Fantasy and Science Fiction ~ Ender's Game

Book Cover Photo Source: Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Enders-Game/Orson-Scott-Card/e/9780812550702/?itm=2&USRI=enders+game, accessed October 22, 2009.

Bibliography

Card, Orson Scott. 1977. ENDER'S GAME. New York: Tor Books. ISBN 0812550706

Critical Analysis

“He’s too malleable. Too willing to submerge himself in someone else’s will.”
“Not if the other person is his enemy.”
“So what do we do? Surround him with enemies all the time?”
“If we have to.”
“ I thought you said you liked the kid.”

Ender’s Game is a story about a boy named Andrew ‘Ender’ Wiggin. He is the third child of Mr. and Mrs. Wiggin. Being the third is not a gift, it is a curse, for in Ender’s world Parents are not allowed to have more than two children. But Ender is different. In many ways large and small, Ender differentiates himself from his brother Peter, his sister Valentine, his friends and his schoolmates at the Battle School.

The World is at war with an Alien race called the buggers. In a desperate attempt to end the war the military begins a secret campaign to find the world’s greatest General in the children of today. The best and the brightest are sent to a space station called the Battle School. There they learn the fundamentals of fighting in zero gravity. Ender’s two brilliant siblings Peter and Valentine are each considered for the school, but it is Ender who is ultimately chosen to attend. There under the watchful eye of General Graff, Ender begins his transformation to become more than Ender and General Graff Can imagine.

Though Ender and his friends are ultimately successful in defeating the Buggers, what the reader comes to understand is that it is not the alien race that proves to be Ender’s enemy, but the cadre of handlers who keep Ender isolated, over worked, and fearful of the impending alien invasion that are the real enemy. Told from a variety of perspectives, this story engages the reader in a psychological drama that has many twists and turns on multiple levels.
Published in 1977, and winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, Ender’s Game will be an intense and riveting read for young adult readers. The story is rich in detail and the plot keeps the reader engaged. The novel asks the reader to think about leadership and what it takes to lead others in the face of self doubt.

Review Excerpts

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "The buggers have invaded Earth twice. The last time mankind survived only because of the brilliance of Mazer Rackham, commander of the International Fleet. Years later, a third invasion is feared and a new commander is sought. Ender Wiggin is only six years old when he is plucked to succeed Rackham and sent to the space station Battle School. He is isolated, ridiculed, bullied, and persecuted-but he survives and thrives. Using his astonishing intelligence, the boy learns to be a top-notch solider and, despite his youth and small stature, is quickly promoted up the ranks. By the age of 12, Ender learns the art of command and earns the respect and fear of his fellow soldiers. "

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: "Ender is portrayed as just a pawn in the larger game being played by the I.F., and readers will alternately sympathize with his exploitation and cheer when he is able to make friends in spite of the tremendous forces working to isolate and dehumanize him. The political and philosophical material at the novel's end may get too heavy for some readers, but for the most part, this novel will deservedly reach a new generation through this new edition."