The American Empire has grown too fast, and the fault lines at home are stressed to the breaking point. The war of words between Right and Left has...
read full description
reviews
Apr 02, 2008
Tim
rated it: 
I have to say that Orson Scott Card has got to be one of the most intelligent authors I have read. He is very sensible and knows how to get to the real issues. I really liked the story of Empire however the way in which this story is told I did not like. I recently attended one of Cards lectures on how he writes and how he comes up with ideas for stories and I found out that he doesn't ever write a second draft. He rewrites his first draft several times because he believes that the actual li
More...
Apr 22, 2011
Becky
rated it: 
This was an interesting look at how a new civil war in the US might occur. I think that this is one of those books that you should read twice to really get the full measure of the story. I listened to it on audio, and a lot of the time that I was listening to it, I was listening but not focusing intently, so I may have missed a lot of the nuances of the story. However, that being said, I do think that it was very smart and well written, and plausible.
Many people might take offense t More...
Many people might take offense t More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Dan
rated it: 
This is the story of a group of left wing militants who try to take of the US with high tech weaponry.
This book was not very good. Card is a good writer, but this is not his best writing. The characters are static and unbelievable. It reads like a script to an action movie: it is fast paced and there is a lot of action.
Also, this book is fair and balanced like fox news. The left wing extreme in this book holds beliefs that only a small, unmobilized percentage of the p More...
This book was not very good. Card is a good writer, but this is not his best writing. The characters are static and unbelievable. It reads like a script to an action movie: it is fast paced and there is a lot of action.
Also, this book is fair and balanced like fox news. The left wing extreme in this book holds beliefs that only a small, unmobilized percentage of the p More...
4 comments
like
(7 people liked it)
Feb 09, 2008
John
rated it:
An interesting exploration in American potentials. Yet applying Orson Scott Card's usual character perfection to a world much closer to our own is slightly out of place. Worth a read once for being a thriller, psychological thriller, and Yet Another Scott Card Book, it leads you to think about where our political extremism is headed. If you watch alongside Ken Burns' Civil War documentary, it strikes impressive similarities.
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Feb 07, 2011
Rollie
rated it:
I thought I could not finish reading this book. Not because I didn’t like it but because of my busy schedule. School work, feasibility study, exams and now we’re having a general cleaning. See, how can I sneak up just to read this? Fortunately, instead of resting, I read this book. Yay! Thanks to my reading buddy Juan este Kwesi Ian Jay who finished reading this book first. (his review)
After reading Ender’s Shadow and loving it; after hearing a lot of praises about Ender’s Game; I t More...
After reading Ender’s Shadow and loving it; after hearing a lot of praises about Ender’s Game; I t More...
102 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jan 19, 2009
Cristy
rated it:
I'm proud to say that this book is the fruition of a dream of my brother's, Donald and Geremy. They came up with the idea for a Video game, which is currently in production and will be out later in 2009, but Orson Scott Card loved the idea and wanted to write the book. So after much consultation with the Mustard's, the book was written, the first in a trilogy. It is important to know that it is only the beginning of the story, otherwise the ending will feel very unsatisfactory. My major grie
More...
Jun 11, 2008
Jared
rated it:
It was recomended that I read this book because it deals with politics. Though this is something I am interested in this book seemed entirely too one sided. It was more a polemic than a novel, and its attempts to be non-baised were far outweighed by the moments of its blatant one sidedness. If you are a strong supporter of the right and think that our patriotic duty is to not question either the president or the military then you would like this book. If, on the other hand, you think that th
More...
0 comments
like
(7 people liked it)
May 06, 2008
Franziska
rated it:
I could not finish the book, and stopped half way through. It gets one star because it wasn't the worst thing a person could read. It was just one of the worst books I've read in a while. I feel like my IQ dropped steadily with each page I read. I haven't read anything else of Card's books, but I think he really should stay away from political themes. It just made me wanna puke. Sure, it's just fiction, but I actually felt Card was sharing his political views in the book just as much as he share
More...
2 comments
like
(8 people liked it)
Feb 02, 2009
Alan
rated it:
Not one of his best. This one is convoluted and proves that Card should not try to write the techno-thriller. It also proves that he should stay out of politics. I didn't like too much that he never answers (only hints at) one of the main questions of the book. I also didn't care at all for the ending.
Aug 04, 2011
Just pretend for a moment: imagine if I said that a book, based on a video game, written by a Mormon who specializes in science-fiction, and is as heavily didactic as a Dan Brown novel, would actually be a very good and thoughtful book? You would (rightly) say that I am mad. Yet I am not.
The fact that Orson Scott Card actually managed to pull off this stunt--never minding his necessarily bizarre Mormon worldview--demonstrates he is a fiction writer of the highest calibre. I'm not going to r More...
The fact that Orson Scott Card actually managed to pull off this stunt--never minding his necessarily bizarre Mormon worldview--demonstrates he is a fiction writer of the highest calibre. I'm not going to r More...
Mar 22, 2009
Moses Operandi
rated it:
I enjoyed this completely improbable version of America where militant partisan feeling drives the nation once again to civil war. This takes the form of a leftist rebellion during the middle years of the Bush administration (after his and most of his administration's deaths in the first section) that conquers New York and some other liberal states. That sounds like a recipe for outcry from the Left, but as the characters stress over and over, it could have been a right-wing military coup just a
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 02, 2012
Miles
rated it:
I never thought I could hate a book so much. I thought Battlefield Earth would be the low point of my reading life.
There is an interesting idea here, that's the thing. The idea of a New American Civil War (although I would say that the book's idea of it being Blue and Red is now outdated. If there is to be a Civil War in the US, it will be between Rich and Poor) is a potentially fascinating subject for a book. If done correctly. This means without bias. I may be left-leaning but I More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 15, 2012
Tamara
rated it: 
While not one of Card's best books, I did enjoy it. The main character is hired to find ways that enemies may be able to attack the White House, with the idea being that it would help the good guys defend it. After his presentation, terrorists attack the White House in the exact way he suggested they could, so he is suspected of planning the attack. The story continues from there leading to an all out modern day civil war in the United States.
I love how Card's intelligence is written i More...
I love how Card's intelligence is written i More...
Dec 30, 2011
Timothy
rated it:
I totally enjoyed Empire. I thought it was engaging and entertaining. I thought the premise was just as good, if not better, than Clancy-like situations. I liked the characters. I liked the action.
The political overtones, made explicit in the afterward, sat just fine with me, with its criticism of fanaticism on both sides. I thought that the sparkle of plausibility was there, and the sci-fi twists were no problem to integrate.
I really liked Malich and Cole. The whole "in More...
The political overtones, made explicit in the afterward, sat just fine with me, with its criticism of fanaticism on both sides. I thought that the sparkle of plausibility was there, and the sci-fi twists were no problem to integrate.
I really liked Malich and Cole. The whole "in More...
Sep 30, 2011
Cori
rated it:
I thought the premise of the book was fascinating — an American civil war between red and blue, though it wasn’t between states, but more between large cities vs the suburbs and rural areas. Watch the news and you’d think this was about to happen! I’ve read some of Card’s writing about politics, and I can agree with quite a bit of it, so I thought this would be a really interesting look at a possible future. The plots itself races along, though I thought it would be bigger and more epic than it
More...
Jul 05, 2011
James
rated it:
In Empire, Card paints a chillingly plausible picture of a near future civil war, brought on by the differences between the extreme left-wing liberals and the ultra-conservative right. I steered away from this novel when it first hit the shelves, but recently picked it up in audiobook form from the library for a road trip. I'm a fan of Card's other works and I can't really say what turned me off about Empire when I first saw it in the book store, but I can say that I was wrong to wait. It's a su
More...
May 31, 2011
Electrocutus
rated it:
Orson Scott Card is one of my favourite writers. I have loved every book of his that I have read over the years... until Empire.
This book was very disappointing, and really not up to the quality writing standards I have come to expect of Mr. Card.
First, I have to say that I really do not care what Mr. Card's political views are. If he wrote an interesting and intellectually challenging story with fully fleshed out and plausible characters on both sides, I would enjoy it very much, r More...
This book was very disappointing, and really not up to the quality writing standards I have come to expect of Mr. Card.
First, I have to say that I really do not care what Mr. Card's political views are. If he wrote an interesting and intellectually challenging story with fully fleshed out and plausible characters on both sides, I would enjoy it very much, r More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 03, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
I spent some time wavering on this book between three and four stars--which is unusual for me. Card is one of my favorite authors. I have thoroughly enjoyed his explorations into other cultures, including alien ones, in the Ender series. I love his Alvin Maker series, the rewrite of American history that is included.
And I really like the idea and development of the idea that is contained in Empire. But. I think I have an easier time reading his other novels because I don't hav More...
And I really like the idea and development of the idea that is contained in Empire. But. I think I have an easier time reading his other novels because I don't hav More...
Apr 12, 2011
John
rated it:
Here on the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War, it seems perfectly appropriate to post this review of Orson Scott Card's Empire, a novel that imagines a new civil war in a fictionalized modern America.
The premise is simple enough: as the rhetoric between America's right and left has grown more heated, the country has become more divided and ripe for a civil war. The dividing lines here are not so simple as red state / blue state, but instead leans toward an urba More...
The premise is simple enough: as the rhetoric between America's right and left has grown more heated, the country has become more divided and ripe for a civil war. The dividing lines here are not so simple as red state / blue state, but instead leans toward an urba More...
Jan 25, 2011
Laura
rated it:
I thought the concept behind this book was really good. Basically, it's a story about how the political rhetoric between the right and left in this country could lead to all out civil war. (It was even more interesting to be reading this right when Congresswoman Giffords was shot, and everyone became very critical of hateful rhetoric.) However, I thought the first part of the story was believable, but the second part delved too much into sci fi. Obviously, Card is a sci fi author, but I felt thi
More...
Dec 22, 2010
Stasa
rated it:
I will keep my review “fairly” brief, after scanning a number of the positive and negative reviews. I have no problem with the main characters having a conservative point of view. I do have a problem with the execution of the writing. As I pursue my own masters in creative writing, I am stunned by how Card violates some of his own advice from his two good books on writing (Character and Viewpoint; How to write science fiction). Whether you call this science fiction, or an espionage/thriller,
More...
Apr 16, 2010
Dlora
rated it:
This slightly-science-fiction story is set just barely in the future. In fact, the setting is so true to the present American political scene, that many of the references to TV personalities, government officials, and political trends will soon make the book out-dated. It postulates a possible second American civil war between the extremists of the Left and the extremists of the Right set off by a terrorist assassination of the US president and vice president. There is lots of nonstop action and
More...
Feb 11, 2010
Matt
rated it:
It's rare that I get to use the term "puerile shit," especially when it comes to one of my favorite authors, Orson Scott Card.
However, 'Empire' afforded me that opportunity -- in spades-- and before I'd finished this right-wing-infused manifesto thinly disguised as a novel, I had many, many other opportunities to generate even more graphic and offensive terminology.
OSC's foray into the techno-thriller world dominated by Clancys, Coonts, and Browns, is mediocre More...
However, 'Empire' afforded me that opportunity -- in spades-- and before I'd finished this right-wing-infused manifesto thinly disguised as a novel, I had many, many other opportunities to generate even more graphic and offensive terminology.
OSC's foray into the techno-thriller world dominated by Clancys, Coonts, and Browns, is mediocre More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Oct 12, 2009
Jason
rated it:
I think 3 stars may be too generous, but I enjoyed the book and it was a fairly quick read. I liked the premise and plot of the book - America in civil war with the sides being the political left and right. I don't quite agree with some of the reviews I've seen claiming Card's writing in this is too far to the right. I felt he showed the idiocy of extremism on both sides of the political spectrum, and if it came across as too conservative that may be a result of having the major characters be
More...
Aug 05, 2009
Michelle
rated it:
When a so called American "progressive" party tries to take over the U.S., a small group of well-trained special ops soldiers swoop in to save the day. Mayhem ensues as the nation is split between the extreme left and right, and Americans are pitted against one another in a battle over ideologies too disparate to reconcile.
I found the novel lacked any real depth. The characters were stereotypical, which is ironic because in the end, Card includes an afterword that decri More...
I found the novel lacked any real depth. The characters were stereotypical, which is ironic because in the end, Card includes an afterword that decri More...
Jul 27, 2009
Pickle
rated it:
Ugh, what a terrible book. What happened to you Mr. Card, where did you go, and when did a crazy neo-con steal your soul and your body?
I used to love Orson Scott Card. Seriously, when I was a kid I read every single one of his published books, even saints (despite the fact that I hated and continue to dislike the Mormon church). His books were subversive and unique. Even when he stole subject matter from other authors, he used the ideas in a new way and talked about something meaning More...
I used to love Orson Scott Card. Seriously, when I was a kid I read every single one of his published books, even saints (despite the fact that I hated and continue to dislike the Mormon church). His books were subversive and unique. Even when he stole subject matter from other authors, he used the ideas in a new way and talked about something meaning More...
0 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Apr 11, 2009
Carlos
rated it: 
Orson Scott Card proves to me he can write amazing things outside of the Ender series. This novel deals with conspiracy, presidential assassination (not refered to as George W. Bush, but definitely implied), the beginnings of an american civil war, and the man who must find the truth in order to clear his name and restore the United States to balance.
The balance of what? That's the real issue, the meat of the story, the moral. The author speaks, after the conclusion of the novel, More...
The balance of what? That's the real issue, the meat of the story, the moral. The author speaks, after the conclusion of the novel, More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Nov 23, 2008
Maria
rated it:
I've read reams of science fiction over the years, but this is the first Orson Scott Card book I've read. Odd for a sci-fi geek I know, but it just worked out that way. A friend gave me the book. What that means is that I had no prior bias when I read the book. I knew nothing about the author's politics or how good/bad any prior books are, so I'm basing my review on the actual story and my thoughts while reading it.
It became obvious early on that it was a "right leaning" st More...
It became obvious early on that it was a "right leaning" st More...
Jan 11, 2011
Winnie
rated it:
The American Empire has grown too fast, and the fault lines at home are stressed to the breaking point. The war of words between Right and Left has collapsed into a shooting war, though most people just want to be left alone.
The battle rages between the high-technology weapons on one side, and militia foot-soldiers on the other, devastating the cities, and overrunning the countryside. But the vast majority, who only want the killing to stop, and the nation to return to more peaceful da More...
The battle rages between the high-technology weapons on one side, and militia foot-soldiers on the other, devastating the cities, and overrunning the countryside. But the vast majority, who only want the killing to stop, and the nation to return to more peaceful da More...
Feb 22, 2010
Jeff
rated it:
Empire is an interesting look at what forces in today's world could combine to spark a second U.S. Civil War. It was written to accompany a video game of the same theme, and therefore suffers from being hastily written.
I didn't feel that the book was very well planned out. The action seems to move a little too quickly, and the main characters find themselves at the center of it without real plausible reasons for being there.
Despite these major shortcomings, I gave this More...
I didn't feel that the book was very well planned out. The action seems to move a little too quickly, and the main characters find themselves at the center of it without real plausible reasons for being there.
Despite these major shortcomings, I gave this More...
