Ender in Exile 507
stoolpigeon writes "Orson Scott Card's work Ender's Game began as a novelette, which he says he wrote as a means of leading up to the full story he had developed, Speaker for the Dead. Ender's Game was published as a full novel in 1985, and won the Hugo and Nebula awards (as did Speaker for the Dead in '86 and '87). I think it is safe to say that Ender's Game is ensconced in its position as a science fiction classic. Now, 23 years later, Card has finished the first direct sequel to Ender's Game in his new novel Ender in Exile."
Keep reading for the rest of JR's review.
While Speaker for the Dead was published right after Ender's Game, there is a huge gap in time between the two stories. Due to the effects of traveling at close to light speed, thousands of years pass between the two novels. Chapter fifteen of Ender's Game does give an explanation of the events that fill that time. Card also went on to write other novels set in the Ender universe that do not involve Ender directly but rather other students from the battle school and family. This makes Ender in Exile more of a 'midquel', a term Card uses in the afterword, than a sequel. Because of this, from a high level view of the plot, readers who have stuck with the saga will not find much new here. This is a closer look at events already related in other books for the most part. | Ender in Exile | |
| author | Orson Scott Card |
| pages | 377 |
| publisher | Tor Books |
| rating | 7 |
| reviewer | JR Peck |
| ISBN | 978-0765304964 |
| summary | A good midquel in the Ender's series |
Card is an able author and this story is solid. Much of it reminded me of some of my favorite classic science fiction. There is colonization, extended periods of life aboard space ships, discovery of alien civilization and not much in the way of hard science. Card's primary purpose is to analyze and consider the human condition as opposed to exploring technological possibilities or theories. Almost everything that is highly advanced is the result of alien technology and is never explained or understood. Much of it functions on an almost mystical or magical level.
Ender is a young adolescent with an incredibly unique life and mind. In this novel we see him transitioning and growing from a youth into a man. I was often reminded of Herbert's Paul Atreides when he was first on the run in the desert with his mother in the book Dune. Ender is aware that he is different and has amazing capabilities but he is unsure just what the full ramifications of that difference are. He is trying to find his place in humanity and in the universe as a whole.
The story encompasses four basic plot lines that flow one to the next. I never felt any great sense of urgency or climax and resolution in the story. Really what it felt like was a thread weaving together pieces from the earlier stories. While the themes and issues were great, sometimes the characters were remote or the working of the issues very subtle. The most impacting and emotional moments relied upon knowledge of events from the other books in the series to carry their full force. In that light the novel is very effective. I think that fans of the Ender series, already biased towards this work, are going to be very pleased and enjoy Ender in Exile greatly. They are going to get to dig just a bit deeper into this world and it's primary character Andrew Wiggin. They will enjoy moments of discovery and the answer to questions that may have been in the back of their minds, possibly for the last twenty years or so.
On the other hand, someone new to the series may not be as enthralled and may find the story to be a bit flat. If I could I would rate this book in two ways. For those who have not read all the other Ender books, a 6 or 7. This is not bad since the book is designed to sit in the middle of an existing set of tales. It is possible that someone could pick this book up without having read a single Ender story or novel and track with it. I think they would even find it interesting if a little flat. But for a fan of the series with a high degree of familiarity with the characters and events of this world it is probably a solid 8 or 9. At the very least, Card has done nothing to tear down what he has built up but has completed a sturdy addition to the body of work.
In the afterword Card has some interesting comments to make about reader involvement in helping him to write this story. He also explains how he would like to approach some discrepancies between this story and what is related at the conclusion to Ender's Game. I thought it was a sign of the times that an author, facing a large and complex world he had created but could not track on his own, was able to use the internet to call upon readers assistance in achieving as much consistency as possible.
This is a thoughtful, well written book. It may even motivate some to dig up an old copy of Ender's Game so that they can relive the enjoyment of a classic and see what is new to find. I think that most will not be disappointed. Some may not be as thrilled as they would hope, but there is something here for any science fiction fan.
On a side note, in conjunction with the release of this new book, Marvel Comics is doing a limited series comic adaptation of the original Ender's Game novel.
You can purchase Ender in Exile from amazon.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
Re:Hey, remember when Ender's Game was good? (Score:2, Informative)
The "review" fails to mention whether the book is as full of proselytising and glorifying christian "values" as his other later books.
Based on the direction his books have twisted in, I would like to know this before I buy (or don't buy).
Re:Hey, remember when Ender's Game was good? (Score:2, Informative)
Card lost his mind. He's a fanatical religious hate-monger. He proposed violently overthrowing the government if gays are given the right to marry. I'm never buying anything he writes again.
Re:Hey, remember when Ender's Game was good? (Score:5, Informative)
I'm not sure - he mentions monogamy as the optimum more than once - but I don't think it would really stand out unless one was already aware of some of the controversy around some of Card's statements on issues.
There is a lot of time contemplating the morality of killing especially in regards to self-defense. I don't know that their is necessarily any position espoused beyond it being better not to kill others if possible. The book raises more questions than it gives answers. It didn't feel overly preachy to me - from any viewpoint - Christian or otherwise. Hopefully that helps to answer your "question".
Re:What do I read first? (Score:3, Informative)
I would recommend reading all of the Ender stories first, then going back and reading the Bean stories second. While the two series are remarkably consistent; the Bean stories will change the way you think about the Ender stories. You realize that the monolithic messiah figures of the Ender stories are nothing of the sort, that their destiny is intertwined with that of all the other characters, major and minor.
On the other hand, Card has recently pressented himself as a bigotted asshat in regards to homosexual rights (I'm sure there will be other posts in this article that will link to the relevant information). So if you really want my advice; don't lend him more of a voice by purchasing his books. It's a hard decision, for myself included. I have been a huge fan of the series since I read Ender's game in middle school, but I will not be purchasing any more books of the series; it just doesn't feel right to support someone whose views clash so violently with my own.
Re:Hey, remember when Ender's Game was good? (Score:5, Informative)
He managed to keep the preaching out of the homecoming series, which had an openly-gay character. The character (Zdorab) had some bizarre views that were obviously influenced by Card's worldview, but it didn't take away from the book.
The homecoming series dealt (though not as the primary focus) with some of the morality of "forcing" monogamous relationships on a small tribe of humans disconnected from society.
I think he's an annoying editorial writer with back-asswards views, but this atheist can still enjoy his works.
Re:What do I read first? (Score:3, Informative)
It doesn't really jump around, and the published order is a good as any other. There are two story lines - the Ender Series which follow Ender he goes out into space, and the Bean Series that describe what happens meanwhile back on Earth. The stories in each series should definitely be read in order, but the two series really don't depend on each other or feedback into each other in any important way, so which of the two you read first (or in parallel) is up to you.
As far as quality goes, I'd recommend reading Speaker for the Dead first as I think it's the best book of both the series. I'd then read Xenocide next, just because it brings better closure to some important plot item in SftD, and is a decent story itself. Children of the Mind can be read last or skipped altogether without harm :P
Re:Hey, remember when Ender's Game was good? (Score:1, Informative)
full of proselytising and glorifying Mormon "values"
Orson Scott Card is a Mormon. Mormonism != Christianity
Re:flamebait (Score:1, Informative)
I think that D&D donation thing was all a misunderstanding. Check google for the updates/retractions.
Re:Nope, sorry (Score:1, Informative)
If you read further, all the quotes are fabricated, or changed so much that they do not represent the original. This "editorial" is in fact libel.
Re:Nope, sorry (Score:2, Informative)
If it were a case of "Red vs. Blue", I'd agree with you. Take the product as a separate item and if it is enjoyable on its own, forget that you may hold a different worldview than the author.
When it comes down to someone being a step away from Fred Philips land, I draw the line. Supporting radical hate by funding it, regardless of the flavor of hate, is not acceptable. As long as someone holds or espouses an opinion that makes me feel it's likely that money I pay to them for their work might go into the hands of people who hate, me or someone else, I'll be damned if I give them a red cent.
From the article linked in GP:
Truth is he wrote it (Score:5, Informative)
Not in the article in 'Civilization Watch', but in his blog for the Mormon Times.
Link is http://mormontimes.com/mormon_voices/orson_scott_card/?id=3237 [mormontimes.com]
Personally, bigotry like this isn't enough, in itself, for me to reject a writer. But, it would certainly color my view of what he writes - any lessons or morals expounded in the book would have to be put to extra scrutiny in light of the moral defect of the writer (to put it plainly).
Re:Nope, sorry (Score:4, Informative)
Ah, yes. That quotes the wrong article, which appeared in the Mormon Times [mormontimes.com], not in the Rhino Times.
Re:Hey, remember when Ender's Game was good? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Nope, sorry (Score:2, Informative)
Note that the original link I included to the Examiner article itself links to one Scott Card article (mirrored in his website [ornery.org]) and quotes another one [mormontimes.com], published in the Mormon Times. The second one contains the attributed quote in the Examiner. I apologize for that, I originally read the Mormon Times one but I for some reason the link I had bookmarked was to the Examiner article.
Re:don't remember anything of the sort (Score:4, Informative)
How long did it take you to come to this realization? The Hugos are voted on by fans - they've always been a popularity contest. And just because the Nebs are voted on by SFWA rather than fans, you think that the result is any "purer" than the Hugos are? SF writers are people, too.
Re:Hey, remember when Ender's Game was good? (Score:2, Informative)
But hey, thanks for hijacking the thread.
Re:Nope, sorry (Score:3, Informative)
Slashdot is populated by libertarians, not liberals, for the most part. They may, in general, dislike Card for 1) and 2), but they are probably a better target for your 3).
Re:*sigh* you're worse than homophobes (Score:3, Informative)
When an author states that all gay relationships begin with an act of rape, then I'm going to seriously doubt that anything that author has to say has any value.
From the link:
The dark secret of homosexual society -- the one that dares not speak its name -- is how many homosexuals first entered into that world through a disturbing seduction or rape or molestation or abuse, and how many of them yearn to get out of the homosexual community and live normally.
That's the only time the word "rape" appears in the article and it certainly doesn't claim that all relationships begin with rape, just that many do. I can't say whether or not Card's statement is true (it's certainly distasteful either way), but your clearly overstating his position.
Re:Nope, sorry (Score:2, Informative)
10% of his income [wikipedia.org] goes to his church which in turn supports his political causes.
Re:Nope, sorry (Score:3, Informative)
No, it's not. McCarthyism is the government suppressing dissenting views by using investigation as punishment. Punishing someone for their views by not engaging them or buying their products is called "making choices".