I Just Read: Ender's Game

If there is any sci-fi book that needs to be included in a literature course, it's this one.

Part of why I chose to re-read Orson Scott Card's novel now is that the movie version is due to come out this year. I remembered the book being pretty intense, and I wondered how Hollywood could create a film version that would appeal to wide audiences. It's a rare film that can get away with such images of violence and crudeness coming from children. For sure, it will be somewhat toned down to manage a PG-13 rating.

That said, this book is a masterpiece. It challenges what children are capable of, given opportunity and giftedness. It challenges right and wrong. It asks when wrong can be right in what circumstances. It addresses adolescence and growing up and the feelings of isolation that many people feel at that age. Card not only challenges the supposed innocence of children, he throws the idea out entirely to show children capable of adult sin, but still keeps his characters youthful.

Card takes the sci-fi themes of space travel and aliens to a place it hasn't been before. I highly recommend taking the time to read it to the end. The twists and turns and reveals are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.