Ender's Game and beyond

[stop__dreaming]

Hi all,

Almost 1/4 through Card's novel, Ender's Game and currently enjoying it.

One thing I am a little confused with is that this book, with all due respect, isn't written as I had expected it to be for a science-fiction book and also a winner in the Nebula and Hugo fields.

Maybe it's just me, and as I said, it is a page-turner, but I can only snigger so many times at the word 'fart' without thinking it's written a little immaturely.

Is it a kids book or aimed at adults?

Maybe I need to lighten up, lol.

Anyway, I understand there are a few of these books in the series?

[bill_mchale]

Its an adult book, but its about kids... incredibly intelligent kids... but still kids.

Trust me, if you move beyond this novel to Speaker for the Dead, you will find that things are different.

--
Bill

[stop__dreaming]

Currently on a sci-fi blaze at the moment and saw this had nothing but excellent reviews.

Really enjoying it but the writing isn't quite what I expected.

[tecweston]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

Its an adult book, but its about kids... incredibly intelligent kids... but still kids.

Trust me, if you move beyond this novel to Speaker for the Dead, you will find that things are different.

--
Bill

I think Speaker for the Dead might be one of the best sci-fi novels ever written. Certainly the best of the Ender saga. The rest of the books (and the Bean spinoff series) are of varying degrees of quality, but Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead are must-reads.

[afv011]

I truly enjoyed "Ender's game", but I was disappointed with "Speaker for the dead". I have read a few more in the series, but none came close to "Ender's game" in my opinion.

[DrNefario]

I read Ender's Game a long time ago, and thought it stood well enough alone and didn't need any expansion, so didn't read any of the others. Now I'm reading all the Hugo winners I'm going to have to read Speaker for the Dead.

The same goes for Forever War. Can't people leave things alone?

[charlesatan]

Originally Posted by stop__dreaming

One thing I am a little confused with is that this book, with all due respect, isn't written as I had expected it to be for a science-fiction book and also a winner in the Nebula and Hugo fields.

What were you expecting from a science fiction book? From a Nebula and Hugo winner?

Originally Posted by stop__dreaming

Is it a kids book or aimed at adults?

Written for adults (was originally a novelette), later repackaged as YA or MG.

Originally Posted by stop__dreaming

Anyway, I understand there are a few of these books in the series?

Yes. Flowchart http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fi%C8%9...ronology-2.PNG

[tecweston]

Originally Posted by charlesatan

Yes. Flowchart http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fi%C8%9...ronology-2.PNG

Man, that's a convoluted flow chart. I've read the books and I'm having a hard time following that.


The way I read the series was, I alternated between the Ender series and the Shadow series book by book. At that point there were only four Ender books and only three Shadow books (Ender in Exile and Shadow of the Giant hadn't come out yet). If I were reading it today, I'd probably put Ender in Exile between Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead.

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I read Ender's Game a long time ago, and thought it stood well enough alone and didn't need any expansion, so didn't read any of the others. Now I'm reading all the Hugo winners I'm going to have to read Speaker for the Dead.

The same goes for Forever War. Can't people leave things alone?

I also read these a long time ago. Ender's Game is still the best of the series but Speaker for the Dead is quite good as well.

I liked Forever War & Forever Peace. FW is outstanding, among the finest works of SF ever, imo. I never read Forever Free, is it any good?

[darryl]

I, like an earlier poster, think Speaker for the Dead is one of the best Sci-Fi novels ever written. I enjoyed Ender's Game, but I think Speaker for the Dead is by far the best of the series.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by darryl

I, like an earlier poster, think Speaker for the Dead is one of the best Sci-Fi novels ever written. I enjoyed Ender's Game, but I think Speaker for the Dead is by far the best of the series.

I think it's a superb book, but perhaps the issue is that people come to it expecting "Ender's Game, Volume 2". It's so very, very different from "Ender's Game" that possibly it appeals to a different audience.

[Nancy Fulda]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I think it's a superb book, but perhaps the issue is that people come to it expecting "Ender's Game, Volume 2". It's so very, very different from "Ender's Game" that possibly it appeals to a different audience.

Yes. This.

One of the primary appeals (for me) of Ender's Game was the strategic warfare; the flashsuits and the zero-gee maneuvering and so forth. Speaker for the Dead never really appealed in the same way.

It's the story of Ender's adult life and so it deals with more adult problems. Fair enough, but I've gotta say I missed the zero-gee combat.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I read Ender's Game a long time ago, and thought it stood well enough alone and didn't need any expansion, so didn't read any of the others. Now I'm reading all the Hugo winners I'm going to have to read Speaker for the Dead.

The same goes for Forever War. Can't people leave things alone?

In fairness, Card wanted to write Speaker for the Dead first, but he needed a character with the right background. If I remember correctly, his wife suggested that Ender from that short story he had wrote might be the perfect character. Of course, Card then needed to flesh out Ender's Game into a full novel.

So unlike Forever War, where the idea for the sequel came years later, Ender's Game (the novel) and Speaker for the Dead were always meant to be together .

--
Bill

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I think it's a superb book, but perhaps the issue is that people come to it expecting "Ender's Game, Volume 2". It's so very, very different from "Ender's Game" that possibly it appeals to a different audience.

I would say a very large number of people really like both books, but yeah, I would say that there are definitely a lot of people who are thrown by how different the two books are.

--
Bill

[charlesatan]

Originally Posted by tecweston

Man, that's a convoluted flow chart. I've read the books and I'm having a hard time following that.

Basically if you want to read about Ender, go through Speaker for the Dead (which takes place decades/centuries later due to space travel) onwards.

If you want to read the story of Bean (and the immediate consequences of Ender's Game), go through Ender's Shadow (Ender's Shadow is another perspective of Ender's Game).

Various Card stories tackle either Ender or the rest of the academy (and not just Bean or Petra).