If you employ the services of your favourite inquiry apparatus to scan the content of this rather marvellous electric webternet you will be presented with many reports that Ender’s Game author Orson Scott Card is considered to have lost a few of the cards from his deck. Having read some of these dispatches I must stress that I disagree with his views and find some of them quite appalling, but I don’t see this as a reason not to read this novel.
That said, Ender’s Game won both the Hugo and Nebula awards and, despite it’s author’s unorthodox outlook, is considered by many to be a classic of the sci-fi genre. The novel has also been made into a movie which I’m keen to see – though I suspect I may end up waiting for the DVD rather than watching it on the big screen. So I decided to set any further consideration of Card’s opinions to one side and read the book.
Ender’s Game introduces us to Andrew Wiggin (Ender) who is enrolled in Battle School where children are trained to fight in a war against an alien race known as “buggers”. It soon becomes apparent that Ender has a talent for leadership and, seen by some as mankind’s best chance to win the war, is promoted to Command School.
It is difficult to say much more about this book without revealing plot details that will spoil things for other readers. I can say that I found Ender’s story thoroughly absorbing and something of a page turner. It’s a well-paced sci-fi thriller which packs quite a bit into its 300+ pages.
There are a few violent scenes depicted in the book and having children as the protagonists in these is somewhat unsettling. Ender’s abusive treatment by the adults that provide his military schooling is also somewhat disturbing but then Ender, through his actions, is not necessarily deserving of the heroic accolades he receives come concluding scenes. The book has drawn some criticism for this (notably by John Kessel in his essay Creating the Innocent Killer: Ender’s Game, Intention and Morality – a very worthwhile read btw but you should read the book first). So there is much to provoke thought should you be so inclined.
Of course, I prefer to set the criticism and examination of the book’s intended message to one side and enjoy it as the entertaining slice of sci-fi that it undoubtedly is.