two sequels. In some ways, though not entirely, they are similar science fiction stories and I really felt a connection with my emotions about Scalzi’s work and Card’s. Great stuff!
SPOILERS ENDING
SPOILER WARNING!!!
I was totally taken by surprise too when I learned what was really going on. There are people on the forums at hatrack.com (his website) that swear that they knew from the beginning what was going on. Maybe I’m just slow, but I didn’t see it coming at all.
You capture my feelings exactly with the ending. It’s one of the most touching and emotional endings to a book that I’ve read and it’s written so well. It just comes out of nowhere which is really what gets you! You’re not expecting it. The whole book paints the buggers as a horrible enemy and what we find is an alien race ready to make peace, yet we have destroyed them. Very moving stuff.
SPOILERS OVER!
I’m going to have to read Old Man’s War! I’ve had my eye on it for awhile anyway and now that a comparison has been made, I’m definitely going to have to check it out 😉
Nooo…don’t be adding to that To Read Pile…. 😉 Just kidding, I think you’d enjoy it.
SPOILERS
And you are right, that ending did come out of nowhere. As he crest the hill you know just what he is going to see and yet you sit there wondering ‘why?’. I was buzzing reading that part, wondering just what he was going to see when he got to the mirror. That was an intense few pages to be sure!
SPOILERS OVER!!!
Here’s where I shock Carl by saying I have read this book, as well as the sequel. These books made a huge impression on my brother and he asked Suzanne and I to read them. Good choices for sci-fi fans, but I don’t know that I’d re-read them. Speaker for the Dead is a sequel, but it has a much different feel than Ender’s Game.
I vaguely remember you telling me this, Mosker, so it isn’t too much of a shock. Chris told me that Speaker was quite different which is making me look forward to it even more. I could certainly see re-reading Ender’s Game and/or checking out the audio CD’s from the library that Jeff got to ‘read’ it that way.
Speaker is different, but good. Very good. And the thing that I love about Speaker is that if it hadn’t been for Speaker, they’d be no Ender’s Game. Orson Scott Card wrote Ender’s Game as a short story in the 70s I believe. And he was looking to write a novel, the idea of Speaker came to him…and then a while later…he thought to make the main character be Andrew Wiggin all grown up. But then he realized that Ender’s Game needed to be a novel all its own. It’s a wonderful story really. 🙂
I too read this book at my brother’s insistence, and only because he was so persistent. To my surprise I enjoyed it. The payoff for me was the ending which placed so much of the story in context. I started to read Speaker but it wasn’t the same for me.
Oh I want to start talking about Speaker so bad!!! LOL…Suffice it to say that it is very different, but still very good. I feel that it has more of the feeling of the last chapter of Ender’s Game. It has a definite plot, but it’s much more philosophical than Ender’s Game was. It’s not as action driven and Ender is no longer a child, so it is a stark difference for those looking for Ender’s Game 2. It is a beautiful story though and I was just totally in awe of it!
SPOILERS FOR ENDER’S GAME!!!!
I can see how some may have been disappointed that the sequel didn’t pick up immediately after the destruction of the Buggers back on Earth. For those who feel this way, you can go to the Shadow series which follows Bean, retells Ender’s Game through Bean’s eyes in Ender’s Shadow and then goes on with Shadow of the Hegemon back on Earth.
If you want to follow Andrew though, you have to go with Speaker. I think it’s a very logical sequel honestly as it’s a sequel to Ender’s life. It shows him as THE Speaker. Like I said…I really want to talk about this one, but I’m not going to say anything about it 😉 I’ll just shut my mouth up and leave everything as a surprise for you!
I read this one earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. One of my thoughts on it though was how a LOT of the early part of the book reminded me of the Harry Potter series: the way the kids were manipulated, left to fend for themselves in many situations, not given all the information. I was so ticked off at the adults! i do have the next one on my YA list for next year too!
You described it just right, Melanie, there is indeed alot of manipulation of the children going on in the book.
I’m really kind of glad to know that Speaker doesn’t pick up right from where this one left off. It is a complete tale on its own in some ways and I like that about it. It also makes sense that Speaker isn’t a direct sequel when you know this:
“In a commentary track for the 20th Anniversary audiobook edition of the novel, Card stated that Ender’s Game was written specifically to establish the character of Ender for his role of the Speaker in Speaker for the Dead, the outline for which he had written before novelizing Ender’s Game.” (Wikipedia)
And, if I had looked at all the comments before writing this, I would have realized that Becky already pointed this out. Way to go Becky!
POTENTIAL SPOILER
I’m glad you enjoyed the book. I listened to the audiobook at the beginning of the year and I remember really enjoying it at the time. Great full cast recording. I definitely enjoyed the book and I remember really connecting with the last chapter as well. I rank the book just below great for me because somewhere during the second half of the book I did figure out what Ender was ” doing ” but it didn’t lessen the story impact for me at all. I will agree with Carl in wanting to read Speaker for the Dead as well. With all the books I have, as do all of you, that thought had slipped to the back burner. Who knows maybe the Scifi Experince will motivate me to return to Card’s works early in 08′.
Potential Spoiler Ended
Carl, It’s funny what you mentioned about militaristic fiction because I would have agreed with that statement for myself before 2005 as well. I remember only reading one book like that growing up that I really enjoyed – Armor – by John Stakley ( I think the last name might not be spelled right ). Loved that book. Since 2005 though I have read great military science fiction by OSC, Scalzi ( Old Man’s War and The Ghost Brigade ), David Mack ( Star Trek – 2 A Time to books ), and Robert Heinlein ( Starship Troopers ). I think I had built up a sterotype in my head and sometimes I need to remind myself a good author can build a great tale in any genre.
I’ve been holding off on Scalzi because of all of the comparisons to Robert Heinlein, whom I went off definitively after reading Starship Troopers (I’ve since been told that I “read it wrong”, but I feel a work should stand up on its own, without you having to be told how to read it first). From what I’ve heard, I don’t think I’d get on with Scott Card’s later books, either, but this sounds good!
If you like reading about the development of a strategist – you should definitely read Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan series if you haven’t. I started them last year (they’re not published in Britain) and am now a complete addict. They have wonderful character development arcs, and she writes about war, and a militaristic society, without glorifying it at all… and her world-building is top-notch.
I haven’t read those KK, but I’ll be looking them up, thanks.
As far as Scalzi goes, the comparison with Heinlein is actually a good thing here as his homage to Heinlein is for all the best stuff in R.H.’s stories. The most obvious one in comparing it to starship troopers is simply the us vs. them storyline of battles with an alien race. Scalzi brings a 21st century sensibility to the stories and so they become an interesting mixture of what I consider classic science fiction and contemporary science fiction. I’d encourage you to check out Old Man’s War, it is quite entertaining.
chris is also guiding me, magnetically, toward reading more card. weirdly, i’ve read “ender’s shadow”, which covers almost the same period and eventst as “ender’s game”, but from bean’s perspective (along with bean’s story and personal life, etc).
i was particularly moved by how human card’s characters are and how realistically (in its complexity) he deals with his subject matter. there are all sorts of difficult themes like responsibility etc going on there and he doesn’t deal with it heavy handedly either, which is excellent!
oddly, i’m rather attached to bean’s view of the whole thing and am a little reluctant to go over similar events with ender as the protagonist.
but ender is such a cool character that i will eventually. and card is also so damn good, that i simply have to!!
“heavy handedly”…good description JP. He certainly is not heavy handed about the message in Ender’s Game, or messages, and that is why I had such an emotional connection with it.
It would be weird seeing things from Bean’s perspective first, I think. I am looking forward to eventually getting to that part of the story though.
After Chris’ recommendation and your great review, I REALLY want to make sure I read this and Speaker of the Dead next year.
“i was particularly moved by how human card’s characters are and how realistically (in its complexity) he deals with his subject matter. there are all sorts of difficult themes like responsibility etc going on there and he doesn’t deal with it heavy handedly either, which is excellent!”
I definitely agree with JP. I felt the same in the two Card books I read.
Yay! I’m really glad you liked this one. I think it was probably the first sci-fi book I ever read, and it remains one of my all-time favorite books.
That is one of my all time favorite books. I would highly recommend reading its companion book “Ender’s Shadow”. Its not really a sequel but, a retelling from Bean’s point of view. I couldn’t get into “Speaker for the Dead”
I plan on getting to Ender’s Shadow eventually, War Eagle. I enjoyed Bean’s character and am looking forward to seeing things from his point of view.
yeah, his stories are thoroughly human, thats what i like.