48. Ender's Game

by Orson Scott Card (384 pages)

Rating: 4

Ender is an above average kid. To say he was bright would be like accusing light bulbs of being dim. So suffice it to say the kid gots the smarts and the temperament to be a genius...the only trick is manufacturing enough emotional angst to produce one. That's where the military comes in. Before we come down on the evil adults too hard let's admit that when you are fighting an intergalactic war against an alien species of intelligent insects, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Ender's Game is considered a classic of science fiction by many and justifiably so. It is a fairly accessible work that is well written, and, aside from a couple very small plot holes,is well conceived. The characters are a tad two dimensional although forgivably so and the end, while not predictable, holds no surprises for sci fi fans. One wonders about the sequels since the end fairly well wraps it all up, but I guess I will find out about those.

I recommend this to new comers to the genre and to those who wish to read the sci fi classics. I do not recommend this to nit pickers.