If history has taught us anything, its that no one turns out for the better when the government experiments on them. There's no way Ender doesn't end up killing himself, becoming a raging alcoholic, or maybe addicted to some futuristic space drug. There's no way he turns out normal. Maybe the future has some kind of cure for massive childhood trauma and PTSD caused by government experimentation on childeren....let's hope that's the case.

Governmental overreach for the "greater good." Breeding super childered to fight battles for you. Winning at all costs. Damn the torpedoes. It's 1984 meets Starship Troppers and War of the worlds.

The writing left a little to be disired, its simplistic, dialog driven, and repetitive.  There's next to zero character development. Everyone is pretty one dimensiononal. It's predictable and kinda weird. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, I mean, it's good guys verse bad guys, in space, with a child prodigy and aliens.

It was simple and didn't require too much attention or investment, but sometimes that's what you need in a read.

“If you try and lose then it isn't your fault. But if you don't try and we lose, then it's all your fault.”

Ender’s Game is one of the most beloved sci-fi novels of all time. So why did I take so long, to read it? Firstly, I’ve been seeing a bit more negative reviews seeing a variation of “maybe it was good for the time but now…” ultimately made me cautious. 2ndly battle schools aren’t super appealing especially dealing with kids who are like 8-10 years old. Though shocking myself (but probably not others), I found this novel to be a delight. At times bloody excellent. This is one of the most well-paced and efficient novels I’ve read.

For being only a 300+ page book, the amount of depth packed into it is surprisingly a lot. Card is able to build an interesting world, a compelling conflict that is both at the forefront and as a backdrop. An interesting alien species which you slowly gain information regarding their motive. Lastly having a decent idea of how the populace is run on this Earth, especially in relation to religion. I should give a heads-up that I didn't see any signs of Card shoving his Mormon perspective in the novel. Though I will say if that was done, I could not tell from what I read. I mainly stating this point, just because somebody randomly brought it up to me. In the midst of me reading of the novel which he hasn't read but heard.

I will be honest the characterisation is a lot better than I expected. Especially for this type of Sci-Fi. My favourite two characters by far would be Ender and Valentine. So firstly Ender, in a nutshell, the kid goes through a ton. He never catches a break, he is always tested to his limit, consistently at his breaking point but still, he does his duty admirably, but he is still human so that vulnerability will come out. For the longest time Valentine, (I will briefly describe her later) was my favourite, but by the end, you feel for this poor lad. From beginning to end his arc is great and honestly, I can see why this type of character is so influential. His ideals are very strong, he questions his actions not just being a puppet. Now Valentine, honestly, I was shocked I clicked with this character so much. Her vulnerabilities, strengths, and weakness are all conveyed in a ridiculously small page count. In terms of the remaining support casting their some more highlights I think is Bean is pretty good but those two are the real essence of the novel.

The plot is very good, though I think one aspect that was a bit muddled is the ages of the children. I think for the most part Card does a good job (though sometimes he slips up) like children have these super feats but explained within the novel why that is the case. But sometimes the character feels a little too young, especially with some of the dialogue. So, I did imagine them as slightly older. Especially when they're doing all this battle school action. It’s hard to visualise children doing all these combat skills. Furthermore, I will be honest, I don’t love Cards' description of the action. I never felt too wowed and a lot of the novel centred around this battle school. So, you’re wondering why I enjoy this novel so much. Though the action is a component of the Battle School it's about survival, strategy and perseverance which shines. I will discuss themes below but yes problem-solving is one of the core aspects of the novel. It's not just Ender but everyone is problem-solving and it’s so easy to see why this is influential. Continuing with the battle schools, the character moments are pretty good. They consistently must re-evaluate their actions and are just interesting to read.

In terms of themes, I will go very broadly and stick to one specifically. There are multiple explored in the novel, manipulation, control, coming of age etc. but the one that will discuss most will be leadership. To me this was the most important theme, seeing the different types of authority, seeing varied leadership styles and just the sheer importance of it. Ender and many characters must make those firm decisions without any guidance as that is what you do in the real world. You must consistently apply yourself. These decisions that you make as a person of authority can be good and bad and this novel explores both, it very much deals with the ramifications of decisions by leaders.

In conclusion, this novel is great, especially how the ending ties everything up. I can see why this novel was studied in school back in the day. A lot of that can apply to a person of youth even an adult. Though this is not one of the best sci-fi novels for me, I have a great deal of respect for it. I am excited to see how Card will tackle Speaker of the End considering hints in this novel. But I will say this is a standalone tale, there is no big cliffhanger or anything. If you are one of the few people who haven’t read it, I will give it a shot, be open-minded, don’t worry too much about the hype and you will be surprised.

8.5/10

Every now and then you come across a book whose prose is thoroughly unimpressive but whose premise and sheer bravado manage to suck you in nonetheless, to the point where you end up enjoying it an awful lot. Ender's Game falls into that category for me. The first few chapters feature some of the choppiest prose I've come across in a published book -- sentences so short and dull that I seriously wondered how the book had ever got published. However, the writing gradually gets better, and as for the story itself, well, it's simply compelling. It kept me up for the better part of two nights and had me doing some serious thinking afterwards. Not bad for a young-adult-cum-science-fiction novel.

Ender's Game centres on Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin, a precocious six-year-old who is selected for the inter-planetary Battle School, where children are trained to become commanders for the International Fleet (a space agency which is supposed to keep alien threats at bay). Ender's teachers suspect he is a strategic genius, so in order to nurture his talent and see what he is capable of, they subject him to an increasingly gruelling training programme in which he has to lead much older kids into mock battles. It soon becomes apparent why: the teachers believe that Ender may be the only person capable of beating the Buggers, a technologically advanced race from outer space who may or may not have evil designs on planet Earth. So they push young Ender to his very limits, only to realise much later that they may have pushed him too far. Is Ender up to the challenge? And what exactly does this challenge entail, and what does it mean in terms of right and wrong? These are just some of the questions raised in Ender's Game, a page-turner if ever I read one. While overall characterisation is shoddy (Ender himself remains a two-dimensional character, and the other characters never make it past 1.4-dimensional), there can be no doubt that Ender is a great protagonist. It's simply riveting to watch him overcome his own fears, outwit his enemies, win the respect and support of those who matter and prove himself worthy of the big task ahead of him. Reading about his game tactics is like watching a strategy book come to life, and I for one really enjoyed that experience (I guess I should be reading Machiavelli and Sun Tzu next). But Ender's Game is more than an exciting tale about a child prodigy overcoming tremendous odds to find the meaning of his life. It also deals with fairly fundamental ethical issues. Once the final battle is over, you are left with a lot of questions -- about the legitimacy of manipulation and using children as a means to an end, and about the ethics of war and colonisation. You are given an insight into how lonely life can be at the top, and how hard it can be to live with yourself after you've done something terrible (even if you were tricked into doing it). You are left feeling not just for Ender, who pays a heavy price for the games others play on him, but for his victims, who may not quite deserve the treatment they get. So what if the writing is sketchy and the characters are cardboard cut-outs? It's still a gripping read which makes some worthy points. A deserved classic, in my opinion.

Ender's Game is one of those canonical Science Fiction books that every fan ought to read. And I am one of those people who questions and sometimes scoffs at what I ought to do. This is likely the reason I put off reading it for so many years. My children, however, prevailed upon me to read it, claiming it was "the best book eeeevaaar," as only hyperbole-prone teenagers can do. I thought I'd give it a go so that I could at least understand all the inside jokes around the dinner table.

Sorry, kids, not the best book eeeevaaar. A great book, but not the best ever.

The simple prose of the book at the beginning is simply flat and somewhat boring. I read the first few pages and had to convince myself to push further. My reading tastes lean toward meaty: give me a few complex sentences, send me to the dictionary occasionally - I like the challenge. I felt that, despite the subject matter, the prose was altogether too thin. But I pushed on.

What I discovered as I went forward was that slowly, subtly, the prose progresses with the main character, Ender. The book seems to mature with the character, which made it more enjoyable as I went along. The step-by-step revelation of Ender's inner thoughts and motives started to pull me in. The plot itself was transparent - I could guess the ending with about a quarter of the book left. And I guessed correctly.

It's what happened after the obvious ending that blew me away. I won't give it away, but the last chapter of the book is an amazing piece of writing, tying together the seemingly disjointed pieces of the puzzle in a denouement that launched several sequels. You have to slog through the sparse parts and sometimes fake-like-you-care at the beginning of the book but when that last chapter hits - look out! It's an emotional bombshell. I'm not ashamed to admit that I almost cried at the end. It's that good.

And the writing ended up being that good, too. I found myself wishing that the whole book had been written in the style of the last chapter, but I understand, too, that the style itself builds up to a very satisfying conclusion.

There, I've fulfilled my obligation. And I see why some people like the book so much and why some people despise the book so much. If I would have quit the book halfway through or begun skimming, I would not have caught the brilliance at the end. And while I won't be reading all the remaining books in this universe, I think I will pick up Speaker for the Dead, because if it takes off the same way that Ender's Game (*ahem*) ended, it should be a fantastic read.

i think 'ender's game' is the only book i've read three times. for me books often don't have repeat reading value in the same way some movies have repeat viewing value. it's probably because a movie takes two hours of your time while a novel, for me, takes a week or longer. so for someone like to me read a novel twice, not to mention three times, is really saying something [and yes, i realize the inherent snobbery in that statement].

i've thought long and hard about what makes 'ender's game' so appealing. it's got a sympathetic protagonist, lots of great action, lots of heart, and a plausible twist of an ending. on those merits only 'ender's game' works. it's a lot of fun to read and orson scott card manages to inject some really moral and ethical quandries without resorting to didactism or heavy-handedness. for example, the manipulations of the battle school powers-that-be are presented and inspected, but card never explicitly paints them as the enemy. they are who they are, for better or for worse, but it's up to the reader to for his or her own opinions. same for ender and his merry band of castoffs. card understands that good v. bad is never as simple as black v. white. the world and universe are, more often than not, varying shades of gray. and the folks who inhabit that gray universe, for better or for worse, are who they are. they all have a part, they all have a purpose--even if those parts and purposes contradict each other.

'ender's game' is also a great story of the value and importance of friendship. i choke up everytime ender's friends great him over the headset and the kids prepare for the final 'battle.' who wouldn't want friends like bean, petra, hot soup and the rest? i sure would.

but i think the real appeal for 'ender's game' comes from the belief that we all want to believe that there's something uniquely special about us. i think it's safe to assume that most of us have, at one point or another, felt like the underdog, the castoff, the misfit, the misunderstood, or the underappreciated, and that if people would just give us a chance, we'd shine. in that way ender is very much a universal character. he embodies a small part of each ous. yes, he is treated unfairly and manipulated, but he's also the smartest kid in the room. there's something very appealing about that. at least there is for me. whether or not i'm the smartest person in the room is irrelevant, but i want to believe it. and whenever i read 'ender's game' there's a small hope that it just might be true.

De lo mejor en ciencia ficción que he leído en mi vida.

Acá conocemos a Ender qué es reclutado para luchar contra una poderosa raza extraterrestre insectoide que se comunica telepáticamente. A lo largo de la novela nuestro protagonista se verá en conflicto con sus compañeros de entrenamiento, será apadrinado por un antiguo héroe militar y deberá superar diferentes simulaciones similares a un videojuego que terminarán dándole más que una sorpresa acercandonos al final.

Para mí un indispensable en toda biblioteca de ciencia ficción. La pluma de Orson Scott es sencilla pero a la vez cargada de detalles filosóficos y científicos que le dan profundidad y mayor veracidad a la historia. Sin contar también el ritmo trepidante con que nos lo va narrando todo, la raza alienigena es muy interesante y así también el mundo creado, liderado por lo que el autor llama "La Hegemonía".

Hay intriga, mentiras, manipulaciones... y en medio de todo ello Ender que tendrá que aprender a lidiar con todo prematuramente en pos de derrotar a los insectoides que amenazan con destruirlo todo.

De los pocos libros que he disfrutado de principio a fin.
Sé que hay una película con no muy buena crítica, pero de ella nada tengo que decir pues nunca la he visto y tampoco pretendo verla, temo terminará arruinando la gran impresión que tengo de esta novela.

¡Hermosa novela!
¡Muy recomendada!

Ender’s Game is a great sci-fi classic by Orson Scott Card, writer of The Ender Saga, The Shadow Series, and many more sci-fi novels. Ender’s Game is the first book in the Ender Saga, winning the “Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Novel” and the “Science Fiction Chronicle Reader Award for Best Novel.” The book isn’t just focused on one specific aspect, to keep readers involved there are a bunch of interesting angles and tensions in the book that make it really suspenseful. I was hooked from the first few chapters, but it just gets even more interesting after that. A unique thing about this book, different from most other sci fi books, is that while the book is really exciting with tons of action in it, it also brings up some deep ethical questions about the future that Card depicts. Through this book, Card makes powerful comments about the role of government, ignorance, and morality. All in all, Ender’s Game is a great book with all sorts of intriguing questions and interesting aspects. - Vedant S., Teen Volunteer

Outside of the Harry Potter series, this is the book that taught me reading is fun. It was first assigned to me over winter break in high school and I re-read twice since then (this is also one of the first books I ever re-read). It's a well known story (and was adapted into a movie) so I dont think I need to touch on plot. I just remember getting that feeling that the imagination is limitless and you can make anything happen in the world of fiction when I first read this book. I wanted to spend all my time in the war games/zero gravity laser tag when I was reading this and I remember actually surprising myself with just how emotionally invested I was getting into Ender's journey.
It's just one of those books that brings me back to my childhood and always puts a smile on my face.

“Sólo el enemigo te enseña tus puntos débiles. Sólo el enemigo te enseña sus puntos fuertes. Y las únicas reglas del juego son qué puedes hacerle y qué puedes impedir que él te haga.”


Este tiene que ser, sin duda, uno de los mejores libros de ciencia ficción escritos. El juego de Ender, es un libro que lees del tirón, ágil y muy bien escrito. Está ambientado en un escenario de ciencia ficción digamos algo sencillo, nada complejo. Una tierra del futuro amenazada por una especie alienígena hostil con una tecnología superior que parece decidida a destruir la raza humana.


La historia se centra en un niño, Ender, que es reclutado en un programa de entrenamiento militar que lo consume todo a la edad de nada menos que 6 años. Este programa busca forjar una nueva, dura y muy superior generación de comandantes militares a partir de estos niños superdotados, y su único propósito es romperles a cualquier precio, con el propósito de descubrir a aquellos que no se puede romper.


Su protagonista, Ender Wiggin, tiene solo seis años al comienzo de la novela y todavía es un preadolescente cuando termina la historia. Los padres de Ender han recibido un permiso especial para tener un tercer hijo a pesar de las estrictas leyes de control de la población en la sociedad en la que viven. Sus brillantes hermanos mayores, Peter y Valentine, tienen todo tipo de promesas, pero aún no tienen lo que se necesita para ser considerados como el comandante que la Flota Internacional necesita tan desesperadamente.


La novela plantea una pregunta importante: ¿Qué se necesita para llevar con éxito a los hombres/niños a la batalla? La batalla se nos presenta en forma de invasiones alienígenas. Durante la última invasión que tuvo lugar, la humanidad sobrevivió gracias a la brillantez de Mazer Rackham, el comandante de la Flota Internacional.


Años más tarde, se teme una tercera invasión y el I.F. cree que Ender puede ser el comandante que necesitan. Esperan que pueda llevarlos a la victoria en caso de que los "insectores" vuelvan a invadir la Tierra.


“Pero como los adultos siempre decían lo mismo cuando algo iba a doler, podía considerar esa afirmación como una predicción exacta del futuro. Algunas veces las mentiras eran más de fiar que las verdades.”


Lo que sigue es una historia emocionalmente compleja y en ocasiones dolorosamente familiar de niños que luchan por aceptar sus demonios internos. Ender, en particular, es el que más destaca, una combinación brutal de profunda empatía por los demás y un abrumador instinto de supervivencia que lo impulsa a ganar sin importar el costo. Es esta combinación de dones que pueden convertirlo en el comandante que la flota necesita en su guerra contra los invasores alienígenas, pero solo si Ender puede encontrar una manera de comprender a su enemigo tan a fondo que ya no pueda verlos como, el otro bando, sino como un reflejo de sí mismo.


La historia es vertiginosa, y el estilo de Card me gustó, un lenguaje sencillo y una descripción simplificada que sirve para llevar a todos los personajes al frente y al centro de la historia en todo momento. Card trata a sus muy jóvenes protagonistas como personajes tridimensionales inteligentes y ya plenamente realizados que luchan con preguntas muy adultas.


La otra firma de Card es crear drama a través de varios dilemas éticos, esto también es un elemento central de la historia, y hace un muy buen trabajo al desafiar al lector a encontrar algo parecido a un terreno moral elevado en cualquier lugar. Los conflictos entre personajes se vuelven aún más poderosos por la casi total falta de misterio, pues las motivaciones y la intención se presentan con mucha claridad en la mayoría de los casos, y es la capacidad del lector para empatizar con el punto de vista de todos lo que hace que la historia sea menos sobre ganar o perder y más sobre vivir con las consecuencias de cualquier resultado.


“La humanidad no nos pide que seamos felices. Sólo nos pide ser brillantes en su nombre.”


Este libro me sorprendió y muchísimo, lo admito es estimulante, emocionalmente muy complejo y éticamente desafiante. Es un examen poderoso del conflicto y la violencia, la necesidad militar, los roles familiares y las formas en que usamos la idea del "otro" para justificar todo tipo de salvajismo. Por cierto, la película vamos es que no le llega al libro ni usando microscopio. Este libro y mira que ya llevo unas cuantas joyas de la CF, clásica, los mejores para mí. Este ocupa un lugar al lado de, Flores para Algernon.


El libro es mucho mejor que la película. Sé que probablemente hayáis leído esta frase y otras en muchas reseñas. No puedo llegar a expresar completamente todo lo que ha sido la exquisita lectura de, El juego de Ender. Es que no puedo encontrar un solo defecto. Todo perfectamente escrito y construido.


"Sólo hay una cosa que hará que dejen de odiarte. Y esa cosa es ser tan bueno en todo lo que hagas que no puedan ignorarte."


El desarrollo de los personajes en el libro es realmente asombroso. Realmente no se parece en nada a la forma en que la película presentó a los personajes. Todos se sentían importantes y su transformación tuvo un gran impacto para mí. Personajes como, Valentine y Peter estaban muy establecidos, y su viaje cuando eran niños fue algo diferente, completamente interesante y divertido al mismo tiempo. La película creo que ni mostró que ambos se convirtieron en Demóstenes y Locke. Esa parte de su historia realmente me asombró. Este libro mostró que la edad no importa para marcar la diferencia. Se trata de niños y niñas que muestran un enorme coraje y además absoluto conocimiento. No me agradaba nada Peter en el sentido moral, pero su violencia e intimidación creo que llevaron al crecimiento positivo de Ender y Valentine. Y si afectó a Ender de mala manera, pero si luego observamos el cambio general que emanaba Ender, es notable cómo la violencia condujo al éxito. Creo que el autor fue demasiado duro con sus personajes, demasiado duro pero es esto precisamente lo que más destaca del libro y en el buen sentido. La trama es interesante y da varios giros, destacando sobretodo el final y el enorme desarrollo de los personajes, ahí fueron increíbles. Muy bien escrito y está todo pensado para impactar al lector. Es algo original para mí al menos y asombroso.


"Podría matarte así, susurró Peter. Solo presiona y presiona hasta que estés muerto"


Escuela de Batalla, donde los niños brillantes son entrenados en estrategia y duras tácticas militares. Ender está aislado, es ridiculizado, intimidado y prácticamente perseguido. Pero es decidido y muestra los medios para sobrevivir e incluso prosperar y evolucionar en esas difíciles circunstancias. Su asombrosa inteligencia, con la que el niño aprende a ser un líder y a actuar con la venganza de un soldado. Su juventud y pequeña estatura no logran detenerlo, y Ender asciende rápidamente. Ender tiene solo 12 años cuando comienza a comandar a sus compañeros soldados, ganándose así su respeto y, en última instancia, su miedo hacia él. Todo termina en sorpresas.


La pieza central de su educación es un juego que simula una batalla. Ender es muy bueno en este juego, y esta es la razón principal por la que se convierte en el comandante más joven de la historia. De todos modos, la vida de Ender en la escuela y los diversos juegos, pruebas y tribulaciones en las que sobresale ya no solo están maravillosamente escritos sino que es una gozada ir leyendo todo lo que pasa, creando en el lector una necesidad de querer ver como evoluciona en concreto el personaje de Ender y como termina su dura preparación. Es un libro impresionante, en todos los niveles. Impresionante e imprescindible.


“Los seres humanos son libres, excepto cuando la humanidad los necesita. A lo mejor la humanidad te necesita. Para hacer algo. Creo que la humanidad me necesita a mí para averiguar para qué sirves. Los dos podemos hacer cosas despreciables, Ender; pero si la humanidad sobrevive, habremos sido buenos instrumentos.”

So I waited quite a while to read this book but I have to join the masses in saying just how much I enjoyed it. This is definitely a really great sic-fi story and I think Card is a very good writer from the work I've so far read by him. This book in particular I whizzed through and devoured just because the character of Ender was such a likeable and heart-wrenching one.

In this story we follow young Ender as he's enlisted into Battle School. The human race have fought a few previous battles against a race of aliens and so now they are training children to kill these aliens in Battle School in the hopes that when they grow up they can take on the real aliens. Ender is one of the best they've ever had. He's calm and calculating, but he also has an emotional and genuine side to him. Being one of three children he takes the best from both his older siblings (he's able to kill like Peter and able to persuade like Valentine). This talent and dedication allows Ender to rise through the ranks, but not without difficulty and this is what we follow.

I have to say that the emotional level of this story did surprise me as I actually found myself hugely sympathetic towards Ender. He's had a hard life right from the start and the instructors do not make it any easier on him, but despite this he carries on! I think this character development and constant questioning of his own conscience and cruelty were vital to making this book work, and it really did.

The different political layers were also very interesting here as we have two different settings with Ender away from Earth at the school and his siblings back on Earth. I don't usually find politics particularly interesting to me within books becuase it's not a topic I find fascinating, but the simple way it was laid out here meant that it was actually a lot easier for me to be hooked into and enjoy.

Overall this was a solidly good read throughout and I did really, really like seeing Ender's story. I wish I had read this before I saw the film a few years ago as I think the end would have had more of an impact on me then, but overall I did really like this :) 4*s, recommended :)

ender's game is pretty awesome, when it's not being boring.

and of course it is just me - in class yesterday the parts i mentioned as being boring TO ME were other people's favorite parts. and this is all due to a design flaw in me: i am physically incapable of visualizing action sequences. in movies, they make it so easy. in books, i frequently have to reread scenes a few times before i can orient myself. throw in zero gravity and weapons that don't actually exist, and i am loster than lost.

but - the parts of this that are good (to me) were very very good. why have i never read this before?? because i thought it was a total little boy book - all outer space and video games. and it is. but it is also about the formative years of a military savant - pushed nearly beyond his endurance into this pit of loneliness and pure strategy and honed into a killing machine. usually i hate precocity, but this was just brilliant. i liked so many of the characters, i loved watching ender progress, i just loved every minute of it. and even the parts i couldn't wrap dumbhead around, they were still fast-paced, even though i couldn't understand "wait, so who is hiding behind the star?? and who has been flashed? and what does that cord attach to??"

and of course, all that it has to say about the role of ethics on the military and about the suppression of the individual in these circumstances is gorgeous.

and if you like this book, be sure to check out o.s.c's many review of snacks and other sundries:


this one is pretty informative

i am sorry this review is crap, but i am supposed to be studying for a midterm. plus, almost everyone has already read this, so it's not like i am discovering anything here.

come to my blog!

In an effort to branch out in my reading ventures this year and try different genres, I decided on Orson Scott Card’s classic modern Sci Fi, Ender’s Game. The book won every award going (Hugo, Nebular, etc) and has a huge reputation. Is this reputation earned? Let’s find out…

The story itself is a mix between Harry Potter and the movie Full Metal Jacket, set in outer space. The protagonist Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is selected at the tender age of six to attend the International Federation’s battle commander academy based on a space station. A precocious, young boy is sent to a school for the gifted, with the weight of humanity’s hopes on his shoulders. The children there are divided into groups that have various animals and mystical creatures as their logo. Sound familiar?

“Welcome to the human race. Nobody controls his own life, Ender. The best you can do is choose to be controlled by good people, by people who love you.”


The story is set roughly two hundred years in the future and there’s a great deal of complex developments in play. High levels of government control, propaganda, restrictions on the number of children a family can have, all amidst first contact with a hostile alien race sparking inter galactic war. I’m going to put my English Lit’ student hat on and say there are a number of important theme’s tackled, including the nature of humanity, how we often fear what we do not understand and if the ends truly justify the means. That’s all I’m saying as I don’t want to spoil anything for you.

Card’s writing can best be described as “good enough.” He’s not going to blow you away with metaphors and imagery, but the story is key in this one and the standard is easily good enough to get this across to the reader. It’s a relatively short, fast paced read and the only thing I can think of that would really put people off is the strategy and tactics that play a part in the description of the games played at the command school. If you’re a sports and military tactics fan like myself though you’ll eat them up and they are a fundamental part of the story and very well done.



So to close things off, Ender’s Game is a story that I didn’t think I was going to enjoy but ended up loving. Is it my favourite type of story…no. But what it is, is a fantastically brilliant story and one hundred percent, essential sci fi reading. A definite classic and it’s getting 4.5 stars from me rounded up to five. It’s convinced me to continue my sci-fi journey at the expense of being branded a complete geek. Who cares, life’s to short and there’s so many great stories out there to worry about that. Peace Out!