October 2013 Themed Read - Speaker for the Dead

[Megan]

Sorry I'm late getting this up! I was unexpectedly without computer access for a couple of days.

So, Speaker for the Dead...discuss.

[Megan]

A note: to keep this from becoming a discussion of Orson Scott Card and his politics (which I think should be discussed!), can I suggest that we split this into two spaces? Those wanting to talk about those issues would probably find the Orson Scott Card author thread a congenial home, and that way we can also discuss this specific book here.

[Banner]

There were several years between my reading of Ender's Game and Speaker. I'm going to reread Ender's before the movie comes out. I guess the first thing is the stark difference between the two books. But once I got over that I was able to get into the story. It was very interesting to see the older Ender, while still an amazing person he is still very human.

[Kevin]

I love the book. As Orson Scott Card wrote in the the introduction to the book, without this book, there would never would have been Ender's Game because he needed to develop the character of Ender first.

[Kevin]

I find at least specially with Ender's Game a story that is similar if not exactly like Jesus, and this book is just the what happened when Ender is reborn after he died (figuratively) at the end of Ender's Game.

[Denisse]

Well so far I'm really intrigued by the mystery surrounding the Piggies culture. Still don't know what's up with the females though. I like that Jane considers herself (itself?) a new race.

[Álvaro]

This is NOT a re-writing of "Ender´s game". It´s something completely different. And, in my opinión, as good as the first one.

[Stephen]

I loved the concept of Jane (Skynet on a galactic scale). Piggie culture was so-so. The Speaker concept was novel to me in the same way as Living Funerals (presented to me in Tuesday's With Morrie). Roman Catholics in space… really really hard to believe.

I can accept there being some sort of religious population control method for space colonies, but Card's version just didn't work for me, especially with the "scientists". Overall, I felt the book was boring, but worth finishing.

The only reason I read this one is because it is a sequel of Ender's Game. If I read another OSC book it will be Ender's Shadow.

[LindaJ^]

I have all the Ender books. It has been decades since I read Speaker for the Dead and I'm not always sure what books the themes I remember come from. Reading the above comments, however, brought Jane to the forefront. The concept of Jane was, I believe, pretty novel when Speaker was written, at least it was to me. I've seen the concept many times since and it continues to fascinate me.

[Álvaro]

I liked the relationships between Ender and the res of the characters

[George]

I enjoyed the book and loved the concept of a Speaker for the Dead, although not sure how that could work in reality or if it is feasible.

It is a very different book to Ender's Game, some call it preachy, I liked it all the same.

[spikeINflorida]

Totally agree John. Older Ender acted as the bringer of peace via brutal truth. Shattered families and community, conflicting theology, and of course alien cultures. Ender brought them together...with such a cool ending. Sooo glad I read it!