Ender's Game

my girlfriend told me about this book and i have heard of it before...school and what not. so i go down to the library and get the audio version and as I listen to it, there are times i fine myself sitting in the drive way listening to what is being read to me and i am cheering, crying, and laughing. i found myself yelling at the cd player in my car for things that were happing in the story. ...more

my girlfriend told me about this book and i have heard of it before...school and what not. so i go down to the library and get the audio version and as I listen to it, there are times i fine myself sitting in the drive way listening to what is being read to me and i am cheering, crying, and laughing. i found myself yelling at the cd player in my car for things that were happing in the story. honestly the book is set in a different lifestyle but still deals with real world problems. this is by far the best in the whole series. To date I have listen to it a total of 4 time through the whole thing. if you like sci-fi problem solving then this book, in anyform, is just the best, in my opion, single book i have ever touched. you know... i'm going to go read it again. we'll talk later about it. see ya.DJ   hide

If you can get past the valid complaint that little kids don't actually talk like this (even if they're geniuses), you'll get a brilliant story about a young kid whom adults are trying to shape into being the military commander who saves the world from aliens. I didn't think the training passages would interest me, being about battle strategy and all that, but Card makes it all quick and...more

If you can get past the valid complaint that little kids don't actually talk like this (even if they're geniuses), you'll get a brilliant story about a young kid whom adults are trying to shape into being the military commander who saves the world from aliens. I didn't think the training passages would interest me, being about battle strategy and all that, but Card makes it all quick and exciting. The subplot about his brother and sister back on earth was particularly interesting given that it basically foresees, with relative accuracy, the internet era. At it's heart, its a book about sibling relationships, the potential for kids to change the world of course, and most particularly, the way everyone is constantly trying to manipulate everyone else, be it for good or ill. Definitely not just another sci-fi book, that's for sure.   hide

Przeczytałem kiedyś, że to najważniejsza książka w historii soft Science-Fiction. Na wyrost trochę, ale trzeba przyznać, że jest naprawdę niesamowicie napisana, wciągająca, momentami dość "okrutna", zwłaszcza jeśli wziąć pod uwagę, że bohaterami są dziesięcio, jedynastoletnie dzieci. Zakończenie dość przewrotne, choć nieskromnie przyznam, że byłem prawie pewien czegoś...more

Przeczytałem kiedyś, że to najważniejsza książka w historii soft Science-Fiction. Na wyrost trochę, ale trzeba przyznać, że jest naprawdę niesamowicie napisana, wciągająca, momentami dość "okrutna", zwłaszcza jeśli wziąć pod uwagę, że bohaterami są dziesięcio, jedynastoletnie dzieci. Zakończenie dość przewrotne, choć nieskromnie przyznam, że byłem prawie pewien czegoś takiego. Książka naprawdę, naprawdę godna polecenia... choć nie wiem jak sprawdzi się jako początek sagi ;) No i brakowało mi więcej ziemskiej polityki. Spokojnie mogła by być z dwa razy dłuższa :)   hide

READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! Ender has my vote for the most intriguing character in SF. You will wince at his pain, cheer for victories, feel angry at those who betray him, and generally, want to be him (despite the fact that early in the novel we learn that he is capable of extremely vicious and vile behaviour). The (comparatively) poor sub-plots with Peter and Valentine do detract from...more

READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! Ender has my vote for the most intriguing character in SF. You will wince at his pain, cheer for victories, feel angry at those who betray him, and generally, want to be him (despite the fact that early in the novel we learn that he is capable of extremely vicious and vile behaviour). The (comparatively) poor sub-plots with Peter and Valentine do detract from the main story line, but that is okay. The battle-school scenes more than make up for it. Okay - call me naive - apparently no one else I know who read the novel was surprised to find out what was really going on. But I was! And that made the book for me. I recommend this book to anyone - SF reader or no. Appearently, they are working on making this into a movie. I don't see why. Though the batlle-school will make for good eye candy, the story won't translate well to the screen. I'm afraid this will be another "Dune" or "Armeggedon" movie that screams "SF is for dweebs and dorks!"   hide

I kept having to check the original publication date as I read this book, to remind myself that it was written in 1977. Like other scifi masters (Verne and Asimov come to mind) Card does an amazing job of predicting technological advances in this book. Writing in the days of Pong, he imagines complex computerized games very much like Knights of the Old Republic, an incredible piece of forward...more

I kept having to check the original publication date as I read this book, to remind myself that it was written in 1977. Like other scifi masters (Verne and Asimov come to mind) Card does an amazing job of predicting technological advances in this book. Writing in the days of Pong, he imagines complex computerized games very much like Knights of the Old Republic, an incredible piece of forward projection. Remarkable, too, is the author's prediction of the influence Internet bloggers have come to have over the political realm. But future prediction was not the only incredible feat accomplished by Card in writing this novel. For unlike most books, this one actually surprised in its plotting and characterizations. At the beginning, I thought I knew exactly where the whole thing would end up, but I couldn't have been more mistaken. The book got better and better until the final chapter reached a lyricism and depth almost unparalleled in anything I have ever read. What a joy to have experienced this book at long last.   hide

This is a classic sci-fi novel that I discovered when I was fourteen. It was during English class and I didnt have a book to read so I borrowed one from my classmate. It was Enders Game. After the first few pages I was hooked. The characters pull you in immediatley. Then you're on a journey to save earth from the unknown aliens commonly referred to as Buggers. Its all about Ender and his...more

This is a classic sci-fi novel that I discovered when I was fourteen. It was during English class and I didnt have a book to read so I borrowed one from my classmate. It was Enders Game. After the first few pages I was hooked. The characters pull you in immediatley. Then you're on a journey to save earth from the unknown aliens commonly referred to as Buggers. Its all about Ender and his brilliant mind at 5 years old, ripped away from his family and only true friend, his sister Valentine. Ripped away in order to train and become the best solider in Battle School. Mission accomplished but at what cost?   hide

Its a page turner and all around excellent read. I plan to pass it on to my nephews once they've learned to read something more then comic books and the instruction manuals for video games. My only gripe is that the ending is a bit strong, using a child to fight a war within a video game, unbeknown to him, killing and destroying an entire sentient race? We can all agree that's not right and its...more

Its a page turner and all around excellent read. I plan to pass it on to my nephews once they've learned to read something more then comic books and the instruction manuals for video games. My only gripe is that the ending is a bit strong, using a child to fight a war within a video game, unbeknown to him, killing and destroying an entire sentient race? We can all agree that's not right and its probably one of the reasons the book is so good. However its like setting up a video game called electric chair where kids logon through the internet play a game and the winner gets to pull a virtual lever that activates a chair somewhere in Texas. The kid never knows who got zapped or cares but hey there is one less death row inmate on the tax rolls and no prison guards with feelings of regret from pulling the lever. I guess a more appropriate analogy would be kids playing predator pilot and blowing up cars and houses from the air, obviously you'd want to first make them do the intelligence work to find the location of Osama Bin Laden, before they can shoot. Reminds of a great 80's movie, Would you like to play a game...   hide

I enjoyed this book, but it didn't blow me away as the sci-fi classic some believe it to be. There was nothing as thought provoking as what you'd find in an Asimov story, other than meditations on how and why wars should be fought, and those meditations were really justifications for going to war with most extreme measures. Card is clearly a hawk, who feels that war is best fought by...more

I enjoyed this book, but it didn't blow me away as the sci-fi classic some believe it to be. There was nothing as thought provoking as what you'd find in an Asimov story, other than meditations on how and why wars should be fought, and those meditations were really justifications for going to war with most extreme measures. Card is clearly a hawk, who feels that war is best fought by doves. Although I disagreed with some of the book's politics, it was a good story and I plan on reading the rest of the series. It also kind of reminded me of Harry Potter in space. A brilliant child, thought to be the savior of the human race, against unspeakable evil, goes off to a secret school to learn his craft, makes new and clever friends, has uncertain relationships with teacher/mentor figures, and in the end comes face to face with his enemy. I doubt Rowling was influenced by "Ender's Game", but I found the parallels amusing.   hide

I have never read any of Orson Scott Card’s work, but if this is an indication of what to expect I believe I will be reading his books for the next year. I was impressed with his ability to weave a tale so enticing and so well written. I only had one complaint and that is when Valerie and Peter’s sub-plot was introduced. I was so entrenched in reading about Ender that I found...more

I have never read any of Orson Scott Card’s work, but if this is an indication of what to expect I believe I will be reading his books for the next year. I was impressed with his ability to weave a tale so enticing and so well written. I only had one complaint and that is when Valerie and Peter’s sub-plot was introduced. I was so entrenched in reading about Ender that I found this quite an interruption (I have possibly become conditioned to the writing styles found in novels by authors like Robert J. Sawyer). I would love to have been introduced to the sub-plot earlier in the novel, but that is just my humble complaint. Now let’s look at what I just said. I have only one complaint, which really is a preference and nothing more. I like science fiction and this novel had a good grasp of it. I like psychological situations and this novel was based on it. I like being surprised and this novel definitely surprised me. I like social considerations and this novel had it. I like political concerns (just not too much) and this novel had it. In the final analysis this novel had everything I like about reading. If you wish to read a novel by a true science fiction writer then this is the book for you.   hide