Wow. I really disliked this book. Putting aside what I thought about the writing (mediocre) and the argument (it seems to be, essentially, a lengthy defense of genocide), Ender's Game bored the crap out of me. Ender is six, and we can tell he's really, really smart because he figures out that 1. you have to really beat the sh*t out of (or, heck, even kill) people who pick on you because otherwise they'll keep picking on you and 2. there's no up or down in zero gravity. So they send him off to Battle School to compete in endless fake battles with a bunch of other ethnic stereotypes/kids, who, oddly, are often naked (and sometimes in the shower together, fighting) and must be described as such over and over again by Card (who, interestingly, is a tireless political activist against gay marriage)....where was I? Oh, yes. So they have these battles, and we get to hear about pretty much every single one of them in excruciating detail. Even though Ender absolutely always wins, so there's really not much suspense. Also, there's squirrel torture. There really should be a "Warning: Squirrel torture!" label on this book, because I love squirrels, and I hate it when people torture them. Then there's a surprise! twist! at the end, or at least near the end. And video games. And witty insults like "fart-breath." I did not care for this book. Book #8; snarky review #1.
3 comments:
I remember liking this book as a kid, but since I was bullied pretty continually, it may simply have spoken of the world as I knew it.
I need to re-read the Tales of Alvin Maker series and see if it holds up the second time around. The Folk of the Fringe, a set of post-apocalyptic short stories about Mormons traveling to Salt Lake City, was interesting enough that I read it more than once.
Where is the good sci-fi for kids? I haven't found it yet.
In the second or third book Ender feels horrible about the genocide he helped commit and goes on a quest to save the species (there are a few egg pods left somewhere, or something.) Yes, it's not great writing, like most sci fi. And like I told you before they get increasingly worse as the series goes on, but I did really like Ender's Game when I read it as a kid. It was gratifying to see how self-sufficient he was, I think. Now that I have a 5 year old it seems very wrong that Ender is doing all this while he's 6, but ages of young kids didn't mean much to me when I was in high school.
It's ok if you don't like it though!
I don't understand WHY science fiction writing isn't better, though! Is it that they use up all their energy thinking up cool plot devices and there's nothing left over for actual good writing? Yes, I can see how Ender's Game would appeal more to kids than grown-ups. Or to people who find video games more compelling than I do.
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