Kevin's Watch

Magickmaker liked it when she read it a few years ago. But she was a teenager then, which might prove the point. She might still have the book -- I'll have to ask her if I can borrow it, after I'm done with ADWD.

Ender's Game is the first in an amazing series. Like Dragonflight was the only one nominated on the NPR list for the Pern series, Ender's Game appears to be representative for the entire Ender's Game and Shadow series. Together, they truly are worth the read.

Agree with Menolly, although I don't like the end of Xenocide...too Deus Ex for my taste. Speaker was the best.

And Ender is far better if you read Ender's Shadow as well. (They run concurrently.)

But yeah, it's a great book. Easy to read, fun, with some other stuff in there. I've got an edition with a good forward by him in it.

(It was originally written as a short story.)

--A

Anyone who likes the original Ender's Game story should enjoy Greg Bear's Forge of God and Anvil of the Stars books. One deals with the destruction of Earth, the other with humanity's revenge along with the help of a superior alien (mechanical) race. I am only spoiling the basic plot as a teaser for how amazing these books are. IMO they have a tenderness towards humanity which is absolutely astouding - a reimagining of Ender's Game even better than the original.

Menolly wrote:Ender's Game is the first in an amazing series. Like Dragonflight was the only one nominated on the NPR list for the Pern series, Ender's Game appears to be representative for the entire Ender's Game and Shadow series. Together, they truly are worth the read.

Isn't it amazing how different people have different opinions.

Too much to read and too little time. Won't be revisiting the series. Just too young and silly for me. (IMHO only) Like sinking my teeth into jello.

lorin wrote:Too much to read and too little time. Won't be revisiting the series. Just too young and silly for me. (IMHO only) Like sinking my teeth into jello.

Plenty of people still sink their teeth into jello when they are sick.

lorin wrote:Won't be revisiting the series. Just too young and silly for me. (IMHO only) .

Again, the rest of the series is far different. Very, very mature themes.

I like the Ender books I've read (didn't finish Shadow of the Giant).

I've re-read Ender's Game a few times simply because it's a good story. The psychology and philosophy are a bit simplistic but no more so than many sci-fi novels I've read with seemingly more adult themes. (Why do so many sci-fi novels portray humanity as incorrigably infantile? Unless we are, of course!)

I enjoyed Speaker although I agree that it's a bit naive in its potrayal of the power of the Truth.

I did feel that the Shadow books were a bit of a stretch. I am always annoyed when a writer obviously decides after the fact to make a bit character central to the plot. (In saying that Ender's Shadow is nearly as good as Ender's Game.)

u.

ussusimiel wrote:I've re-read Ender's Game a few times simply because it's a good story. The psychology and philosophy are a bit simplistic but no more so than many sci-fi novels I've read with seemingly more adult themes. (Why do so many sci-fi novels portray humanity as incorrigably infantile? Unless we are, of course!)

Why do so many people critique the infantile as incorrigibly bad? Infants are an interesting enough little bundle of need and trust.

The second Ender book, Speaker for the Dead, was, indeed, better than EG. But it didn't do enough for me to keep going.

ussusimiel wrote:(In saying that Ender's Shadow is nearly as good as Ender's Game.)

If not better.

--A

Has anyone read Ender in Exile yet? It's about as sexist a work as I've ever had the misfortune to read.

Thanks for the warning, SerScot.

Aliantha,

Let's see women are schemers. Women are not as rational as men (he destroys Valentine). My favorite, when the colonies are originally formed after the bugger war there were few women on the ships and many men. So, how do we deal with this problem on the newly founded Colonies, a lottery to determine who among the male crewmembers will get to marry the few female crewmembers. Yes, that's right the State will give away females as prizes to male members of the military.

My jaw hit the floor.

And the women are going along with it, huh? Unbelievable.

Isn't he Mormon? I'm surprised he didn't suggest polygamy.

aliantha wrote:And the women are going along with it, huh? Unbelievable.

Isn't he Mormon? I'm surprised he didn't suggest polygamy.