Enders Game

[dreamwalker]

For a long time I avoided reading this book because I thought it would be silly.
The blurb on the back pretty much describing how a 10 year old boy saves the world... Yes, I mean come on, child soliders? thats a little childish...

But I changed my mind, probably because of the cover art and it being on a recomened reading list (drawn up by a friend). So I read it, with the knowledge that it won a few awards and that millitary training schools use this book as an example of leadership.


It was good, very very good. Infact being 20 years old it is inspiring how Orsen Scott Card predicted the use of the internet and described honestly, mankinds nature and its relationship with war.

Orsens story telling ablity ensnare you from the very begining, - the monitor removal, even seen through a child's eyes states very clearly that this isn't a kids book and it goes on from there, to how he kills and later on commits genocide without you thinking twice about his actions.

Beyond the morality and ethics, I really enjoyed Orsens ideas, the battle school, the formation of leaders and the growth of a commander. How the instructors manipulated everything around Ender and how the side story with Enders sister and brother progressed.

The twist I felt was slightly dissapointing, I wanted Orsen to take the more difficult rote - one of the earlier ideas discussed by Dink (about how the thrid invasion doesn't exist and its all about training someone not to fight aliens but humans on earth) With the twist that actually happened, I thought he was being lazy and coping out. Although Orsen did have his reasons.

None the less this is an actual, bonified great, legendary piece of novelisation. Any one with an interest in millitary, hard or general science fiction should read it - and then take an hour or two to think and ponder.

[asdar]

I loved Ender's Game. The unusual circumstances that seemed to come together in a realistic way and the underdog hero prevailing through Sherlock Holmes style observations and Bruce Lee moves made this one of my favorite novels.

That said, on a down note I didn't care for the ending chapters very much. After such an insightful and well developed book I felt that he shorted the ending.

He wrote a whole book on how Ender was created and then a short blurb on what he was created for. I felt that he needed another hundred or so pages detailing the people behind Ender and another hundred on the actual ending battle sequences and moral implications.

[dreamwalker]

Originally Posted by asdar

I loved Ender's Game. The unusual circumstances that seemed to come together in a realistic way and the underdog hero prevailing through Sherlock Holmes style observations and Bruce Lee moves made this one of my favorite novels.

That said, on a down note I didn't care for the ending chapters very much. After such an insightful and well developed book I felt that he shorted the ending.

He wrote a whole book on how Ender was created and then a short blurb on what he was created for. I felt that he needed another hundred or so pages detailing the people behind Ender and another hundred on the actual ending battle sequences and moral implications.

Yeah, it was the same kind of lobsided formulation s ending that aflixed Enders Shadow, which I also highly rate as highly (or higher) as Enders Game