Rating:  Summary: Pinnacle of SF Review: Perhaps I'm a little biased, being an avid Star Trek fan, but I really am convinced that science fiction is an excellent and far too often underestimated literary genre. Perhaps the reading community is off-put by the admitted bucketloads of SF that wouldn't meet any self-respecting fiction publisher's standards. Or maybe it's just the fantastical, sometimes unbelievable settings or the futuristic technology. It's true: frequently, SF doesn't go much for that whole Suspension of Disbelief thing. But maybe we're missing the point. Science fiction is unique in that by removing this necessity for settings and concepts to be located somewhere in the real world, one is opening up a literal universe of possibilities to explore. This unlimited landscape is just what some characters require to grow and learn. "Ender's Game", above all else, is a story about human nature. As exaggerated and cliched as that might sound, it's essentially the truth. Ender, despite his obvious genius, is just a lonely human boy who has been shoved unwillingly into a role that he has no desire to fill. Card explores ideas such as intelligence, innocence, violence, war, hatred, and manipulation by fashioning a futuristic world in which his characters can interact. Which isn't to say that Card couldn't have explored these themes in any contemporary or historical setting. However, I believe that the fact "Ender's Game" is set in a futuristic, created universe forces the reader to concentrate on the ideas instead of the fictional world. This is, in my opinion, what SF was designed for. And, it should be noted; the fact that it is SF does not detract from the human qualities of the characters or the plot. Card is a talented and unsentimental writer through and through.The one thing I had a problem with, though, was the last chapter: the short story otherwise known as "Speaker for the Dead". While it's an intriguing story on its own, associating it with (i.e. tacking it onto the end of) "Ender's Game" weakened both the novel AND the story. "Ender's Game" was such a complete and polished entity on its own that I think it should have been left untouched.
Rating:  Summary: Don't be fooled by the cover Review: Ok, I'm not a huge sci-fi fan. I've never enjoyed reading about things that I just couldn't believe. But that's why this book was so wonderful. Yes, it did take place in outer space, it did have aliens and all those other sci-fi essentials. But that's just the beginnning of this book. Unlike most science fiction that I've read, however, there was real character development, I understood and felt for Ender, I liked his friends, I laughed with him, got worried about him, and cried for him. The story was full of twists, turns, and other cool things. Everything about this book was great- the plot, the characters, the writing style, the suspense... Everything! Especially the character Ender is so real. After reading this book you feel like you've lived with him at Battle School and been with him through all the major events of his young life. This is the kind of book that I would reccomend to anyone who wants a good read. It's not just for guys or just for girls, not just for kids, or just teens, or just adults, and it's definitly not just for sci-fi or fantasy fans because I'm not one and I loved it!
Rating:  Summary: Thank you Card Review: Finally a book I can actually sit down, read, and enjoy. The plot line is great and the games keep you guessing. When your reading, you cant stop untill you find out how Ender beats this or how Ender does that. One of the best thing Card does (that atleast I like) is that he can sum up long priods of time, were nothing happens, in only one paragraph. So you never get tried of reading it. I cant wait to read "Speaker of the Dead".
Rating:  Summary: The beginning of an adventurous saga Review: I loved this book and this series. Orson Scott Card is a marvelous story teller. The plot is wonderful, the character development is fantastic, and the ending is marvelous. There is nothing bad I can say for this book and it is little wonder it has won several awards and is now being developed into a movie. But don't stop with this book. The adventure continues with the other books written on these characters through the eyes of not only Ender but of his right-hand man (boy), Bean.
Rating:  Summary: Read it Immediately Review: Everyone will like this book, which is the first in a series of four that traces the entire life of Ender Wiggen in chronological order. This may sound boring at first, but Ender Wiggen and his small circle of friends have more impact on the human race over a period of 3000 years than everyone else combined. If you are unfamiliar with the amazing ending, you must read this book immediately rather than risk someone spoiling it for you.
Rating:  Summary: Understands human existence Review: Card has a firm grasp of human frailty and emotion, as well as military (or space, rather) strategy. Although a sci-fi book, 'Ender's Game' doesn't read or develop like one. A classic outside of any genre.
Rating:  Summary: The best in science fiction. Review: This book is without doubt one of the great science fiction books, without all of the stuff you don't want to hear! It takes you into the life of a young boy, nicknamed Ender, who quite literally has the world depending on him. I felt strongly for Ender, he was more than a character in a book to me, but that I can't explain. This is a must read, and I suggest it to everyone.
Rating:  Summary: Future of War Review: Not expecting such a good read I was surprised with Ender's Game. It's about a genius whiz kid who beats the aliens. I was dissapointed that the story didn't take Ender into adulthood. I thought it was a bit unrealistic that he was commanding the fleet before he was 16. I could see him being a genius fighting the enemy. However when you see a child in command it reminds me of wars being fought in different countries where the chidren are being taught to handle a rifle before learning ABC's....so from that point of view I could see wars in future being fought this way.
Rating:  Summary: Too Much Review: This book had an interesting plot, vivid characters, and imaginative settings. However, for what I was looking for, I felt that it just had too much societal criticism in there. If you enjoyed 1984 and Farenheit 451, you will most likely enjoy this. They difference between this novel and those is that it feels as if Card is straining to make his point heard, and consequently comes of as excessive and almost sappy. Nonetheless, it is worth sifting through the garbage to read, because it does have some literary value.
Rating:  Summary: Intelligent SF Review: Like fantasy, science fiction has been plagued by dull space operas, endless descriptions of funny-looking aliens and Earthlike planets. "Ender's Game," though not the most scintillating read out there, is nevertheless a thought-provoking and intriguing read. In the future, Earth has been attacked by the alien "buggers," which were barely repelled by a very lucky military commander. Now, as they threaten Earth again, sights are set on one boy to be humanity's new champion: Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, the youngest child of a family of geniuses. His brother Peter was rejected for being too ruthless and vicious, while his sister Valentine was rejected for being too gentle and pacifistic. Ender, the third child in a society where families with more than two children are penalized, is their hope. Meanwhile, Ender brought to the Battle School, where careful training and interactions bring out the best and worst in him. He makes friends and enemies easily, beats seemingly unbeatable games, and his military prowess comes out into the open. On Earth, his brother and sister try to alter the increasingly unstable politics of Earth by subtle manipulation of the public, a situation that may bring the ruthless Peter into greater power. And as Ender reaches the end of his training, he faces both the buggers and the knowledge of what he is capable of. While this was an intriguing and thought-provoking read, I felt that it could have been tightened up slightly, and it didn't grab me quite the way other original SF works such as "Fool's Run" have. Children can probably read this book, young adults certainly can; there is profanity, mild violence, and some verbal and visual crudity, but nothing too corrupting. The most objectionable element that I found was the part about Peter skinning live squirrels; that was truly disgusting and disturbing. If children do read this, parents may want to discuss elements such as the "third child" policy and the portrayal of war for self-preservation at the cost of the soul. Ender is an intriguing contradiction, a young boy who loses his naivete over the course of the novel; ruthless but determined to not be a killer; a brilliant fighter and commander who is often being yanked by puppet strings; both a child and a man before hitting puberty. Card never overdoes the genius-child persona, which would have been easy to do. Valentine is a little too nice for my taste; Peter at first simply seems to be psychotic, but is gradually revealed to be a ruthless genius who works anything and anyone for his goals, which may or may not be self-serving. Bonzo, Bean, Alai and the others add extra spice to it, as enemies or supporters. Dialogue is highly realistic, as is the atmosphere of Ender's vision near the end. Surroundings, such as the lakeside, are excellent in their atmosphere and feeling, as is the stark way that Card displays the growing influence of "Demosthenes" and "Locke. Truly exceptional writing comes out in the ruthless military-government's way of viewing Ender; with nothing but dialogue, Card shows how they view him and the things that are happening to him. One area in which Card fails is action, as I could visualize what he was writing, but it wasn't very well described. On the subject of quality, I would like to advise that new readers buy the children's edition published by Starscape Books. I much preferred the "camera's eye" view of Ender and the other boys in the Battle School simulations to a rather boring generic SF cover, like the one on the adult edition. They say never to judge a book by its cover, but that is what kept me from reading "Ender's Game" for several years. "Ender's Game" is a pretty good sci-fi adventure, with some intriguing ethical and social questions, and a good storyline that reminds us that an astounding genius is, after all, only a human being.
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