Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game and other great stories...

Post by **MsMary** » Fri May 23, 2003 1:01 pm

Has anyone else here read Orson Scott Card? He is a wonderful writer of both novels and short stories. He is best known for his scifi stories, though in fact his stories are not easily pigeon-holed into one genre. The Alvin Maker series, for example, is pure fantasy (combined with an altered view of American history). Lost Boys would probably best fit into the "horror" category.

Ender’s Game is the best known book of Orson Scott Card, and the first one that I ever read. Ender’s Game is a quick moving science fiction story that draws you in and catches you in its plot. I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.

To summarize the plot (without giving away the ending), an alien race threatens the Earth. The last time they invaded they almost destroyed the Human race, but the government of Earth is determined not to let that happen again. A Battle School is set up, at which they are training the future commander of the army they hope will defeat the Buggers, as the aliens are called. Young but brilliant children are selected to go to Battle School, and they are trained using a combination of video games and war games in the “Battle Room.” Ender is the best at all the games, but you have to read the book to find out what happens. And it is definitely worth reading. The ending is not what you might expect.

There are 3 sequels to Ender’s Game, which are very different in tone from Ender’s Game itself. The first, Speaker for the Dead, is possibly the best book OSC has written, in my opinion. It’s more philosophical than EG. It’s followed by Xenocide and Children of the Mind. The parallel series, still in the making, includes Ender’s Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, and Shadow Puppets, due out this summer.

You can find out more about OSC by checking out his website, Hatrack.
~MsMary~

Post by **Ryzel** » Fri May 23, 2003 1:26 pm

I have read quite a lot of OSC, but the quality of his work varies a lot. I liked Enders Game, and the later Speaker for the Dead. But I was less enthused by for instance The Folk of the Fringe and Hart's Hope.

Post by **Dromond** » Sat May 24, 2003 4:48 pm

I read Enders' Game & liked it, but have no desire to read anything else by Card. I don't know why. I even bought the sequel in a used bookstore but it's buried somewhere.

Post by **Lord Mhoram** » Sun May 25, 2003 11:57 pm

I have read Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. I enjoyed both of them.

Post by **duchess of malfi** » Mon May 26, 2003 12:37 am

I have a really mixed reaction to this author's work. Ender's Game really is a masterpiece, though. Some of the Alvin Maker books are great and others leave me really cold...
But if you ever read anything by this writer, Ender's Game is brilliant. Ender's Shadow makes a great companion book, as it is part of the same story seen through different eyes.

Post by **Damelon** » Mon May 26, 2003 4:05 am

Ender's Game is good, but I rally havn't read a lot else of his work.

Post by **The Leper Fairy** » Mon May 26, 2003 7:30 am

I read ender's game and ender's shadow as well. I liked Ender a whole lot more than bean.

Post by **MsMary** » Mon May 26, 2003 10:05 pm

I have to admit that I also have a mixed reaction to Orson Scott Card's work. But a bunch of Card fans are my friends, so I have been working my way through many of his books on their recommendations.

Ender's Game is excellent, and Speaker for the Dead may well be one of his best books of all time. I don't care for the related "Shadow" series as much as I liked the "Ender" series. To me the "Shadow" stories don't have as much depth as Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, and Xenocide.

The Alvin Maker series first book Seventh Son was really hard to get into. The two best books of the series, so far, in my opinion are Alvin Prentice and Alvin Journeyman.

OSC is a really outstanding short story writer. If you can get your hands on his out-of-print book of short stories Maps in a Mirror, I highly recommend it. (I understand he has plans to re-issue the book at some future date.)

~MsMary~

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 30, 2003 11:19 pm

I just started Speaker for the Dead today cause I was home sick from school (still not over until the 5th!!!) and the last sentence of the first chapter "They didn't even plant a tree in him"... that really got to me and I've been thinking about it all day (I had to go back to school to take some tests)... It's such a good book so far! *must...go...read...now...*

Post by **The Leper Fairy** » Fri May 30, 2003 11:21 pm

Crap... that was me... Infelice, I think we have the same login disorder.

Post by **MsMary** » Sun Jun 01, 2003 3:16 am

Anonymous wrote:I just started Speaker for the Dead today cause I was home sick from school (still not over until the 5th!!!) and the last sentence of the first chapter "They didn't even plant a tree in him"... that really got to me and I've been thinking about it all day (I had to go back to school to take some tests)... It's such a good book so far! *must...go...read...now...*

Oh, boy, Leper Fairy, just wait till you read further. You will be finding out a lot more about piggies and trees.

Speaker for the Dead is a great book - very though provoking.

~MsMary~

Post by **The Leper Fairy** » Sun Jun 01, 2003 11:58 pm

the trees have something to do with it?!

AHHHHHH

I really gotta go read now!!!!

Post by **MsMary** » Mon Jun 02, 2003 11:59 pm

So, how's the reading going, Leper Fairy?

~MsMary~

Post by **The Leper Fairy** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:10 pm

I'm taking semester tests today and tomorrow (which means a lot of free time after I'm done taking the test until the end of those hellishly long periods) But... I FORGOT MY BOOK TODAY! *sob* I had to dig Annapurna out of my english binder. But I'm on chapter 12 at the moment... it's such a good book!

Also, I finally got to a part where they mentioned the dreamcatcher in Dreamcatcher but I fell asleep last night and forgot that book too! AHH!!!

Oh man, that's what I get for waking up late... Eurghhh

Post by **MsMary** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 3:41 am

How many books are you reading at one time??!!

(Not that I'm anyone to talk.

)

~MsMary~

Post by **The Leper Fairy** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 4:14 am

Erm... 2 or 3 at most

You what's bad?! I still haven't started the 6th covenant book!!! I feel like such a poser! Oh well, I will get to it soon... I hope.

(Don't stone me!!!)

Post by **Reisheiruhime** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 6:21 am

*throws a rock at the Leper Fairy* Get reading! Now!

Post by **The Leper Fairy** » Mon Jun 09, 2003 4:15 am

*Just finished speaker for the dead*!!!!

Oh man that's a great book! Which one is next? Xenocide?

Post by **MsMary** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 2:37 am

Yes, Leper Fairy - definitely Xenocide next.

So, what'd you think of Speaker???

~MsMary~

Post by **The Leper Fairy** » Thu Jun 12, 2003 3:06 am

Oh man, that's such a great book. The beginning threw me the first time. The beginning to Xenocide isn't catching me yet either. But I'll keep at it!

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game and other great stories...

Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game and other great stories...