Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game (The Ender Saga) Review

Overall Rating

Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game - This was my absolute favourite book as a teenager. Even now, well into adulthood, I can still pick it up every 3 or 4 years and happily reread it from cover to cover without experiencing a moment of boredom. It tells the story of a young boy, Andrew Wiggin (or Ender) who is genetically engineered to be super-intelligent and a genius at military strategy in order to, at some point in the distant future, command the army of Earth in their struggle for survival against the invading "Bugger" army. Two wars have already been fought and the planet knows that it cannot survive a third without a military genius to lead the fight. In the early pages, Ender is whisked off to Battle School, a giant, floating satellite full of genius children being trained to lead armies where he is challenged, taught and isolated, all to make him a great leader.

In the background, Ender's siblings, the sweet and placid Valentine and the evil, plotting Peter begin to enact their own plan to gain a voice in any new world political order which may develop after the war.

To say much more would be to give away the superb ending, but this book, along with being a superb science-fiction tale, also has a very Darwinian theme, and describes the lonliness and isolation of leadership.

Ender is a great humanitarian and provides an amazing and stark contrast to the more cruel elements at his school from his bullying classmates to the manipulative teaching staff, showing that his humanity, particularly with all its flaws, is what makes him a great leader.

Read this. Read the sequel. Bask in its literary glory.