It is essential to start by saying
that this book easily makes my top ten favorite. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card uses a celestial scenario to get
across a message far beyond the boundaries of ordinary science-fiction. Without
having to decipher long descriptions or difficult passages, Card indirectly
tells a story of human wrong and revoked innocence.
The most important aspect of a
story is how it ends—whether it because it is unexpected, or simply because it
has a strong resolution. When the protagonist, Ender, finds out the truth of
his training, it is a complete surprise to the reader. One can feel both the
excitement and shock of the people around him and the betrayal and
disappointment of Ender himself.
Ender’s reaction and thoughts in
response to the truth are spot-on in character. Ender is still a child, who has
been taken in to be this hero without ever being told. Through his innocent
thinking, the reader is exposed to a statement that goes against human
instincts: the enemy lives too. Ender
learns of the Buggers, the enemy, and he is haunted by the thought that by
defending his own people, he is simultaneously destroying another race. He
remains unable to comprehend how, then, defending earth is the right thing to
do. This concept sticks with the reader
even after one has finished the story.
There is nothing I did not like
about this book. The story is simple but the meaning is deeper. It could be
both enjoyed just for the premise as well as the message that Card discreetly
gets across. The characterization is strong and exposes stereotypical falsities
of all-good heroes and all-bad enemies. I look forward to reading the sequel to
see how the story line progresses, though Ender’s
Game standing alone was phenomenally executed.
If you read and like Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, I also
recommend you read Dune by Frank
Herbert.
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