Raeden Zen's Blog, page 424
June 19, 2013
Book Review: Ender's Game
Constant Followers,
So, this is new for me.
With the understanding that my buddies differ on the plethora of social networks I frequent, going forward I’m going to be adding reviews that I place on Amazon and Goodreads to TUMBLR separately. Hope you find my thoughts interesting and entertaining.
Best,
R. Zen
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An Epic Feat of Storytelling
“I’ve watched through his eyes, I’ve listened through his ears, and I tell you he’s the one. Or at least as close as we’re going to get.” –Colonel Graff
Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is the child prodigy destined to save the human race from extinction. He has a child’s mind but a supercomputer’s intellect and he struggles with the monumental task of defeating an enemy that he has never known or seen. He is a walking paradox, a natural born killer with sympathy, a child masquerading around as a man, a reluctant leader against the “buggers.” By the time we meet Ender, the buggers have already attempted two invasions of Earth. They are a superior race with a collective mind; a third invasion could well be on the way.
And so the people of Earth turn to a so-called “third,” - a third born in an overpopulated world where “thirds” are rare - to take on the buggers. But they aren’t a hundred percent sure he’s their boy. So they put him through a series of trials and war games to determine his lethality and cunning and intelligence in commanding an army in war.
The prose is smooth as water, the dialogue pitch perfect, the use of metaphor and irony perfectly placed and by the end of “Ender’s Game” you’ll feel like you fought in the Battle Room. That you know Ender. That you know Peter and Valentine. That you know Alai and Hot Soup and Dink and Bean and Commander Graff and Major Anderson. And of course, after you read the final chapter, “The Speaker for the Dead,” you’ll feel like you know the buggers too.
“…I’m very good…”
“Would you expect less?” she said. “You’re a Wiggin.”
“Whatever that means,” he said.
“It means you are going to make a difference in this world.”
This exchange between Valentine and Ender is what makes this tale so sad; children robbed of their innocence in a paranoid world. Ender isn’t even a teenager when he endures the abuse of the Battle and Commander Schools – he is Colonel Graff’s pawn in a galactic game of chess, a game the colonel believes he can win because no species with intelligence could do what he was doing; no intelligent species could willingly and systematically turn children into warriors.
It is this fundamental breakdown of morals in a futuristic world that makes “Ender’s Game” resonate so strongly.
The bottom line: “Ender’s Game” is speculative fiction at its finest. Ender is the heart and soul of the story; the psychology of human behavior explored through the eyes of a phenom in a futuristic galaxy at war as humans’ insatiable taste for conflict bares its ugly teeth in the most destructive manner possible. Fight with Ender. Win with Ender. Above all, learn from Ender, from his mistakes and victories and his struggle with morality.
sumpunkkidwithtattoos:
“Enchanted River - Phillipines ‘NO ONE...
“Enchanted River - Phillipines
‘NO ONE HAS EVER REACHED ITS BOTTOM’
Enchanted River is found in the Phillipines. It is called “enchanted” because no one has ever reached its bottom. Many people, including scuba divers have tried reaching for the bottom but have failed, hence the legend of its bottomless pit. Moreover, locals share that NOBODY has been successful in catching the fish in this river, whether by hand or by spear.
They say its bluish color is a result of its depth and the water clarity changes throughout the day. At around 12:00pm, the water becomes clearer and even more majestic.”
