Enders Game, Tor Books Publishing, $6.99 Paperback
Burbrink’s Book Rating: 4.5/5
In the far future there is a tentative peace on earth. After the Formics attacked, Earth’s three ruling parties the Hegemon, Polemarch and Strategos, agreed to form an International Fleet to fight this alien force. Times have changed, the fleet needs the next great commander to lead the fleet against the next wave. Humanities fate lies on the prepubescent genius, Andrew Wiggin.
In the opening book of the Ender Saga, “Enders Game,” Orson Scott Card writes about a world where Earth’s powers must hold peace and work together to fight an alien force. To do this the International Fleet was formed to train soldiers for war in space.
Training is a lengthy process, lasting upwards to 10 years. These soldiers must then be trained from an early age. The fleet created a program where they could select prime candidates from children to train for this fleet. In order to prevent overpopulation, a program was also put in place where only the first 2 children in the family would receive free education. After the 2nd child taxes would be placed on the family for every additional child. This caused many people to renounce their religion that called for multiple children.
Two of these individuals, John and Theresa Wiggen were commissioned to have a third child to hopefully give them a soldier that would lead them to victory. This novel follows the child, Andrew “Ender” Wiggin throughout the battle school and beyond.
Orson Scott Card writes in a style that incorporates multiple points of view. Throughout the book the point of view of Ender’s Sister, Commander Graff, and Ender are shown. During the sections depicting Ender’s Sister, Valentine Wiggin, the reader is shown life on Earth while Andrew is in the battle school. During the sections depicting Commander Graff the reader is shown how the leadership is preparing Ender for the future. During the sections depicting Ender the reader is shown the struggles Ender goes through as his isolation crafts him into the next leader.
The strategy in this book is so well written that the U.S. Marines Corps Professional Reading List made this book recommended at several lower ranks, as well as Officer Candidate. This is because the book provides allegories explaining why militaries do things in an effective shorthand way.
Science fiction readers will enjoy how this book depicts futuristic technologies, seen in the battle room scenes. Average readers can appreciate how this book pulls people from multiple backgrounds to cover a single issue. Even those who do not normally read books should check this book out. This book is in the process of being made into a movie that will star such actors as Indiana Jone’s Harrison Ford as Commander Graff and Zombieland’s Abigail Breslin as Valentine Wiggin. I enjoy this book for the idea for the skilled use of multiple perspectives that drive the plot line.
This book should be in anyone’s library that enjoys the story of the underdog. The drawback of this novel is that at times the jump between the first, second and third points of view can confuse the reader. That saying, this book is a quick read at 336 pages and deserves a chance. You can purchase this book from your local book store or at Amazon by following this link.
In the opening book of the Ender Saga, “Enders Game,” Orson Scott Card writes about a world where Earth’s powers must hold peace and work together to fight an alien force. To do this the International Fleet was formed to train soldiers for war in space.
Training is a lengthy process, lasting upwards to 10 years. These soldiers must then be trained from an early age. The fleet created a program where they could select prime candidates from children to train for this fleet. In order to prevent overpopulation, a program was also put in place where only the first 2 children in the family would receive free education. After the 2nd child taxes would be placed on the family for every additional child. This caused many people to renounce their religion that called for multiple children.
Two of these individuals, John and Theresa Wiggen were commissioned to have a third child to hopefully give them a soldier that would lead them to victory. This novel follows the child, Andrew “Ender” Wiggin throughout the battle school and beyond.
Orson Scott Card writes in a style that incorporates multiple points of view. Throughout the book the point of view of Ender’s Sister, Commander Graff, and Ender are shown. During the sections depicting Ender’s Sister, Valentine Wiggin, the reader is shown life on Earth while Andrew is in the battle school. During the sections depicting Commander Graff the reader is shown how the leadership is preparing Ender for the future. During the sections depicting Ender the reader is shown the struggles Ender goes through as his isolation crafts him into the next leader.
The strategy in this book is so well written that the U.S. Marines Corps Professional Reading List made this book recommended at several lower ranks, as well as Officer Candidate. This is because the book provides allegories explaining why militaries do things in an effective shorthand way.
Science fiction readers will enjoy how this book depicts futuristic technologies, seen in the battle room scenes. Average readers can appreciate how this book pulls people from multiple backgrounds to cover a single issue. Even those who do not normally read books should check this book out. This book is in the process of being made into a movie that will star such actors as Indiana Jone’s Harrison Ford as Commander Graff and Zombieland’s Abigail Breslin as Valentine Wiggin. I enjoy this book for the idea for the skilled use of multiple perspectives that drive the plot line.
This book should be in anyone’s library that enjoys the story of the underdog. The drawback of this novel is that at times the jump between the first, second and third points of view can confuse the reader. That saying, this book is a quick read at 336 pages and deserves a chance. You can purchase this book from your local book store or at Amazon by following this link.
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