'Ender’s Game' Book Trilogy Review

Ender’s Game Book Trilogy Review (no spoilers)



     Having completed the original Ender’s Game trilogy by Orson Scott Card, I would like to share some of my thoughts. While the books are constructed with a similar fabric, each is woven strong enough to stand on its own: Ender’s Game, Speaker for the Dead, and Xenocide.


     Ender’s Game is undoubtedly the most famous of the trio, and for good reason. It is the most accessible and relatable. Card’s novel debut challenges not only our conceptions of strategy and space, but also the potentials of youth. The plot follows a young genius who must leave Earth to prepare himself to become the commander of a war against a threatening alien race. The book puts great emphasis on the science of science fiction, deftly explaining all of the extraterrestrial phenomena, especially combat in zero gravity, with a conviction that makes it difficult to think of them any other way.

     The story, characters, dialogue, pacing, and creativity all make Ender’s Game the perfect young adult novel, and a must-read for everyone else. The loneliness, confusion, and frustration that the main character, Ender, must face in becoming Earth’s last hope evoke powerful memories of adolescence in the reader… all while stimulating fascinating thought of mankind’s future. Card well deserves the science fiction community’s greatest awards that this book has earned.


     Speaker for the Dead is just as powerful as its predecessor. Though the influx of new characters, settings, and ideas may be initially off-putting, the dedicated reader will find the second book of the trilogy to be just as rewarding. In my opinion, this book may be even better. Speaker for the Dead is a wholly visceral work, exploring the relationship between our higher and lower selves. Prominently featured are both the biological and human sides of sex. The fear the reader feels for the alien and the different/other in Ender’s Game is made much more tangible in this follow-up work. Ender flies away from Earth as fast as physically possible, and while he has a short time on a spacecraft to ponder his past and future, the principle of relativity ensures that three thousand years transpire on his home planet (and others like it) during his short travels between the stars – Card’s scientific thoroughness once again shines. If the theme of Ender’s Game is creativity, then the theme of Speaker for the Dead is humanity.


     Xenocide is not as great of a departure from Speaker for the Dead as Speaker for the Dead was from Ender’s Game. The continuity of characters and settings lend stability, which is necessary for the brain-boggling ideas that are explored in this capstone work. Card’s powerful philosophizing from the previous books sits at the forefront of this one, if somewhat to the detriment of the story. Other reviewers who dearly love the first two novels sometimes despise Xenocide, but I find that the spirit of the trilogy stays true. Card’s personal ethics push through during weighty discussions of sentience, free will, and spirituality.

     In this episode, the greatest turning point of human history hangs by a thread as Ender continues to try to make sense of the world and himself, though the author pays him much less attention. This is the least accessible book of the trilogy, and parts of it seem forced. The pacing sometimes feels off and events haphazard, consequences barely present; yet the value of the concepts in Xenocide, though not always revolutionary, excuse the flaws. While Ender’s Game emphasizes the science of science fiction, Xenocide emphasizes more of the fiction aspect. Maybe that is partly why the book doesn’t seem as wholesome as the others. In my opinion, not enough attention is given to (my interpretation of) the meaning of the title. However, let me be clear that fans of the preceding novels will also enjoy Xenocide.


     Each of Card’s novels progresses further into mature thought, developing the overarching story as a tool for the ideas. Perhaps that is why the trilogy loses fans with each book. I do have one comment on the construction of these stories. All three of these books conclude rather abruptly: after the climax there is little heed given to the falling action – minimal cuddling. This leaves the reader closing the back cover of the book dazed. Maybe this is to make the audience hungry for the next work, but I feel that it detracts from the story. The novels could be made that much more powerful if some of the consequences were further explored.


Overall, the Ender’s Game trilogy is a series that explores exciting ideas through a valuable tale. Highly recommended.



Thanks for reading!



Edit: I have also read Ender's Shadow.  It is a parallel telling of the first book and equally entertaining.