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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Ughh, I had so much trouble with this little book. I think it will be my last book by Orson Scott Card. Ender was better, and this one just didn't work for me. I've only read two OSC books, but both that I have read have had prefaces written by Orson Scott Card, in which he talks about his favorite person, Orson Scott Card. Orson Scott Card wants to let you know that Orson Scott Card is an amazing auther, and a brilliant mind. Orson Scott Card has no problem talking at length about Orson Scott Card. He wants you to know that there is at least one person who can cut through all the uselessness of character development and plot, and it's Orson Scott Card. Orson Scott Card will showcase a few letters he as been written telling him how amazing an author he is and how he changed the lives of so many people who have read the works of Orson Scott Card.
After reading Ender's Game, my favorite SF novel of all time, the sequel brought me down quite a lot. A bit too philosophical for my taste, and not in an interesting way.
I just finished this and wow, it is definitely as good as Enders Game.
I was at first very wary of reading this. People had said it was vastly different from Enders Game, which it was, but I battled on, mainly because I love OSC's writing.
Although vastly different, Ender's character is just as good. His journey is almost inspirational, even though he was the cause of the Xenocide.
I did find it slightly confusing at times, especially with all the Portuguese wrapped into it. Yet once you got past half way, it truly blossomed into an amazing, philosophical book about what we consider 'human'.
I will definitely continue with the rest of the series.
I was at first very wary of reading this. People had said it was vastly different from Enders Game, which it was, but I battled on, mainly because I love OSC's writing.
Although vastly different, Ender's character is just as good. His journey is almost inspirational, even though he was the cause of the Xenocide.
I did find it slightly confusing at times, especially with all the Portuguese wrapped into it. Yet once you got past half way, it truly blossomed into an amazing, philosophical book about what we consider 'human'.
I will definitely continue with the rest of the series.
I highly recommend this one to any fan of sci-fi. A couple of friends recommended this one to me and I'm glad they did. I'd read Ender's Game a long while back, probably early 2000s and I loved it but very much associated it with military sci-fi so I was in no way prepared for this brilliant, thoughtful novel which is as much about humanity as it is about science fiction.
Having learned from their mistakes and (near) genocide of the Formics, humans are trying to take a more 'hands off' approach with the adorable yet inexplicably barbaric Pequeninos. Alas, we 'human it up' anyway and of course things go terribly awry. I loved the creativity Card displays on the Pequeninos three "lives," the AI girlfriend Jane and the emerging science of xenology. Very fun stuff :)
Having learned from their mistakes and (near) genocide of the Formics, humans are trying to take a more 'hands off' approach with the adorable yet inexplicably barbaric Pequeninos. Alas, we 'human it up' anyway and of course things go terribly awry. I loved the creativity Card displays on the Pequeninos three "lives," the AI girlfriend Jane and the emerging science of xenology. Very fun stuff :)
Orson Scott Card is an amazing story teller, who can take almost any scenario and turn it into an amazing book. Saying he doesn't disappoint here would be a complete understatement. All of the Enders Game books that came before this led up to this book. The complexity of the story in it's science, religion, philosophy and language is breathtaking. Ender's character has been developing for 3,000 years, as has one of the major conflicts of this story. It delves into what love and trust are at levels that you'll rarely find elsewhere, and the beauty of the interaction of characters, their sacrifices, their differences and cultures and practices literally brought tears to my eyes.
The universe is getting more and more populated, with a 100 worlds with populations on them. Immediate communication is possible, but physical travel between the worlds, even at near light speed, is an example of relativity. A week that you will experience as 2 weeks will take 20 years for those on Earth like gravity. And while habitable planets have been found life, or at least sentient life, has not been found. It's seeming like other than man and the buggers, maybe there isn't life. In that context, what Ender did that was interpreted as saving the human race at the time, that he didn't even know he was doing then, is seen as xenocide now, and his name is the most hated. Little do people know that the reviled Ender of 3000 years ago is the first Speaker for the Dead, traveling from planet to planet, speaking, lecturing, and searching for something that would make up for what he did.
The universe is getting more and more populated, with a 100 worlds with populations on them. Immediate communication is possible, but physical travel between the worlds, even at near light speed, is an example of relativity. A week that you will experience as 2 weeks will take 20 years for those on Earth like gravity. And while habitable planets have been found life, or at least sentient life, has not been found. It's seeming like other than man and the buggers, maybe there isn't life. In that context, what Ender did that was interpreted as saving the human race at the time, that he didn't even know he was doing then, is seen as xenocide now, and his name is the most hated. Little do people know that the reviled Ender of 3000 years ago is the first Speaker for the Dead, traveling from planet to planet, speaking, lecturing, and searching for something that would make up for what he did.
BORING! Moving along to something I actually want to read.
One of the most comprehensive books that I have read. It is by far the best of the books about Ender.
The story really resonate with me what with the expanse of time and emotional trauma that Andrew "Ender" Wiggins go through.
The story really resonate with me what with the expanse of time and emotional trauma that Andrew "Ender" Wiggins go through.
While the beginning was a slow burn, as soon as Ender entered the foray the book became immediately interesting.
I found that the first act was slow and boring, and if I came into this book immediately finishing enders game, probably would have put it down.
But given the completely different direction this book went, and the philosophical ramifications of meeting of a new species and how he thought we would deal with the situation really gave me and my girlfriend some food for thought.
I disliked the familial aspect of the book, but cannot deny that it was well written.
I found that the first act was slow and boring, and if I came into this book immediately finishing enders game, probably would have put it down.
But given the completely different direction this book went, and the philosophical ramifications of meeting of a new species and how he thought we would deal with the situation really gave me and my girlfriend some food for thought.
I disliked the familial aspect of the book, but cannot deny that it was well written.
I don't think of myself as a science fiction fan and I never specifically LOOK for science fiction books, but I find that I frequently DO enjoy them (Ready Player One and The Eyre Affair jump to mind as recent SF faves). On a long road trip, Ry brought Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead to listen to while we drive. I enjoyed both. We did not finish Speaker on the drive and I was engrossed so I came home to pick up the book and finish. The transition from listening to reading this novel was a bit rough because the names were not spelled the way I had imagined and that slowed me down. Once I got adjusted, I couldn't put it down. I recommend that if you read this book, you do not read it without having read Ender's Game first. Ender's Game has a much simpler plot but includes some important background for understanding Speaker for the Dead.
Where Ender's Game was great, this one was absolutely phenomenal. Not just superb science fiction, but superb literature. The depth and care expressed throughout the book is something that left me in awe. I found the compassion which was shown to all the characters is something so important to the human experience and one not often explored in the ways this book does. A part that really stood out to me was when Ender was left alone without the two people who had supported him and had to pursue things on his own. It was said that Ender had been given just enough from these two that he had never realized that he could need more. This idea of complacency and comfort was one I enjoyed the story exploring. I also thought the twist involving how the plants and animals were one was really moving. I hadn't expected to be moved to tears as many times as I was by this book. The joys, sorrows, and moments of understanding and confusion were ones I will remember a long time. I find that this book is also awesome from an anthropological, cultural, and social perspective. The way these various groups come together in the book offers a lot of food for thought. And the idea of a speaker for the dead is such a powerful one, it makes me think of how if we take the time to look at our lives without judgement we might be able to see things we hadn't seen before. This book has earned a place well in my heart.