Ender's Game - Orson S. Card

I was recommended the book when I was but a child myself. Although I enjoyed it immensely, I realise now that I have read it again recently that there is no way that I would have understood it's brilliance the first time I read it. This is a science fiction story set far in the future. After an invasion by a race of insects, the earth is looking for potential leaders for the future and instead of looking in the barrel, they go to the tree. Children are tested from an early age to see whether they have the potential intellectually, physically and most importantly psychologically to lead the earth in the defence of the planet for a future war ...  Read the complete review

OK, I am going to try and do justice to this book in the following opinion. If you read the book afterwards, you will realise nothing can do this book justice. First things first, a brief overview. The story is set in the future after an alien race has attacked the Earth. Humankind was almost defeated and on the brink of defeat until one commander with exceptional tactical skills managed to single-handedly fight off the invasion. Because of the attack and the demonstration of what a good commander can achive, the Earth's military set about a program whereby all children showing above average intelligence are continously monitored through childhood and if ...  Read the complete review

Ender's Game is an extraordinary book, and already a sci-fi classic, and one of only a handful of books that I have read in one sitting, not being able to tear myself away from it. Andrew (Ender) Wiggin is a Third, an additional child that the government of this future Earth has allowed his parents to bear because his two sibling precursors have shown genius of their own. As the government hoped, Ender is more brilliant than Peter or Valentine, and so they recruit him to Battle School. The children in Battle School, a space station, are being trained to be the future commanders of Earth's interplanetary military forces, and Ender is being groomed to be ...  Read the complete review

I have never really called myself a fan of science fiction, and very rarely enjoy a novel in the genre. Someone recommended Ender's Game, suggesting that it would change my opinion. As an English Teacher, I have read my fair share of books, and I was particularly enthralled in this one. I won't regurgitate the plot, as that can easily be found on one of many websites, but the strength of the writing, and the emotional journey that the reader follows as Ender realises his fate is gripping. The description of Ender's interaction with other characters,and the development of his relationships allows your imagination to delve into his world. If you ...  Read the complete review

If you're not into science fiction you probably won't be reading this review, which, apart from making this sentence a waste of electronic paper, is also a great shame because Ender's Game is one of those rare books that would be universally enjoyed. On the face of it Ender's Game is a story involving inter-stellar conflict between humans and aliens. Take a look beneath the covers however and the ingenuity of the author is fully revealed. Early novels by Scott Card, such as 'A Planet Called Treason', showcase an excellent writing style combined with creative ideas. Ender's Game inherits both these qualities but Scott Card combines ...  Read the complete review