devolver's Full Review: Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game: Special 20th Anni...
Let's cut to the chase: this is the best science fiction novel ever. I've read thousands of science fiction novels over the years. I've read the classics, I've read nearly every Hugo and Nebula award winner, and never have I read a book with such a great and engaging story as Ender's Game. Not only that, this book raises all kinds of valid questions about educational systems and military ethics. Not only that, but the central character, Ender Wiggins, is one of the most thoroughly developed characters of all time. Let's take a closer look...
Plot Synopsis: Ender Wiggins was born with a gift. He was one of a number of children bred for the purpose of becoming a military genius, and he is the brightest of them all. At a young age, he's pulled away from his family and taken away to a school for these "gifted" children, and undergoes a lot of hardships as the instructors, who see Ender as the hope for the human race, push the child to his limits.
Meanwhile, Ender's family on earth tries to cope with the loss of Ender and with the coming problems of the aliens. His brother and sister, who are also young and very smart, begin to write articles questioning the ethics and issues of the school and of many of the social issues going on on earth.
Eventually, Ender's training reaches its climax, and Ender begins to break down. What happens next to Ender and to his family ties up a wonderful novel.
The Issues Raised: This book raises a number of valid social questions weaved through its story. After reading the novel, there are a lot of issues from the book that bubble to the surface of your mind.
The biggest question is from an educational perspective: are current educational systems fair to brilliant children? Is this a proper solution to the problem? I think Card is suggesting a change in education of brilliant children. I also think he feels that children like this should be pushed to their capacity. But I also think he feels as though Ender Wiggins was pushed too far by the system.
Another question concerns military ethics. Does the military have the right to intrude on the lives of children, even in the event of world defense? The children in this novel have their childhood destroyed for the sake of preparing for a coming battle with the aliens. Is it really worth the price?
Many other issues are raised here as well. Are birthing limits ethical, and what kind of social ramifications do they have? At what point does the value of the individual outweigh the value of the team? What kind of social influence can a pervasive internet have?
But what's really amazing about the novel is that these issues don't cross your mind while reading the novel; the story is engrossing enough that you don't contemplate the points Card is making or the questions he is raising.
Character Development: Ender Wiggins is a wonderfully developed character. By the end of the book, you really understand the child on many levels and can understand the pain in the choices he has to make. Many of the other characters are interesting as well, but the novel really revolves around Ender's situation.
Quality of Writing: Orson Scott Card is an amazing writer, and this is his masterpiece. I've read this novel countless times, and each time it keeps me up half the night, unable to put it down. The story flows unbelievably well, keeping you turning the pages. He makes the story literally come to life in your mind, more so than any other novel I've ever read. Plus, he sneaks in a lot of social questions that you don't realize until you're finished and reflecting on the novel. This is the mark of a truly great writer.
Similar Books: This book is most comparable to some of the real classics of science fiction in terms of how well the story flows and how much social relevancy is contained in the pages. Books that immediately come to mind that are directly comparable to this (although still not quite as great as "Ender's Game" in my mind) are "The Demolished Man" by Alfred Bester, "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" by Robert Heinlein, "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, and "1984" by George Orwell. These all are great stories with solid character development, and they all raise a lot of valid social issues.
Other Recommendations: I recommend following this novel with "Ender's Shadow" by Orson Scott Card. Although not as good, this novel is still an extremely entertaining read. It retells the story of Ender's Game from the perspective of Bean, Ender's "right hand man."
After that, I recommend the other four books in the Ender series in the following order: "Shadow of the Hegemon," "Speaker of the Dead," "Xenocide," and "Children of the Mind." These are all great novels ("Shadow of the Hegemon" isn't out yet as of this writing, but I'm judging it by its first thirteen chapters from Card's web site at http://www.hatrack.com); I merely list them in their chronological order in terms of the story.
I also recommend many of Card's other novels, in particular "The Seventh Son" and "The Worthing Saga." Card is simply a fantastic author.
Conclusion: This is probably my favorite novel of all time. This book is enjoyable on every level: the story is fantastic, it raises a lot of social issues, the writing is such that it becomes real, and the language and basic story are simple enough that I would recommend it to children as young as nine or ten. If I ever recommend a novel to you, let this be the one: "Ender's Game" should be on everyone's bookshelf.
The Earth is under attack and the survival of the human species depends on a military genius who can defeat the alien buggers. Recruited for military ...More at Barnes & Noble.com
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