Ender’s game by Orson Scott Card is a story of morality and adversity that is certain to grip any adolescent male that picks it up. The main character, Andrew “Ender” Wiggins, is faced with torment and bullying throughout the book as he is perceived as superior to other children. All sympathetic figures such as his parents and his loving sister are removed from him, and he is isolated to complete his training as the savior of the human race.
In the encounters with adversity, Ender meets them with force and brutality, but portrayed as a means of last resort. His actions are explained and rationalized along the way, as are the trials and duress he is put under. Ultimately, he is indeed the unwilling and unwitting savior of the human race, but with chilling consequences.
‘Ender’s Game’ is one of the most read science fiction novels, and is lauded and criticized for many of the same points. The concept of the leader as apart and superior to others, the morality and consequences of actions paired with the desire and intention of aforementioned, the suppression and hatred of those who are superior or recognized as such. All in all, it is a book that can be gripping for a young male in the formative years, exploring the themes of alienation and bullying.
I prefer not to pass any judgement on the moral virtues of this book, but have to say I found it a good read, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it to others.
