Tome la decisión de sumergirme más en este mundo de Los Juegos de Ender porque desde un comienzo me llamó la atención, con la historia original quedan algunos vacios y estos libros poco a poco van llenando esos espacios.

Primeros Encuentros nos da un punto de vista anterior a lo que ocurre en la historia principal, aunque no es el génesis propiamente dicho te da a entender muchas cosas. Nos permite conocer los orígenes de los padres de Ender Wiggins y porqué él es como es.

En general nos amplia la visión de este mundo, al presentarnos el pasado, presente y futuro de la trama.

Lo único negativo que señalaría de la saga es que los libros han sido publicado en un orden, pero cronológicamente se leen en otro, y puede llegar a ser algo incomodo porque no se sigue una secuencia lineal de los hechos, claro que esto no le quita méritos al autor, pero si se hace un poco incómodo.

n  Quick and dirty reading notes and (i)relevant thoughtsn
(For my first "review" under this logo, there are going to be fewer reading notes and more thoughts, since I found something very vexing about this collection of short stories.)

✐ Although this is listed as the first book in the series, I'm glad I read it only after Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. The stories range from 40 years before to 300 after the events from Ender's Game and they would be utterly confusing to a new reader.

✐ The first two stories bring into focus Ender's father and relate his first encounter with the military authorities, then his first meeting with his future wife. Both of them have a very pervasive religious flavor (I'll come back to this issue). The third story depicts the first meeting between Ender and the AI entity Jane and it is very light and amusing.

✐ First Meetings in Ender's Universe is neither a young-adult reading nor a very serious, philosophical/psychological-loaded one.

✐ I said before that two of the stories are over-the-top religious and here it is the message that I found disturbing: in today's world, it is OK/normal/religiously desirable to have 9 children (12, if we think that in Speaker for the Dead, by the time she is 34-35, Novinha has already 6 children and she plans to have 6 more with Ender! ☹.) I can't even count on how many levels I disagree with this message!

......◊ I'm not even going to mention that at just under 7 billion people we are at the very least 10 times more numerous than what a healthy ecosystem can support.

......◊ Yet, this novel seems to advocate that a quadruple increase in population every 20 years (9 children to 2 parents means in fact a 4.5 increase) is fine and should not be avoided. So assuming that a person leaves 80 years, during her life, she will see an increase of 410 times in the number of people (4.5 to the 4). That means that given today's population, in 80 years there will be roughly 2870 billion people. Who is going to feed all those people and where are they going to live?

......◊ Of course, Mr. Card would say that it's people's right to have as many kids as they want, and I agree with that as a general principle. But you can't ask 4 non-christian couples to forgo their choice of having children only that a christian couple could have 9 of them.

......◊ Further it is implied that the folks who don't want children are in denial. Having known over the time a large number of folks who found no innate need to procreate, I can testify that their motivations range from socioeconomic & ecologic responsibility to simple lack of any putative joy coming from "creating life" -- with all shades of gray in between. To allude that they don't know what they want is a bit... presumptuous in my opinion.

Lovely connection of short stories.

I just can never get enough of Card’s writing style, and the way he uses this opportunity to further humanize characters who were previously just in the background was just amazing to read.

This also includes the original Ender’s Game novella, which was a ride to read even having read the novel version.

Also, most excitingly for me, this includes a short story that effectively functions as a prequel to Speaker for the Dead! The trilogy starting with Speaker for the Dead is my favorite book trilogy of all time, so I loved the opportunity to drop into a part of adult Ender in this part of his life one last time.

An interesting book for any major fan of this world - but unsatisfying for anyone who is looking for a real story. This book is a collection of 4 short stories that might fill in a few details, but are only pieces of the overall Ender's universe. The stories are from widely different time periods, and will probably lack context for anyone who hasn't already read many of the other books.

Four short stories from the "Enderverse" in one volume. Three of the stories are "origin" stories in a way - how Ender's dad was recruited by the Fleet as a child, how Ender's dad met Ender's mom (characters who barely rated a mention in the original series but had a more prominent role in the "Shadow" series) and how Jane met Ender for the first time. Also included is the original "Ender's Game" short story which Card later expanded into the full-length Award-Winning novel of the same name. The stories are all at least mildly interesting for fans of the series but not essential reading, but anyone who hasn't read Ender's Game and/or its sequels probably wouldn't get anything out of this.

This book gets a mixed review. Made up of 3 short stories, along with the ORIGINAL 1977 version of Ender's Game, the book presents its best foot first with an introduction into the background of Ender's parents. The first gives you a look at Ender's Father as a small boy living in Poland. The second gives you a window into the meeting and courtship of Ender's Parents. I found both of these stories very compelling (and originally thought them to be one combined tale) and just as interesting as the original novel itself. The third story takes place sometime after the completion of the 1st book, as it details some of the planet-hopping taken by both Ender and Valentine long after the completion of the war. The final story is the original novella of Ender's Game, that covers the broad strokes of the story from when Ender receives his own army at Battle School to the final battle at Command School. Although a nice bit of nostalgia, I didn't understand that this was the original short story and thought it was a condensing of the original story simply done to be used as filler. Now that I understand where the story breaks are (listening to an audiobook in a noisy 18-wheeler causes you to miss little bits here and there), I've revised my original 3* rating to a more improved 4* overall rating.

I'm torn between wishing I'd read this book prior to Ender's Game, and being glad that I mistakenly read it afterwards. I enjoyed the additional information and had I read it before Ender's Game, I might have been confused as to what was going on. There are also parts of this novella that happen during other parts of Ender's Game, so knowing how those scenes played out was helpful. I'm finding that I am very intrigued by Ender's Universe and can't wait to keep reading more.

The Polish Boy - my rating "B" = 3 stars

Teacher's Pest - my rating "C -" = 1 stars

The Investment Counselor - my rating B++ = 4 stars


Later editions also include the novelette Ender's Game (1977).

I particularly enjoyed "Investment Counselor", one of the most memorable stories featuring Ender, aside from the original story and its novel expansion, plus "Speaker for the Dead" and "Ender in Exile".

My rating system:
Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.

First meeting novella 1 the polish boy
6/5 amazing. Grateful for the insight to one of the parents of ender. Amazing to see plans in the foundation and in the beginning. Crazy to see how far in advance some people think.

Novella 2 teachers pest
Very fun
5/5 had me smiling and grinning most of the story. Again great to see the parents of ender but in their early years. How they met. Fruits beginning to ripen. Plans coming through. Much foreshadowing. Fun also though provoking I had to re listen to certain parts multiple times to grasp the intention.
There was one word that I didn’t know and I wanted to look up but I ignored and can’t find it. It’s the word that teresa says and John is amazed that she knows it and uses and he falls in love right there with her. Sad to see that peoples actions effect so much more than what they see. Overall fun entertaining and clever.

4.5 Novella 3 Enders game
I’m enjoying different perspectives of what we know already. Seeing how people think and reasons why certain things happened. The insights of others is something I am learning that I really enjoy and appreciate. I enjoyed the battle school portion the best in this section. The commanders school section wasn’t bad. Nice again to see different perspectives. The end though was trash not necessary and just a waste. Overall though nice to have a different view of what we already knew. Again I enjoy seeing this behind the scenes and see the characters that weren’t highlighted in the main series.

6/5 Novella 4 investment counselor
Fantastic. Loved getting to see the beginning of Jane and ender. Loved it cause it made sense and plausible. Also seeing how the money was an issue and paying taxes on it made the book alive. It showed that even ender must pay taxes even he just do what all humans do until Jane was able to help so that he can focus on his new job!
Great novellas. Very fun!

This book was very enjoyable if you had prior read the book Enders game. Orson Scott Card uses a lot of description and rich language in this book in order to effectively set the scene for what is happening. Even if you have not read Enders game it perfectly helps linking how ender became who he is and what he becomes in the time immediately after.

I'm in one of those I-don't-actually-give-a-fuck states after reading not-so-interesting stories, so forgive me for my indifference if you actually liked this specific novella.

Note: This doesn't actually spoil the second book for you, hence it's book #1.5 in the saga. The first two chapters happen before the time Ender's Game takes place, the third chapter is a quick recap of its second half, and the last is the filler between its ending and the beginning of Speaker for the Dead.

This book novella is basically an extension of Ender's Game since it features stories before, during, and after Ender's Game. I didn't love it as much as I loved Ender's Game, though, but I did like it.

***
Court dismissed, bring in the dancing lobsters!



x

First Meetings in the Ender Verse
The Polish Boy
Plot: John Paul is home-schooled with his eight other brothers and sisters. This has its ups and downs. On the downside, his mother keeps repeating things she’s taught him. On the plus side, he gets to pick up things that are more advanced than she teaches his siblings. JP has really taken to reading and is advanced but his mother doesn’t realize it. He’s surprised to learn that the other kids in the neighborhood go to a regular school. His brother explains to him that because of someone called the Hegemon that controls the government only the first two kids get to go to school. JP has questions about schools teaching anti-Catholic views when they’re mostly all Catholic, but his parents (father) doesn’t answer him. The next day his father stays home from work. A lady comes from the International Fleet testing program, to test some of his brothers. John Paul sneaks into the kitchen close to where his brothers are being tested, listens to the questions they’re being asked and at the same time reading a book about his name’s sake. When they’re done, he asked to be tested and surprisingly he answers all the questions in order before she asks them. (John Paul has a quirk of having telepathy). After it’s over, he already knows he’s what she’s looking for. Col. Sillain and Helena discuss JP answers and he could possibly be the commander of the fleet, risking an international incident involving parental control. Helena invites Sillain to meet him. They come back to test JP a second time, but he refuses to speak in English. He also knows they look down on his family for being poor and they plan to take him away. Col.Sillian is about to leave because he thinks JP is disobedient (not what they’re looking for). Finally, he agrees if Col Sillain will let Helen stay in the room. The leaders meet again and discuss whether JP will accept coming to Battle School and who will make the negotiations with his parents. Griff and JP end up negotiating a deal where JP’s family will be allowed to move to America among other noncompliant Catholic and Polish families where the sanctions for over-populated families aren’t nearly as strict. Griff isn’t a fool. He knows that JP will never go to Battle School and is just taking advantage of him. But he figures that in some years he’ll get married and have children. If his first-born has any of his intelligence then everything will work out to *his* advantage.

Teacher’s Pet
JP takes a science class, that he didn’t request and a teacher that doesn’t impress him much. But this changes after a discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of a community due to humans and survival. After the end of the class Ms. Theresa Brown kicks out a student that questions her personal life, JP falls head over heels in love. Theresa is then called to a meeting and finds out that she’s been taken off a project she’s been working on. They’ll let her graduate without the dissertation, and they’ll let her keep working on the project but her name won’t be associated with it. They say they’ll give her three days to process. They also tell her that just maybe if she can get her Dad to come back, it might be to her benefit. Outside JP stops her and tries to chat her up. He’s not getting anywhere and realizes she’s got something on her mind. He tells her he can be confided in. After all his school records are all lies and he hasn’t told anyone. She lets him follow her to her office and then shuts the door in his face. But intrigued by him she looks into his records which are immaculate. Which makes her wonder. Her father (Hinckley Brown) calls apologetic for his part in her project getting taken. He says that if he knew it would turn out this way he would have stayed with the Fleet, but Theresa isn’t hearing it and hangs up on him and starts to cry. When she comes out JP is waiting outside her door with a picnic set up, ordering food every fifteen minutes so that when she comes out it’ll be hot. JP tells her the truth about his background and they start to talk about the Hegemony. JP then tells Theresa he’s fallen in love with her and plans for them to have kids. Hes able to get a kiss on the cheek, and soon after she realizes that she does like him and gives him a kiss on the lips. They then talk about how ironic it would be if them falling in love is all a part of the Hegemony’s plan.

Ender’s Game
Ender is a commander at the age of 11 of The Dragon Army. The Dragon Army consists of a young ambitious boy named Bean. Ender wins his first game and then the next seven in a row. Griff puts the Dragon Army up against a harder team (Leopard Army). He loses this battle, Then realizes that they’re making the battles work against him. He recruits Bean to be a toon leader and they start working overtime on strategies and solutions. After nineteen wins in a row, Bean and the rest of his team are promoted to commanders. Ender is sent to Command School and trained on simulations. He’s also given a lesson in speed from Mazer. Ender receives a surprise, Bean and the rest of his group that were promoted to commanders are now at Command School and he will be commander of their new fleet. Ender does a series of “practice battles” and a final battle against Maezr only to find out that the battles were real and he’s destroyed the enemy’s home Planant and ended the war.

The Investment Counselor
Andrew and Valentine have been traveling through space for many years. They’ve now arrived on the Planant Sorelledolce. Andrew realizes that he is now 20 years old and can access his trust fund. Valentine reminds him that he’ll now have to pay taxes. He goes back and forth with Benedetto (a tax collector) who gives him a hard time over if he’s really who he thinks he is and not letting him access his money. But they are finally able to work out a deal. Little does Andrew know that Benedetto is shady as ish and already planning on stealing his money. But interestingly when he goes to look into his holdings with an illegal spy program all Ender’s information has disappeared. Ender and Valentine then find an apartment. Afterward, Ender is sent an email with an interactive software program that calls itself Jane, but Jane knows a little too much about him and he terminates the program. Groups called “Speakers of the Dead” have formed from the books Ender has written. These people speak at funerals and hold nothing back about the dead. Ender attends one and is so impressed with the speaker he asks how it’s done. The speaker simply tells him to “keep it real” and tell it all or nothing at all. Ender searchers for Jane but the link no longer works. One day she just appears for a “follow-up”. She helps Ender with his tax form and because of her he learns he owes less than he thought he would. When he gives the forms to Benedetto he tells Ender that he knows his identity. But when he tries to pull the proof again all the information is gone. After Ender leaves, Benedetto begins to write a tell-tell email to all the tabloids. Jane appears on his screen and warns him against it but he sends the email off anyway. But when the email is sent, there’s also an “accidental” copy of his embezzlements. He’s then investigated and sent to jail. In jail because of a couple of “accidents”, he ends up being killed. Ender and Valentine continue to travel and Ender now has a new occupation “Speaker of the Dead” after he speaks at Benedetto’s funeral

My Thoughts: (The Polish Boy): I wondered how this short story about what I thought was an insignificant character (because I couldn’t even remember him in Ender’s Game) would be of any interest. But it turns out John Paul’s story was VERY relevant to Ender’s Game. It was all a part of something way BIGGER! Because the IF couldn’t get JP to enlist at Battle School they’d wait him out to prey on his kid. It’s just interesting to me that the IF knew that JP *would* marry one day and have a genius kid. This might not have been the case at all. He could have just been a bachelor for life and there was no guarantee that ANY of his kids would be battle school material. (Teacher’s Pet): This was the hardest one to get through because Teresa’s lecture about humanity and society drug. Honestly, I can see why at first John Paul wouldn’t want to take this class. *I* wouldn’t have taken this class. John Paul and Theresa were cute together, but their conversation was boring. (The Investment Counselor) was EERIE! JANE FREAKED ME OUT! And one of the Alexa’s in my house has done some STRANGE things (taking pictures when no one asked her two, answering when no one’s said anything to it) but it ain’t got NOTHING on this FREAKY little software. I admit Jane was GOOD! She knew her stuff about finances and investments, etc.. But she had a man KILLED! Yeah, that’s .. And she knew a lil bit too much. Maybe just maybe Ender should have just uninstalled her. She pops back UNCONTROLLED BY YOU! If technology moves toward replicating something like *THAT* I think I’m done!!!

Rating: 8