|
Ender's Game A few years ago I came to the realization that even though I loved science fiction movies and television, I had not yet discovered science fiction literature. So, realizing that I could no longer pass a sci-fi aptitude test, I asked around about which book I should read first in the vast genre canon. Of all the replies I received, none were more convincing that the one from my uncle Richard. He said that if I only read one science fiction novel it should be Ender's Game. So, with a brand new paperback copy of I dove head first into the Ender's world. A world revolving around Battle School and Buggers, and a little boy named Ender who just might save the world. With a name like Ender's Game -- and knowing it was published in 1985, back when I was still playing video games for a quarter - I expected this to be a story in the same vein as the movie The Last Starfighter. Well, I am pleased to say that I was wrong. Everything in Ender's Game, except for the fact that the aliens are represented as "bugs," is refreshingly original and timeless. Ender Wiggins, the hero of the story and possibly the savior of all mankind, is a child. And a child he remains. Orson Scott Card weaves a story with rich and realistic tapestries to create a believable word where children are the future (insert cheesy "I Believe That Children Are The Future" song here) and where they have the potential to do exceptional things. With excellent writing and vivid I-just-can't-put-it-down imagery, the heart of Ender's Game is its morality tale. Orson Scott Card doesn't just have a story to tell, but he also has a lesson to teach, and Ender is the teacher. Faced with tough choices and situational ethics, Ender shines as an example of an underdog who must persevere no matter what the odds and no matter what the obstacles. Ender's Game won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and for good reason. It captures a true vision of science fiction and a realistic vision of mankind -- well, childkind -- and presents it in a modern day classic that is second to none. |
Speaker for the Dead Ender, who is now the Speaker for the Dead (a traveling intenerate "preacher" of sorts who speaks the life story of those who have died) travels to Lusitania to speak the life of a dead scientist. While preparing to speak for the dead, Ender discovers the truth and inadvertently unravels the secrets that grip the people of Lusitania. No longer protecting Earth from the alien Buggers, Ender discovers that he must now muddle through existential beliefs and behavior, religious dogma, and mass hysteria to determine the absolute truth about the Piggies, the native "creatures" of Lusitania. Are his "fast friends" really as evil and wicked as they appear, or are they simply misunderstood? Like its predecessor, Speaker for the Dead is a morality tale that digs deep into human nature to find the truth, the real truth. Conventional wisdom is tried, situational ethics is tested, but Ender must again persevere past his own limitations and the limitations of the masses. It may not be Earth and all of mankind at stake, but Ender must still work his magic once more if he is to prevent the xenocide of an entire race, the Piggies. <Spoiler ahead> Along with the conflict between the Piggies and the humans, Ender must also resolve the conflict between the Piggies, the humans, and the new Bugger colony he is trying to establish to give himself some sort of resolution for his past sins. <Spoiler ended> Admittedly, Orson Scott Card took a chance by not giving us the Ender we fell in love with as a child hero playing war games. But rest assured, the gamble paid off. Like Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead won both the Hugo and Nebula awards and shows once again that Mr. Card is an exceptionally talented science fiction writer. The games may be over, but the saga continues. |
Xenocide Xenocide, the 3rd book in the Ender series, starts where Speaker for the Dead ended. Ender, the child hero from Ender's Game, has grown up and is now a family man. He has successfully resolved the conflict between the humans, the Piggies and the Buggers. He is even reunited with his sister, Valentine. It's all good... Well, it's all good until it is discovered that a virus -- the descolada virus -- that is needed for the Piggies to survive is slowly making what appears to be a volitional move to destroy the humans. Add in the fact that the government wants to destroy the planet to prevent the spread of the virus, the Bugger colony is preparing to leave the planet -- which means being exposed to humans again, the fact that Ender's family is split on how to resolve the issue and to what extremes they should go to resolve it, and you have a morality tale of epic proportions. Mr. Card paints a delicate picture of ethical dilemmas while maintaining a steady balance of right and wrong. In this story there are no easy answers and, as logic would rule, this does not make for easy reading. Although Xenocide is as entertaining and interesting as its predecessors, it is by far the hardest read of the series. One thing about this novel that is intriguing -- and will keep you reading -- is the introduction of Gloriously Bright, a young girl who is about to have her faith in her religion and her father, a religious icon, tested. Mr. Card dedicates every other chapter to Ender and his conflicts and then every other chapter to Gloriously Bright and her issues. The novel ends when the two stories collide into a breath-taking conclusion that perfectly ties up all loose ends. Xenocide may be a far cry from Ender's Game,
but Orson Scott Card does what he does best and adds yet another
classic to the Ender legacy. MISSING IN ACTION: Children of the Mind, which continues the story began in Xenocide. |
Ender's Shadow Ender's Shadow opens with a graphic description of Bean's life on the streets. A decadent existence where it seems that only the strong survive, Bean flexes his mental muscles to maneuver his way into the "crew" of his choosing. While helping his "crew" find food, Bean finds a friend in Sister Carlotta and an enemy in Achilles. While Sister Carlotta is playing Bean's guardian angel and working miracles to get him enrolled into Battle School, Achilles is playing Bean's very own personal demon. Although Bean and his life on the streets is new to the Ender universe, Ender's Shadow visits familiar territory when Bean enrolls in the Battle School and is introduced to the legendary and infamous Ender Wiggins. Although not quite the morality play that Ender's Game was, Orson Scott Card, a devout Mormon, portrays Bean as Ender's "parakleet," his comforter who comes along to encourage Ender and assist him in what seems to be an impossible task, saving all of mankind from the Buggers. Even though the core of the story is the same as Ender's Game, this parallel novel weaves something old something new into a worthy addition to the Ender universe. Even though you may know the ending, you will definitely lose yourself in Ender's Shadow. Let's the games begin, again.
MISSING IN ACTION: The latest in the series and a continuation of Bean's story, Shadow of the Hegemon.
by Simon Smith |
 |
 |
||
