Finally Read Ender's Game
I knew I had to do this eventually, especially with the movie coming out. It seemed almost like fate. Hell, OSC was (I believe) one of the first authors to come and do a signing at my favorite bookstore in the universe, Mysterious Galaxy (Redondo). As someone who's self-studying science fiction and fantasy to make up for lost time during college, I can't just say "Oh, I like science fiction, but I won't touch the book because I think the author is a complete fucker."
So, after reading all the Temeraire novels that have so far come out, I went to the library and reserved a copy of Ender's Game. I started reading it at 10 am-11 am on my lunch break and then at 4 o'clock until 11, woke up at 3 am because of cramps and read it until 4, then woke up again at 8:30 and finished it right at 11 a.m.
Suffice to say, I love this book. It has its problems, like this one:
"All boys?"
"A few girls. They don't often pass the tests to get in. Too many centuries of evolution are working against them. (17)
And the scenes of "Buttwatcher Bernard" and Ender (yeah, I did pretty well separating text from the author, and then this scene happened and I was all "CARRRRD!"). I like the structure and no-bullshit style of the text as well. This book will depress the fuck out of you at how easily these incredibly intelligent children are isolated and controlled. It's a difficult balance because even though they are physically children, they are pretty much miniature adults. But it works, because it others them. It almost makes one thing "Well, these are not normal children, so of course they are natural killers, of course they can take so much pain." If Ender was a "normal" child, would he have been willing to take out the planet (if led to believe that they are just playing a game)?
The sad fact is, children do have that sadistic and violent streak to them, super intelligent or not. They're human too, of course they have the capability of and curiosity for violence. Now, how much of that is natural and how much is manipulated is a whole 'nother discussion. I think the book is saying, yes, we have the natural tendency for violence, but we'll take that tendency and manipulate it to make it worse or lessen it. See: every character in this damn book.
I have very, very little sympathy for Ender. I probably hate him as much as Ender hates himself at the end of the book. This doesn't make him a bad character, it just makes him a realistic one. I get that he was defending himself against Stilson and Bonzu, and that even though he was made to believe that he was playing a video game, but I still have little sympathy for him only because he realizes what a terrible person he is. Sure, he could excuse himself that it was self-defense or that he didn't know, but that doesn't erase the consequences of his violence. Stilson's and Bonzu's deaths are what got to me the most. His violence against Stilson was horrendous because it was unbridled, his violence against Bonzu even more so because he was trained and could control his violent acts.
Of course, the great thing about this book is that it encourages discussion and reveals what kind of horrible people we all are, including the author. It's sobering.
So, after reading all the Temeraire novels that have so far come out, I went to the library and reserved a copy of Ender's Game. I started reading it at 10 am-11 am on my lunch break and then at 4 o'clock until 11, woke up at 3 am because of cramps and read it until 4, then woke up again at 8:30 and finished it right at 11 a.m.
Suffice to say, I love this book. It has its problems, like this one:
"All boys?"
"A few girls. They don't often pass the tests to get in. Too many centuries of evolution are working against them. (17)
And the scenes of "Buttwatcher Bernard" and Ender (yeah, I did pretty well separating text from the author, and then this scene happened and I was all "CARRRRD!"). I like the structure and no-bullshit style of the text as well. This book will depress the fuck out of you at how easily these incredibly intelligent children are isolated and controlled. It's a difficult balance because even though they are physically children, they are pretty much miniature adults. But it works, because it others them. It almost makes one thing "Well, these are not normal children, so of course they are natural killers, of course they can take so much pain." If Ender was a "normal" child, would he have been willing to take out the planet (if led to believe that they are just playing a game)?
The sad fact is, children do have that sadistic and violent streak to them, super intelligent or not. They're human too, of course they have the capability of and curiosity for violence. Now, how much of that is natural and how much is manipulated is a whole 'nother discussion. I think the book is saying, yes, we have the natural tendency for violence, but we'll take that tendency and manipulate it to make it worse or lessen it. See: every character in this damn book.
I have very, very little sympathy for Ender. I probably hate him as much as Ender hates himself at the end of the book. This doesn't make him a bad character, it just makes him a realistic one. I get that he was defending himself against Stilson and Bonzu, and that even though he was made to believe that he was playing a video game, but I still have little sympathy for him only because he realizes what a terrible person he is. Sure, he could excuse himself that it was self-defense or that he didn't know, but that doesn't erase the consequences of his violence. Stilson's and Bonzu's deaths are what got to me the most. His violence against Stilson was horrendous because it was unbridled, his violence against Bonzu even more so because he was trained and could control his violent acts.
Of course, the great thing about this book is that it encourages discussion and reveals what kind of horrible people we all are, including the author. It's sobering.