ender’s game
My last post was my favorite 50 books of all time.
As soon as I finished writing that post, I started reading Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. 24 hours later, I’m finished with it, and it was amazing.
I decided that it’s in my top 3 or 4 works of fiction that I’ve ever read: The Lord of the Rings, The Stand, The Dark Tower Series, and Ender’s Game. I’ve read a few other things that come a little close, most notable Insomnia.
Ender’s Game is ranked by many lists to be the best science fiction book of all time. I tend to trust this site, and it has it at the top.
I strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fiction at all. Even if Sci-Fi isn’t your thing.
Cami (Mom) said,
March 9, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Tell me more about these books and why you liked them so much.
Patrick Rice said,
March 10, 2009 at 12:22 am
The Lord of the Rings set a standard for all works of fantasy ever since. The characters were entertaining and unique, when most writers in the genre write predictable, flat characters. The story is epic. The little guy wins.
The Stand is a story of a runaway virus that kills like 96% of the world. The book follows the story of the survivors as they trek across the continent towards each other. King is a genius when it comes to getting into the mind of each of his characters, and this book is no exception. The story is great on it’s own, but when you’ve read his other works (notable Insomnia and The Dark Tower series) and you realize that the story of the Stand is tied into his greater universe, then it takes on whole new meanings.
The Dark Tower series is western, fantasy, science fiction, horror, and social commentary all wrapped into one of the most epic stories I’ve ever read. King is unafraid of stepping WAY outside the box in his story-telling, and this series is the culmination of his entire published works. He pulls in The Stand, Insomnia, Dreamcatcher, Thinner, Hearts in Atlantis, Pet Sematary, The Regulators, Desperation, and I’m sure many more of his other books all into one final climax.
Ender’s game is a story of a child genius. That’s enough for me right off the bat to relate to the character and enjoy getting to know him. But Orson Scott Card did a great job of letting the little boy be a little boy. He cried, and I felt his pain. He played, and I giggled with him. He competed fiercely, and I strategized alongside him. He defended himself from the boys around him, since he was the youngest, and I could relate to that intimately. I KNEW people growing up that acted like the boys around him that felt threatened by him because of his success and youth. The climax of the story was epic in a cheap sort of way, but just WORKED. Ender’s reaction at the end to the climax was perfect, and his subsequent life choices as a result of what he experienced were beautiful.
Cami (Mom) said,
March 10, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I read the Stand and loved it. I read it when it first came out. I still can barely go through tunnels because of it! I I read Pet Semetary and that’s what got me off Steven King for a while. It hit too close to home. You boys were that age when I was reading and it cut too deep for me. It was too painful and it poisoned my soul. I had to stop reading his stuff for a while. I haven’t read Insomnia but I’d really like to. With all I’ve been hearing about Twilight I think I’d like to read that too but it always seems like so many books, so little time! Ender’s Game sounds good too. I read more non-fiction than than fiction though. Just finished How We Decide. Might be a good one for you to read right now. Check it out. Good read!