I discovered Ender when I was thirteen, courtesy of my seventh grade science teacher. Ms. Tinsley and I had bonded all year over our mutual like of the areas of Star Wars, Star Trek, and all things science-fiction, ending with her giving me some old paperback novels from when she was in high school. They were mostly fantasy, one or two being more realistic, and one being a collection of short stories by Orson Scott Card.
I don't even have that particular book in my possession anymore, but I can tell you it struck a chord with me. I was intrigued by John Paul and Theresa Wiggin, by the concept of a Battleroom, and above all, by the quote "the enemies gate is down".
Almost three years later, idly skimming the library shelves, trying to find enough books to last me through Christmas break, I happened upon an entire shelf of novels by Card. Ender's Game sat there, in metallic gold print marching down the spine of a large hardback novel. It seemed to good to be true. And it almost was, especially when I came back two weeks later to discover not only was the novel everything I had hoped it would be, but there was much more to it. Ender's Shadow, The Rise of the Giant, and others all quickly became favorites. Valentine, Peter, Bean, Han Tzu, Achilles, Petra, all became characters I grew to know as well Harry Potter and the Pevensie children.
Ender's story has appealed to more than just me though; Card has received the Nebula Award, which is huge in science-fiction. The book has been used as teaching tool when working with gifted young children, and has been on the reading list of the Marine Corp almost since it's birth. The novel speaks to men of war, to those who feel left out because of their knowledge, to male and female alike. The ethics questioned in make the reader think, while the fast-paced method of presentation makes it difficult to realize what all there is to actually ponder.
For me though, it wasn't the war-hero, the PTSD, or the violence that I could relate to; it was the desire to win, and to learn. I understood Ender's voracious appetite for knowledge, and how he learned from the things others didn't bother to study or even notice. I also understood the desire to win, to do anything it takes to be sure you succeeded, and while I may not be willing to kill to get what I want, I still do what it takes.
Maybe there's a little child-genius in all of us, maybe that's why it's appealed to so many the last forty years. Perhaps it's because we've all felt alone at some point, or because we all outgrow our family eventually. It could even just be the simple love a game, that drives us to apply our whole self the comprehension and victory within the game. Whatever it is, it is a novel we should all read. Take a little time this summer, and read a good book, and if you can't find anything else to read, try out Ender's Game.
Watch the trailer, get hooked, be excited for an incredible movie that's going to be coming out, but most importantly, read this book with an eagerness to learn.
Totus tuus,
LeAnn
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