Before I get into my feelings on Mr. Card and his book, I need to explain a change in this series. Originally the Classic Sci-Fi Reread was meant for me to take another look at older science fiction books I read when I was younger. But while I was going over more lists of classic Sci-Fi novels I found there were plenty that I had never read at all. So while I'll still being looking at things I have read before, I'm expanding this series out to include looks at things I've just read for the first time.
Which brings me to Ender's Game. Yes, believe it or not, I somehow managed to avoid having to read this in my formative years. Which is a shame because I think my younger self would have liked more than I did.
In case you haven't read it either, here's a quick plot synopsis. In the future, Humanity has been attacked twice by the alien Buggers and have only managed to survive by the skin of their teeth. Because of the buggers, the military has begun recruiting kids younger and younger to fight them in the hopes they'll find a child ingenious enough to counter the buggers' ever changing strategy. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is one such child. Taken away to military school at the tender age of six, Ender is Earth's best and last hope against the buggers. At least he will be if he survives the training...
The book's greatest strength is Ender himself. We see pretty much the entire book from his perspective so we get to understand his motivation on a very personal level. It also easy for us to sympathize with the poor kid, having to go through the hellish experience he does. This is where I think my younger self would have liked this book. Much like Ender, I was a smart kid who felt surrounded by idiots, ended up getting into troublesome situations without knowing how and being punished when I got my way out of them. So it was even easier for me to relate to the character.
Also interesting is the plot. It has a lot of great twists so I'm not going to talk about it much, but I'm amazed just how clear it makes the theme of the piece. Ender's Game is really about the ends justifying the means. Ender is put through so much crap and almost has a nervous breakdown a few times all in the name of beating the buggers. We're constantly told that if Ender fails, we're all doomed. The buggers will win. The adult authorities use this as justification for all the shit they put Ender through. So do you think it's worth it to permanently scar this gifted mind in the name of survival? In this case, do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one? If you've read it, you know the answer.
Oh yeah, the ending is incredible too.
But now I must come to my conflict. I didn't want to like this. And the reason is Orson Scott Card. Because he is a vocal Anti-Gay rights proponent. Now, The Serial Wordsmith is Pro-Gay rights. It's none of my business who other people decide to love nor should it be anyone else's business. So I was wary of reading Ender because I didn't know how much of Card's philosophy was in the text. And I certainly didn't want pay for it, knowing that the money might be used for something I didn't support.
I solved that problem by getting a copy out of the library. And It seems I shouldn't have worried about Card's philosophy in the text either. I couldn't find anything repulsive, except for things anybody would find repulsive like Ender's treatment. Honestly, I've been having a hard time connecting the person who wrote this and some of the more hateful things Card has said. It's a weird disconnect. But people are like that sometimes.
I do recommend this book to people. The world it constructs is fascinating, Ender is a well-written protagonist and it will work both your heart and your brain. Just get it from the library instead of the bookstore, please.
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