by Orson Scott Card
A trip to the future introduces a great character with
age-old problems
Reviewed by: William K. Wolfrum
About William K. Wolfrum
Sometimes you read a book and, somewhere in the middle of it, you
realize that it has become a life-changing event. My wife recently had
one of those situations when she was seduced by John Irving's "A Widow
for One Year." While this literary cuckoldry would fit well in an
Irving novel, the main point was that it was her first experience with
John Irving, and a whole new world had opened up for her.
Such were my feelings when I read "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card.
Not only did I stumble upon a gifted author, I was introduced in grand
style to a new genre -- science fiction. For any of you sci-fi
neophytes out there, I can not recommend Card's work strongly enough.
While his stories are still packed with interesting technology, what
carries his stories are the characters. In Andrew "Ender" Wiggins, Card
created a character that has stood the test of time and gained
momentum.
The story is based in the future, after Earth is attacked and nearly
destroyed by bug-like aliens. A young, brilliant Ender is taken away
from his family to a training area in space, where he and other
overachieving youngsters take part in realistic war games. How Ender
survives his trials with his peers and his teachers is a mesmerizing
read.
"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," Ender's sister Valentine wisely tells him. In the end,
Ender finds out who loves him, who doesn't, and many other harsh
realities for such a young man.
Free of the occasional Mormon-preachery that Card sometimes falls into
(see: "Lost Boys"), "Ender's Game" is a powerful read. Free from an
Asminov-orgy of technicalities, the book can hook both sci-fi and
non-sci-fi lovers. Also, as with most science fiction books, there are
several sequels, so a reader can follow Andrew Wiggin and his sister
Valentine through the years.
Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Ender's Game
Copyright © by William K. Wolfrum, 2002
Reviewed by William K. Wolfrum:
-- Ender's Game - by Orson Scott Card
-- In the Heart of the Sea - by Nathaniel Philbrick
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